34 An Unexpected Confrontation

In the space ahead of him, Drai could see a dimly lit hallway that wasn't too wide. It was mostly dark gray void of decorations unlike the mansion above. On the walls were doors that were spaced apart and looked identical to one another. The hallway was probably quite long, as Drai couldn't see the end of it.

"You sure got a huge basement, Professor," Drai said after regaining clarity.

Hearing this, Ravi couldn't help but feel a little proud.

"I worked hard to realize this, you know? Not everyone has the same privilege. It was also quite hard convincing our rector, since he's quite apprehensive about shady things, and this basement did sound quite shady when I proposed it. Well, in the end he allowed it after I made quite a fuss, hehehe," Ravi said as he chuckled mischievously, seemingly recalling the scene he had made in the past.

At the mention of the rector, Drai was suddenly reminded of what Paul had said about him.

"Can the rector open a portal here, Professor?" Drai asked.

Ravi contemplated briefly before answering, "I suppose he can. Most people suspect there's a limitation for his portal ability, but nobody knows for sure. I guess it's unwise for the rector to disclose his own weakness, so he probably had never told anybody about it.

"Anyway, follow me, Drai," Ravi said as he proceeded to walk down the hallway. Drai quickly followed behind.

As they passed by the identical doors, Drai wondered about the rooms behind them and how the professor was able to distinguish them.

Ravi soon stopped at one of the doors. He grabbed the door handle and waited briefly before opening the door. He then gestured for Drai to follow him before entering.

As Drai entered, he was greeted by a wide room full of machines of various sizes that he couldn't recognize. On the side of the room was a shelf full of canisters filled with a variety of colored liquids. There was also a glass cabinet that housed numerous objects with tags on them. At one corner of the room was a desk with a VC, two sofas, a coffee table, a counter, and a door.

Standing at the center of the room, Ravi said to Drai, "This is my main lab. In the future, you will probably spend most of the time with me here. I don't like being distracted when I'm working on my projects, so I've placed some amenities here to minimize having to go out of the lab. There are refreshments in the fridge below the counter if you feel hungry or thirsty, and there's a toilet behind that door."

Drai looked admiringly at Ravi's lab that was at least six times bigger than his room at the dorm. It was truly a luxury that he doubted most professors could afford. And this was only one room among many, unless those doors he saw before were fake.

"Now, let me tell you about my research, Drai," Ravi continued. "However, please refrain from disclosing the details of my research to others unless I say otherwise."

"Of course, Professor," Drai quickly replied.

"Good. So, the crux of my research is improving evolvers through external stimuli without relying on the System. From what we've known so far, the improvement of evolvers is restrained to the System, meaning that regardless of all the effort done with improvement as the goal, the changes in one's attributes can only be initiated by the System, usually when one levels up.

"Although most evolvers usually don't mind this too much, some people think of it as an inconvenience, especially those that feel like they were hitting a soft level cap and can barely level up once in a few years. It doesn't help that the System also isn't transparent about the EXP gain, so some people feel at loss what to do about their slow rate of improvement.

"If the changes occurred incrementally throughout the level, they probably wouldn't feel too bad about it. But having to wait for a few years until their efforts are rewarded can be too much for some people."

Hearing this, Drai could somehow relate. He too would probably feel extremely frustrated if he trained every day for a whole year without seeing any improvements.

"Are you one of these people too, Professor?" Drai asked Ravi without much consideration.

Hearing Drai's question, Ravi slightly smiled. "It's true that I'm somewhat lagging in the improvement department nowadays, but I'm not that desperate, Drai. My research didn't stem from my own desperation but from something else, but that's a story for another day. What I've said before was just my laying down a common predicament to which my research can perhaps provide a solution.

"Anyway, as I had the idea of bypassing the System to improve one's attribute, I started this very research. Throughout the years, I've conducted innumerable tests using various materials on a myriad of test subjects that weren't humans. And after numerous trials and errors, I had finally formulated a concoction that I believe will suffice in altering one's physique without any severe consequences.

"However, this particular concoction has several limitations. First, it's likely only effective for first stage evolvers. Second, it will likely only alter one's physical aspects without affecting other stats such as mana. Third, the effectiveness of the concoction is limited, and further applications beyond that will likely yield no improvements. And lastly, it requires someone with an extremely tough physique to be able to withstand the process. As you know, you're the only one I managed to find that fulfills the requirements.

"And this brings us to our current situation," Ravi concluded as he looked at Drai a bit anxiously.

"So, after I try your concoction, will your research be completed?" Drai asked.

"Sadly, no. This particular concoction is only a small part of my research, since the final goal is to be able to improve anyone's stats without being restricted by these limitations. But having a first successful human testing will be very beneficial for the research, as I will obtain more data based on empirical human parameters that will serve as a basis for future tests. Maybe in the future I can even create a better concoction that you and other people can use, Drai. Imagine that!" Ravi explained passionately.

Seeing Ravi's fervor, Drai couldn't help but smile. The professor was usually quite nonchalant, but talking about anything related to his research always made Ravi excited with his eyes sparkling like those of a child.

"So, when do we start?" Drai asked.

"Hahaha! Impatient, are we? Unfortunately, today we'll only be collecting some data. I may also need to modify the concoction based on today's results. I want to be certain that nothing bad will happen during the process. After all, I don't want to be at the receiving end of a mother's fury," Ravi joked.

Following this, Drai went through several tests using the various apparatuses in the lab. Drai had no idea what the machines were recording, and Ravi wasn't keen on explaining either, as he was busy operating the machines and analyzing the gathered data.

These series of tests lasted for quite a while, and it wasn't until the evening that Ravi was finally finished with Drai. Ravi eventually sent Drai off in haste before rushing back to the basement, obviously aching to work on today's data. Drai just shook his head smilingly upon watching the scampering professor.

Jack then drove Drai back on a car, perhaps in fear that Drai would crush another bike. Around fifteen minutes later, Drai was already running toward the faculty's main building where he was supposed to meet Natalia.

As soon as Drai arrived at the meeting spot, he looked around and sighed in relief because there was no sign of Natalia. However, his relief only lasted for a moment.

"How dare you make a lady wait."

Drai turned around to find Natalia peeking from behind a nearby tree, looking at him with an annoyed expression.

"I didn't know I would get delayed. I'm sorry, Natalia," Drai sheepishly apologized.

Drai's words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Natalia turned her head away poutingly.

"Uhm… What can I do to make up for it?" the fidgety Drai asked as he scratched his head anxiously while looking downward. He didn't realize his lateness had really annoyed Natalia.

Drai's question was greeted with silence. Drai waited for a while but Natalia still didn't respond. He gathered his courage and prepared to approach Natalia. But before he could do so, he finally heard Natalia's voice.

"Hahaha! Look at your face! I didn't know you can make such an expression, Drai. You look even worse than how you usually looked after our classes!"

Drai looked ahead to find Natalia laughing, pointing at him with one hand while holding her stomach with the other. The corner of Drai's mouth twitched as he blurted inwardly, 'This f**ker…'

Sensing Drai's annoyance, Natalia hurriedly came to his side.

"Oh, come on… I was just kidding. I really had to wait for quite a while, you know? I even rushed here straight from the faculty to avoid making you wait for too long. Imagine my disappointment when I couldn't find you anywhere," Natalia said as she pulled at Drai's arm, albeit unsuccessfully. Her previously annoyed face was already replaced by a feigned pitiful expression.

Seeing her antics and hearing her words, Drai's annoyance dissipated and he felt sorry instead.

"I'm really sorry I was late. Professor Ravi held me up for quite a while. I didn't know I had to take so many tests," Drai said.

"It's fine, Drai. It's not like you had intentionally left me hanging. But make sure to notify me next time, okay?" Natalia said as she patted his back.

"Yeah, I somehow forgot to message you too. But why didn't you just leave when you didn't see me?" asked Drai.

"I don't know. I just had a feeling you would eventually show up. That's why I didn't try messaging you either," Natalia replied shruggingly.

Drai looked at Natalia with a strange look. He thought that her reasoning was a bit weird.

"Well, if you hadn't showed up, I can just beat you up the next time we meet to make up for it," Natalia added, raising her partially scaled fist threateningly.

Seeing this, Drai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Although it could perhaps serve as a decent training, Drai wasn't as kind-hearted as Big Bob to let himself get pummeled voluntarily by his friend.

"Oh right, I have something for you," Drai said as he suddenly remembered something. He then fiddled with what seemed to be a new bracelet on his left wrist beside his comm before pulling out a small box.

"What the f**k!? Is that a dimensional storage?" Natalia exclaimed, staring at the bracelet on Drai's wrist.

"I think so. Uncle Jack gave it to me. He said it was from Professor Ravi. There's some foods and drinks inside. Here's a pastry from some garden. I've tried it before and it's really nice," Drai said as he offered the box to the astounded Natalia.

Natalia forcefully stopped herself from gawking at the bracelet and took the box. She inspected the package before exclaiming in excitement, "Sugar Garden!! You know it's so hard to buy their products these days? There's always a long line at their store and even online orders are already sold out for months! And you can't preorder them either!"

Looking at the frantic Natalia, Drai remarked, "I know it tastes good but are they really that special?"

Hearing this, Natalia looked at Drai as if he were missing some brain cells.

"Special? They're one of a kind! They say the owner is an advanced evolver with a class that specialize in Patisserie. There's a reason people from all over Rivideria line up just to get a taste of their pastries. Oh shit... what should I do, Drai? Should I eat it or save it for a special occasion? It's so precious after all. I can't be eating it so casually…"

Natalia stared at the box with a loving look as if it were her baby, which dumbfounded Drai.

"Just eat it," Drai eventually said. "There's some more here, and I can probably ask Professor Ravi for more if I'm shameless enough."

"Really!? You're the best, Drai!" Natalia exclaimed as she pecked his cheek before opening the box with a fanatical look in her eyes.

Drai touched his pecked cheek, slightly stunned. He watched Natalia devour the pastry; her whole body shivered and moved in strange ways with each bite.

'Mom once said, 'A way through a man's heart is through his stomach,' but I guess it applies to women too,' Drai thought to himself, chuckling slightly.

Shortly after, Natalia was done with the pastry and stared at the empty box with a sad look.

"Let's get going. I don't want to be late to the gathering," Drai suggested.

Natalia looked at Drai before turning back to the box. She then took off her small backpack and put the box inside.

"I'm taking it as a souvenir," she shortly explained to the uncaring Drai. Following this, the two headed toward the Sexy. Drai had asked Christo earlier to send its location to him while he was informing his roommate that he was going there separately.

As the two were walking, Natalia suddenly said, "A dimensional storage, Sugar Garden's pastries... Professor Ravi sure spoils you a lot, Drai. If you hadn't told me about your situation, I might even suspect that he's secretly your grandfather or something."

"I think he's just excited about his project. Or maybe he's just that nice to everyone," Drai shrugged.

"I doubt it. Otherwise, I would have seen plenty others with similar bracelets. You know that dimensional storage is something that is only used by important figures, right? They say it's a newgen tech from the Viridian Technocracy. Even my dad doesn't have one, or at least not to my knowledge."

"It's that special?" Drai was a bit stunned since he thought it was just something that was commonly used by those of similar positions to Ravi.

"Yeah. Make sure you don't lose it. It will be very helpful for you even after you graduate. By the way, how large is it?"

"I think Uncle Jack said it's an eight-meter cubic space," Drai recalled.

"Shit... That seems quite large. Why can't I have someone gift me a dimensional storage too…" Natalia lamented.

"Too bad I only have one," Drai remarked.

Natalia glanced at Drai for quite a while before saying, "Be careful with your kindness, Drai."

Drai, who didn't expect such words, looked at Natalia strangely, asking "What do you mean?"

"Not everyone deserves your kindness. It's one thing if they don't reciprocate it, but there are ungrateful people that have the heart to respond to kindness with malice instead. I hope you don't ever meet those kinds of people, Drai," Natalia explained, her face showing slight concern.

Hearing Natalia's words, Drai merely nodded, as he wasn't sure how to respond. To Drai, Natalia was quite a skeptic. Drai thought that perhaps her upbringing had something to do with this.

Shortly after, the two arrived at the Sexy. It was a complex consisting of similar looking buildings that resembled multi-storied lodgings. Many students can be seen walking around the complex. Natalia approached a nearby group of students and asked something before returning to Drai.

"The VV headquarters is this way," she said, pointing at a direction. The two of them proceeded to enter the complex and walked toward the direction mentioned by the students.

After walking for a few minutes, they arrived in front of a three-story building that was similar to the others around them, except for the huge signboard above the front doors that read "Valiant Ventures HQ".

In front of the building were several students who were standing around idly, seemingly waiting for something. Among the students, Drai spotted three familiar faces.

"Guys!" Drai waved smilingly toward the three, who in turn looked at him and smiled back. Yet, when they noticed the lady beside Drai, their smiles vanished.

'What the hell!? It's only been a few days and now he's with another hot chick??' Jian thought with his mouth slightly agape.

'Who's that girl? Don't tell me Drai got involved with a vixen,' Auri suspiciously stared at Natalia, her fists clenching.

Meanwhile, Christo looked at Natalia with a deadpan stare, void of the warmth that he usually exuded.

On the other hand, Natalia also had a serious expression. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the direction of Drai's friends coldly.

Sensing the weird atmosphere, Drai also stopped. He looked at his friends' strange expressions before turning to Natalia, who was similarly looking strange.

"What's wrong, Natalia?" Drai asked worriedly.

Natalia glanced at the worried Drai before saying, "Do you remember what I said to you regarding your dangers after the body transformation class? The one about bad people hiding their intentions and misleading you?"

Drai nodded right away. Natalia's words that afternoon were still clear in his mind. After all, they concerned Drai's future and the safety of those around him.

Seeing Drai nod, Natalia continued, "Then let me tell you, this person here is one of the people that you should be very wary of."

After saying these words, she slowly stepped forward, walking toward Drai's friends.

Drai was shocked by Natalia's warning. He followed closely behind, worried that a fight would ensue, as Natalia seemed to be seething by the sound of her knuckles cracking.

Most of Drai's friends were rather dumbfounded by this development. They didn't hear what Natalia had said to Drai, as she didn't speak loudly and the two were still quite a distance away from them. However, they could see Natalia's fierce stare and could sense her bubbling rage. Her slow steps seemed to enunciate her feelings.

As she stopped in front of one person, Natalia's cold expression turned into a mocking smirk.

"If it isn't the great Christopher Maglan. Fancy seeing you here," Natalia scoffed.

Christo was still staring impassively as he said, "Natalia Skyward. I see you've taken a liking to reptiles too. If I had been slightly more careless, I could've mistaken you for a snake."

"Oh my… I guess it takes a snake to know one," Natalia sarcastically remarked.

Hearing this, Christo's deadpan face finally came alive as he grinned. Drai looked at his friend and realized that Christo's smile didn't reach his eyes, as they remained cold and, to his surprise, sinister.

Not knowing what to do about this shocking situation, Drai turned toward the other two. Auri was so focused on the scene in front of her that she didn't notice Drai. But Jian had sensed him and upon seeing Drai's pleading face, he gathered his courage and nodded to Drai before walking toward Natalia and Christo.

"Ahem! Dear friends, how about you postpone your lovers' quarrel for next time, seeing as the location is unfitting and the gathering is about to start," Jian bravely advised.

"Lovers quarrel?? You wanna die or what!?" Natalia snapped at this unknown man.

"Milady, please don't get angry," Jian hurriedly said. "I know there might be some unspoken feelings between you two, but it's really not a good time to fight. Look at Drai there sweating bullets. He must be totally worried about you."

Hearing Drai's name, Natalia's anger slightly subsided and she turned toward Drai, who was currently looking quite pitiful, as he was pale, jittery, and sweating. Seeing this sight, Natalia sighed and eased her tense body. She glanced at Christo for the last time before preparing to return to Drai's side.

"I knew you'd understand, lady. After all, your business with your ex-boyfriend can be finished later. Now, you better take good care of—"

Before Jian could finish his sentence, he felt his whole world spinning as a scaly fist landed heavily on his cheek. He smashed into the ground with a loud thud, attracting the attention of the other students there.

What entered the sight of the onlookers was a sprawling Jian on the ground and a red-faced Natalia whose right arm was stretched straight; her clenched fist was hanging in the spot where Jian's face was just seconds ago.

Drai, Christo, and Auri looked at their poor friend on the ground and simultaneously facepalmed.