Thompson Contender

"…Take a look at this."

Ethan was sitting in front on the usual couch and there was a screen projecting above the usual table in front of couch while Raven was sitting on the opposite side with leg-crossed over each other.

"Auction…?"

"Hmm…"

"…Do you want me to check up on it?"

"No… I already did…"

She taps few times on the projected screen and new windows pop-up. It was a picture of beautiful silver stone that seems to have structure of a diamond and a condensed silver ball inside it that seems to giving colour to the stone.

"… What is this?"

"… Mind Seed. It significantly improves mental strength and charm of the consumer."

"Do you want to buy it?"

"No, I want to steal it."

"…I am hearing you correctly."

"…I won't repeat myself…"

Ethan doubted his ears. She was planning to steal it? She is Raven! He doesn't know anything about her, but he does know that, one thing she doesn't lack is money yet she wants to steal it. It doesn't seem to be like her. She is too prideful to do something like this…

"…Is there something you're not telling me?"

She smiled as she was waiting for him to ask her.

"… You know Corlin Morgan?"

"Yup…"

Corlin Morgan is one of the leaders of Ataraxia. He is best RuneMaster of Human Domain… at the least officially. Ethan doesn't believe in what he saw and heard anymore. He now knows that there are lots of things he doesn't know or understand completely…

"…He is also attending it…"

"… Is he richer than you?"

She gave him a blank expression that Ethan doesn't understand at all. She then changed her expression to obvious look. Ethan gave her a thinking pose. He then pointed at her with his fore-finger of his both hand, to declare that he understand.

"Because he is from Ataraxia…!"

"… Hmm, that's why we need to steal it."

She is pointing at the fact that he might be expanding funds from government or use its power to rig the auction. It's not like she will be able to do anything then so instead of fighting a losing battle. She might as well as steal the win…but there is one problem…

"…That's an S-Rank!"

Collin Morgan is considered one of the strongest human in entire Human Domain! They can't use magic in front of him. All RuneMaster are extra sensitive to mana. If he locked onto their mana signatures then finding them will be as easy as pulling a strings from his sit.

"That's why we need to be extra careful there…"

"…Is it important to you?"

"Yes it is…"

"…Can I ask why?"

"… I will be ranking up this month or next one-don't ask my rank… I will need it when I do…"

"That's dangerous…"

"I know… but benefits are too much for us."

"Us…?"

"This one is for you…"

Raven didn't say anything and start swiping over the screen and many object images that most likely will in auction were shown and keep switching. It finally stops on an image of pistol. It was a single-shot-break-open-pistol with an image of long bullet beside it. Its name was Thompson Contender. Let's go with TC.

"…What is it?"

"It's a growth artifact…"

Growth Artifact, as their name suggests, are artifact that grows with their user. They are always classified as an unranked and their effect always depends on user.

"…What are the effects?"

"It fires a single bullet that can kill someone of one rank higher than user… but there are two downsides. Its recoil is out of control and it can even dislocate or break your arm after a use… and the bullets are limited in number."

Ethan looked at her with disbelieving expression. Isn't its something he needs the most? But its downside is too much. He will be only able to use it once and he had learnt one thing about battle that there is nothing confirm during battles but nevertheless, it will be an undeniable and game changing trump card.

"…What's the plan then?"

"For starter, get me the list of the secret bidder."

"Secret Bidder…?"

"…There will be many bidders there and I want to know about every one of them. There are many people with many abilities… I want to know if there is anyone who can cause trouble in my plans."

"…What will you do if there are?"

"Eliminate them."

"You will kill them!"

Ethan was looking at her with shock expression. She is going to kill people just because of such reason. Raven just rolled her eyes at him.

"I just said I will eliminate them…It means I will just make it so they won't be able to attend it."

That doesn't mean she won't kill them but it's better not to tell him. She needs the mind seed to increase her proficiency level in runes. Collin Morgan is looking for the same reason. He wants to reach Grandmaster level of rune proficiency but she doesn't care even if he was on verge of becoming a god…

"On it…!"

Ethan took it upon himself to take care of it. Actually, it's a day worth of work. There are already guest list that will state who will be attending this auction. These kinds of auctions always have confirmed bidders…those who have authority or have something on their name. He need to research about them and do a thoroughly background check on them and it will be done.

Ethan took time to done all the researches and investigation. He had done this for whole day and finally returns to his dorm room. It is quite a hard work and he had only gone to ¼ of the list. There are no classes tomorrow as it is weekend. So, he is planning to have it done on next day.

Ethan fresh up and start reading pull out the books on runes. He needs to finish his research on runes also. He needs to create a rune that can constantly apply a high pressure to an object.

Rune Language has two traits in total. Effect and size…

Effects are, as stated, what kind of effect will runes brings and size is directly proportional to the effect. The heavier the effect the larger the rune will be in size.

A G-Rank Mana Bomb is as big as a fist. He can draw a perfect rune on it with his skill but he won't be able to do the same with F-Rank ones as they are small enough to be fit between fingers.

Ethan wants to create a constant pressure rune on G-Rank Mana Bombs and when the pressure on it will on verge of exceeding the limit, which could result in explosion. He will keep it in his storage that will make it froze in time.

He will just withdraw it when he will need it and threw it on target. He is planning to use his next week to perfect this whole thing. If he succeeds, he will easily be able to clear F-Rank Dungeon without much trouble.

*

Ethan spent his weekend into investigation that Raven asked him for and perfecting rune. Investigation seems to be going growing as Raven also told him to look into companions of all the guests. She was right. He can't count out those who will accompany them can he? It will be another two days of work.

Ethan was sitting on his desk as usual. When he had come into classroom, students were sitting on with its dirty boots on it. They left the seat as they noticed him and left the seat.

"See… that trash had come."

"…You heard there was a background check on him."

"Yeah, it says that he killed his own parents."

"What an ungrateful trash…"

Ethan heard it all but they actually wanted him to hear it. He knows they are lying. There is no way they will find any information on him he tried look about his information by himself but he never found anything then how the hell its possible for them to find it? It's mostly another one of the thing they did it to make his life hell…

They had done quite a good split. They had spread the rumors among men that involves his parents and birth and spread some weird rumors like I had a background of assault over women. That ultimately makes him an enemy of girls. He had really doesn't understand what is going on but this is… unbearable…

"…Hey, Ethan…"

Ethan raised his head with a smile and look up to Adam who was standing in front of his new desk.

"…were you watching porn or something all night or something?"

"I have better things to waste my time on…"

"I had heard, you know…"

"Just what the hell you heard now?"

"I was listening when Lucas told you return his collection."

"What…!"

Ethan was talking with Adams but there was a one person that was staring daggers at him. He can feel his vision and he had no idea what he did to make him like this. It was none other than Leon, Rank-3 in whole academy. Ethan had thought that it is about woman but he did his own investigation and found out that this guy have gynophobia.

Ethan felt disappointed when he heard it. If he was in place with his face then he doesn't what he would have done but some people really don't understand their luck, do they?

Ethan was still interested what he did to gain his enmity. He is pretty sure that he had done nothing to him… at the least directly.

Classes end and he returned to him room. It was just his daily life… filled with misery and pain. Ethan was sitting on his room and looking at his naked arm. There was a large scar running from his shoulder to elbow.

There are lots of scars on his body but this one stands out as it is largest one among the ones on his hand. He had no idea from where he got it so he doesn't really know how it feels about it.

He had a knife on his other. He put the knife on his hand and cross his scar at end from elbow. A large red line forms after a delay. It starts brimming with red color and blood falls out of it.

Ethan stared at it as blood covering his arm. His eyes felt on daze and he felt slightly numb. He can feel his blood falling out of his hand and he can feel a burning pain over his arm. He can feel a sense of lethargic feeling that comes when a person lose their blood more than necessary … but none of that matter to him now. His eyes were only focused on the slit over his hand.

It only looks beautiful to him for some reason…

*

Slam.

Ethan was slammed on the wall with strong push…and it did hurt. He looked at the guy who pushed him.

"You finally made a move…"

"What do you mean…?"

It was none other than the Rank-3 Leon. He had finally made his move and took him into same random corner. This place looks like a perfect place to hide a dead body. Ethan prepared himself for whatever was coming at him.

"…You."

Ethan gulped the air and keeps his hand stretched with a single thought he can bring his gun out. It won't do much but he had no intention of going down without a fight. He will at the least take his eye with him… maybe a finger… maybe a hair.

Whatever happens he will take something of him permanently.

"…What is your relationship with Adam?"

"You what…?!"

"…I asked what your relationship with Adam is."

Ethan was shrinking in fear after heard him. He never believed he will meet one in his life but it was here and he finally figured out the reason of his enmity. It was not a girl after all but it was a guy!

Ethan was still thinking what he should do when Leon suddenly moves forward and slammed the hand beside his head. Ethan lowered his body in fear as he tried avoids keeping his head on the same level as his head. He is genuinely scared. He had no idea what is going on and that's what makes this a lot scary!