Chapter 3

"Senior Chyx!" the grade three student shrieked, a cold chill running down his back.

Chyx seemed to be seventeen years old sporting a suave hairstyle and the official grade three students uniform.

"You have guts huh? refusing entry for one of my underlings" Chyx smiled warmly.

But to the grade three student, it was worst than the devil grinning. He began to regret his actions that instant.

"Scram" a slap from Chyx sent the grade three student flying ten metres away and crashing roughly on the ground.

The Gold quarters was different than the other quarters in the sense that each student had their own apartment, thus giving them their own privacy.

Chyx's apartment was a bungalow and the interior boasted of expensive decors.

When the duo arrived, Chyx slumped on a sofa, glancing at the hoodied figure with a nonchalant gaze.

"Out with your mask" Chyx snorted.

The hoodied figure did as he was told, revealing a masculine face filled with ugly pockmarks.

"I did as you told me Senior. I crippled Theo's cultivation. Just this morning, i personally saw him leaving for the Zeltic forest"

Chyx nodded slowly.

"Just as expected. Losing his cultivation was like losing that little thread of hope that pushed him to live. Plus the Zeltic forest is a dangerous zone to occassional ruins rifts. That fool would die no doubt"

"You did a good job Howings" Chyx gave Howings a look of approval.

"Hehe. Senior, it's just a minor matter" Howings laughed akwardly.

However, concealed within his eyes was deep fear. He knew that in both background and personal power, this Senior Chyx far outstripped him.

"I am not an ingrate who treats underlings like trash. You did a meritious deed that warrants a reward" Chyx shook his head.

He tapped the watch on his wrist, causing a pill to shoot out from it, floating mid air. When Howings saw this pill, his eyes shone with unconcealed greed and desire.

"As you have guessed, this is a sky splitting intermediate grade pill. It's a peak rank pill and it's quite expensive. I bought it for the whooping sum of two hundred dynocores" Chyx boasted.

Howings gulped. Two hundred dynocores wasn't a small smum. In the whole of the Leice kingdom, their official currency was colored dynocores. Below were dynocores and Sheqels. Ten sheqels could buy a sumptous meal for the whole day. A hundred sheqels was equivalent to a single dynocore.

As for colored dynocores, the lowest grade was equivalent to a thousand dynocores!

Chyx saw the look of awe on Howing's face, bolstering his ego.

"With this pill, your breakthrough into the Intermediate rank is guranteed. Take it" he tossed the pill at Howings, who swiftly caught it.

With trembling hands, he stowed it away into his storage watch.

* * *

Theo pushed open the door of his apartment and saw one of his room mates; Ender watching TV on the couch.

"It's you?!" Ender gasped when he saw Theo.

"What? seen a ghost?" Theo chuckled as he waltzed in.

Ender jumped off the couch like a wet cat. He pointed at Theo with trembling fingers.

"Didn't you die?"

Theo just laughed as he ignored him and walked into his room.

Ender was a new quasi grade one student who joined the school a year ago. According to the memories of the former host, he was an unreasonable bully.

Theo got to his bed and picked up a pillow. He put his hand into the pillow case but felt nothing.

Wasn't this where the previous host usually stored his money?

Frowning, he walked back to the parlour, confronting Ender.

"Where are my money?"

"Money? what money?" Ender pretended to be dumb.

"Don't joke with me now. Only me, you and Ski stay in this apartment. My money is missing and either of you both are the culprit" Theo accused.

Seeing that Theo wasn't reading his signal, Ender resorted to a forceful tactic.

"So what if we took it? we were running short of supplies"

"You are just a useless trash. We using your money to restock our supplies should make you feel proud. Atleast you are useful in one area" Ender had a ridiculing smirk.

Theo heaved, trying hard to placate his rising anger.

"I wash. I clean. I cook. I didn't complain. But taking my money without my permission. Unacceptable!" Theo eyes blazed.

If the previous Host tolerated these type of bullying, he wouldn't.

"So what? it's not like you can beat us or anything. Let me tell you, something trash"

"This upcoming grade one examination is an elimination test for you. You spent five years stuck in the first level of the novice rank"

"While i who just joined last year i'm already at the fourth level of the novice rank. So what if i took your money?"

"You are just a weak trash relying on family influence" Ender mocked.

-[PING! NEW EMERGENCY QUEST; BEAT UP ENDER]

"Good system!" Theo gave a thumbs up inwardly.

Even without the system, he really wanted to beat up this arrogant d*k!

With that, he threw an unexpected fast punch at Ender. The latter didn't believe that Theo would dare strike at him, so the punch landed accurately on his face.

C R U N C H

His nose broke, causing blood to spray out. Theo followed up with two more quick punches which landed on Ender's stomach.

"Ouuf!" he spat a mouthful of blood as he fell on the floor with his butts.

Theo didn't give him time to react, knocking him out cold with another punch.

"Wheew" Theo whistled, staring at his wrist.

Damn. It felt so good.

However, he didn't feel self satisfied because he knew the reason he was able to win was due to the other party underestimating him.

-[PING! YOU HAVE COMPLETED EMERGENCY QUEST; BEAT UP ENDER]

-[You have gained +5 exp]

-[You have recieved +3 stats]

"Not much" Theo groaned at the little bit of rewards.

After mulling a bit, he invested the three stats on his Agility, causing it to surpass his speed by one.

"The main dish" he cast a greedy glance at the watch on Ender's wrist.

According to the former host's memories, this wrist watch was a storage watch. It's lowest grade had a space spanning ten metres and it's price was Fifty sheqels.

However, the former host didn't buy one because whenever he made any income, his room mates would be the first to seize it.

Theo grabbed Ender's wrist and made him input his finger print. A menu got displayed on the watch screen, showing the list of items stored within.

"Adult models magazines? and this many?" Theo was flabbergasted.

He never knew Ender was an addict.

At last, he finally scrolled to the bottom and saw the amount of cash Ender had on him.

Just ten dynocores. What a poor bastard.

Theo withdrew the money and left the apartment. His next destination was the Shopping district.

The shopping district was located in the middle between the Silver and bronze area.

When Theo arrived at the entrance gate leading to the shopping district, he was stopped by the two grade one students serving as gatekeepers.

"Halt!" the first one barked. He had a bald head.

"Good afternoon seniors" Theo greeted respectfully.

He tapped the stolen storage watch on his wrist, withdrawing a bill of one dynocore.

"Hehe. You may go" the grade one students nodded happily, allowing Theo access into the shopping district.

When Theo got in, he was mesmerized at the sight he saw. There were various stalls and shops erected selling various items.

Clothes, pills, magic armaments, snacks, herbs. One could find almost anything in the shopping district.

As Theo strolled, the various stall and shop owners beckoned at him to patronize them.

"Hey there brother, this t shirt will look good on you!"

"These boots are quality material made from a rare lambskin. I'm selling it for just twenty sheqels, hehe"

"These pills can heal one third of your injuries within an instant! going for just fifty sheqels!"

Hearing the cries of these merchants made Theo recall the busy market in his former world.

After strolling for a bit, Theo finally located his destination..

A mask store.

"Hello. What type of mask do you want to purchase?" one of the three shop attendants walked towards Theo.

A welcoming smile on his face.

"What type do your shop have?"

"We have both customized and ready made" the shop attendant replied.

"Uhm. I want a customized one"

The shop attendant's eyes sparked. Customers who ordered for tailor made masks weren't simple. The minimum price to get a mask tailor made was seventy sheqels.

For a mortal like him, seventy sheqels was a huge sum.

Instantly, he became more respectful.

"Please follow me" he began to lead Theo towards the V.I.P section.

They passed various show glasses showcasing a varieties of masks. Theo nodded.

Just their pure artistry made him no longer doubt their credibility.

The attendant led Theo into a small room which had a single booth. Behind the booth was a man in his mid twenties reading a magazine.

Theo could sense the invisible but powerful pressure surrounding him. This man was a mage, and a powerful one at that.

The man noticed the new arrival an dropped the magazine.

"Boss Kodiak" the attendant saluted respectfully.

Kodiak swept Theo with a glance and asked.

"What type do you need?"

* * *

Theo walked out of the Mask shop, his back drenched with sweat. Kodiak was just too scary.

Luckily, he wasn't that troublesome and didn't look down on those weaker than him.

They agreed on a price and release date which was going to be in seven days time.

Theo then proceeded to stop at a beverage store, purchasing twelve root beers for thirty six sheqels.

He then bought some dried meat, soft drinks, clothes and healing lotions, leaving him with only five dynocores.

"These supplies are enough to last me for two weeks at worst" Theo patted his storage watch in satisfaction.

He left the shopping district, heading towards the gate leading towards Zeltic forest.

"Hey have you heard? The grade one admission examination will officially commence in three months"

"Meh. I'm still stuck at the third level. I have no hope in passing. Why me?!"

Theo walked past two quasi grade students and overheard their discussion.

He recalled Ender speaking about it too.

Every year in the bronze quarter, a grade one admission exam would be hosted. For five years straight, the former host failed the exams.

If he were to fail the sixth time, he would have to kiss the school bye bye. Well, except he would have to salvage out the situation by paying minimum of a thousand dynocores as bribe.

"In three months. Hehe" but Theo wasn't flustered.

Three months? who knows just how much stronger he would've grown by that time?

Theo arrived at the gate, but was stopped by the old gate man.

"Kid. Haven't you heard that Zeltic forest is a prohibited area? go back" the old gate keeper sounded like a caring old grandpa.

But Theo sneered inwardly. He knew just how corrupt the old man was.

"Old sir, i bought some root beer to quench your thirst. You must be exhausted having staying under this hot sun" Theo tapped his storage watch, sending two cans of root beers towards the old man.

"Hahaha. How very thoughtful!" the old gatekeeper accepted the bribe while laughing joyfully, causing his beards to dance.

Theo grinned as he saw the gates automatically open. He rushed out, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

Time to farm exp!

* * *

Ender felt something wet splashing on his face, causing his eyes to snap open.

"Ski?" he saw his room mate staring at him while holding a bucket.

"Just who did this to you. Knocking you out cold and snatching your storage watch" Ski shook his head, dropping the empty bucket down.

"My storage watch!" Ender shrieked when he noticed his wrist was empty.

"That bastard!" his face warped with rage.

"You know who attacked you?"

"It's that trash Theo. He sneaked up on me" Ender gritted his teeth.

Ski burst into laughter, causing the rage in Ender to increase. He felt like skinning Theo alive.

"You must be backsliding in your cultivation. To think that a trash knocked you out cold. A fucking K.O! Pft" Ski taunted.

"Shut up!"