19 Chapter 19: Obtaining New Skills [1]
Four days had elapsed since the introduction of the Combat Rating Index (CRI) system,
a new feature that had stirred up considerable excitement and apprehension among the cadets.
The cafeteria bustled with activity as students gathered during their break,
filling the space with chatter and the clinking of utensils.
Tables were occupied by clusters of cadets, some engrossed in lively conversation, while others focused on their meals.
Seated at one of the tables in the corner of the cafeteria were three female students, their voices blending into the din of the room.
They appeared weary from the day's activities, their expressions a mix of fatigue and relief as they took a moment to unwind.
In the past four days, they became good friend and inseparable from one another.
* * *
Anya winced, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Look, Emma, I'm sorry about that. I got a little nervous and lost control of my mana again, hehe..."
Emma sighed, a hint of exasperation softening at Anya's apology.
"Don't worry about it, Anya. You said sorry, and he wasn't hurt."
Despite the near disaster, a smile tugged at the corner of Emma's lips.
Anya's nervous bursts of uncontrolled magic were becoming a regular - and slightly terrifying - occurrence.
Emma, with her messy chestnut brown hair and warm hazel eyes that sparkled with a hint of mischief, was the group's peacemaker. She has a sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
Anya, her best friend, was a stark contrast with her shy demeanor and tendency towards explosive magic.
"Speaking of near misses," Sophia added, "what's your new rating, Anya?"
Sophia, the third member of the trio, leaned back in her chair.
Her straight green hair, usually worn in a sleek bun, framed a face with deep blue eyes that held a quiet intensity.
Sophia, the strategist, was known for her meticulous planning and sharp mind.
Anya grinned playfully.
"Hehehe, take a guess, Sophia."
Sophia crossed her arms, considering.
"Hmm, you one-shotted a 206th ranker. Your current rank is 232, so that's 26 rating points. Your performance should be at least a 100, considering you barely broke a sweat..."
"So, 626 CRI?"
Anya's eyes widened in genuine admiration.
"Wow, Sophia! You even remembered that student's rank!"
Anya's bubbly personality always brought a smile to Sophia's reserved face.
Sophia puffed her cheeks out in a small display of pride.
"It wasn't that big of a deal," she mumbled, trying to downplay her impressive memory.
Just as the conversation seemed to return to its usual rhythm,
Emma spoke up, effectively silencing the cafeteria table with a single question.
"Hey, guys," she started, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper,
"what do you think about Aren Blackstar?"
The air crackled with sudden tension. All eyes turned to Sophia.
Sophia, ever the strategist, sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"He's certainly become a hot topic, hasn't he?"
"No kidding," Emma leaned forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Highest rating in the entire first year - 810 CRI!"
"Let's not get carried away," Sophia countered, a hint of skepticism in her voice. "It's still early. Two more weeks of duels, two more chances to adjust that sky-high rating. Don't be surprised if it plummets down to 500 or 600, considering his current rank is..."
she glanced at a data slate on her wrist, "...2688."
The number hung in the air, heavy with disbelief. A top-tier rating paired with a bottom-of-the-barrel rank? It didn't add up.
Emma's gaze narrowed as she locked eyes with Sophia.
"Do you think it's a deliberate act? Is he intentionally downplaying his skills?"
Sophia's lips pursed into a thoughtful line. Instead of answering, she pivoted towards Anya, the shy one of the group.
"Anya, what are your thoughts?"
Anya, usually bubbly and quick with a comment, remained silent, a vacant look plastered on her face.
Her tray, which had held a half-eaten breakfast pastry, lay forgotten.
"Anya?" Emma prodded, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.
"Hello? Earth to Anya?"
Anya blinked, jolted back to reality by Emma's voice.
"A-Ah? W-what? Sorry, I... I forgot my homework! I promise I'll bring it tomorrow!"
"....."
"....."
Sophia sighed, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Anya, we're not exactly in a lecture hall right now. Cafeteria, remember?"
Anya flinched, her face flushing slightly.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I just... got lost in thought."
Emma, ever the protector, narrowed her eyes.
"Thinking about the first day?" she pressed.
"The whole thing with Aren Blackstar?"
Anya opened her mouth to protest, but Sophia cut in before she could speak.
"Attack is a strong word, Emma," Sophia said coolly, a steely glint in her eyes.
"Don't worry," Emma continued, her voice firm, "Blackstar or not, I won't let him come near you again.
If he does..." She trailed off, a dangerous glint in her hazel eyes.
Anya's heart hammered in her chest.
"Emma, no!" she interjected, her voice rising in panic.
"That day, it was my fault! I attacked him first!"
Emma scoffed.
"Tch, I can't believe he made you out to be the villain here," she muttered, leaning closer.
"Bullying my poor Anya while she was defenseless, claiming she attacked first..."
"No, no, no!" Anya stammered, her face burning with embarrassment. She hated being portrayed as a weak victim, especially when the events were a tangled mess of misunderstandings.
The weight of their conversation seemed to press down on her. Anya shot up from her seat, her voice strained.
"A-ah, well, thanks for lunch, guys! Gotta go!"
Before anyone could react, Anya bolted from the table, her lunch tray forgotten. The cafeteria noises seemed to fade away as Anya hurried out, a storm of conflicting emotions swirling within her. Leaving behind a stunned Emma and a contemplative Sophia.
* * *
"Ah." Anya stopped abruptly, realizing she had run away from Emma and Sophia once again.
Whenever the situation gets even slightly out of hand, she panics and runs away.
It's a habit she's had since forever.
She did the same when she was given a physics homework. Poor girl couldn't make sense of any of the signs included in the assignment.
Sigh....
She then thought about Aren. Despite being the lowest-ranked cadet in class, he often becomes the target of questions from the instructors. Surprisingly, he usually does well. There are a few hiccups here and there, but it's not because he doesn't know how to solve the problem. It appears like he couldn't understand the instructor.
Looking at how he tries to grasp what's been said to him, it's almost as if there's a language barrier between him and the instructor when complex words are being used.
"He seems different somehow," Anya muttered to herself as she thought back to the incident that took place in the Lunari mansion.
When Aren subdued her, he had a disgusting expression etched on his face, and his eyes appeared lifeless, like those of a dead fish.
But now, after falling out with his own family, he seems different.
Like there's a genuine reaction to things around him, whereas before, it looked like he was on autopilot mode.
Because of this change in him, Anya was able to stop herself from blasting magic on him. Of course, it was thanks to Sylvia that she came out unscathed.
Not only that, but his duos with Ethan...
She carefully studied Aren's expression.
When he struck him down with his baton, there was a guilty-filled expression on his face, but only for less than half a second before he started laughing maniacally.
To her, that did not feel genuine. It looked like he masked his expression with his laughter, and she was the only one who seemed to notice this.
She wondered if he had problems with his family before and wanted to distance himself from them.
* * *
======Status======
Name: Aren Blackstar
Age: 17 ↼(25)
Overall Rank: [F] [↑]
Strength: [F+] [↑]
Speed: [F+]
Stamina: [F+]
Endurance: [F+]
Durability: [F+]
Agility: [F+]
Mana-grade: [F-]
Mana-capacity: 10/10
Charm*: [F+] ⇀ [E-]
- - > Acquired Skills:
[Hand to hand combat (Beginner) lvl.3]
================
'Tch, still not F+, I really underestimated how hard it is to break into the next rank.'
My mana is seriously a bottle neck here.
But that was fine, as I already had planned something for it.
My next match would be coming up after the weekends. To uphold my rating and reputation I couldn't lose.
I could try to pull off the same thing I did with Ethan but it wouldn't be as effective because they'll catch on to what I am doing.
I could also try a different approach, but I'll only resort to it if I have no choice.
Not only that, but from what I can have seen so far from the game, there'll be an event taking place from the game within the next week or so, and it's not good news for the cadets.
Let's just say there'll be casualties if Arthur does not deal with it, like how he did within the game.
I don't know how reliable the knowledge from the game was, but I simply couldn't ignore it, if it puts me in danger too. So I'll have to investigate and look more into it.
I also couldn't rely on bluffing my way avoiding fights or getting through the institute. This is only the start and I'll be in deep crap if I don't do something fast.
"Aren, what's the answer to the fifth problem?"
Later, today I'll have my teacher, Kenshi Sato teach me new skills, even if I don't rank up with in 2 days, I can still use skills.
"Aren? Hello? Aren!"
I suddenly felt something flying towards me fast, very fast!
I moved my head slightly out of reflex and the projectile passed besides me.
—Thud!
I looked back to see a book lying on the floor..
'Ah, I forgot I was in class..'
"Yes?" I finally replied.
'Crap, shouldn't have pissed him off.'
Everyone in class were staring at me as the professor standing,
was known for his expertise in setting up trans during dungeon exploration and battle scenarios. With a tall, commanding presence and a sharp gaze, he exudes an aura of authority that demands respect from his students.
"....."
Professor, Darius Steele, has striking features that contribute to his allure among the female students.
He boasts a chiseled jawline, piercing blue eyes that seem to hold endless knowledge, and neatly trimmed dark hair with streaks of silver at the temples.
["Tch, look what he's doing to get his attention."]
["Yeah, unbelievable."]
The mummers from the female cadets made my eyes twitch.
I wasn't stealing his attention away and besides he is not handsome at all!
"Is my class to boring for you, Aren?"
I mean aside from not understanding a dime because I don't understand the language..
"....."
"No, I always look forward to your classes actually."
That wasn't true at all, but I don't want to be in this situation either so, I am trying to flatter him so that he'll let me off easy.
"I'll tell you what, if you can solve this problem I wouldn't bother you for the remainder of the next week."
"What if I can't solve it?" I asked, skeptically because I was sure I couldn't solve whatever was written on the board.
"Let's find out shall we?"
Professor Steele, with a smile on his face extended his marker asking for me to take it.
'Guess I don't have a choice now do I?'
["Yeah, he's a goner."]
["Can he even solve those?"]
["No, he's dead meat. I don't understand a thing either."]
'Tch.'
