*CRISTOPHER’S POV*

Right now, I’m inside the classroom. Weirdly enough, or well, not really, Hajin came later than me. And I’m always almost on time to class, which means getting here, almost at 8:30 AM. Just when the clock ticks at 8:29, Hajin enters the place.

{Would you look at that. He seems like he can barely move. Still, it’s better than I thought. I even considered the possibility of him not coming to classes.}-I thought while chuckling to myself.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”-I ask him once he sits down beside me.

“… I’m glad I’m alive. But my body hurts…”-He says, falling right down on the desk over his arms. “By the way… I’ve been thinking about what you told me yesterday”-He says all of a sudden.

“Mm? Do you think? I thought you just went with the flow and let things just happen around you.”-I retort jokingly.

“*sigh…* Seriously… Listen to me… I’ve been thinking about strengthening my weapon. But the cadet training gun would just be a waste of money.”-He whispers for only us to listen.

“Okay. I like where this is going.”

“So… I was thinking about acquiring a Dessert Eagle, the most potent gun in the market, and strengthening it. That would be a more efficient way to use my SP… Thanks to its strong base firepower.”-He whispers while side-glancing at me.

“Well. It is indeed the best choice. But?”

“Money… I don’t have money… And it’s so expensive…*sigh…*”-He says while sighing and putting down his head again.

“Look, man… There’re always ways to make money… I understand that it is important, it is in any world… But don’t be too depressed for it. You sure find some way.”

“*sigh…*Easy for you to say, you’re already thinking about attacking dungeons. I don’t have enough power yet.”

“Well, that may be true, but, don’t get too dispirited, we’ll find a way.”

“Good morning cadets, the class’s about to start. So please all be silent and sit down.”-Suddenly said an old professor while entering the classroom.

“We’ll talk about this later.”-I whisper to Hajin.

---

While half-listening to the boring class, I noticed that Hajin is deep in thought. Maybe about finding money, maybe about the gun he wants, or maybe about how to become stronger… Whatever it is, he sure isn’t listening to the teacher at all. Having Observation and Reading sure is a gift to lazy people…

“…Now, let’s continue after a little break.”

Right then, the professor announces a well-needed break. {All this work of ignoring him sure tires me out… Man, some classes sure are boring…}

“Well, what were we talking before?”-I turn to Kim Hajin while whispering to him.

“About me getting money to buy this weapon.”-He says while showing me Essential Armory, a subsidiary of Essence of the Strait that sells weapons and stuff like that.

In it, there was a picture of a nice gun. A desert eagle, one of the famous guns even back in my world. But its design. I’ll be honest. I want that. If only it has some engravings and stuff added to it… It would be great. But oh well, I could do that later.

“So that’s the baby you want huh… It sure is beautiful.”-I say while letting out my feelings.

“Right? Man… This would help so much. Oh, wait, someone texted me.”

“Sure, go ahead. Hope it is your crush.”-I said jokingly while leaning back on my chair with my hands in my head.

“…”-Hajin just keeps texting, until he suddenly turns to look somewhere. Following his gaze, I find Yoo Yeonha’s head.

“You’re catching more than you can chew, you know?”-I whisper to him.

“Shut up.”-He whispers back while looking at his smartwatch and writing something on it.

{Oh right, I can also see what he’s writing… I forgot.}-I thought while concentrating on the chat window like some stalker.

[Kim Hajin: Ah, is it about that? I’m surprised you believed me.]

[Yoo Yeonha: What?]

[Kim Hajin: So? Wasn’t I right?]

[Yoo Yeonha: …Yes.]

“*whew…*”

“What? The fish caught the bait?”-I ask him while lifting my brow.

“…”-He just stares at me. “Forget it… I’m not getting mad this time.”

“*…tch* You’re getting harder to tease man…”-I said while he got back to texting Yoo Yeonha.

[Yoo Yeonha: How did you know?]

[Kim Hajin: You think I’d tell you?]

[Yoo Yeonha: No.]

“Don’t be too harsh with her. Poor girl has it rough…”-I say while looking at her.

“What? Who are you? Do you know how much you have made me suffer, and let’s not remember the poor Olivia.”-He retorts back.

“You both are just a bother. That girl, though, really has it rough. You should probably know it too…”

“…*sigh…* Whatever…”-He says before suddenly opening his eyes as if he remembered something, and then started writing something again.

[Kim Hajin: Anyways, if you benefited from the information I gave you, I’d like to ask for a favor.]

Right after he looked at that, Yoo Yeonha turned to look here. She glanced at Hajin but suddenly turned her eyes to meet mines, which made her frown. But then, turned again to Hajin for a little before going back to her smartwatch.

[Yoo Yeonha: What do you want?]

[Kim Hajin: It’s simple, I need a weapon. *link to the Desert Eagle*]

When she saw the link Hajin sent her, he turned again to where he was. Looked at him.

[Kim Hajin: I think It’s pretty cheap.]

She turned back to her smartwatch. This time without giving any glance at me. Even when I never took my eyes off her.

[Yoo Yeonha: …I understand.]

[Kim Hajin: Is it possible to get by tomorrow.]

[Yoo Yeonha: Yes, I’ll take care of it.]

“It seems you got yourself a weapon, huh?”- I whisper to Hajin.

“Wait… How do you know?”-He asked surprised

“Did you forget? I also have Observation and Reading. I could read your little chat with miss ‘I’m an adult’.”-I answer while nodding towards Yoo Yeonha.

“Oh… Right… I forgot. And what’s that about ‘miss I’m an adult’?”

“She tries too hard to act as a grown woman. Too damn hard. She’s going to get a lot of health problems with all that stress.”

“I can’t say it isn’t true…”

“Yeah, so help her faster if you’re doing it anyway.”

“Sure, sure… I’ll try my best…”-He answers back before resting in his desk. Sadly, for him, the teacher came back.

“Get back to your seats.”-Break’s over.

**

It was after 3:00 PM. We were in a training field. Theory classes ended, and not it is time for anti-personnel training.

I was just there. Thinking about who I would train. I can’t train with Kim Hajin because he has to spar with the instructor. Mark is already with some friends of his. Park Min-Ho is out of the question.

That leaves me with just two choices. I either go against Rachel again, or I go against Psycho Girl.

{Man… This choice sure is difficult…}-I thought while sighing.

{Speaking of the devil…}-I thought again when Psycho Girl comes to where I am.

“Let’s spar.”-She says shortly.

“No.”

“C’mon. You don’t have someone else to spar… Or what? Are you going to choose princess again?”-She says while lifting her eyebrow.

And right on cue, a voice interrupts us.

“May I spar with you? Cristopher-ssi?”-Rachel just came to where I was. This is a surprise.

“Why would you?”

“Well… You have great techniques, and I want to finish the spar from last week.”-She says while looking straight at me with an emotionless face.

{Fucking hell!!! What’s this!?}- I thought to myself. Lamenting over my bad luck.

“Hey.”-Suddenly some voice calls out. And I turn to see Chae Nayun looking for Kim Hajin. “Spar with me.”-If looks could kill. Her eyes would surely be a weapon.

“…”-Hajin just stayed there, looking at her.

“Your gun. Take it out.”-She says when he didn’t answer.

“I don’t want to.”- He merely responds.

“…You scared?”-She retorted back.

“Mm…”-He stays deep in thought. “No. I’m afraid you might get hurt. This thing uses real bullets, you see.”

{There you go, man!!! That’s it. Teach that spoiled brat to not mess with you.}-I thought, trying to ignore the looks the two girls beside me are giving me. {Fucking leave already you two!}.

“I don’t think your bullets would hurt me even if they hit.”-Nayun says while clenching her bow really hard until her veins are popping out.

“You won’t get hurt. You’ll die instantly.”-Hajin quickly responded. {That’s it. You’re doing great man. Finally, time to grow some balls!!}

“…Ha! Say that again. Punk.”-She suddenly got close to him. “Really, who do you think you are?”

“Chae Nayun, get back.”-Interrupted the instructor just when things were going great.

“Why should I?”-Retorted back the spoiled brat.

“Before he gets a gun for sparring, no one can spar with cadet Kim Hajin.”

“But I don’t mind.”-Answers again Chae Nayun.

“I mind”-The instructor answered shortly.

“Why-”

“Failure to heed an instructor’s order will be met with disciplinary action.”-Suddenly interrupted the instructor again. Making Chae Nayun retreat. Not before glaring a Kim Hajin for one last time.

“Take your gun out.”-The instructor turns to Kim Hajin this time.

“Does a gun for sparring really exists?”-Suddenly asked Kim Hajin.

“How the hell would I know?”-Answered the instructor while cracking her hands and neck. “Now, come.”-She ended with a creepy smile and her index finger beckoning Hajin to start.

“You sure made her angry man…”-I murmur while looking at all that happening.

“Hey. You. Stop daydreaming and let’s spar.”-Said Psycho Girl.

“You still here? Shoo. Shoo.”-I said to her.

“… You fucker… Let’s spar for fuck’s sake.”

“May I ask again if we could continue our spar from last time, Cristopher-ssi?”-Said Rachel again.

{Ok. Time for evasión technique number 342.}

“Wait… I suddenly don’t feel good…”-I started faking as I would puke at any moment.

This trick is pretty easy. I learned it since I was a child, just to skip classes or stuff I didn’t want to attend. Is really easy. Just force your throat to work as if you’re trying to activate your gag reflex, and while you do that, start thinking about any gross thing that comes to your mind. It’s better if you find some sort of bad odor to incite your disgust. At first, it wasn’t easy, but after a few tries, I could master it.

“Wa-wait? Are you really sick?”

“N-no… I think I’ll puk-puke any moment…”-I keep talking as if I’m really going to vomit.

“Maybe… I should go to the… Infirmary… *blerg*”-I fake as if the vomit is trying to reach my throat and cover my mouth. I hastily go to the instructor.

“Instructor… I don’t feel… right. I think I ate something really… bad… and now I’m about to pu-puke… at any moment. May I go to the infirmary.”-I ask her.

“Huh? Cadet Cristopher? Sure. Go to the infirmary, but you should know the loss of classes will reflect on your ranking.”

“I… Know… Sorry…”-I keep the act while slowly walking to the exit. Or at least I tried…

“I can help!!!”-Suddenly a girl raised her hand out of nowhere. “I can use a healing magic. If it’s just some small food poisoning, I can take care of it.”.

{WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!!!!! FUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!}

“No… It’s okay… Don’t waste your time, I’ll just go rest.”- I try to evade her.

“Cadet Yi Jiyoon huh? You sure are a promising supporter. Well, go on. If you can heal him. That’s good.”

“No… Really… It isn’t necessary…” {FUUUUUUUCKKKKK WHY THE HELL DO YOU STEP IN MY SHIT!!!}

“It’s no problem! I can help you. After all, I’m a supporter and that’s what I do. Just stay there, I’ll use my gift to cure you.”- Yi Jiyoon draws her bow and started conjuring a magic arrow with a green hue. That’s a healing arrow…

*Swiiiiish*

The healing arrow hit me. And I started glowing green. Meaning that I was healing. Healing from something I didn’t even have…

“*SIGH…*”

“Are you feeling well already?”-Yi Jiyoon asks.

“Yeah… sure… thanks…”-I said… with my arms down.

“Well. Now get back to sparring. Move. I have to spar with cadet Kim Hajin.”

“Sure… Whatever…”-I went back…

“So? Are you sparring with me or what?”-asked Olivia.

“*sigh…*”

{Olivia or Rachel? Who should I spar with? This time… Maybe Olivia might be the better choice. I don’t even know why Rachel is so interested in sparring with me. So I better avoid her.}

“Sure. Let’s spar… you wacko…”-I resign myself to my fate.

“Mmm… Maybe we could spar after that?”-Asked Rachel kind of embarrassed.

“Sorry… I don’t have too much stamina. So, it will be kind of hard for me to spar twice in a row… Even more with someone as strong as you…”-I said, evading her completely.

Rachel just looked at me for a little while before going away.

“Now, now. Let’s begin. I’ve been waiting for this all week!”-Said Olivia all happy for some reason.

{I have a bad feeling about this…}- I thought while getting my sword out of the scabbard and dropping the scabbard.

“Well… At least let’s see how you do in a fight…”-I say to her, actually pretty curious.

“Hehe, you’ll get surprised. If you’re not serious I may win.”

“You do know this is more about techniques than mana or even strength, right?”

“What? Making excuses beforehand?”-She says with a mocking grin.

“… No. Just letting you know that you’ll lose in all three aspects.”-I retort back while lifting my eyebrow. “Well. Let’s go. Attack. Ladies first. Though, I’m not sure you could be called a lady with a tongue like yours.”

“You sure are full of yourself huh? Well. Here I go.”-She says while dropping her center of gravity and extending both her legs in a wide stance.

Immediately after, she crosses both her arms and then uncrossed them in a fast way, throwing two little training knives. Really small ones. If it wasn’t for the shape, I would think they would be some kind of darts or something like that.

Sadly, for her, even if they are small, I can still perfectly see them and evade them. And that’s what I did. But right after that, she started shooting more and more of those darts while advancing.

I just keep evading. Not moving from my spot. Trying to guess why the fuck does she come closer with each throw. Or if someone will end up receiving them behind me. I don’t know the max reach of those small training knives.

Once she gets close enough for me to reach her with my longsword, I just make a straight thrust while evading the last two knives. But she suddenly jumps forward while doing a frontal spin and taking two training daggers out of nowhere, trying to attack me with a falling cut.

{Unless you’re faster than your opponent, that kind of attack wouldn’t work. Do you know?}-I thought as change my grip to a reverse grip, side-step enough to end up out of reach from her attack and thrust forward with the handle of my training sword. Which hits her squarely on the stomach.

Surprisingly, she doesn’t back off and just grabs my arm and shoulder. Trying to hold me still. And reciting something between her clenched teeth. At that moment, I noticed that the small training daggers from behind started moving. Going backward. To where I was. All the tens of small knives moved at the same time, like some kind of homing missile.

“Now that indeed is a surprise. I’ll give you that.”-I said while looking down at her.

But. Even if I’m surprised. It doesn’t mean I’ll be caught unguarded. As I said before. There are some things you can do, and some things you can’t when you’re in stats' disadvantage. And trying to hold me in place with less than half of my strength, is precisely one of the things you can’t do.

“Let’s teach you some martial arts. Shall we?”- I whisper to her.

“Huh?”-She stares with her eyes open.

Right then, I do a frontal push with the shoulder she’s grabbing, breaking her stance and immediately using that same arm to push her a little further until she only has my forearm grabbed.

After that, I quickly move behind her to use her as a shield. Which made her cancel whatever she did with the small knives, letting them fall on the floor. After that, I just step back, made a downside kick that made her stumble and fall and end up putting the edge of my training sword on her neck.

“See. Speed. I told you. Increase your speed if you want to spar with me.”

“…”-She just glares at me.

“Don’t be angry. You did surprise me with that little trick of the knives. It was amazing, really. If you train well enough. You could actually have a really powerful weapon between your hands.”

“Again!”-She says after standing up.

“*sigh…*Why are you so stubborn?”

“Come on! We still have time until classes end. Let’s keep sparring.”

“*sigh…* Whatever. This time. I’ll go first.”

And so, we kept sparing for a little while. And with sparring. I mean I kept making her fall on the floor again and again.

---

It’s 5:15 PM, Anti-personnel training already ended, and I’m on my way to Seoul through Cube’s Portal Station.

Yesterday I thought about a few things. And among them was the orphanage and the people there.

If I wasn’t there, someone would probably have died from those wolves’ attack. Probably trying to get the monsters as far away from the place as they could.

After a while, I reach my destination. Locket of Hope. The place that saw me, or well, saw David Ross grow.

{It’s funny.}-I thought while standing on the only entrance to the garden.

In all my life I’ve had ups and downs, and I surely can’t say that every choice I made along the way was the “right one”. Because there isn’t a “right” choice. You either go for A instead of B, or B instead of A. But whatever your choice is, you have to confront the consequences.

I could’ve chosen not to come here yesterday. And someone would have died. But I didn’t.

{Why is it?}

Why is it that I feel like this? I mean. Sure. They took care of David. But. In the first place. I’m not related to him. I may have taken his place in this world, but does that really mean I need to pay something back to him? It wasn’t by choice.

{Still… I somehow feel the need to protect this place…}- I think. Looking up to the building.

To protect. Those are words I don’t use too often.

Killing? That’s easy. Protecting? Fuck. That’s a hard job. You can’t protect someone just because you’re strong. There’re so many ways to lost someone, not only because of death. There’re times when death would have been even the best way...

But then again. Here I am. Looking at a place that had nothing to do with me until a few days ago. Thinking about protecting it. Helping the ones that live here.

{So… Why is it? What’s driving me to do this? It’s because it is an orphanage? Does it remember me of the kids? Or maybe it is some way to don’t feel like I’ve lost what makes me human?}

*sigh…*

I sigh while closing my eyes and shutting down anything around me. Enclosing in myself and my own mind. Trying to reach for an answer.

“What are you doing there with that long face?? Come in already!!”

I suddenly hear a voice cutting through my clouded mind. I open my eyes, look up, and see Fran standing on the other side of the fence. Opening its door for me to enter the place.

“One of the caretakers, Cecilia, don’t know if you remember her, told me that she saw you out of the fence. Looking at this place with a saddened face. So, I came here. To, indeed, find you with your eyes closed and that long face of yours.”-She says, this time calmly. “So, what’s wrong with you? Things are going bad back there in Cube? Well, whatever! Come in. Let’s drink something. You’re lucky, we could make some hot chocolate for the kids, and there’s still some of it left. What do you say? Want to drink it with me?”

“…”- I stare at her. Blankly. Trying to figure what made her care for me so much in the first place. It’s just because she saw me growing up? But. I’m not the only one. Everyone here should be the same. And she probably treats them equally in that motherly way. It’s just because is Fran? Or is it something else that makes her be like this?

“What are you looking at me so much? Are you coming in or not!?”-She says, this time a little more hurriedly.

“No… I was just thinking that you’re stealing the kids’ chocolate. You know that’s not good, right?”

“Ha! We’re going to. And don’t worry. They drank a lot. They sure won’t mind me sharing the rest with you.”-She says while smiling. “Besides. You can always give them more chocolate, right?”

“Haha… I would love to. But I’m broke. Barely enough to myself. And it’s all debt. But I can give that to you if you want.”

“Nope! You can have it all for yourself. We don’t need it, thanks.”- Fran says while frantically moving her arms in front of her in denial.

“Oh well, nothing I can’t do then. But I’ll accept that cup of hot chocolate. I also came here to do something.”-I say while entering through the fence.

“What do you mean with something? Need anything? And here I was thinking you just were missing us… Poor me… The kid is just looking for me when he needs something…”-She says with a dejected face.

“Ha…ha…ha… very funny. You know it’s not like that.”- I don’t even feel the emotion to retort back to her.

“Of course!! I’m just messing with you!!! Don’t take it too personally. Laugh, or you’ll grow old faster.”-She says while walking with me to the main entrance.

“Oh, so that’s what happened to you?”-This one, I can’t let it pass. It’s just too easy.

“Hah! As if. Look at me. Do I look old to you?”-She asks showing off herself. And indeed. She doesn’t look old at all. Even when she’s at least thirty-something.

“Mmmm… Maybe, I’m seeing some faded red hair here and there already.”-I say with a small mocking grin.

“Wh-what!? WHERE!?”-She starts to grab her hair, trying to look for any decolored strand. “You liar!!! There’s nothing wrong with my hair!!!”

“Hahaha maybe it was just some light effect.”-I said while entering the place, with Fran quickly following me, closing the door.

---

*CO-AUTHOR’S POV*

In a blank space, filled with stars all around, I’ve been thinking a lot. Looking at the world that I gave life to.

“I can’t let this continue…”

Even if he’s still not proactively acting, he’s already making small changes here and there. His own presence is a big change…

“But… What can I do? I can’t be modifying things whenever I feel like it… I don’t have the power.”- I say as I try to look for an answer to my dilemma.

“Maybe… Things would work out somehow?”

“What are you worrying so much?”-Someone just talked. Making me turn my head suddenly.

“It’s you again… Well. Maybe it is about the fucking monster you put inside my world?”-I angrily said to him while glaring.

“Oh, that? Don’t worry. Things will find their own way.”

“He’s a monster. In a few years… Fuck, even now, there’s nothing much capable of hurting him.”

“What do you mean? You limited him a lot. He’s barely a shadow of what he is normally is.”

“You know those authorities of his don’t know shit about levels. They’re freaking atrocious.”

“Relax man. Your own world is already adapting to him. Even if you do nothing about it, he won’t be able to do as he pleases.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”-I ask perplexed

“This fucking newbie… Look closer. You’ll see. How your world protects itself against the infection.”

“That’s a nasty way to refer to him, you know?”

“Says the one who called him a monster. But, in a way or another, he’s indeed an infection to that world. Someone who shouldn’t be there in the first place. I’m intrigued to see what would happen. Are you not?”-He asks while staring directly at my eyes, even if I can’t see his.

“…”-I stare back. Not knowing what to answer.