A sinful man!
"Arrhh," Eli groaned, his voice a low, pained rumble as his eyes fluttered gently, struggling to stay open. After a few moments of disorientation, he slowly opened them fully and found himself staring up at a pristine white ceiling.
"You finally woke up," a feminine voice remarked, breaking the silence.
Hearing the voice, Eli turned his head slowly, feeling a dull ache in his neck. He spotted a gorgeous woman with striking green eyes behind a pair of stylish spectacles. Her gaze was focused intently on him, and he couldn't help but notice her beauty.
"Hmm... I never thought I'd wake up to see such a beautiful woman," Eli mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. Aadya stared at him blankly, her expression unreadable, making him cough awkwardly and add, "I suppose that line was cringe..."
"Yeah," Aadya nodded, her eyes briefly glancing over Eli's exposed upper body.
Feeling self-conscious, Eli hurriedly pulled the bedsheet up to cover himself and said shyly, "Please don't stare, I have a wife."
Aadya's lips twitched as she thought to herself, 'What the...'
Sure, She had been staring, but not in a perverted way. She was analyzing his physique, trying to understand his condition better. Her intentions were purely professional.
"Mr. Eli, I don't know what you're thinking, but please refrain from getting any ideas," she said, her voice firm as she frowned slightly, "I don't appreciate that kind of playfulness"
Hearing her stern words, Eli sighed, realizing that she wasn't a friendly woman. He decided to get straight to the point and asked, "Who are you? What am I doing here? What happened during the test?..... Did I pass?"
"That's quite a lot of questions," Aadya mumbled to herself before answering, "My name is Aadya Veilblade. I'm a professor at Nexus Academy. You were brought to the healing department, where they restored your arm," she explained, pointing to his right arm.
"Oh! I forgot," Eli exclaimed, the memory of his right hand being severed suddenly flooding back.
Aadya continued, "Due to the ruckus you caused, the Headmaster has taken the situation into his own hands. You'll find out whether you passed the test or not by tomorrow."
Eli nodded, his mind racing with thoughts.
He felt confident that he had performed well in the test, surprising even himself with how much he had pushed his body beyond its usual limits. He then remembered Rock, who had promised to take him as a disciple and asked about him.
"Well, he is dealing with the Head—"
"Oh, you're awake, young man," Rock said as he entered the healing room, interrupting Aadya mid-sentence.
Eli's eyes lit up upon seeing Rock, the person he most wanted to see. Without hesitation, he asked, "Were you satisfied?"
Rock smiled, clearly pleased by Eli's directness. He appreciated that the young man got straight to the point instead of skirting around the issue. Glancing at his daughter, Rock said, "Yes, I am more than satisfied."
"Hmm..." Eli looked between Rock and Aadya, his confusion growing. He had thought his deal was solely with Rock, not with Aadya, whom he had just met.
Noticing Eli's puzzled expression, Rock introduced himself again, "My name is Rock Veilblade, and this is my daughter, Aadya Veilblade."
"OH!" Eli nodded in understanding... or at least he thought he understood.... In truth, he was still a bit lost.
Aadya chuckled softly before elaborating, "You see, I am the only person who can teach a soulless at this academy."
Eli finally began to piece things together, "So?"
"Yes, as I said before, I am more than satisfied," Aadya reiterated with a gentle smile. She then turned to her father and asked about the ongoing situation.
Rock sighed before explaining, "It seems the Headmaster will make the final decision for the time being. He already warned you that you could have only one disciple, so he wasn't entirely on our side about accepting another soulless being into the academy."
"...." Aadya frowned, nodding thoughtfully a few times before turning back to Eli. "We shall talk about this tomorrow then."
"Fine," Eli agreed, understanding that there were limits to what he could control. All that was left was to let fate take its course.
"Anyway..." Suddenly, the room turned cold. Eli flinched and glanced at Aadya, who was now looking at him with an indifferent expression. "Where did you get that technique?"
"...It's from my father," Eli replied bluntly, his voice steady.
"Father? Who?" Aadya pressed, her curiosity piqued.
Eli tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you want to know?"
"The technique you used, one specific to the soulless, is a very old one. It would typically only be available to nobles. So, I'm asking whether you are a noble or not," Aadya explained with a serious face.
She wasn't interested in teaching a noble brat who would likely be a pain in the butt later.
Suddenly, Rock interfered, "My daughter, do you think he is a noble?" He tried to remind her of Eli's 'humble' attire.
"Ah..." Aadya nodded in understanding, but the question lingered in her mind, 'How did he get that technique then?' She was about to voice her thoughts when Rock pointed out the time.
"My dear, you need to leave now," he said, gesturing toward the clock.
"Shit!" Aadya cursed, realizing her professor duties were starting imminently. She quickly grabbed her white jacket and headed out the door. Just before leaving, she called back, "Let's continue this tomorrow."
Once she was gone, Rock turned to Eli. "Everyone has their own secrets, right?"
Eli understood that Rock had stopped Aadya from prying too much into his past.
He nodded with a smile.
Rock knew there was nothing wrong with having secrets as long as they didn't harm anyone, especially his daughter. However, he couldn't help but stare at Eli's muscular upper body.
"!!!" Eli flinched in fear, pulling the bedsheet tighter around himself. He looked at Rock with a horrified expression, "W-What do you want?"
Really Horrified!
"Hmm? Nothing.... It's just... you have a strong build for a human. What did you do before?" Rock asked, genuinely impressed by Eli's physique, which was almost on par with a 5-star Ranker.
"I am just a farmer," Eli replied, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Oh!... A farmer..." Rock nodded, making a mental note to share this with his daughter later. He then remembered Eli's expression during the fight and felt a tingling excitement. Leaning closer, he asked, "Shall we... go for one round?"
"...." Eli's mouth dropped open in shock. Without a word, he jumped from the bed, grabbed his backpack, and hurriedly ran out, shouting, "Fuck yourself, old man!!"
"H-Huh?... What happened?" Rock was taken aback.
He had only meant to suggest a duel. What else could he have meant?
"Oh! I forgot to give him the gift..." Rock muttered as he pulled out a golden-coloured key given to him by the system. "Oh well, I can give it to him tomorrow."
Meanwhile,
Eli sighed in relief as he exited the stadium, 'What the hell is wrong with the old man?' he thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
As he stepped outside, he noticed a pink-haired woman standing in the corner, holding her handbag as if she were waiting for someone. Eli smiled upon seeing her and thought, 'What a sinful man you have become, Eli... tsk, tsk, making a girl wait for you... you are totally a wasteful fellow!'
With that, he walked towards Ania.