For some reason, I felt rejuvenated after this new epiphany.
I have help.
I jog on back to my dormitory building, Aleyna casually walking behind me.
Her gaze wanders to the building. "Huh. You live in the same one as me." She almost seems to find the idea distasteful.
"Good for planning," I shrug, doing my best to ignore the strange look on her face as we walk inside. Of course, stares from all the cadets lingering in the lounge area land on us immediately.
"That's Headmaster Hawthorne's son, and that top 2 from the golden generation?"
"The son is a failure.. a bratty spoiled kid. What's he doing with her?"
"Are they dating or something?"
It just makes me hate these glistening marble floors even more, and glamourous art pieces hanging on the wall. I had to get reincarnated in this guys body, of course. Old Dorian had a reputation of basically being a bitch spoiled daddy's child.
Aleyna audibly groans at the allegations, brushing past me aggressively — enough to shove me to the side and stumble. I catch my footing and quicken my step to enter the same elevator as her before the doors slide shut.
"Thanks for publically embarrassing me," I mutter, a bit abrasive.
She rolls her eyes, looking at her nails for a moment. "Your reputation is beyond saving. Even though you've changed." Aleyna easily dismisses, as the doors open to reveal.. a penthouse.
Fully furnished with extravagant furiniture, a fancy light fixture as a centre piece, wraparound windows with views of the vast and beautiful campus.
So this is what the top rankers get.
Motivation flares inside me.
"So, get talking. No one else can get up here," She demands, coolly. "Even though I know you aren't lying, your intellectual issues may have gotten in the way of your comprehension."
What the fuck? This girl is brutal.
I feel the need to defend my dignity, just a little. Even if for the fact that its already been trampled on by a stampede of ruthless entitled teenagers.
"Okay, I let you have this conception that I'm dumb, but I promise you I'm not," I say, offended, and crossing my arms. "All my academic courses are going just fine."
She stares at me, unimpressed. "I've seen you take zero notes while sitting beside me."
"What if I'm just that good?" The argument is getting more heated. I can feel my ego getting in the way.
Okay, no. This is off topic.
"Whatever. So, this is everything I know." I clear my throat excessively to make sure she gets my point. "At the banquet, something is going to happen, something large enough that guarantees that people will die if we don't stop it."
It feels like this is meant to be the climax, where I reveal a master plan, and subvert all expectations. Or that I've managed to hack into the system and gather vital information.
But everything I know is encompassed in that one sentence.
Aleyna walks around me, polished shoes clicking against the hardwood floors as she takes a seat on her couch. "That's all? Seriously?"
"…Yes." I admit. I chew on the inside of my cheek, a motion I do when I feel nervous. This young girl — woman, whatever, just has that presence which makes you automatically feel inferior.
My hand shoots up before she can talk,
stopping her. "But, I have a new plan, that includes you now. I think we can make it work."
So, about that master plan that it seems like I should have. I've gotten as close as possible
to that.
—
Aleyna is nodding, very slowly. Her eyes remain blank and soulless as she examines the paper where I've mapped out all the steps.
The first hint of approval I've ever gotten.
"Maybe you aren't so stupid after all." There's even a hint of a smile on her lips.
I don't know why, but validation flooded through me at that moment.
—
"Open system."
[System]
Name: Dorian Hawthorne
Rank: D tier Hunter [Potential: Unknown, former potential: C tier]
Progression: [————75%——]
Affinities: Lightning [One more, unknown]
Abilities:
Skill: Copy + Paste [SSS+]
Recharge [B]
Enhance [C]
Blessing of the Gods {Innate, Evolving} [A]
Stats:
Strength: 36
Intelligence: 32
Stamina: 37
Agility: 37
Health: 31
[Open Inventory]
[Quests]
[Close System]
—
I stare at the blank plaster ceiling in my room as I lay in bed. Two points of improvement in a few days. 5% rank progression since I got reincarnated.
That's.. pretty high. I think. For the numbers I'm at right now, at least. The higher your stats get, the harder to increase. Same with rank.
When having a breakthrough in Rank, there's a giant surge in power. An incomparable different to the previous rank. This quest.. if I complete it.. will get me through that barrier.
I summon [Salvation] into my hands. I hold it up to the dim, cold toned ceiling light. It glints off the sharp blade.
The hilt is intricately detailed, an angel's wings embellishing the handle. The sword is short, maybe 3 feet. Perfectly balanced in the palm of my hand.
Maybe I'll need to use it tomorrow, against whatever is going to cause the disaster at the banquet.
I've been taking out the sword from my storage, and just admiring it whenever nerves get to me. Because this sword.. it's like safety. It can enhance my strength by so much, just by wielding it.
I put it away, and close my eyes.
—
Sleep doesn't come to me easy. Thoughts and restlessness plagues me during the seemingly infinite night. Everytime my eyes would flicker open, it would still be dark outside.
Eventually, a period of rest washes over me. I think pure exhaustion, ended up winning over my nerves.
Aleyna should have done what we planned overnight.
In the early afternoon, I head up to Aleyna's penthouse floor.
"Did you get it?" I asked, urgently, briskly walking over to her.
She gives me a grave look, and nods. There's a roll of paper on the glass coffee table. Unraveled, there's a floor plan, marks of where all the entrances are, back doors, everything.
A smile of relief crosses my lips. "Nice."
After Aleyna agreed to help, the fact she had dark affinity would prove useful. I made her sneak into the building after dark, manipulating the shadows to cover her.
Delacroix. The last name is a trademark in this world. The number one company internationally. I heard about this at the entrance ceremony a bit more than a week ago. It's true.
Delacroix Corporation is in complete dominance of investment banking, weapon manufacturing, and all the Hunter essentials. All the finest equipment is made at Delacroix, along with lower cost lineups of affordable and reliable tools for all hunters.
I knew this would be a key weapon.
Her parents bought her many useful and expensive tomes. One, an A-rank skill, allows her to avoid any detection for a period of ten minutes. Apparently, the cooldown is a long while, but it's safe to say it's over powered.
She procured a blueprint of the very hall the banquet would be held in through some 'connections'. Aleyna refused to tell me who they were, just someone powerful.
Aleyna then also put a top-of-the line mana disturbance detector hidden underneath a piece of furniture. The detector catches any unnatural frequencies of mana. Unnatural meaning, that isn't from a human, or an everyday appliance. It's designed for police use.
Of course, Delacroix Corporation happens to be the major distributor of detectors.
She's doing all the heavy lifting so far. The only thing I have, is my instincts. Literally god gifted.
It's a hail mary, but — when we both attend the event, if the detector catches nothing, and we see no one suspicious slip out of an exit — my instincts are just going to have to warn us of danger. Combined with her lie detecting, if I interact with someone that I have a bad feeling about, and we catch them in a lie..
We interrogate. That simple.
This quest better not be a damn joke.
Aleyna told me as much herself.
—
I adjust the slim fit suit. I've rented it from
a store on campus, using the money I found in my bank account after sorting all the apps on my watch.
It's basic. Navy blue blazer, white dress shirt, and dark blue slacks to go along with it. The clothing that the old Dorian brought to the dorm room are too small for me now. I've been putting on more muscle now, thanks to some insanely intense training.
I check myself in the mirror closely, and then step back, satisfied.
I'm ready.
—
The oxfords on my feet echo against the stone tile of the ornate entryway into the building. I can hear the bustle of chatting from within.
Then, I see the ballroom.
Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The hall is wide open, tables arranged with folded napkins, candles, plates, and colourful flower arrangements as centrepieces.
The cutlery is gold. There's a space beyond the table section, a wide open floor meant for dancing. There's balconies overlooking the grand affair, where a few particularly distinguished looking patrons observe from.
The architecture of the place itself is ornate and, frankly, beautiful. A ceiling with reinassiance-like artwork, molding on the walls being detailed. The columns rising up to support the roof and the balconies are like ancient greek museum pieces. Stairways on either side that lead up the balconies. The banisters have a sculpted lion on the end, and pure gold railings.
Gold. It's everywhere. Used as an accent colour to just extenuate the luxury of it all.
I'm ushered in by an immaculately dressed waitress.
Oh boy.
[The quest has begun]
OBJECTIVE: Subvert the enemies plan.