CHAPTER 255: CHAPTER 255

10:30 P.M.

I was running late from meeting him at the usual place, my feet pounding the pavement as the city’s neon lights blurred past in a haze of urgency. When I arrived, I was panting, my breath coming in short bursts as I spotted Kairos sitting alone on a bench in the quiet park, the moonlight casting long shadows across his tense figure. I sat beside him, and Glacier, my Frostbane companion, padded over and rubbed his head affectionately against Kairos’s leg, a low rumble of recognition escaping him.

"Sorry for being late," I said, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.

He lent me a handkerchief, which I gladly took, dabbing at my face gratefully. "What did you call me here for?"

"Crimson Covenant," he said, his voice low and serious, eyes scanning the darkness as if expecting threats to emerge from the shadows.

"How did you know about them?" He said, frowning deeply, his usual calm facade cracking under the weight of the revelation.

"Well, you see..." I scratched my neck awkwardly, stalling for time as my mind raced. "During the previous final exam, they tried to kill me," which was a total lie. It was Ezekiel they were after, not me—but I couldn’t risk the truth spilling out, not with the stakes this high.

"They did... what?" his face distorted viciously, anger flashing in his eyes like a storm brewing, his fists clenching at his sides as if ready to strike out at invisible foes.

The park felt smaller suddenly, the shadows lengthening as if to swallow me whole. I flinched, my heart skipping a beat. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought this up. But I really needed his help since I didn’t have any other option. The author would surely make the upcoming incident messier. It was only natural that I have an ally or two to balance it out.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Start of May (Virtual Class Room)

"Good morning! We’ll be having a mock dungeon training again and as usual you’ll be grouped, but this time by two’s," the instructor for today’s class announced, his voice booming over the chatter.

My classmates got excited, standing up in a flurry, thinking they’d pair with their friends or crushes, whispers of "team up with me" filling the air. But before they could shuffle around, the instructor spoke up again. "I’ve already teamed you up randomly so don’t even think about teaming up with someone else."

In an instant, my classmates groaned, a collective sigh of disappointment echoing through the hall as they slumped back into their seats.

The instructor flicked a hologram onto the board, the names and groups materializing in glowing script. I scanned it quickly and found my name. I was teamed up with Whitney.

"Sit together with your partner before I explain the rules," the instructor said, his voice cutting through the groans like a knife.

I stood up, weaving through the rows of chairs to where Whitney sat, her posture perfect as always. "Hello," I said, flashing a smile.

She turned her head like a machine to me, our eyes meeting in a brief, charged stare. Instead of smiling back, she only returned a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping just a fraction. "Hey..."

I tilted my head, puzzled by her lack of enthusiasm, but ignored it for now—plenty of time to unpack that later. I sat in the VR chair beside her, my body getting strapped in securely as the tech hummed to life. A helmet was inserted into my head, the world fading into a digital void before bursting into color.

"The visual effects for this Dungeon will be more realistic than the real thing, so stay on your toes!" the instructor warned, his voice echoing in the simulation.

"Woah! It’s like I’m in a real world," I murmured, taking in the vivid scenery—a lush forest with towering trees, sunlight filtering through leaves, and the distant roar of simulated monsters. It felt tangible, the air carrying scents of earth and danger. I looked to my side, expecting Whitney’s avatar to appear, but she wasn’t logged on yet. It seems she wasn’t ready, so I removed the helmet and looked at her, the real world snapping back into focus.

She was staring at me... specifically my... chest. My brows furrowed as I slowly covered my chest with my arms, a mix of confusion and self-consciousness washing over me. What is she looking at? Was it something on my shirt? Or... worse?

When Whitney saw me looking at her with a weird look while covering my chest, she instantly blushed, her cheeks turning a deep crimson as she furiously shook her head. "It’s not what you think!"

I looked at my chest again, then glanced at hers for comparison, and tapped her shoulder lightly, trying to be reassuring. "That’s okay. We’re still young," I consoled her, thinking she was embarrassed about body differences or something innocent like that.

Her face that was already red became even redder as she slammed her hand on the chair arm, the sound echoing in the quiet room. "N-No it’s not that!"

"Then what are you staring at?" I asked, genuinely puzzled, my arms still crossed protectively.

"Your—!" but she stopped almost blurting out what she really wanted to say, her mouth snapping shut. She slowly nodded instead, her blush deepening. "Y-You’re right..."

"Let’s get started then," I said, shaking off the weirdness and logging back in, the helmet sliding over my head as the simulation pulled me under.

We were placed inside a cave, the VR simulation plunging us into a damp, cave where stalactites dripped water like slow tears and bioluminescent fungi cast an eerie green glow on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of moss and something metallic, the realism making my skin prickle.

I started walking forward, my boots crunching on gravel, dagger drawn and senses sharp. Whitney followed close behind me.

Not a second later, we encountered Goblins eating a carcass, their twisted, green-skinned bodies hunched over the bloody remains, snarling as they gnawed with jagged teeth. There were three of them, armed with crude clubs dripping with gore, their beady eyes locking onto us with predatory glee.

"Whitney, use taunt!" I called out, my voice cutting through, positioning myself to flank while she drew their attention.

Whitney’s avatar paused, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes but then she activated her skill. A pulsing green aura erupted from her, taunting the goblins like a beacon. They roared in unison, abandoning the carcass to charge, clubs swinging wildly.

[Whitney’s taunt is effective!] the system chimed, confirming that our strategy was working.

I darted in, spectral daggers multiplying in the air as I slashed at the first one’s flank, the blade biting deep

"Whitney use whip lash!" I shouted.

Whitney cracked her weapon, the leather lashing out to entangle the second goblin’s legs, yanking it off balance before I finished it with a thrust.

One goblin lunged at her, club raised, but she sidestepped, her whip coiling around its arm and pulling it aside. I finished the third with a quick strike, the simulation’s feedback vibrating through my real body. They crumpled and dissolved into pixels.

[You defeated a group of goblins!] the system chimed again, the notification exploding in my field of view with sparkly effects and a cheesy victory tune that grated on my nerves.

"Argh!" I said, swiping at the system screen in front of me like it was a pesky fly, the interface wobbling but refusing to vanish. "Can you stop? This isn’t Pokémon!"

[You started it first though...] the system grumbled back, the text box sulking with ellipsis.

Whitney was looking at me as if I had grown two heads, her head tilting in confusion, whip still coiled at her side. "Who are you talking to?"

Right. Since I’m the only one who can see the system, she must be thinking that I’ve gone crazy. I cleared my throat, brushing off the embarrassment. "Let’s move forward," I said, ignoring her question and pushing ahead into the cave’s depths.

Progressing smoothly, we quickly reached the end of the dungeon. What should have been a 30-minute course only took us fifteen minutes to complete. The simulation ended abruptly when we saw the time, the VR world dissolving into static as the helmets disengaged.

I removed the helmet and was about to stand up, stretching my real muscles, when Whitney stopped me, her hand on my arm, her expression serious. "W-Wait..."

"Hmm?" I looked at her, tilting my head.

Whitney asked carefully in a soft voice, her eyes avoiding mine for a moment. "I... I heard you were dropping out."

"Which of the two told you? Christian or Rex?" I said, crossing my arms, already suspecting the leak.

"Rex— Wait, they already knew? Then when will you tell us?" she said, her voice rising in surprise.

I can’t help but massage my temple, frustration bubbling up. I was hoping to keep this a secret as long as possible, but these guys... "Let me guess, you also told about this to Angela?"

She nodded and smiled, hoping to appease me, her expression a mix of guilt and pleading. "W-Well sort of. She was crying saying that you can’t leave."

’I swear these blabbermouths just can’t shut their mouths—’ I thought, irritation flaring. Then, as if remembering something, I quickly turned to her. "What about Cypher? Don’t tell me he also knows about it?"

She chuckled nervously, shifting in her seat. "Ask Christian about that, you know that they’re best friends."

As I was choosing my words, carefully weighing what to say, I felt a gaze fall on me, sharp and unexpected. I turned to the side, my eyes meeting Ezekiel’s from across the room. However, he quickly averted his gaze, his expression unreadable, as if he’d overheard our conversation and was now retreating into his own thoughts.

"Anyways, it’s not something I have a say in. You better deal with this mess properly," Whitney murmured, her voice low and resigned as she got up, gathering her things and leaving me to process the chaos.