Entering the apartment building, I was immediately greeted by Miss Olivia, her warm demeanor a stark contrast to the unsettling events of the day.
Earlier, I had borrowed Aerial's phone to make a call, seeking refuge in their home. Jack, the owner of the apartment, agreed almost immediately upon hearing my situation.Aerial's surprise was palpable when she learned that I was practically homeless after running away from home. By the time I hung up and said my thanks, she immediately asked about what happened.Since I have nothing to lose anyway, I decided to tell her the truth.... Not the regression part, of course.Her reactions were somehow expected; she sympathize with me, and thus, diverted the topic back to our work.Anyways—"Vallen is finally here," Olivia informed Jack, who nonchalantly continued watching a horror movie, the flickering images casting an eerie glow across the room."You're here already?" he said, hAs we were entering the school, I accidentally heard some rumours spreading about what happened yesterday.According to the rumour, a student from this school had helped on preventing two accidents... Hmm.. Fortunately, thanks to my sweater, none of them seem to have recognized me last night.I can probably rest easy for now...Kim's sudden pause drew our attention, his gaze fixed on my face with an inexplicable expression...What's with him anyway? He's been acting weird since this morning.... Wait, isn't he and Kiyona already weird since the very beginning?With a silent nod to myself, we continued toward the classroom, Kim still recovering from his apparent shock."....?"As we approached, a group of students gathered by the door caught my eye. Curiosity piqued, I approached them to inquire about the commotion."Hey, what's going on?" I asked one of the students.-Ah... Well, do you remember the Arto
I could hear the voice of the system resonating inside my head."Please... stop. I can't bear losing anyone else..." I pleaded, my head bowed in despair.Before me stood the withered man, his grin stretching wider as he loomed over me.'Why was I even brought into this world? Just to endure unending suffering...?' I pounded the ground weakly with my fist, tears streaming down my face.'Why am I so feeble and detached? How did everything I held dear only end up shrouded in agony, slipping away?'His voice sliced through the air, a chilling whisper that pierced my soul. "Look at yourself... Has the toll of each loss, each setback, finally shattered you?""As I told you from the start, surrender. Abandon this struggle. Let THAT curse consume you. Cast aside your facade and embrace your true nature."With a grasp
Chuckles echoed through the air as Athan's voice sliced through the tension."Pathetic peasants, you truly don't grasp the art of surrender."Athan's laughter resonated, punctuating his scornful words."You, pathetic lot, forever stuck in your insignificance. Can't you see? Money and power are the threads weaving this world's tapestry."His mischievous grin reflected his amusement as he cast an apathetic glance at ArArthu"Strength is your claim, yet I find you pitiable. You remain blissfully unaware of your place. Eventually, your apathetic demise will claim you."Athan's words jabbed at Arthur, eliciting a clenched jaw."You really talked too much."Arthur began excluding his killing intent and the mana he had been releasing began increasing. The only thing he could think was to kill the brat that was insulting his family that died and his current friends.The cage he was currently in was slowly melting due to the immense mana he was releasing. Seeing this, Athan slowly backed away i
A day has passed after my argument with my mother.As I was currently reading a book inside my mini library, I suddenly heard a knock outside the door.Tok Tok-Placing my book down at the table, I stretched out my arms and sat up from my seat, then went towards the door to open it."Young master, the dinner is ready." The butler bowed his head slightly and waited silently for my reply.Nodding, I smiled gently and replied, "Oh, I see... Go on ahead. I'll just put my books back on the bookshelf before I leave." "...Right away."Soon after the butler left, I closed door and went back to the table."Let's get started, shall we?"............A moment later.As I was about to pick up the last book from the table, I felt that both my hands became warmer for a secondOut of curiosity, I raised my hands up and saw something unexpected.At the back of my hands, I saw a black dot in the middle."Oh... this might be the first phase of the awakening."Awakening is the reason people can use ma
"Sigh..."After I arrived at the garden, I decided to walk around the garden for a bit."They should be here by now... I wonder if her personality was still the same according to the novel when she was still a child. If she was, the plan could really work."As I recalled the scenes I remember about her, I sighed deeply.According to what I've read about her, Alicia wasn't really a cold narcissist back when she was just a child. Rather, she was your typical gloomy and aloof-type of person. But because of a certain event where she got kidnapped and awakened her crest early, the changes of her personality began. This made her receive praises from adults, and soon she got addicted to this kind of attention.Though, after spending quite some time with the main character, she will eventually get a character development and mellowed down, becoming a sweet, lovable tsundere.She instantly became many of the reader's favorite."Young master.""...Huh?"Breaking free from my thoughts, I turned a
"I look like a mess..."Examining my disheveled reflection in the mirror, I decided to freshen up by washing my face and taking a quick shower.Unlike the standard showers on Earth, the showers in this world were powered by magic stones.Magic stones came in various types and categories. For instance, there were water stones, typically used for showers, dishwashing, and other water-related tasks. Some magic stones could also be used for training and combat, even if your elemental crest didn't align with the stones' attributes. It only required a small amount of mana to operate these magic stones, making them highly convenient in this world.As I took a step toward the shower and turned it on at half-intensity, water began to gently cascade down over my small body."Sigh..."I contemplated deeply about what I had heard the previous day – the gathering of monsters. It could only mean one thing.It was connected to the organizations that had attacked Arthur and his parents.In essence, th
"How did it come to this...?"My gaze was fixed on the bandits, who were leisurely enjoying their meals while engaging in jovial banter. My expression darkened involuntarily.At this moment, Alicia and I were confined together in an iron cage. She appeared to be grappling with her own regret over her impulsive actions earlier....Like her, I couldn't help but berate myself for letting her slip away like that.I'm such a fool... Simply because the novel mentioned that Alicia's kidnapping scene would occur tomorrow, I hadn't bothered to formulate any backup plan.I could sense my fists clenching as I buried my face in my knees.From this day on, I learned the importance of having backup plans... In a hard way, that is.While I was absorbed in self-criticism, the laughter of the bandits filled the air as they reveled in their misdeeds."Hahaha, boss, we've hit the jackpot!"One of the bandits chimed in."Great work, lads!" Their leader applauded, bending down to peer at both of us inside
"Hey, baldy!"The bandit leader swiftly turned his attention to me, his brows furrowing as he observed my grin. Alicia, too, seemed taken aback by my sudden outburst."Athan, what are—" Alicia began to speak, but I raised my hand, silencing her."Don't worry," I reassured her, glancing in her direction. "I promise I'll get you back home safely."Alicia opened her mouth to respond, but no words emerged. Eventually, she nodded in agreement."Huhu, do you want me to teach you a lesson, brat?" The bandit leader's expression grew more serious.Before I could reply, one of the bandit behind him chimed in, "Boss, maybe we should educate this kid on the importance of good manners."...Is this guy serious?Hearing his comment, I couldn't help but chuckle. "Good manners? How can you teach me that when you lot can't even grasp the concept yourselves? Besides, isn't it a bit ironic coming from the mouth of a bandit?"As I opened my eyes slightly, I noticed the bandit gritting his teeth out of frus