"Huff...Huff..."
The sound of my heavy breathing resonated throughout the training ground as I stood in the middle, a bright red Katana gripped tightly around my waist.
Every single muscle in my body felt stiff, and an agonizing pain speared through me.
"....Have you rested enough?" Lauryn's voice cut through the air.
I looked up to see her standing a distance away, her hair tied back in a ponytail.
She wore a black t-shirt and matching leggings, her arms crossed.
"Argh...Yeah,"
I replied after a brief pause, strengthening my back.
I shifted my grip on the Katana, bringing my right hand underneath the hilt, while my left thumb rested on the Katana's ring.
Nodding, Lauryn flexed her muscles, preparing for our next round.
I tensed my muscles, my right hand glowing with a hue of silver, and then, in an instant, Lauryn disappeared from my sight.
The air around me quivered slightly, signaling her incoming attack aimed at my solar plexus.
Swish!!
CLANG!!
Reacting swiftly, I drew my Katana from its sheath, aiming to sever her hand from her wrist.
But all I heard was the sound of metal clashing with each other, drawing my attention.
I looked at Lauryn's hand, which was covered in a thin layer of mana, protecting it from the sharp edge of my Katana.
"Fuck, mana shield!"
Cursing, I raised my left hand, but it was too late. She twisted her body and raised her leg, ready to kick my face.
Bang!!
"Urgh.."
Despite my attempt to shield myself with a hexagonal mana shield covering my left hand, it shattered immediately, leaving my entire arm numb.
"....argh.."
My ability to process information halted as I flew onto my left side, a heavy force knocking me off balance.
"Cough..."
I coughed, clutching my right rib, which ached with pain from Lauryn's kick as I sprawled on the ground in defeat.
"You survived one hour and fifteen minutes....That's a new record," Lauryn informed me, nodding her head as she checked her watch.
".....My weakness?" I asked softly, glancing at her.
"...You take too much time in using zato-ichi style even though it's based on speed, your way of using mana is a mess and...You shouted the name of your next move like an idiot,"
she pointed out, listing all my weaknesses. But...
"The last one felt personal," I rebuked, only making her glare at me.
"... Don't do that unless it's some kind of incantation," she replied, shaking her head before walking away while grabbing a bottle of water.
Status screen....
I willed my status screen to come in front but...it didn't.
It had been more than a week since the end of the club house selection, and since then, my status screen was missing.
The only thing I got after arriving in this world was also gone...
What kind of fucking luck did I have?
[....It might come back someday.]
'I don't want that.'
[...Yeah, but look at the bright side, you are still alive even after getting cooked and frozen.]
'.....'
[....Ahem, anyway, are you feeling alright?]
Instead of replying, I lay on my back and extended my hand above my face.
"Neplh."
As soon as the words left my mouth, my entire hand turned cold, and my fingernails morphed into sharp claws of ice.
I looked at the beautiful, shining claws before curling my hand into a fist.
As I did, three sharp, long claws emerged from between my knuckles.
"Sigh...."
I let out a heavy sigh,I stared blankly at the sky above.
I am cursed....
[Shut up! I've already said countless times that it's not the curse you're thinking of.]
'How do you know!?'
[Just trust me!]
'.....'
Whatever it is, it won't change the fact that I feel cursed by some entity I have no idea about.
'El..'
[Yeah?]
'What's with this Neplh and Muspelh?'
[...Honestly, I have no idea. In the first place, it's not something that any living being should have.]
'Something that sustains the world tree, that's all I know...'
[...And about that, just stay away from elves.]
'...I'm not going to be around those arrogant bastards, anyway.'
[No, you don't have any idea how bad of a situation you're in....they will skin you alive the moment they realize what you did.]
'...You're exaggerating it.'
[I am not! The world tree holds the entire world together... What you did is bound to affect the entire world someday.]
'...'
He might be right....
Well... For now, I'll just leave that to future me.
'Anyway, El, I wanted to ask you something.'
[What?]
'....What are the chances that the one who noticed me that day was the god 'Elohim?''
[....Why do you ask?]
He is my mother's archenemy....
The one who wants to destroy everything around her, including her descendants...
That includes me as well...
[....We are fucked.]
We were from the start...
"Hey! Get up, what are you thinking?" I shifted to my side as I heard Lauryn shouting at me.
"....I was thinking about asking you on a dat—."
Swish!!!
I tilted my head smoothly, dodging the bottle she threw at my face.
"Why are you always targeting my face?" I asked, glaring at her.
"I don't like it," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"Why? It's not that bad."
"Exactly."
"What?" Titling my head, I asked.
"Nothing, go away, the class is about to start."
"Yeah! Right."
I replied weakly as I stood up, heading towards my dorm room....
I need to take a shower.
....
....
....
"Hey Oliy."
After taking a long shower and changing into my academic uniform, I met with Oliver right in front of the dormitory.
He looked at me for a while before opening his mouth, about to say something, but he just shook his head and started walking.
"What?" I asked, walking beside him.
"Nothing."
"Okay."
We both walked silently without saying much.
Since the day I got beaten up, Oliver has always been trying to stick around me in case that happens again...
"....Did another rumor start about me?"
I mumbled as I looked around, only to find quite a few girls whispering something and giggling while stealing glances at me.
"....Nothing like that," Oliver replied, shaking his head.
"That's weird." Rubbing my chin, I mumbled.
"...There is another fan club made by the girls."
"Huh? For whom?"
Ethan should get his fan club after three months from now, then who got one?
"...Just some idiotic bastard."
"What's with girls nowadays? They like anyone with a handsome face." I replied, shrugging.
"....Yeah," he replied, a vein throbbing on his neck.
What happened to him?
—Ring!! Ring!!
As we headed to the classroom, Oliver's phone rang, which he picked up without looking.
"Hello, Daddy speaking." He answered, but his face soon turned pale.
"U-Uncle, I-I was just j-joking, I am an innocent c-child," he stuttered in reply while I was barely holding back my laughter.
"Yes, he is here, yeah," Oliver answered before handing me his phone.
"What?"
"Just answer!"
"Hello." Taking his advice, I took the phone.
<You bastard!! What did you do to my daughter!?>
"What?"
<I will kill you!! I will make sure you don't don't give birth—.>
-Clank!
I quickly cut the phone before looking at Oliver.
"Who was that?" I asked, passing his phone back.
"You don't recognize the voice?" He asked, walking inside the class.
"I don't... But he sounded drunk?"
"Yeah..."
Without saying anything else, he walked towards his seat, and I followed behind him.
"Good morning." As soon as I sat down, Ashlyn arrived close and greeted me.
"Good morning." With a smile, I replied back.
"Help me tie my hair." She requested, giving me a band and facing her back against me.
"Sigh..."
Sighing, I gathered her hair in a ponytail, making sure not to let any hair fall.
".....Where did you learn this?" She asked softly.
"From my siste—."
I halted my movements as something clicked in my mind...
That call....
"I need to go!" I exclaimed as I hastily tied her hair.
But before I could, my eyes caught Oliver's reaction as he slowly stood up, looking at the door.
'No, not now.'
My heartbeat quickened at an abnormal rate, and the sounds around me turned silent.
And in the silence, only the sound of someone's footsteps echoed.
I closed my eyes as my entire body trembled slightly, while numbness spread around me, and I slowly turned back....
The sound of footsteps stopped right in front of me as I slowly opened my eyes...
And....
seeing her face again, I realized...
all the pain I have gone through was worth it.
With her sapphire hair tied down, her deep blue eyes tinged with redness looked at me with emotions...
Slowly, she raised her hand, and I closed my eyes again....
Slap!!!
And she gently slapped my cheek.
"....That's for ignoring me all this time," she mumbled, glaring at me before grabbing my hand.
"Wait! Who are you!?" But before she could drag me away, Ashlyn grabbed my other hand.
She glanced at Ashlyn's hand grabbing mine before she took a deep breath to calm down...
She looks like she was about to explode...
"My apologies, I should introduce myself." Loosening the grip on my hand, she replied before grabbing the hem of her skirt.
"My name is Christina Shea Mendonca." She introduced with a slight bow, and I felt Ashlyn's grip on my hand loosen.
"Soon to be Christina Noah Aljanah...
And...
Azariah's wife."
===============================
END OF VOLUME ONE :- The reckless boy.
?? My Dear Lover ??1
Game progression:- 25 %