Volume II - Chapter 3: A Flower in the Library

Although there was a lot of noise in the classroom, my whole world suddenly fell silent and I just stared at the message in front of me.

~beep

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We see, watch and know your every move. Just focus on your mission and both sides will be happy.

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"Aiden? Are you okay?"

Adrian looked worried, but I was not well enough to care about him.

"I- I have a bit of a headache... I'm going back to my room."

I don't have any other classes to take since we have exams all day anyway. I have to practice with the professor though...

Adrian called out to me from behind, but I completely ignored him. I kept moving forward and after sending a very short text to the professor about not coming to practice today, I just walked into my dorm room.

I closed the door hard, but I didn't let myself fall on the bed like I always do. I continued to stand in the middle of the room. I read and reread the two messages sent to me.

I need to calm down... I need to calm down if I don't want to do anything wrong... I know that but...

'Hey, calm d-'

"Shut up!"

Sith fell silent in an instant. As for me, I clenched my fist and took a deep breath.

Let's think first... I got this message right after the preliminary was announced and we're going to a different dungeon than the one we're supposed to go to.

The two are obviously connected.

So whoever sent this message has a lot of control over the academy. And considering the villains of the main story...

I know who they are, but why would they be interested in me? What could I have done to catch their eye?

Damn it, I can't think straight. I... I don't think I've ever been this angry before.

I opened my watch and reread the messages, and when I saw the details behind Clara again, my anger multiplied.

I wouldn't have cared if you'd messed with me... I'd have been fine with it, but threatening me? With my newfound sister, the only person close to me?

I... I underestimated this world and its people. I thought I still had time to enjoy my new life...

I was wrong.

I took another deep breath, splashed cold water on my face, and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

My brow furrowed, my face soured and I clenched my fist.

Do you want to play games with me?

Fine...

Okay, I'll play with you, but I'll show you in return... I'll show you what it means to mess with me, to only 'think' about hurting my sister.

I'm gonna put you in a situation where you'll remember me in hell.

"Sith."

Sith appeared and stood in front of me when I called, even though I had just scolded him.

'You've calmed down, haven't you?

"Yes. I need you for something. Can you help me?"

Sith paused for a moment, then raised his eyebrows.

'I will, but... you sure you're calm?'

He looked a little worried, but truth be told, I don't give a damn.

"Yeah, don't worry."

I wiped my face with a towel and got out of the bathroom, then put on a simple jacket and headed outside.

"I've never been so calm in my entire life."

*******

The first thing I did after leaving the dormitory was to go to the library. Because even though I had heard of the Ashga Forests before, in the game it was a dungeon that players couldn't enter. It just 'existed' there. So my information is quite limited and I need it if I want to accomplish the things I have planned.

After about five minutes of walking, I stopped in front of the huge library.

The library here was really, really big.

I sighed lightly and entered the library, where I was greeted by a lobby clerk sitting at a table surrounded by several security guards.

"Your name?"

"Aiden Tenebra."

The woman entered my name on the holographic screen in front of her, then smiled and pointed to the wide staircase.

"If you want to borrow books, you have to put your name down, and if you are discovered stealing anything, you will be expelled from the academy without warning. Other than that, normal library rules apply, please be quiet."

"Okay."

I went upstairs without paying much attention to her and after a short search, I found the book I was looking for on the third floor.

I looked for an empty table with the book 'Dungeons of the Cevilian Development Academy' but strangely enough, the whole library was quite full.

Do people like to read in this world? That's an interesting fact...

After a while, when I finally found an empty table and settled in, I looked for the title 'Ashga Forests'. When I finally found it, I just dived into the book and started reading the content.

It was a huge forest area completely controlled by the Academy. The trees were not overly tall and there were clearings in places. In short, it was the perfect place for the school to hold the preliminary process.

I sighed deeply when I read the whole context of the book I was reading. The academy, no... the people who targeted Adrian and me have a clear goal.

In the game, we used to enter a competition where we split into teams to hunt creatures, but now, just for us, they've set up a competition where we can fight each other directly.

They've changed something that directly affects the academy, just to pit us against each other.

Do they see me as an obstacle for Adrian to overcome? But I've shown them almost no signs of talent.

The most likely scenarios are my duel with Professor Calvin, the assassin attack in the cemetery, and the fact that they know I'm a little bit 'smart', but again, nothing that would stand out too much.

I was deep in thought when suddenly my eyes widened and it dawned on me.

There is something else. Something else that makes me a much more important person than these events.

The theory I came up with for the money after I got here.

I grinned slightly and let out a low laugh.

Of course... I should have known.

I'm really stupid, even though I'm the one who knows the rules of this world the best, I acted stupidly and now I'm paying for it.

I let out a deep sigh and returned to my table after picking up a few more books to look up a few things I wanted to research.

I was so engrossed in the books, minutes had passed without me realizing it, but then out of the corner of my eye, a silhouette suddenly caught my attention.

I slowly raised my head and turned toward it. When I saw the figure standing in front of me, my heart skipped a beat.

"May I sit down?"

Lucia Quie, with her long blonde hair and blood-red eyes, was standing in front of me. In addition, the eyes of the entire library turned to us.

Damn... really?

Isn't that... a bit too cliché? Are you really doing this to me...

I glanced around briefly, then sighed.

All the tables are full... So she couldn't find an empty seat, but why did she come to me? Wasn't there another girl she could sit next to?

"Sure, go ahead."

Lucia sat across from me and without saying a word she focused on the book in front of her.

I looked at the cover out of the corner of my eye, wondering what she was reading.

Is she reading a novel? I know she likes to read books, but I expected her to do research about the dungeon like me...

"Why are you staring?"

Her eyes suddenly fixed on me, catching me off guard.

"The Back Side of Flowers, I've read it before. I was focused on it, sorry if I disturbed you."

After what I said, I ignored her and focused on my book.

I actually want to look at her, my instincts as a man keep nudging me. It's frustrating, but I know I have to keep researching, I'm not in a position to care right now.

"Have you read it?"

"Excuse me?"

I turned my eyes back to her curiously, not expecting her to talk to me.

"Did you... read the book?"

There was a strange surprise in her eyes. I guess she didn't expect me to have read the book.

Well, most of the books in the game are from my old world and I'm a person who has read a lot of books. So I know most of the books here, including the one she is reading now.

"Yes, I've read it. The Back Side of Flowers... it focuses on the psychology and mental problems of good-looking people who are envied by society."

I wanted to end the conversation quickly, so I gave a simple answer and focused on what was in front of me again.

"Do you like... reading books?"

I turned my eyes back to her and for a few seconds, my brain stopped working.

Lucia's red eyes were literally sparkling. It was like she was excited.

Ah... Fuck, I forgot she was a book nerd.

"Well, I had a lot of free time on my hands. So I read a lot of books. 'The Back Side of Flowers' was one of them."

Now if I say something like I don't like books, it looks like I'm trying to push her away, and I don't want to, for a number of reasons that are likely to annoy me.

"What about The World of the Outsiders? Another book by the same author, have you read that one?"

With each question she became more excited, her expression brighter and brighter. Her every gesture, combined with her A+ grade charm, had such an effect on me that I found it hard to resist.

Damn statistics...

"I read it."

No… I should have said I didn't read it.

Fuck, I can't think straight.

*******

In the end, I talked to Lucia about the classics for half an hour.

Just because she's found someone who loves books, she's so carefree that her already extremely high charm statistic is pushed to the limit. This is going to end badly...

"It's been fun, but I have to get up now."

That's it... I'm afraid if I go any further, I'll start doing things I'll be ashamed of... Has her statistic already gone up to S- grade? Isn't this a bit too much?

"Oh..."

Lucia's face fell.

Well, it's not often she gets the chance to talk to someone. She must be really upset…

Lucia's charm statistic is extremely high from birth and continues to rise without slowing down.

In fact, it wasn't much of a problem until she reached a certain age, but when she entered her teenage years, that's when the problems started to arise.

Because of her beauty and the statistics to back her up, boys pursued her, and girls envied her. Even if no one directly insulted her because of her family position, Lucia wasn't so stupid that she couldn't understand what people around her were thinking. So she became more and more distant from society and, as a result, books became her source of entertainment.

She read all the books she could find, no matter what they were, and filled the emptiness inside her with them.

Now, even though it was obvious that her statistics were affecting me too, she was excited to meet me, who was trying to stay more to myself instead of getting close to her; to talk directly about books instead of awkward words of affection and love.

She must think I'm different from the others.

Well, I actually want to help her. Lucia is one of the important characters in this game who needs help. In fact, she's one of the most crucial characters, but I really don't have the time to deal with that at the moment.

"Have a good day."

I turned around and started moving forward.

Good... I'm saved.

"Wait a minute."

Damn it, fuck!

Why are you doing this to me...? Let go of me… please!