A Thanks for what?[1]

𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑘—As I opened the door, confusion washed over me, now confronted by a stranger.

The stranger was scrutinizing me with a gaze that told me he viewed me nothing more than an insect. Well, it didn't really bother me to be looked down upon by others...meh.

From his appearance, it was clear that the guy was a fellow student in this institute.

But as of who he was? No clue!

With an air of authority, he demanded, "Noah Grey?"

Wearing a smile, I calmly replied, "Yes, that's me. How can I help you?"

In an arrogant manner, he allowed me to know, "Emily Reed has demanded your presence."

I couldn't help but sigh at his behavior.

'Why are these young master lackeys so overly dramatic?'

Nonchalantly, I replied, "If she wants to talk to me, then tell her to come here." The soft smile from earlier was still plastered on my face.

My reply was quite reasonable too— one would usually approach the person they wish to met with rather than summoning them.

And given the tone he used to address the matter, it seemed Emily had something she wanted to discuss?

"One arrogant bastard you are. Maybe push it aside for a while little bro? Just come along." He began a rant, treating me as if I were a dog.

No, that's not right...dogs are now a days treated very good.

"A nobody like you has no right to breathe the same air as her. You should be grateful that someone like her! is even asking for you..."

What?

I don't have right to breath air?

What kind of twisted logic was that?

I tried to make sense of his absurd statement but quickly dismissed it.

"I simply told you what I believed was right. Now, if you'll excuse me." As I was about to close the door, he abruptly caught it and warned me with a fiery tone, "Seems like you need to be taught a lesson."

'Huh, this kid.'

It was apparent that he wouldn't comprehend civil words. Without hesitation, I replied with a powerful punch.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐌!

The guy was sent flying, landing roughly a meter away as he clutched his head in agony while writhing in the floor.

Indeed, my physical strength far surpassed than that of an ordinary human, thanks to Nano.

My bone structure is denser, and my muscle fibers are genetically engineered in a unique manner. They produce what I like to call as 'burst force'.

The amount of force I can generate now is extraordinary.

"Hiiek!Hieek!" The guy moaned in pain, but I paid him no attention.

Closing my door swiftly, I returned to my work, unfazed by the altercation.

As I sat on my desk, ready to plotting my strategies on how to obtain the components for the neuroschok blaster, a familiar sound of knocking interrupted my train of thought.

𝑻𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒌!

'Seriously?' Sghing in annoyance, I reluctantly rose from my seat and opened the door once again.

"Yes, how may I help you?" I asked with a smile, my eyes landing on the same guy from before, his nose still bleeding.

Despite the injury, he greeted me politely.

"I apologize for my earlier behavior, sir. Please don't shut the door."

His courteous manner caught me off guard, and my mood shifted slightly.

"Yes, go ahead," I replied, curious about his purpose of being here.

"Emily wishes to give you something, which is why she requested your presence. Would you please oblige? I apologize if I am causing any inconvenience, sir," he bowed as he awaited my response.

Letting out a weary sigh, I quickly accessed the live CCTV footage of the entire campus through my augmented reality display, searching for Emily's whereabouts.

Thanks to the cutting-edge quantum technology of Nano, performing such tasks felt as effortless as breathing.

This wasn't your typical hacking; that's an outdated method.

What I was doing was called 'amalgamation'—a merging of myself with a device. Difficult to explain it in mere words.

I wanted to ensure that this wasn't some stupid trap.

After confirming that everything seemed to be in order, I curtly replied to him, "Lead the way."

***

With no classes in session, it was evident that the majority of students were fatigued and some even nursing injuries from the dungeon trials. I mean, it had only been a few days since then.

Thus, we were granted a much-needed week-long break.

During this time, I will find some solace in the temporary reprieve, but I knew it would only delay the inevitable.

Sooner or later, someone would question my performance in the dungeon trials. Or perhaps, by some stroke of luck, the matter would go unnoticed?

As we walked through the corridors, I noticed that the floor tiles were a striking shade of red, a deviation from the usual pristine white.

This part of the campus was entirely unfamiliar to me.

It appeared that access to this area was exclusively granted to the top rankers, considering its proximity to the esteemed A1 hostel.

I noticed a few familiar faces in passing, but I paid them no mind as I continued to follow the guy.

Oh and we were at a café.

What could it be that Emily wants to ask me? I had no clue. Probably my number? I mean I was one hell of a dashing guy...

'Who am I kidding?Hmphaha, as if.'

Wait...could it be that she was upset that I ranked higher than her in the dungeon trials?

Well, in the novel she was always an eccentric person, taking even the smallest things far too seriously.

"We've arrived," the guy said, bringing me to a halt in front of a door.

It turned out to be a private dining room within the café.

Judging by the luxurious interior decor, booking a seat here would cost a pretty penny.

Considering Emily's wealthy father and her princess-like persona, it was no surprise that she could easily afford such extravagances.

Ofcourse that didn't change the fact that I currently had enough money to buy this entire building if I so desired.

My chess app alone had brought in a staggering fifty million Den, and this, was only the beginning.

With my capabilities, all the knowledge I absorbed while lying on a bed most my life? Yes...creating innovative applications that didn't exist in this world would be a breeze.

But that was a matter for another time.

I opened the door and stepped inside, making sure to send a dismissive glance towards the guy who had accompanied me. "Stay outside. A dog like you doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as her after all."