I blinked at the mirror. I thought everything I experienced was just a dream, but what I saw in front of me was an even wilder truth.
I had become four years younger.
No, that's not quite right.
The truth is, I had gone back to four years ago.
Look at the sleek brown hair and round eyes that don't even need glasses.
The lines on my cheeks show the face of an eager freshman.
Is this what they call going back to the past in those web novels? What's the term again, corruption? Collusion? Ah, no, that's not it. So, irrigation? Why am I suddenly thinking about agriculture now?
There's something more important than that.
If I'm still a student at Hunter Academy, I must still have it.
I rummaged through my closet, knowing it must be buried at the very bottom.
Found it!
It was a rectangular copper plate with an onyx piece embedded in the front.
I pressed the onyx, and a green-tinted holographic screen immediately appeared.
[Name: Noah Franz]
[Class: (Undecided)]
[Talent: (Undecided)]
[Specialization: - (None)]
[Role: (Unassigned), Regressor (Forbidden)]
Almost everything was still vague.
Does this mean I'm truly back on the first day of school?
Is this a second chance granted by God? But did it have to be so painful? Even being killed by Ranielle Amicolla?
Just thinking about that name made me shiver.
Is that psycho her real face?
The point is, I should never go near her. Period. Hopefully, she's not in the same class as me this time.
"I thought a rat got in, but turns out…" The sound of the bathroom door closing interrupted my thoughts. "It's just a roacht."
Damn it. I should've remembered there was another problem to deal with.
It was my roommate, Ernest Hemingway.
He was a fair-skinned guy with center-parted blonde hair and a well-proportioned body. His tall frame was complemented by his well-defined abs.
Not to mention his status as a member of the main family of the Hemingway clan, blessed with abundant resources.
Thud!
A dirty, wet rag suddenly slapped against my face.
"What are you looking at, dirty pest?"
I snatched the rag with annoyance. "What the hell is this?"
"I should be the one asking that. That's harassment, you know. Don't roaches like you understand ethics?"
This bastard. "We roaches live by the law of the jungle. Your weak words mean nothing more than the ramblings of a coward on the ba—"
My body felt heavy.
It was like being pushed down by something unseen. Something massive and suffocating.
"Ugh, cough, cough."
I lifted my head, only to see Ernest's smug grin.
This was his talent, Suppression. A filthy power that allows him to push his opponents in any direction he desires.
Talents are supposed to be obtained only after entering Hunter Academy, but of course, as a member of the Hemingway family, he had special privileges.
Crack!
The pressure intensified, and I could barely breathe anymore.
Damn it, is he trying to break my bed?
"Don't worry, I won't break anything in here. I've adjusted the strength so it only causes internal damage. That means the cracking sound isn't from the bed frame—it's your spine."
What?
So that cracking sound earlier… was from my back?
I glanced at him again, though it was much harder now since I could no longer lift my head properly.
That bastard Ernest… was serious.
Damn it, why am I surrounded by psychopaths?
And then the pressure stopped.
Wait, did I just hear my neck snap? Am I going to die again?
"Well." My hair was yanked back as a pair of green eyes looked down at me with disdain. "Now that's the right expression."
He threw my head back, slamming it against the wall.
Groaning in pain, I cursed under my breath.
It seems like I'm destined to be thrown around at least once in my life.
"Now, clean up this room. Even if you're a mere pest, you at least know how to tidy up, right?"
Ernest began dressing, donning a white shirt with a red tie and a blue vest. The uniform for first-year students attending the welcome ceremony.
"You better start moving, because I don't like repeating myself. If I get mad again, I'll make sure your neck really snaps this time."
*#*
I started noticing a pattern. Despite being given a second chance, I couldn't stop myself from attracting strange people.
Well, what choice do I have? I don't want to face the same troubles and misfortunes as before.
During my first year, because of Ernest, I became the target of bullying. It stopped in the second year, but it left me unable to make friends until I graduated.
So, I followed his orders, at least for now. Cleaning the room caused me to arrive a few seconds late to the welcoming ceremony.
The grand hall was filled with hundreds of chairs, but by now, only a few were left, all in the center section.
I had to endure the awkwardness of walking through the crowd of seated students.
"Tch, you're in the way."
"Your foot touched me. Gross."
I kept bowing my head repeatedly like an idiot. "Sorry, sorry."
Finally, I found a spot in the far-left corner of the third row from the back.
I sat down comfortably. Thank goodness it hadn't started yet.
"Hey, is the seat next to you empty?"
The voice sounded familiar.
I looked up and saw her.
I realized that her face hadn't changed at all, even after four years.
Ranielle Amicolla waved and greeted me cheerfully.
Okay. Calm yourself. Ranielle Amicolla might not be that terrifying. Maybe something happened that turned her crazy later on.
"Um, is the seat next to you free?" Ranielle repeated.
I swallowed nervously. "Uh, I-I'm not sure…" Instinctively, I glanced to my side. Damn, it really was empty.
Should I lie and say it was taken? But lying would only make me seem suspicious to her.
I made my decision. "Y-yeah, of course. Go ahead." I hope I wouldn't regret this.
"Ah, I overslept. Sleeping alone always messes me up. I'm glad I made it on time."
"Y-yeah, good for you, haha." Why the hell did I laugh awkwardly like that? Calm down, me. Stay calm!
"By the way, what high school did you come from?"
"Eh, high school?"
Ranielle nodded. "Or were you from a special training institution?"
"O-oh, no. I'm from Cracking Stone High."
Ranielle's eyes lit up. "Wait, isn't that in District 43?"
"Yeah." It was my hometown, after all
.
Suddenly, she grabbed my hand.
Before I could screamimg help, Ranielle shook it excitedly. "So, you're from outside the city! Wow, I've always wanted a friend from out of town!"
I frowned. "Well, technically, I'm not outside the city, since there's only one city now."
Ranielle gave me a dark glare.
Crap, my stupid ego to always correct inaccuracies just set off a landmine.
"I didn't expect you to be so uptight." Ranielle chuckled.
Huh? What's with that? Creepy.
"Oh, by the way, I'm Ranielle, Ranielle Amicolla. I'm from Dawn High. Since it's nearby, I got a direct recommendation." Ranielle extended her hand.
Reluctantly, I shook it. "I'm Noah Franz. Just call me Noah. I'm here… to improve my financial situation, I guess."
Ranielle grinned. "You're interesting. Let's hope we end up in the same class, Noah."
Yup. Let's hope we don't.
A static buzz made me wince as the speakers came to life.
I saw a thin man with a gray beard standing behind the podium: the Headmaster, Kyoto Hinasagawa.
He seemed small from this distance, but in reality, he was nearly as tall as Isaac.
"Let me make this clear before we begin."
Headmaster Hinasagawa's voice boomed.
"This is not a playground. This is not a school. This is a battleground."
"You, pampered losers who only know the world through books and those pathetic little electric boxes, will receive no mercy here."
"The path ahead is filled with suffering, despair, even death."
I heard faint sounds of people swallowing hard. Some were outright trembling, their faces pale.
"You will be stripped down, tortured, beaten, even killed. And those who endure will evolve and be reborn."
"Of course, I won't force you."
Suddenly, the back doors and even the glass windows around the hall opened.
"So, make your choice."
"Will you remain a loser, or will you become a warrior?"
#
"That was a fiery speech, huh."
I scratched my cheek and chuckled awkwardly. Couldn't agree more.
Although, hearing it again, it came off as kind of cringy.
I couldn't believe that I had once shouted enthusiastically in response to Headmaster Hinasagawa's statement.
"I wonder how long it took him to write it."
"Yeah? I'm more curious why you smell like this."
Huh, smell? Instinctively, I sniffed my armpit. Damn, I was way too self-conscious. Even if she's a psychopath, Ranielle is still a girl—a beautiful one at that.
Being called smelly by a girl kind of stung. "Is it that bad?"
I had used the cologne that I'd bought it back home.
It was supposed to have a fresh minty scent. But it seemed like rural and metropolitan tastes were worlds apart.
"No, no. It's not that kind of smell."
I frowned.
"Well, not everyone can sense it. In fact, I think only I can, but it's really strong."
"Noah, you reek of death. Did you just rise from the grave?"