A cold satisfaction settled over Michael as he saw Braydon suffering under the gravity spell alone. He wanted nothing more than to laugh in an over-the-top manner—to rub in his victory and see the look on the guys face.
However, he did not dare. At least not while Professor Quinn was nearby.
"Quick, let’s go." He whispered to Rudy, grabbing his arm and heading back towards the castle with speed.
It wasn’t just them, all the students seemed to have a similar idea—wanting to get as far away from the combat class as possible. No one turned back, just in case she remembered her previous promise to punish them as a whole class.
Once they entered the castle, he dragged his friend to the side, finally unable to hold his excitement.
"Dude, that was so awesome," Michael exclaimed, looking at Rudy as if he was his savior. Somehow the guy had completely copied Jakob’s form, performing the punch with even more strength than the owner of the technique.
"How did you do it? Especially with no mana."
Rudy scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, "Heh, I’m not sure really..."
"Well, I guess it doesn’t matter," Michael replied, patting him on the shoulder. He reached into his pocket and produced a golden ring—the storage ring that had been thrown in as part of the bet.
"This is yours, I’ll teach you how to bind it so you can store your prize." He said, placing it in his friend’s palm.
Rudy looked in wonder at the storage ring, appreciating its appearance. "I’ve never worn jewelery before," he said softly, placing the ring upon his finger and began to check it out from different angles—almost like a fiancée would.
Michael cleared his throat, feeling his face heat up slightly as the rest of the class watched them with interest. A few chuckles spread out from the teen’s closest—obviously finding the scene humorous.
"Let’s head up to the dorm before lunch, there’s something else I want to show you." He added, turning on the spot. He scanned the crowd of first-years, looking for the blue-haired Melody to invite her along.
However, he saw Jakob and the pale Randolph. The latter looked like he’d just been robbed of all his worldly possessions, while the former was staring daggers at Rudy. For a few tense moments it seemed like he was going to come over and cause a scene, but eventually they both walked away.
Michael let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t want another complicated enemy, especially one as mysterious as Jakob.
Melody approached him, her small figure looking a little worse for wear thanks to the physical activity and gravity punishment in class.
"We’re going up to the dorm quickly before lunch begins, I want you there." He stated.
"Huh? Why do I have to go?" She replied with annoyance.
"Not now, Melody..." he responded tiredly.
Yet this only seemed to annoy her even more, causing her cheeks to puff out like a cute woodland critter one might find in the forest. It was clear she was still upset about their previous argument.
"Just come with us, you’ll understand why soon enough." He added.
Melody didn’t reply, but reluctantly followed them up to the violet dorms.
When they arrived, Michael closed the door behind them and let out a small sigh of relief. Now that they were away from prying eyes—he could finally kill two birds with one stone.
"Rudy, take off your shirt and robe." He ordered.
"HUH!?" both Rudy and Melody exclaimed, dumbfounded by the request.
Both were like embarrassed children, leading to an awkward silence.
"W-what do you mean? You want me to take off my shirt... In front of your fiance?" Rudy asked, his horror evident. Check latest chapters at novel•fire.net
"I’m leaving," Melody said, making a bee-line towards the door.
Michael moved in front of her, blocking her escape. "Just bear with me for a few moments, please. Everything will become clear in a few moments."
There was some hesitation in her eyes, and a clear inner turmoil. Only after seeing his serious expression did she finally relent, taking a step back.
"Rudy, please do as I said," Michael requested again, giving him a small yet reassuring smile.
Rudy seemed indecisive, his eyes moving to Melody by the side. It was clear his hesitation was for different reasons than the young girl—but he soon made up his mind, deciding to trust his friend.
The guy did as he was told, removing his robe and taking off his white shirt—exposing his olive skin. Instantly, Michael noticed that part of his shirt was dyed red, likely a result of the slap that Braydon had delivered between classes.
The force was probably enough to reopen a wound that was still healing—causing it to weep and bleed.
By now, Melody realized that something was wrong, her eyes widening as she looked at the shirt with shock and confusion.
"Turn around, Rudy." Michael said softly, seeing the reservations in his friend’s expression.
Rudy sighed and turned, exposing his back. It was then that his scarred and mutilated back came into view, the fresh wound that had been reopened actively bleeding.
Melody let out a gasp of shock, her hand flying up to her mouth as she stared at the scars. "W-what happened to you!?"
However, Rudy didn’t answer her—instead turning to face Michael, his expression hard. "Can I put my shirt on now?" he asked, clearly unhappy.
But Michael shook his head. With a wave of his hand, the small suitcase appeared from his storage ring, the one he’d received from Randolph as part of the wager.
With little fanfare, he opened the suitcase and took out one of the five phials from inside. There was a bright red liquid inside that almost seemed to glow, even in the well lit room.
"These are Bloodmend Phial’s. One of the best mid-tier healing medicine’s on the market," Michael announced, extending his arm towards Rudy. "Drink it." He urged with a smile.
Rudy’s expression shifted, his eyes locking onto the phial with interest. "Mid-tier healing medicine? Will that heal my wounds?"