CHAPTER 15.
Gojin sprang from his bed and grabbed his phone from the desk behind him.
"7:25 A.M.," he muttered with a grin. He quickly dashed into the bathroom and took a bath.
Forty-five minutes later, he emerged—yes, he took his time.
After drying off, he dressed in a blue leather jacket and white trousers. He pulled out his black blindfold and secured it in place before slipping on his black boots.
A knock came at the door. "You're going to be late; the car is waiting!" Taro called out.
"Nah, I won't need the car. I'll be on my way. Goodbye, Taro. I'll be coming by once a month. Tell L, Satoshi, and the others I'm gone," Gojin replied from behind the door before vanishing instantly.
"Wait! What???!!" Taro shouted, swinging the door open. Gojin was nowhere to be found.
"Did he really... Woah!"
Taro brought out his phone and called the driver waiting outside, he cancelled the ride and went back to his own bids.
"That kid really is the strongest. I can't wait to see what he does next." He muttered.
....
Gojin appeared right in front of the first-year academy with only a backpack. He had secured a room the night before, and most of his essentials were already there.
Suddenly, the academy's double gates swung open wide as Denji dashed out with a grin, grabbing Gojin's hands and shaking them vigorously.
"Welcome, Gojin! Meet the others inside. I have somewhere to be right now. There's an open site, so..."
Gojin interrupted him, a grin spreading across his face. He placed his hands on Denji's shoulders and handed him his backpack.
"Where's the open site? Let me go there. Tell the others I said, 'Wait for me outside'."
"Huh? Yeah, yeah, bye. I was looking for someone to go anyway, but everyone kept declining. Here's the location."
Denji handed Gojin a small piece of paper with an address on it.Gojin sprinted away, vanishing after reaching a certain spot.
"Finally, I can rest for the day," Denji said, turning around. He jumped in shock when he saw a boy standing behind him like a ghost.
The boy had black spiky hair, deep black eyes, and a chiseled face with a pointed nose, giving him a pretty-boy look. He was at the same height with Gojin.
He wore the academy's uniform; A fitted black jacket with high collars and silver linings while the trousers were sleek and tapered.
A dark belt cinched at his waist, and he also wore a black boots.
"Kenji, why were you standing behind me like some kind of ghost?" Denji asked, regaining his composure.
"Isn't that Gojin? The boy who came by yesterday from the Seren clan, the Doom Lord?" Kenji exclaimed with excitement laced in his voice.
"Yes, he went—"
Before Denji could finish, Kenji sprinted past him. He had already seen where Gojin was heading and wanted to witness him in battle.
Denji sighed as Kenji dashed away. He turned and closed the academy gate behind him.
.....
Kenji ran as fast as he could, weaving through the crowd as people cleared the way for him. He turned onto the next street and continued running, knowing he still had about 800 meters to go.
Lacking any Ki, he couldn't use the ki tapping technique or any other abilities. He had been admitted to the academy solely because he was a member of the Kuroyami clan and possessed the rare ability to see and touch souls, which was truly jaw-dropping.
Finally, after running for four minutes, he arrived at a old mansion. The large iron gate was locked with a large chain and padlock, a red talisman was also placed on the lock and all over the fence.
"So you were following me?"
Kenji turned at the sound of the voice and saw Gojin perched atop a fence on the other side of the street.
Gojin had sensed someone trailing him; he had noticed Kenji eavesdropping on his conversation with Denji and had correctly guessed that Kenji would follow him.
Kenji was stunned as Gojin jumped down, exuding an air of confidence. He walked past Kenji and stretched out his hands, causing the old, weathered door to swing open with all the locks falling apart.
"I see you possess no Ki, but I'm sure you're skilled in martial arts. Follow me, but be warned: a stronger aura is coming from inside the house."
"If you die, don't blame me for your death; just accept it. Also, take that bracelet off. You went through a ritual when you were little, right? From what I know, that ritual keeps souls away from you, so you don't need it."
Gojin stepped into the house.
"I can't believe I still have this on. I think it has grown on me, but I'll just take it off for now..."
Gojin dashed back outside, halting him. "I knew you were dumb."
"Did you really think that was what the ritual did? I know nothing about what it was for so you have to keep that thing on if you don't want to get any soul in you. I knew you would be dumb but not up to this point."
Gojin stepped back inside, with Kenji following closely behind like a loyal dog. This was their first time meeting face-to-face, but they had already established a certain camaraderie.
Both Gojin and Kenji were not the introverted type.
Gojin possessed a proud mindset, believing he was the strongest and that only he would continue to be so. He doesn't tolerate even the slightest hint of weakness.
.....
A large wooden door stood at the front—the entrance to the mansion—adorned with numerous red talismans.
Gojin blasted it open as soon as he removed his blindfold, clearly showing off his abilities. Kenji was stunned, and Gojin could see it was having the desired effect.
He quickly covered his eye again and stepped into the building.
Inside, they were met by a long, seemingly endless passageway, thick with cobwebs and crumbling structures. Dust hung in the air, settling everywhere around them.
A strange feeling shot at Gojin, prompting him to flick his fingers.
Instantly, the dust cleared, and multiple wooden doors along the passage shattered.
Suddenly, the passage began to elongate, and a weird laughter echoed from various directions.
In an instant, they found themselves in another part of the mansion—inside a large parlor that was stark and empty.
Kenji tightened his fists, bracing himself for whatever threat lay ahead, while Gojin remained calm, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"A special cast? Finally, something worth raising a hand for," he muttered.