Troublemaker

After she walked away, I could hear the ominous tread of footsteps approaching me. Two people, to be exact.

"What's your business here, freshman?" called out a deep voice from behind me.

I slowly turned to face a towering man, dressed in the similar attire as Eva and Kuromu. A medium-sized boy stood beside him, his features unremarkable.

"Nothing much."

"Hm, what were you discussing with Eva?" the large man asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"I asked her to teach me how to use Quatom," I replied honestly.

The boy beside him let out a snort of laughter, but the large man remained stoic.

"You don't know how to use Quatom? I can teach you."

"Sure."

"You need to focus your mind and imagine what you want to manifest," he instructed.

"Simple enough."

He taught me something that Eva was unable to, and for that, he was definitely more useful than Eva.

"You don't have anything against Eva, right?" He asked, scrutinizing my expression.

"Why would I?" I replied, my expression unchanged.

"Well then, I must be going," he said, turning to leave.

The average boy, however, remained.

"Peasant, I can teach you Quatom better than Haizer," he spoke as the large man left, possibly his name is Haizer.

Peasant? It was clear to me that he had overheard our conversation and probably reported to Haizer, the large man that was likely to have an interest in Eva, and that was why he had come to this place. I was unsure of his true motivations.

"You don't seem like a good teacher."

"In a real battle, you can't reject!" he bellowed, charging towards me.

I stood my ground, watching as he closed in on me. His stance is weak and full of vulnerabilities. I could see the smallest flicker of flame ignite near his shoulder, indicating that he was using Quatom to manipulate the atoms in the air around him.

He was increasing their kinetic energy, causing them to collide and create heat, thus igniting a small flame. I remembered this in the books, and also in the strange book that was locked, it mentioned the various elements that can be manipulated through Quatom, including fire.

As our distance closed in, the small flame dancing alongside him, flickering and swaying like a wild beast. It seemed to be under his control, moving with him as he closed in. The ground beneath me began to rumble, a deep growl emanating from the earth.

I could feel the vibrations in my feet, the ground quivering with unseen energy.

Suddenly, an earth wall erupted from the ground, the force of its ascent sending small pebbles and dirt flying in all directions. The sound was deafening, a thunderous roar that echoed through the area. The wall was a towering monolith, easily twice my height and wide enough to block my view of the average boy. Instinctively, I dashed away from the wall, my feet pounding against the ground as I put distance between myself and the wall. The earth was still settling, small rocks and debris raining down from the top of the wall as it continued to rise. The wall effectively blocked the small flame, extinguishing it as it made contact.

"What are you doing, Quiver?" A deep voice echoed through the trees, as a towering figure emerged from the foliage. It was Haizer.

As he approached, the earth wall descended and disappeared, leaving behind only the remnants of its destruction - pebbles, dirt, and cracks in the ground.

"Oh, sorry Haizer. This guy messed with me, so I thought it would be a good idea to teach him a lesson," the average boy stammered, trying to justify his actions.

Haizer turned to me, his gaze intense. "Is that true?"

"Once again, why would I?"

Haizer considered for a moment before nodding. "I see. Quiver, get out of here."

Without a word, the average boy turned and fled the scene, leaving Haizer and me alone.

As I turned to leave, I could sense Haizer's gaze upon me, heavy and expectant. Most likely, he was awaiting some form of gratitude for his intervention. but I had no intention of giving it to him.

I simply walked away, my thoughts focused on the encounter with Quiver and how I could use it to my advantage in the future. I made a mental note to remember his name, as it would certainly come in handy for any future tests of my own. And then so I made my way back to the academy.

As I entered the academy, the halls were bustling with students, chatting and laughing amongst themselves as they roamed about during their free time. I took a deep breath in, taking in the sights and sounds of the academy. I couldn't help but smirk at the scene before me, feeling a sense of superiority over these mere students.

As I walked through the halls, I couldn't help but overhear snippets of conversation.

"Did you hear about the test next week?" one student asked another.

"I heard it's going to be brutal," the other replied, a hint of fear in their voice.

I continued to stroll through the halls, my eyes scanning the scene before me. I caught sight of two students colliding with each other, causing a small commotion as books and papers went flying. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at their clumsiness, feeling a sense of disdain for their incompetence.

I don't have the time to dally here, I came to this academy to acquire power, not to make friends. With that in mind, I decided to return to my designated class, 1-F. When I arrived, I found the room to be empty. Without hesitation, I took my seat and waited for nothing. Suddenly, someone opened the door, it was Kain. He beckoned me over with a stare.

"Sei, come here for a moment," he called out.

"What is it?" I replied, remaining seated.

Kain approached me as he spoke, "It is time for your examination, you cannot officially be declared as a student if you have not undergone the examination process."

I realized that this must be what Eva had been referring to earlier. "Will you be needing my blood for the examination?" I asked.

Kain raised an eyebrow in surprise, "How did you know that?"

I stood up and simply nodded in response. Kain stood there for a moment, staring at me intently.

"You are quite rude, aren't you?" he finally broke the silence.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, gesturing for me to follow him. I fell in step behind him.