Chapter 62: Duel against me Noah!
Chapter 62: Duel against me Noah!
Chapter 62: Duel against me Noah!
Noah's POV(point of view):
Romance novels.
Romance movies.
Romance fantasies and animes.
I despised the entire genre with every fiber of my being.
The sight of anything resembling a "romantic" fantasy caused an instinctive cringe to run down my spine.
But you know what was even worse? Mixing romance with fantasy!
Those stories where vampires, werewolves, and pretty girls were thrown together in a tangled mess of a plot - that triggered the most intense cringes of my life.
It was pure bullshit, and I couldn't stand it. The way people cherished and glorified such ideas, it made me sick to my stomach.
That's why I wrote the Genova incident in my own novel.
It was a rebellion against the clichés and tired tropes that plagued the world of supernatural with romance!
Thus, I embarked on a literary journey, crafting a chain of events that originated from the infamous Genova incident and ultimately culminated in the ruthless annihilation of vampires and werewolves that Aeravat, the protagonist, encountered in the later parts of the novel.
The premise revolved around a werewolf-vampire duo fueled by a manic obsession with killing. I must admit, it was a lazy approach on my part.
Nevertheless, their sadistic spree of violence inadvertently wreaked havoc upon the lives of Aeravat's classmates, igniting an eruption of hatred within the protagonist's heart.
Yes, vampires and werewolves existed in this world and...- "Can anyone tell me what 'system potential' is?", The voice of Miss Riya burst through the air, snapping me back to the realities of the classroom.
And just like always Aurora lifted her hand up as if to say 'me, me'.
Miss Riya acknowledged her with a nod, granting her the floor.
"System potential, also known as potential cap, refers to the predetermined limit imposed upon an individual at the moment of their birth. Once this limit is reached, further growth of strength becomes impossible", Aurora explained matter-of-factly.
Miss Riya affirmed her response with a nod, directing Aurora to take her seat with a graceful wave of her hand.
"Indeed, Take myself, for instance", Professor Riya exclaimed, pointing to herself with her thumb finger. "My limit is set at an A+ rank, and no matter how hard I try, I can never surpass it."
I couldn't help but agree with their assessment.
It held true not only for humans but for all races, be it orcs, elves, beastmen, demons, or even dragons. None possessed the ability to shatter their potential cap; they were bound by their inherent limitations.
But Aeravat, the MC of this world, defied this norm. His potential knew no bounds, allowing him to grow limitlessly. The reason behind this lay in the truth surrounding his birth.
As for me, well... my potential cap was marked at a C+.
If it was someone else in my place they would have went into despair.
But I wasn't sad.
Maybe a little bit.
But I had different ways to go beyond the strength of C+ — no I can't break the potential cap but...
I can learn Aura.
I can get my hands on more mysteries!
Not to mention super soldier program of Nano.
I had a wide array of alternative paths that went beyond the conventional methods of relying solely on Mana and training.
Lost in my thoughts, I was abruptly interrupted by James, who asked faintly from my right , "Why did you decide to sit here?"
"Er..", caught off guard by the question, I pondered my response. 'What am I supposed to say?' I wondered silently, before answering with a hushed tone, "Just felt like a change of scenery."
"Sure, but what's the reason for choosing to sit behind her?"—James queried, pointing his finger directly at Emily Reed, who occupied the seat in front of ours.
An involuntary frown formed on my face as I became aware that, indeed, I had ended up seating myself behind Emily.
How did I not even notice her presence?
'Her hair, was beautifully flowing, ..smelled good too...'— 'Wait what am I thinking?', my frown deepened at my stupidity.
"I honestly had no idea she was there", I murmured in response to James, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Our class concludes for today, also I want to inform you all that the unit test will commence in exactly one week", announced Miss Riya, her voice trailing off as she made her way towards the exit.
-"What the heck? A unit test in just a week?"
-"Holy hell, I'm not even close to being prepared"
Surprised murmurs rippled through the classroom, filling the air with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Well that is to be expected, considering the fact that Unit test not only holds academic test but also a battle test-yea a battle test.
What else would you expect in a world filled with monsters?
And, to my misfortune, I was well aware that I would also be forced to participate in the battle test.
....
An hour later~
Anastasia, James and I— we strolled leisurely around the campus, engaging in casual conversation, free from classes.
James suddenly directed a question towards Anastasia, "Do you play chess?"
A spark of curiosity ignited within me at the mention of chess.
But my anticipation quickly dissipated when Anastasia dismissed the topic abruptly, responding with a curt ,"No, I haven't. But I have something else I've been meaning to ask..."—she turned her gaze towards me, her words filled with intrigue, "you Noah, how did you manage to reach the 6th rank in the Dungeon Trial?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes in annoyance. I had naively hoped that everyone would forget about it after a week. Who even bothers to check the rankings anymore?
To my misfortune, James chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, "Yeah, she's got a point, dude."
"Forget it, it's a long story", I responded, feeling exasperated by their persistent inquiries.
But before either of them could press further—"NOAH GREY!", a sharp cry broke through the air, catching my attention from behind.
Instinctively, we all turned our heads to see who had called out my name.
To my surprise, a familiar figure emerged into view.
With her blonde hair now cascading around her, I struggled to recognize her at first. It took me a moment to realize that it was Nola Reinheart.
'She must have dyed her hair.'
Nola approached me, closing the gap until she stood merely a meter away.
I couldn't help but wonder what had brought her here?
"Ah, well, well, if it isn't Nola", I responded, my tone curt and guarded. I couldn't help but maintain a hint of skepticism in my voice.
The frown that accompanied her approach quickly faded, likely due to the more polite tone of my response. However, it appeared that my courtesy only served to further provoke her.
Without hesitation, Nola exclaimed, her finger pointing directly at my face, "I challenge you to a duel, Noah Grey!"
Raising an eyebrow in puzzled amusement, I couldn't help but wonder, 'A duel? What on earth is this about?'
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute!", James quickly stepped in, positioning himself between Nola and me.
"Let's all just calm down here!", He flapped his right hand as if dismissing her, but of course, it was also a kind of mockery that seemed to infuriate Nola.
"Don't you dare interfere unless you want a piece of this too!"—Nola shot back, her voice filled with irritation.
To this, James simply replied with a smile— "Hmph, you want to fight me? Hmmm."
He paused, adopting an amusing tone, and added, "I assume... you've never heard of 'Yoga Fire' before?" —as he spoke, he moved his hands in a peculiar wavy manner.
Looking at his posture and confidence I thought, 'He might know Yoga fire'
But ah,..what exactly was Yoga Fire again?
Suddenly, James shifted his demeanor.
His voice took on a deeper tone, and a serious expression settled in his eyes as he questioned, "What would you do if I Yoga Fired you? How will you deal with that?"
Before I could fully process James' question, Anastasia joined in, adding her own input—"He can shoot hellfire from his hands."
As the situation continued to escalate, Luna's expression revealed a growing lack of control.
Sensing the need to diffuse the tension before things took a serious turn, I quickly intervened, raising my voice in a calming tone. "Alright, alright, everyone, just relax. Let's all calm down, okay?"
I turned my gaze towards Nola, perplexed, and questioned her, "Why on earth do you want to duel with me?"
Her response was filled with determination as she declared, "Duel against me Noah, in the battle test. It's about the honour I've lost."
With those words hanging in the air, she swiftly departed.
She departed before I had the chance to inquire further about what she meant by "honor."