Chapter 10: School Troubles

To be honest, Finney didn't care much about Skye's background. But he knew it was a source of pain for her. No matter how happy she seemed in this family, she still wanted to know why her birth parents had abandoned her.

"Skye, if one day you had superpowers, what would you do?"

Finney suddenly asked. In this world, having power was better than not. His drive to get stronger was all about protecting himself and his family.

"Huh? Me!?"

Skye was taken aback. She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Finney before saying, "Finney, you know we aren't related by blood… I was adopted by Mom and Dad…"

Finney was momentarily stunned, then realized what she meant and gave her an exasperated look. If they were related by blood, having superpowers wouldn't even be a possibility.

"Don't think too much. Just imagine you had powers, like… let's say, the ability to cause vibrations. What would you do with that?"

"Vibrations?"

Skye looked confused, but seeing how serious Finney was, she thought for a while. "I… I'd probably be scared at first, thinking I was some kind of monster…"

As she spoke, she sneaked a glance at Finney. Seeing no reaction on his face, she continued, "Then I'd be curious—curious about where the power came from and what I could do with it."

"Vibrations, though... that doesn't seem very useful."

Skye racked her brain but couldn't figure out what vibration powers could actually do. Finney had to stifle a laugh.

"Vibrations can cause earthquakes! If someone bullies you, you could shake the ground within ten miles of them. Or you could create shockwaves, invisible and undetectable, like an air cannon—great for surprise attacks."

Skye thought Finney was joking and gave him an annoyed glare, saying nothing more.

Seeing this, Finney didn't push the topic further. Although his strength had greatly increased thanks to the Demonic Armor, he was still far from being able to go head-to-head with S.H.I.E.L.D.

He knew he'd have to wait until he was even stronger—strong enough to not fear anyone—before he could fully address Skye's situation.

He had considered taking Skye with him to learn magic, turning her into a magical girl, but that all depended on her talent. Besides, the Ancient One hadn't agreed to teach him yet, so there was no point making promises too soon.

After their conversation and lunch, Finney didn't rush to find the New York Sanctum. Instead, as usual, he headed to the shop. Even though they had been robbed the day before, business had to continue.

On the way, he thought about hiring a security guard, but then dismissed the idea. Skye only opened the shop when he was around, and when he wasn't there, she was usually inside playing on her computer. A security guard wouldn't make much of a difference.

After a busy afternoon and accumulating just a sliver of experience in his skill bar, Finney wrapped up his weekend.

The next day, he went back to school as usual. High school in the U.S. wasn't as intense as in his previous life, but with graduation approaching, he wanted to maintain his top grades.

However, the moment he arrived at school, he noticed people whispering and glancing at him. Eavesdropping a little, he realized it was about what happened with Carson.

"Did you hear? That genius, Haleseth, beat up Carson the other day."

"No way! Carson's on the basketball team!"

"Exactly! Who would've thought? Apparently, Carson was beaten so badly, his face was covered in blood!"

"Why'd they fight?"

"I heard it was over a girl. And apparently, she's really…"

Finney walked through the halls, unfazed by the curious stares. He had grown used to this kind of attention back when he skipped grades and became the school's top student. It wasn't anything new.

Besides, with graduation just a month away, he couldn't be bothered to explain anything.

Regarding college, Finney originally wanted to do what Skye did—finish high school and be done with it. But after acing his exams to skip grades, his parents absolutely refused to let him stop there.

He had been stressing over where to go and what to study, but after yesterday's encounter with the Ancient One, he now had a plan.

He'd stay in New York for school, and his major? Ancient languages, of course. It would serve as the perfect foundation for learning magic. He wasn't naive enough to think all magic books were written in modern languages.

Just as Finney solidified his plans for the future, one of the other key figures in the school rumors found him after classes.

"Hey, Haleseth!"

Carson, along with a few of his basketball teammates, blocked Finney just as he was about to leave the school gates.

"What do you want?" Finney frowned, eyeing the group as they surrounded him.

"Did you start spreading those rumors around school?" Carson glared at him, his face still marked by a fading scar.

"Do I look that bored to you?"

Finney stared back, unimpressed. He had better things to do, like making Purple Chicken Wraps to earn more experience.

Carson said nothing for a moment, just staring at him, as if trying to figure out whether Finney was lying.

Growing impatient, Finney snapped, "If you don't need anything else, move out of the way."

"Apologize."

Finney blinked, confused.

"Apologize to me, in front of everyone at school, and we can consider this matter settled."

Hearing this, Finney couldn't help but laugh. What did this guy think was going on in his head? He understood that reputation mattered to everyone in school, but that didn't mean he had to be pushed around.

"Maybe you should try dreaming. It might come true there."

With that, Finney stepped around Carson, ready to leave. But he hadn't gone more than two steps before he sensed movement behind him. Instinctively, he sidestepped just in time to avoid Carson and his friends trying to grab him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Finney's expression darkened. He had always avoided trouble at school. Despite his reputation as a "genius," he had few friends and plenty of people who called him a "bookworm" behind his back. But he never cared.

"Haleseth, we don't want to do this. Just apologize, and we'll let it go."

Carson, his large frame towering over Finney, spoke menacingly.

"And what if I don't?"

Finney's tone was cold. If Carson had simply come to apologize for the other day and asked for his help in clearing up the rumors, Finney might have helped.

But Carson had made the worst choice possible.

"Then don't blame me for what happens next!"

Carson and his friends clenched their fists, clearly ready for a fight. Several onlookers had already started to gather, watching the confrontation unfold.

Without bothering to argue, Finney threw a punch, aiming straight for Carson's face. Blood splattered everywhere.

Because of the Golden Great Evolution Technique, Finney didn't like getting angry or shouting. Words spoken in anger could very well become reality for him.

For most people, shouting "I hope you get hit by a car!" was just venting frustration. For Finney, saying that in the heat of the moment and picturing it in his mind could very well lead to someone getting hit.

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