abcnovels
Chapter 21: Unwanted Attention [1]
Chapter 21: Unwanted Attention [1]
Chapter 21: Unwanted Attention [1]
The world of the novel, [The Enigma's Truth: Inhuman Mystery] is filled with wars, death, and tragedy as it hurtles towards the four cataclysms that are destined to change its course.
Technically speaking, there are five cataclysms, but for some reason, I never bothered to mention the first one in the pages of my novel.
As the story progresses, numerous wars are fought, and countless casualties are suffered.
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish my novel.
The fifth cataclysm, which I had planned, involved the destruction of this world.
Yes, the story wasn't planned for a happy ending, but instead, it was a depiction of the apocalypse.
Actually now that I think about it, I am grateful that I never put those dark thoughts into writing.
If I had, my story would have culminated in the fifth cataclysm wiping out everything and everyone in this world.
However, even if such a scenario does come to pass, I have no intention of trying to save the world from it.
Instead, I have other plans, like finding a way to escape from this reality and return to my own.
I have spent the last few days fighting to keep my mind from becoming upset over what has happened to my previous world.
Unfortunately, my efforts have been in vain, and I have come to the realization that my only option is to find a way back to my own world.
If my world has been destroyed, it may not be possible to return. I do have some ideas, but I'm not sure what to do yet.
If my attempts to return to my own world fail, then I will focus on trying to prevent the cataclysms from happening and living the rest of my life in this world.
At the moment, I was on my way to class.
I checked the time ,7:45 AM.
'Seems I still have some time before it starts'
As soon as I entered the class all the eyes were drawn to me.
Well not all but like 69% of the attention of the class.
Mostly girls and judging by their frowns, I could guess it wasn't for a good reason.
'What's with these people?'
Acting like I didn't feel their piercing gazes on me, I walked up to an empty seat and sat down.
"Excuse me, but could you please sit somewhere else? No offense meant."
I tilted my head to see who had spoken; it was a girl with beautiful dark skin and stunning eyes who was sitting to my right.
'I remember her— Mist, she is a friend of Freya. During the first day, I had a brief encounter with her.'
But, unlike her cheerful and kind behavior towards me the last time, she now looked at me with a critical frown
"What did I?-"
"Move."
I looked behind to see the source of this call.
There stood a girl with an angular face, black hair, and piercing violet eyes.
Despite her admirable hourglass figure, she looked at me with disdain.
'Freya Fretel'
I instantly connected the dots regarding the strange situation surrounding me.
A frown etched itself on my face.
*Sigh*
I didn't wanted to create a scene so I got up from the sit I was sitting on and occupied another vacant seat by the window.
I could feel the judgmental stares of some students from time to time.
"Tsk, these wannabe righteous -hero-extras. They must think the world is just black and white, judging me for something I didn't even do," I grumbled to myself.
I could somewhat comprehend why Freya might dislike 'this Noah.'
If things continued in this manner, I might end up getting blacklisted in the class due to my reputation.
***
"Okay, attendace check complete. Everyone head towards the training ground!"
The students promptly obeyed.
Some might question why physical training took priority over academics, but it was a practical and necessary approach in a world plagued by demon invasions where combat skills could mean the difference between life and death.
Although some technological advancements existed, they were predominantly for convenience, leaving the world somewhat lacking in terms of firepower and medical technology.
The academy system prioritized training alongside mathematics and mana engineering classes, with electives being the only opportunity to pick and choose a different subject.
Elective courses would commence by the end of this week, offering students a chance to focus on something other than training.
***
(In A21 training ground)
Third person's POV:
Sophia was engrossed in honing her skills , wielding her sword with purpose and finesse.
As she slashed and thrust, Sophia fervently focused on imbuing every movement with mana.
As a warrior, her prowess with the blade was already formidable.
Sophia's POV:
As I continued to practice with my sword, I couldn't help but notice
Emily Reed.
She was one of the standout students of our class —ranked fairly high in fifth position whereas I was only ranked 20th...
Emily's exceptional talent with the bow was just unbelievable.
Her accuracy was impeccable, and watching her hit the bullseye with ease filled me up with pride.
Emily had been my friend since preschool.
We had grown up together with each other's help in understanding and mastering the skills of mana.
Without her, I wouldn't be as successful as I am right now. A wide smile spread across my face as I gazed at her in admiration.
However, my admiration quickly faded as I saw "those guys" - boys who would flock around her all the time, chasing her like bees chasing honey.
Although most boys were interested in swordsmanship rather than archery, a group of boys could always be seen swarming around Emily for obvious reasons.
They even went to the extent of naming their group "Emily-fan club".
The name itself made me cringe.
Sighing in frustration, I returned my attention to Emily, who was completely engrossed in her training.
Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and onto her cheeks, yet she kept on practicing with unwavering determination.
'Tsk, why does she keep forgetting to take care of herself?'..I shook my head in dismay.
Strolling towards her, I called out, "Catch!" to get her attention, and as she turned towards me, I threw a bottle towards her.
Emily caught it with a 'thup'.
She quickly gulped down the water with a satisfying 'ffuuu' sound and gave a grateful smile.
"So, how's your training going?" she asked, tossing her bow aside.
I chuckled. "It's going pretty good, but not as good as your archery."
"I mean, have you seen yourself hitting those bullseyes? You never cease to amaze me."
Emily blushed at the compliment "Aw, you're too kind. But I have to give credit to my bow. It's a real beauty, isn't it?"
I nodded, running my hand along its smooth surface. "It sure is. And speaking of beauty, don't you think those guys over there are a little too interested in you?"
Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance, glancing towards the group of boys.
"Yeah, they've been like that since freshman year. I try to ignore them, but they just won't take a hint."
"I know what you mean. They even have a name for themselves - 'Emily-fan club'."
I couldn't help but shake my head. "It's kind of pathetic, really."
Emily giggled, shaking her head, "I wish they would just focus on their own training instead of distracting me."
As Emily and I chatted, our attention fell on Aeravat, the top-ranked student of our class.
Aeravat was a mystery to us all.
He had appeared out of nowhere , claiming the title of the "strongest student".
I had heard Takahashi and Aurora's names mentioned before —they were both highly skilled.
I had always assumed Takashi would take the top rank in our cohort, but then Aeravat burst onto the scene.
The cogitation behind my ruminative state was none other than the renowned 'Hero Program'.
The eminence and aptitude of exceptional students like Emily and Aurora has always been quite popular among the pupils vying to enroll in the Arcanum Blades Academy.
Between the ages of eleven and fifteen, students from each district attended mid-schools where a varied range of talents flourished.
These students were all destined for the top academy in their region –in this case the Arcanum Blades Academy.
There, they would train assiduously until they reached the age of eighteen.
Despite the diverse backgrounds and varied learning environments of the incoming cohort, all had heard of the prowess of the seasoned top-notch players in the field.
Thus, the sudden emergence of someone as talented as Aeravat, without any prior knowledge or reputation, was indeed strange.
"Who do you think would win between him and you?" I asked Emily before realizing it was a silly question.
Emily raised an eyebrow and gave me an amused smile, "Between me and Aeravat? Honestly, Sophia, I don't think I would stand a chance. He's a mystery to me. I've never seen someone like him before."
But soon we heard a commotion at the distance.
A guy with machete was doing something strange.