Chapter 19
I stormed back to my room, irritation bubbling just under the surface. The whole "incident" earlier was clearly deliberate—a calculated move to get under my skin. I sighed. Expecting fairness in this place was like expecting a fish to climb a tree.
A faint ding echoed in my head before i fainted. I thought, my irritation momentarily replaced by curiosity. The system!
"Status."
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System Activation: 42%
Current Status:
Name: Alex Summers
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Species: Half-Human/[Classified]
State: Tired
Attributes:
Strength: 2.8
Agility: 0 [Unlocked]
Intelligence: [Locked]
Unlock Criteria: Learn how to read and write
Charm: [Locked]
Unlock Criteria: Make someone willingly call you good-looking
Mana: [Locked]
Unlock Criteria: Awakening… more
Skills:
[Resilience]
Grade: S
Description: Can withstand pain or trauma with reduced impact.
[Bite]
Grade: E
Description: A skill gained after an aggressive bite. Increases strength temporarily. (Note: Painful and effective.)
[Title]:
The Cockroach Killer (Dormant)
When activated, those with lower intelligence than the host will perceive the host as a predator. There is a 50% chance they will obey the host's commands.
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I stared at the screen, a glimmer of excitement breaking through my frustration. "Finally! Agility unlocked… though it's still at zero." I sighed. "Small steps, I guess."
The locked Intelligence stat caught my attention. " i think ill have to be proficient in the language before i can unlock his stat. This is giving me head aches."
And the title… "The Cockroach Killer"? Who comes up with this stuff? Still, it could be useful. If I play my cards right, life here might become a little less miserable.
After a moment of contemplation, I decided to shower. At least the private stalls here offered a shred of dignity—unlike my high school days when there were only two bathrooms for forty students. Memories of queuing for hours or resorting to showering in the toilet flashed through my mind. Those were… character-building times. I chuckled ruefully.
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Back in the room, I glanced at Blondie, my bunkmate. As usual, he was napping, sprawled across his bed like he owned the place. "Lazy kid," I muttered, but there was no malice in my words. He was just a kid, after all.
The dinner bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I prodded Blondie awake, but it took a solid five minutes of whining and grumbling before he finally stirred. With a sigh, I dragged him by the collar, half-carrying him to the canteen.
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Seated with our trays, I focused on my food, only occasionally glancing at Blondie. He was half-asleep, face buried in his bowl, practically inhaling his meal. His antics were so ridiculous that I couldn't even be annoyed anymore.
A familiar figure caught my attention. Isa?
I was surprised.
I haven't seen her for days. It seems that she recently got out of the detention room.
She approached with her tray, sitting beside me. Her gaze shifted from me to Blondie, her face twisting in a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"You'll get used to it," I said, my expression blank.
"...."
She sighed and leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Be careful from now on. If I'm right, your 'resting' period is over. Tests will start tomorrow."
I frowned. "Tests?"
"And," she added, her tone turning grave, "I heard you became a personal test subject for Dr. Four Eyes."
Dr. Four Eyes? The man from earlier? Was it his name? How did she know?
I asked cautiously, "How do you know that?"
She winked, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I have my sources."
Chills ran down my spine. Her "source" was likely that staff member who helped her during the game but her wink was much deadlier.
Her tone grew serious again. "Listen, that guy has a reputation. They call him the Smiling Devil. He's… unpredictable. Don't do anything unnecessary around him. If others find out you've caught his attention, they'll get jealous or worse, make you their target. Most of his test subjects don't last long."
She looked at my wrist.
"...No. 4271,you can tell me if you need any help in the future."
I studied her face. She was genuinely concerned, but why?
"Why are you helping me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
She smiled softly. "Because you remind me of myself." She said as silence consumed our conversation.
We continued eating and quickly left after seeing each other and we went our own ways.
Her words lingered leaving me with more questions than answers.
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End of Chapter 19