Chapter 39 - The Main Test

As they walked down the hall, Daron kept on glancing at Professor Senara.

"Is there something you'd like to say to me, Daron?" Professor Senara asked with a smile.

"Can Illusion Arrays affect emotions?" he asked.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned toward Daron. "My, what an interesting thing to ask. No, they can't. At least the ones that I create. They can mess with perception, particularly of time, but that's all. Why do you ask such a thing?"

"It feels like I've... the students... have been being played with. The morning of the fight I had with Noctus, it was incredibly foggy, and there was a sense of unease. But those emotions didn't feel like they were mine. Julian felt the same way. I bet us feeling intrigued to research into things were also not our own feelings. It was too abrupt. As if someone is trying to make it seem as though these aren't new surroundings."

Professor Senara smiled at Daron as he finished talking. "I did know you were perceptive, but to see that far, I can see why Mr. Gail chose you as a representative for that competition."

"I'm... right?" Daron asked.

"The main test of the first week requires the first years to see past what's happening. It changes every year, of course. Can't have it being spoiled by upperclassmen. So far, you're the first to see past it; not that many students in past years were able to pass the main test. I suppose Julian Parker might be able to pass as well given what you said. But just because you see past it doesn't mean it'll stop working on you. You should be very careful, especially with how high profile you've been. It's only the morning of the fourth day of the first week, there's still three more after this still. Do you have anything up your sleeve?" Professor Senara gave a smile as she turned around to continue walking down the hall.

With the reminder, Daron remembered he had completed the quest to get stronger as he walked back to his dorm. The reward of which was described as a unique enhancement.

'System, what was the unique enhancement I received from completing the quest?'

[The Unique Enhancement was changed from its initial Enhancement due to the progress of the host]

[The Unique Enhancement you received is called 'Threads of Death']

[The Unique Enhancement you received requires the aspect of Intelligence and integration of the aspect into the Energy Path]

[The Unique Enhancement you received has not yet been fully integrated into your body due to this.]

[If you choose to proceed with integration, be warned, you will experience immense pain. The Unique Enhancement 'Threads of Death' was locked behind multiple requirements, which you miraculously fulfilled.]

Reading everything, Daron was a little surprised. But most of all, he had actually gotten some information from the system's messages. Some things in the system he was given are locked behind requirements that the Maken set up. Thinking of what his system was about, he could likely guess the requirements he fulfilled, and also what kind of person the Maken wanted the system to go to. But he still wanted to ask the system.

'Can you tell me what those requirements were?'

[Yes, I can.]

[The first: Be associated with an Ally of the Maken in your time]

[Fortunately, this was able to be accomplished, but despite me being a system, that seems like too harsh of a requirement to me.]

[Second: At the purest base Level One of the system, prevent a possible death.]

'Purest base level one? What does that mean?' Daron asked.

[My best guess is that if someone does die around you, I get reset to Level One with zero Experience. I would still have all of the information and memories I'd had with you up to that point, though.]

'I see.'

[Third: Serve justice swiftly on those who deserve it.]

Daron nodded his head as he looked at the requirements he fulfilled. Looking in front of him, he realized he was almost back at his dorm, and went inside to continue.

"You're back! Did anything happen?" Julian asked as Daron entered the room.

"I'll be fine thanks to Doctor Bennet's and Professor Senara's help. It also turns out Dean Ira and Noctus Iraheta are related," Daron said.

Julian raised his eyebrows at that. "And you were still able to get out of that? What exactly did those two do?"

"Well, I already thought something might happen from me doing something to Noctus. Call it a hunch, so I had gotten Doctor Bennet's signature the day prior stating I'd saved a student's life. I guess Professor Senara was there because of Director Aaron's connection to me."

"I'm sorry, did you say you saved a student's life?" Julian asked, putting his head forward with his eyes opened a bit wider than normal.

"Ah, I suppose I didn't mention that before. Before my fight with Noctus, I was healing people in the medic's office, one of which whose life was in danger due to Noctus's ability. He had caused severe damage and blockage to their Energy Path. I'm now the only one on campus with the ability to heal Energy Path Blockages."

Julian tilted his head with a odd smile. "On campus? Maybe try more like the entirety of Ritan, or even this planet. Hardly anyone can heal those kinds of injuries, and you just show up and do it? I'm pretty sure a damn system doesn't give the ability to do something like that. You yourself are the genius here, Daron."

Daron shook his head. "I was only doing everything I could to help. I didn't even know if it would work, it just so happened to."

Julian gave a scoff. "So do you think you should choose a healing related elective, then?"

Daron gave it a thought. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea. Doctor Bennet is going to have me be one of the medics for the college as well, so it'd probably be helpful."

"Okay, you didn't mention that either," Julian said in an exasperated tone before giving a small chuckle.

Julian stopped talking after that as he started shifting his eyes from each side of the room.

Daron raised his eyebrows as he watched Julian do this. "Julian?"

"There's definitely something wrong, right?" he started. "I mean, yesterday, we both woke up feeling the same emotions. That's not normal, especially the fog outside that day. Now today everything is fine? What happened to our intrigue from before as well? Or was that also fake? It's wrong, right?"

"Well I'll be damned," Daron said.

"What?" Julian said.

"Yes, you're not wrong. I told Professor Senara basically the same thing and she said there was a main test for the first week. She also mentioned not many people typically pass it. We've both seemed too, based on what she said. But honestly, I don't know if I can trust those words. She did tell me to be careful, though, as just because we've seen past it doesn't mean it'll stop working on us."

"Of course it won't," Julian rolled his eyes.

"Since we currently don't feel anything, I wonder what today's is? If they've already put into action, I can't tell," Daron said.

"If they have, I can't tell either."