Back-up Lost!
"…Did you not hear me?"
Ethan had lost his voice. He can't even call it fear. He doesn't know what he should do in his situation. He can't think straight at all. Who can?
"…A friend?"
"A trash like you is his friend…"
Ethan felt genuinely hurt by his word but he really wants to leave this place as soon as possible. Even if he ask him for all his SP then he will just hand over without any resistance.
This dread… He can't explain it… even though target is Adam… he can't help but imagine himself at his place. His heart felt in panic and legs feel weak.
!
Recall.
Leon suddenly punched toward his face. His pupil widen and his punch gets slower. Ethan barely moves his head but his cheekbone gets touch from the corner of knuckles. It stings.
"…You dodged it."
"…"
Ethan didn't say anything but stares at him. He backed off and creates some distance. Ethan was prepared himself for ongoing battle. He is undefeatable among G-Rank with his combination of sword and gun. He also had some mana bombs on storage. He is pretty he can take out anyone at F- Rank if it life and death battle but Leon is at F Rank, it won't be easy…
He turned around and starts leaving. Ethan stares at him with his body being fully tensed. He is fully prepared for any sneak attack. He won't let his guard down at any cost!
Leon keeps moving and vanished from his sight. Ethan just stared at him as he leave and finally relax when he left fully.
He never felt the danger he felt today. He need to become strong to protect himself. He felt like he would have lost something really important today. He never felt this strong urge to become strong. This feeling of dread has been engraved on him today!
Ethan go back to researching on bidders. Raven always provide him with most of the information. He just need to most of the errand works and confirmation. He is pretty much her errand boy but current him is only qualified for that.
She did said that but what he will do when become strong? What will she ask of him? Will she really make him strong? Ethan have doubt sometimes. They just pop out whenever he is alone or thinking some things deep. He just close his make himself believe in her… because that's the only thing he can do.
On the other hand, there was his research and on the other hand, there was his life that was slowly turning into hell. His days in academy were getting miserable day by days and numbers of slits over his hand are increasing along with his misery.
Drip.
Ethan removes the safety pin from his ear. He was expecting it to hurt but it didn't. Blood traces his hand and ears lobs, coloring them with red colours.
It doesn't hurts… maybe that's why it's hurts.
*
Ethan was called in Miss Chloe's office. He was standing in front of her and she was looking at him with a cold expression. She seems to be pissed for some reason. It's hard to tell it over her cold expression. She asked him in her cold tone.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"I know, It's sound ridiculous but believe me."
"You are just looking for you death here…"
She was asking him about his decision to challenge the F-Rank Dungeon all alone. She was already against him when he was challenging G-Rank dungeon alone and this time he took it on another level and challenge a rank above him.
"You can just pay 100SP and don't give me an excuse that you don't have any SP. I know you're not spending any of our SPs…"
"How did you know…?"
"I didn't but you just told me…"
She baited him, didn't she? He can't believed he got fooled like that. It might be because he is nervous but still he felt disappointed with himself.
It's not a lie that he is saving points. The real reason he has been so diligently saving points because he wants to close the gab between him and other students as soon as possible. In his goal, the biggest wall will be the rank-up to F- Rank. Rank-up between sub- ranks are hard but rank-up to another rank is hardest part of it. Ethan is saving points so that he can buy some resources to cover that step in one leap.
He still hadn't reach at peak of G-Rank so he can only grit his teeth and wait for the day. There is a Gibraltar Root that gives a boost during rank-up to a new rank. It costs 5000SP in total. Ethan is planning to buy it the moment he collects enough but for now he should just grit his teeth and save his points…
"Are you still going…?"
"I am…"
"I won't stop if that's your wish but in future regardless of what happen I won't lend you a hand. I won't care even if you get expelled…"
"…"
Ethan stares at her silently. He is lost for words. He was planning to take her help when student council will make trouble for him but Ethan analyse the merits and demerits. He will be losing around 400SP if he follow her words or he will losing her support when he will need her.
"…I am fine with it. I am thankful to you for everything you've done but I won't hide behind you anymore. If they will come for me, then I can only welcome them…"
Ethan answered with a confident smile. He was not actually confident but for some reason he didn't want to show his weak and pathetic side to Miss Chloe. Her help is only a short term solution but his strength will be a long term solution. The only way to protect himself is by becoming strong after all…
Ethan just realise how pathetic he would look if he had back off in front of her commitment. He would look like a coward who only know how to hide behind adults. He doesn't want her to think of him like that.
"…If that's what you decide. I won't stop and I won't go back on my words so… good luck."
She turns around toward her desk and start tapping on the keyboard screens. Ethan understands that it is a signal for him to leave. Ethan leaves with ease step. He wonder if this counts as a rude behaviour towards her. Should he at the least apologized to her?
Ethan left her office and Miss Chloe turns to look at exit. She was expecting him to fall back but…
She wonder if she was harsh on him but she only wants to help him. She was not too worried about him though. He did help her brother but she already warn him and her job was done. As a teacher, she can't interfere with a student's life and can only give advice to them.
*
"Lucas, you do know what is happening with him?"
"What do you want…?"
Lucas and Adam were sitting across each other in canteen. There was also Alex that nowadays tend to stay around them. He is like a default settings. He stays shut and occasionally opens his mouth to agree with them just like a mob but it's hard to hate him.
"You know, I haven't been helping him because I am hoping that this might be chance for both of you to get together but you know you are taking too much time!"
Lucas glanced at with a disinterested look.
"You should be relieved then."
"Why…?"
Adam gave him a incomprehensible look. He doesn't understand what he is saying…
"I once asked him and do you know how he reacted?"
-
"Mind your own business…"
-
"His expression looks so dark and voice sounds so cold that I even suspect that he is a twin brother of his, who lives inside him with a twisted personality."
"…"
Adam turns silent. It will be a problem if Ethan doesn't want any help from him. He can't really save someone who doesn't want to be save, can he?
"…I am in and all for helping him but I don't want to help someone, only to earn a cold shoulder… Dude, I do consider him my friend but that doesn't mean I will lower myself. I won't lower my respect for anyone regardless of if they are my friend or not."
"… Those words don't suits you, you know?"
"It's barely been a week since we know each other. What the hell do you even know about me?"
"Enough to know that, You had a dream of waking up with Alice on 26th May."
"How the hell do you- you! You heard our conversation didn't you?!"
Adam turned silent with a dark look. He suddenly pointed at the door behind Lucas.
"Jacqueline Addams The trending p*rn actress!"
Lucas turned furiously and put his hand laterally on his forehead to search for her but there was no one. He still tried to look for her below the tables. She is actually famous because of working below the table but there was no one. Lucas turns around with furious expression.
"You Bastard! she is not there!"
But there was no one besides the Alex who was yawning with his mouth wide open. He looked at Lucas with yawning expression while clearing the water around his eyes.
"…Hey, Mob. Where the hell is he?"
"Yawn… I don't know… he was here… then not…"
"Tch, You're are a mob in true sense."
Lucas just leave the canteen with an annoyed expression. He can't believe that someone else knows about his dream. He didn't doubt Ethan because he knows that Ethan won't share his secret like that…
Alex looked at Lucas who was leaving through the exit.
"… Friends, huh?… For someone who can't even understand a single thing about him, you sure got the mouth to run… well, it's not like I am any better, but again, I have no interest in interfering…"