Let off some steam

Art walked down the long hallway, with Racheal trailing behind him.

Bathing and dressing proved far more challenging than he had expected.

He was relieved to find that the clothing in this world was very similar to his previous one.

Racheal kept glancing at him with concern. Walking around like this was no small feat for him.

She had insisted on helping, as usual, but he refused, claiming it was just walking.

Having been with him long enough, she knew better- even walking tired him out. At one point, a wheelchair had been suggested, but he'd immediately rejected the idea, saying he wasn't disabled. Such a stubborn boy!

They finally arrived in a large living room, more like a hall, which he had to cross to reach the dining room.

Racheal wore a troubled expression, which Art suspected wasn't entirely about his struggle to walk.

Even though he'd inherited the former body owner's memories, it didn't mean he knew everything about his past.

The memories were fragmented-similar to how someone with amnesia might recall certain events when prompted. To remember something specific, he'd need to encounter it or have it brought up.

For instance, he knew he had a father and could remember his face and voice, but very little else about him. As for his mother, he knew nothing.

The moment the door to the dining room opened and his gaze fell on those inside, clarity struck, accompanied by a wave of not-so-pleasant memories.

'Damn, they really don't go easy on him,' he thought, sighing internally before stepping in.

Many didn't even glance at him, and those who did quickly looked away, resuming their meals.

However, a few continued staring at him with clear hostility.

Nine teenagers were seated around the large table. All of them had the signature silver hair of the Silvers, except for Art, whose darker hair came from his non-Silver parent.

Despite being part of the same family, not all Silvers were directly related, which is where the concept of branch families came into play.

The Silvers were divided into three main branch families: Ron, Von, and Li.

The original six Silvers, comprising three men and three women, weren't blood-related. Hence, the branch family system had been established.

Art belonged to the Von branch, making his full name Art Von Silver.

This residence wasn't the main Silver estate but a facility for training young Silvers before they entered a magic academy.

This explained why the dining room was filled with teenagers, all from the Von branch.

"I see you're alive. I was getting a little sad at the thought of you finally dying," a lean boy with perfectly gelled-back silver hair said mockingly.

If Art remembered correctly, this one's name was... JV?

Apparently, the former body owner hadn't cared enough to remember his full name.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're looking good as always," said another boy-a short, chubby one-with a mocking chuckle.

Even without the inherited memories, the way his body tensed made it obvious how much he despised this fat runt.

His name was Chucky, which reminded Art of a certain movie character. Come to think of it, they even shared some similarities.

However, all of that paled in comparison to the seething hatred his body felt for a particular boy, who was smirking smugly at him.

The anger the former body owner had felt for this boy was only rivaled by what he felt toward his ex-fiancé and uncle.

Unintentionally, Art glared at the boy.

The boy, enjoying the attention, smirked even more.

He always loved it when Art looked at him like that. But today, something seemed different.

Usually, Art's glares were filled with pure hatred and anger. Today, though, there was something else hidden within-killing intent.

The boy flinched slightly but quickly shook it off, reminding himself that this was just Art. What could he possibly do?

"Looks like he's picking a fight," Chucky said in amusement.

"Come on, Arty; I don't want to be the one who accidentally kills you," said the smug boy-Frigga-before raising an eyebrow in mockery.

"What's with that tracksuit? Don't tell me......don't tell me you're planning to exercise!"

Laughter erupted around the room, with some chuckling quietly.

Art recalled that only three people in the group refrained from mocking him.

Two were girls. One had long silver hair and blue eyes and was composed and beautiful-more so than even Racheal. She focused on her meal, ignoring the others entirely.

The second girl had shoulder-length silver hair and brown eyes. She was shy and often looked at him with pity.

The third was a boy-the same one Art had seen sparring through the window earlier.

Art kept his expression neutral, walked to an empty chair, and began eating.

He needed to eat and drink a lot to complete the feeding section of his daily quests.

The portions required were about three times that of an average person in his former world. He only hoped he wouldn't turn into a glutton.

As he ate, the others began to notice how much he was consuming.

'Hmm, not bad. The food here is way better. Hmm! What type of flesh is this? It melts so smoothly in my mouth with the perfect level of chewiness. I can't have enough!'

"It looks like you've decided to take all your sorrows out on food. Why don't you have mine?" Frigga stretched out his plate mockingly.

After ten seconds of being ignored, Frigga frowned.

Irritated, he hurled his plate at Art.

Art saw it coming, but his body couldn't react in time. The plate struck him square in the face.

"Art!" Racheal cried, rushing toward him, but he raised a hand, stopping her.

Everyone stared in shock.

Normally, Art would have reacted with anger, tears, or bitter resignation-all responses his tormentors enjoyed.

But this time, he remained calm, his expression unreadable.

"Racheal."

"Yes?"

"Bring more of this to my room later," he said, standing with food splattered across his face before walking away.

"I... I will," she replied, stunned by his behavior.

As he walked away, his back to them, a wide grin spread across his face.

Finally, he had found a way to vent all his pent-up frustrations, both from his current situation and his past life.

And the system seemed to agree.

[New short-term quest received: Let off some steam!]