76 Chapter 76

During the past few days of repeatedly attending classes in the Averill Institute Academy when not playing Tensura, nothing particularly happened.

However one could also say that there has been some changes. Strelizia had started to talk with Zephyr more frequently than before after making her resolve. However, just like a loner he had alway's been, Zephyr just simply nodded or sometimes ignore her without muttering many words.

For Strelizia, this act of Zephyr is more than enough if he was responding to her unlike before when he casually ignored her. Arriving at the classroom, Zephyr was immediately greeted by Strelizia.

"Zephyr, good morning."

Seeing the girl that had brilliant pink hair, purple eyes, soft skin reminiscent of white jade without a single blemish, and the charming innocent smile was like an arrow straight to a man's heart.

However to Zephyr, he indifferently thought.

'It seems like she has a better mood than usual.'

Thinking that in his mind, he simply nodded as he greeted her back with his monotone voice.

"Good morning."

However, unlike what Zephyr would expect, the casual respond that he gave would make the heart of Strelizia beat faster.

'Oh my gosh! Did he really greet me? Is this really true?'

Hearing his reply, Strelizia became flustered as her face started to turm crimson red.

'He never really replied to me before!'

She inwardly scream in her mind as Zephyr just always nodded whenever she greeted him out of courtesy. She was surprised to her core that the cold hearted Zephyr actually greeted her back.

'Wait! Is this the sign that our relationship has finally taken a step forward?'

She assumed to herself and her smile was becoming more apparent on her pretty face. She then looked at Zephyr who had already ignored her presence as he was looking at the window after taking a seat with a bored demeanor.

"Ummm. Zephyr..."

Zephyr then looked at her direction after hearing his name being mentioned and saw Strelizia with a flushed face and was fidgeting her fingers. She then flinched seeing Zephyr turned his attention at her.

"The thing is..."

At the other side of the classroom, a sound of a sigh could be heard as a certain student was looking a her friend who's currently a maiden in love. It was Aleya.

After confirming her friend that she had a certain affection towards Zephyr, she wondered what he had done to make Strelizia like this. Seeing Zephyr's emotionless expression, she then remembered their last encounter.

(I don't want someone's attention is directed to me and more importantly, don't pry into my past.)

She then felt a chill in her back remembering that moment. For a while, she thought that he was scary at that time as his demeanor became icy cold and dangerous.

She thought if she step over the line at that time, she felt that she would surely regret it for the rest of her life. That's how dangerous Zephyr is in her mind.

However she was snapped out of her daze as soon as the teacher arrived. She felt it was a pity that she can't talk with Strelizia any further as the class has officially begun.

Well this was repeated day by day as Zephyr always arrived just before the teacher does as he does not want to spend more time in school than he already should.

In the relaxed atmosphere, it soon became lunchtime. Getting up from their seat, the students started to go out to eat lunch with their acquaintances.

It didn't took long for the half of the classroom to became empty. As soon as Zephyr started to get up from his nap, Strelizia who was waiting for him approached Zephyr.

"I was thinking of going to eat, do you perhaps want to go with me?"

She invited Zephyr to a lunch that she wasn't able to say earlier in the morning due to the arrival of the teacher. Seeing that Zephyr looked at her, Strelizia blushed out of embarrassment but she still steeled her nerves and took the chance to invite him out.

"I don't mind."

Zephyr replied with his monotone voice. He thought he should try what it was like to eat with someone as he had never tried this before. Not like he minded eating alone though.

Just because of Zephyr's curiosity, a smile emerged in the face of Strelizia as she immediately replied.

"That's great!"

She then unknowingly took a hold of his arms making Zephyr coldly narrow his gaze staring at her who grabbed his arms without asking his permission. Afterwards, both of them exited the classroom.

After a while, Strelizia became aware of what she had boldly done. Feeling embarrassed, she then pretended to not notice as she dragged Zephyr to the cafeteria.

'Well it can't be helped.'

Reluctantly, Zephyr followed her to go to the cafeteria. Although he felt perplexed by her hands, he resisted his urge to wiped his hands to shook her off.

'Today is a lucky day. Even though there were some bad ones, there were also good ones.'

She happily thought in her mind and quickly forgot the bad moments of the day. Eventually afterwards, taking a seat in the cafeteria after grabbing their orders.

Zephyr's gaze then wandered around and saw several group of friends that were happily eating. There were also several students quietly eating alone.

When Zephyr was about to take his first bite on his meal, the cute voice of Strelizia was heard.

"Ummm... Is it okay for me to ask something?"

She said meekly hoping for his answer. Zephyr just simply nodded and then took a bite.

"Do you play Tensura?"

Hearing her, Zephyr didn't expect this question but he immediately replied.

"Yes. The game is quite fun."

"I'm glad."

Strelizia breathes out of relief seeing that he also plays the game that would allow her to talk something they had in common.

"By the way, I play it too and my class is a summoner. I have cute pets that accompany me. Wanna see them?"

They then talk about Tensura for a while or more like, Strelizia was sharing her experience while Zephyr was nodding as he quietly eat his meal.

"Umm... wanna play together?"

Strelizia then suddenly asked him with a certain amount of expectation about his respond.

"That's not possible for me. I tread the path of loneliness."

"Ehhh! Why?"

Hearing the casual monotone reply of Zephyr, she asked with a light disappointment. Proving her intelligence as the number 1 in the class, she then understood what he was implying in his statement.

'He probably wants to stay solo.'

She then sigh because of her excitement of having the chance to play with him together, she forgot that he was a loner to begin with that's why he probably don't like playing with someone.

"Sorry for being so intrusive. I don't mean to displease you or anything."

She then sincerely apologized afraid of making him uncomfortable with her or else she won't be able to recover if he said something like.

"Get lost rude girl!"

Just with this imagination, Strelizia could feel the shock from it.

"It's fine. I won't probably mind playing with someone if there's something interesting in it."

Zephyr casually replied what came into his mind. Strelizia smiled from hearing that.

"By the way my player name is still Strelizia. I didn't have any nickname in mind when I created my avatar so I just used my real name."

"Me too."

Zephyr nodded and replied immediately. Not known to them that they were part of the stupid people who used their real names instead of choosing other nicknames to use in the game.

"I see. I look forward inviting you."

Strelizia smiled after hearing his reply not realizing at this moment that the name of Zephyr is the number 1 player in Tensura due to being carried away by the moment as she was still not able to focus as her heart was pounding very fast at the moment.

'Ahhhh! He's really becoming more handsome and charming the more I talk with him.'

"I see."

Zephyr mumbled while finishing the last bite from his meal. Seeing that he was already finished, Strelizia realized that she was still halfway in finishing her's. After a while, they then returned to the classroom together and Zephyr let the boring time pass. After the class ended, Zephyr then got up from his seat and decided to go home as he had nothing to do further in the school anyway.

However, before he could step out from the door, Strelizia's voice was then heard from behind.

"Hey...Zephyr, can I walk on the way home alongside with you?"

She meekly asked Zephyr afraid he would refuse her request as she knows that she was being unreasonable at this moment as she was not close with him at the moment.

"Do whatever you want."

Zephyr replied vaguely as he felt it would be tiring to talk to someone any further. He felt his energy was drained to zero for having someone to accompany him for the day.

"Thank you Zephyr."

Hearing that he didn't outrightly rejected her request, she felt happy from this.

****

On his way back to his apartment after school. While casually listening to Strelizia who was walking with him at his side, suddenly a lamborghini veneno roadster stopped and parked in front of them. A man stepped out from the supercar and walked in their direction.

Strelizia then felt strange as the carefree demeanor of Zephyr turned cold while looking at the approaching man that resembles him. The man had the same hair color as him but the face has a more matured look indicating that he was in his mid 30s.

He then said something to Zephyr noticing that he has someone accompanying him.

"Who is this lady with you?"

"Just a classmate."

Both of them had a monotone voices.

"I see."

The man's gaze then fixed at Zephyr as he said.

"Stop this nonsense and return."

He has an intimidating manner when he said that as he was implying he was ordering Zephyr.

"I refuse."

Zephyr calmly replied as if he was not intimidated at all. Seeing as if she was being ignored, Strelizia then said in a low voice but it was still clear for the two to hear her.

"Umm...Zephyr do you perhaps know this gentleman?"

"Yes."

Zephyr simply replied but didn't elaborate any further.

He was Zero. He was publicly known as the world's richest man and many aliases such as the World's Greatest Genius of all Time and many more.

However for Zephyr, he was the founder of the secret facility called Pandora. A facility where he was raised since birth. Secretly hidden from the world that it was the most efficient place in the whole world to raise a human.

Pandora is a special kind of facility whose ultimate goal is to raise all people unto equivalent superiority. It is a place where they seek to prove that the limits of humanity are decided not by one's own genetics, but by their environment in which one is raised.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Strelizia felt a chill in her back but still decided to stay by Zephyr's side even she might be in trouble as she was determined to help him in case something happens.

Hearing Zephyr's immediate rejection, Zero let out a fake sigh looking at the girl beside Zephyr. He then mumbles.

"To think that the heir of the Zesteria Corporation is walking beside you. So you've also done something interesting. Should I say as expected from my masterpiece?"

As Pandora is a secret facility that raises humans from birth with the goal to surpass human's limit, the environment in the facility could be said as very harsh. However no matter how harsh, the hardest and could be said the most cruel environment in the facility, a certain subject exceeds Zero's expectations.

The subject easily passed all the tests and other courses. This subject called Zephyr, his son was then named Zero's Masterpiece or his masterpiece.

It was due to the undeniable fact that he was better than any subject, at any grade or age that his name was often brought up as a topic of comparison and reverence. None of the other subjects of Pandora could surpass Zephyr.

It was said that no matter how extreme the training program is, he was able to leave behind a legacy of excellence, surpassing all expectations. As Zero was dubbed as the greatest genius of all time, he could confidently say that his masterpiece transcended him in terms in talent and any other aspects.

"It's a waste for you to stay here but seeing you being like this, it seems like I have no choice but to do this."

Disregarding Strelizia's presence, Zero then mumbles.

"If you really don't want to return yet, it seems like I have no choice but to give you a special mission."