CHAPTER 34
A few hours passed with Sony speaking continuously while Ray zoned out.
Totally imagining different things.
Just imagine if I actually had the strength to crush a mountain?
Or what if my system unleashes itself and it turns out to be overpowered and I end up manipulating reality?
Just imagine.
He kept chuckling inwardly as weird thoughts flashed through his mind one after the other.
Completely oblivious to the fact that a scheme was already brewing quietly in the background.
Soon enough, the lesson ended with Sony adding:
"We will stop here for today. Tomorrow, we will continue. But before you all leave, the higher ups just informed me that you have the rest of the day to finalise your aspect class.
We don't want you to rush this decision at all because being on the wrong field during a war is equivalent to death.
So after you have finalised your choices, you can register. From tomorrow onward, after our homeroom class, you will be required to attend your aspect class."
'So we have the rest of the day to ourselves?'
Glancing at his watch, Ray could see the time clearly displayed.
11:50 a.m.
"So yeah, you all have the rest of the day to yourselves. Enjoy it and make sure you don't choose in haste. Have a pleasant day."
With that, Sony swiftly exited the room, leaving the Aspirants grinning in satisfaction.
"So… what are we spending the rest of the day on?" Kai asked as he glanced at his roommates eagerly.
Ray just sighed exasperatedly.
'His zealousness is making it hard to hate him. I don't even see a point in distancing myself from him anymore when he is hell bent on sticking close to me.'
He paused for a moment, blinking in mild disgust.
'... For some reason, that last part came out wrong.'
"I'm just going to head to a lab or something. My hands have been itching to craft something for a while." Van replied as he started awkwardly scratching his palms.
Ray shrugged casually.
"I'm just going to head over to the library."
He said that and swiftly moved away from the duo.
"Should I tag along?" Kai shouted after him.
"I'm good." Ray replied over his shoulder as he bolted out of the room.
Van also walked out soon after, leaving Kai staring at the ground for a few seconds.
'Man. I guess I'll just go and train then.'
He shrugged and followed suit, exiting the room.
****
Meanwhile, after leaving the classroom, Ray was honestly heading straight toward the library with his head lowered.
'I need to figure out what kind of system I actually have. The main characters I've watched or read about, their systems always had a defining trait.
Some gained insane power every time they leveled up. Others unlocked broken skills or hidden evolutions. But for some reason… I haven't gotten anything flashy yet. This is taking too damn lon—'
Bump—!
"Ouch." Ray rubbed his forehead instinctively as he looked up to see who he had collided with.
Standing in front of him was a girl with light blue hair and icy cold blue eyes.
She was halted in the middle of the pathway, looking lost… somehow.
'Wasn't she part of my batch too? Trisha something…'
Realising what he had done, Ray quickly cleared his throat.
"I'm- I'm sorry."
But for some reason, the girl didn't even acknowledge him. Her eyes flicked around the surroundings as if she was searching for something else entirely.
For some reason, that irritated Ray slightly.
"Hello? You okay?"
At the sound of his voice, Trisha finally turned to face him with a confused expression.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, blank and unreadable, as if she was trying to process his existence.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
'For real? She didn't even register me bumping into her?'
Ray shook his head lightly.
Time was ticking and he still needed to get to the library.
"You're in the way." He pointed out plainly.
Trisha just turned to stare at the road, then at Ray, before stepping aside.
Then she uttered awkwardly:
"Sorry."
Ray stared at the awkward girl for a few seconds before shaking his head.
'She doesn't seem to recognise me at all. What a weird girl.'
With a shrug, he decided to keep walking when a sudden shout drew his attention, causing him to halt instantly.
Turning around, he could see Aspirants all heading in a certain direction while chattering amongst themselves with smiles plastered on their faces.
Even the aloof young girl lifted an eyebrow at the sudden change in trajectory from the others.
'What's going on?' Ray thought with furrowed brows as he watched people rushing off.
An Aspirant was about to walk past when Ray quickly grabbed him and brought him to a stop.
"Mind telling me what's going on? Why is everybody suddenly heading in a certain direction?"
The Aspirant stared at him with a look of disdain as his gaze drifted to Ray's watch.
But after a moment, he replied:
"A higher grader is teaching a lower grade his place in this place. So we are all going to watch."
With that, the teen yanked his hand free and hurried off without another word.
'Huh? Bullying? And everybody is just… fine with this?'
Ray frowned.
He wanted to ignore it, truly. But something in him—maybe curiosity, maybe irritation—urged him to take a look at what was happening.
Before he realised it, his feet were already moving in the same direction as the crowd.
It didn't take long before he spotted a mass of Aspirants surrounding a few people in the center.
Then a loud voice rang out:
"Come on, you trash. Pick up your trash from the ground."
"Excuse me, excuse me." Ray muttered as he squeezed his way through the tightly packed crowd to get a clearer view.
"... What happened? Too weak to do anything?" The same annoying voice echoed again and finally, Ray pushed through to the very front.
What he saw made his brows knit together.
An Aspirant was on his knees, frantically searching through the ground for something, while a familiar figure stood towering over him.
'... Isn't this the guy who wanted to punch me in the cafeteria earlier? So he found another victim to bully?'
Ray sighed inwardly, facepalmed, and shook his head as he turned around, ready to leave.
"It's none of my business." He muttered under his breath until—
"Wh-where is it? It was here a while ago? Damn it, damn it! This is important for my te—"
"Shut up!"
The bully's voice thundered out as he swung his foot forward, smashing it directly into the victim's face.
Blood splattered instantly as the boy was sent crashing backward, his body hitting the ground hard, his face now staring blankly at the sky.
Ray spun around sharply at the sound.
And when he finally saw the victim's face clearly, his eyes widened in shock.
"V…Van?!"