Matthew Atkinson
Oxford, United Kingdom
"A bounty on me? Who has such good taste?"
Matthew seemed very happy!
Initially, he thought that only Natalie would have a bounty on her head.
Who would have thought that someone would put a bounty on his head?
This made him feel exceptionally "valued"!
After all, someone who watched One Piece had a completely different perspective on the concept of "Bounty" than someone who hadn't.
For Matthew, a One Piece fan, "Bounty" meant that others acknowledged his power and influence, yet feared it.
Seeing him happy, his classmate asked curiously, "Matthew, I remember you live off-campus, right? Aren't you worried?"
"I'm worried! Of course I'm worried!" Matthew said.
But judging from his expression, he didn't seem worried at all.
"By the way, how much is my bounty?" Matthew asked again.
This was a question he cared about most at the moment.
The higher his bounty, the greater his success and influence. He could brag about it to Natalie later.
Upon hearing this, the classmate looked puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he turned on his phone, searched for something, and then handed it to Matthew.
"See for yourself!"
Matthew took the phone and saw that many netizens were talking about him on a certain forum.
Member 1: "Holy crap! Guys, this is incredible! I actually saw someone on the dark web offering a bounty on Matthew."
Member 2: "Really? He's worth a bounty?"
Member 3: "Dude, what you said is really hurtful. He followed my waifu twice and got 700 attribute points!"
Member 4: "I just want to know, how much is Matthew's bounty?"
Member 5: "Two million dollars!"
Member 6: "Two million dollars? Hahaha, that's hilarious... This is the first time I've seen such a small bounty on the dark web."
Member 7: "Hilarious! Natalie's bounties start at 100 million and can reach 1 billion. He's the only one with a bounty of 2 million."
Member 8: "Haha, this price is perfect for that kid!"
...
There were many more comments following this.
But Matthew didn't want to read it anymore.
He was furious right now!
The two-million-dollar bounty was a complete humiliation to him.
This wasn't even entry-level for the dark web.
What was the purpose of the person who put up this bounty? To humiliate him and make him unfit to go out in public?
If they were going to offer such a small bounty, wouldn't it be better not to put it up at all?
Did they think they could buy his life for two million?
That was incredibly disrespectful!
He was a supernatural being, not an ordinary person.
Even if the bounty was for an ordinary person, two million was a bit low. People with even a little status would pay more than that.
"Matthew, although the bounty is small, don't be careless!"
Seeing Matthew's pale face, his classmate assumed he was scared and immediately suggested, "Why don't you move back to the campus dormitory?"
Matthew: "..."
Ring ring—
Just then, the bell rang, which gave Matthew a slight reprieve.
Professor Holland entered the classroom on time.
The professor glanced around the classroom and was heartbroken to find that twenty more students were missing.
This was Professor Holland's first time serving as a lead coach, and he valued every student in his class.
Once he became a seasoned veteran, he probably would get used to it. But until then…
Then, Professor Holland's gaze was fixed on Matthew.
"Everyone, go train first... Matthew, come with me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Professor Holland took the lead and walked out of the classroom.
Matthew was a little confused, but he quickly got up and followed Professor Holland.
...
Outside the classroom.
Professor Holland looked at Matthew and said, "The principal came back last night and called for you this morning. Let me take you there!"
Matthew was taken aback for a moment and asked as he walked, "Why does the principal suddenly want to see me?"
"I'm not sure, but it shouldn't be a bad thing."
Professor Holland explained, "Your performance with Natalie in the Supernatural Realm has already alarmed many big shots above. Although it was just incidental, you still received some attention."
Matthew: "..."
Professor Holland didn't notice Matthew's expression and continued, "The principal is more likely to reward you if he wants to see you at this time."
Matthew nodded and asked, "Do higher-ups send all these unfamiliar security guards to the university?"
"Yes! Ever since the bounties appeared on the dark web, the university's security has been completely taken over by the higher-ups, and several mighty experts have been dispatched to act as protectors, hiding in the shadows. I even heard that the Queen sent men from her own guard unit."
Professor Holland said, "All of this is to protect Natalie Russell."
"Such a grand gesture?" Matthew exclaimed in surprise.
He knew that the higher-ups would value Natalie, but he didn't expect them to value her this much.
Professor Holland hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but say, "I also think that the higher-ups are making a big fuss, as if they are treating Natalie Russell as a lifeline, afraid that she will suffer the slightest mishap."
Upon hearing this, Matthew suddenly had a thought.
If his previous guess was correct, and something was indeed devouring the sun, then perhaps those higher-ups might really see Natalie as the hope of saving the world.
"When you meet the principal later, be polite!"
Professor Holland instructed Matthew. "Our principal is a Mythical Zoan-type Phoenix Fruit user. His overall strength ranks among the top thirty in the country. He's a powerful supernatural!"
...
A moment later, outside the principal's office.
Professor Holland was the first to knock on the door and go in.
Matthew stood outside and heard Professor Holland's respectful voice coming from inside.
"Principal, my student Matthew Atkinson has arrived."
"Let him in!" a gentle voice rang out.
Afterwards, Professor Holland went outside again and led Matthew inside.
The principal's office was huge!
Matthew had been to the vice principal's office before, and it was much smaller than this one.
At the moment, there were already quite a few people in the principal's office.
Besides the vice principal and some directors, Natalie and Professor Grant were here as well.
After Matthew entered the principal's office, his gaze immediately turned to the principal behind the desk.
He was curious about what the Mythical Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix user in this world would be like.
He had initially assumed that the principal would be a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
After all, the original character Marco has a very distinctive appearance, which would subconsciously influence Matthew's judgment.
After meeting the principal in person, Matthew realized that the principal was very different from what he had imagined.
In terms of appearance, the principal was a fair-skinned, middle-aged, chubby man with a constant smile on his face, who looked very kind.
He didn't exude any aura of a powerful figure. He was just very ordinary...
If you put the principal on the street, passersby would probably think he was a businessman and wouldn't associate him with a supernatural expert.
"Good morning, Principal!" Matthew immediately greeted him.
His tone carried a hint of respect.
Because he had previously learned about the president of the University of Oxford, and knew that the president had repeatedly supported Front Line battlefields, killing countless enemies, and was a combat hero.
Such a person deserved his respect.
"Good, young man, you're very energetic!" the principal said with a smile. "Find a seat and sit."
Upon hearing this, Matthew sat down beside him.
Then, the principal looked at the others and said, "You all go ahead and get busy!"
Upon hearing this, the vice-principal and others knew that the principal wanted to speak with Matthew privately, so they all stood up and left the office.
This included Natalie and Professor Grant.
The moment Natalie stood up, Matthew gave her an inquiring look, wanting to find out why the principal was looking for him.
The girl's response was a smile!
The two now worked together seamlessly.
Matthew immediately knew that it was a good thing that the principal wanted to see him.
---------------
Author's Note: You folks can also read up to +40 chapters on my P@treon Pages as an early access privilege.
www.patreon.com/spell_merchant
P@treon Page Name: Spell Merchant
www.patreon.com/vanguard_v
P@treon Page Name: V For Vanguard
Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.76: Supernatural Skill: Armament Haki
Ch.77: Upgradeable Skills and Galaxy Impact