CHAPTER 87: ASHTON CITY [1]

During Kai’s past life as Cha Jin-sung, school trips weren’t exactly the most enjoyable thing for him.

He was an introvert, physically frail, and entirely unremarkable. Because of this, he consistently avoided anything that might subject him to bullying.

That included school excursions or any school event in general. He rarely even attended club activities and typically went from school to Hagwon, then straight home.

At least that was sufficient to give him an almost completely clean record when it came to bullying, though it also contributed to his poor academic performance.

But this life was different. He was now the furthest thing from average. He could confidently interact with people and was strong enough not to need protection from Hari or flee at the sight of a mere Chihuahua.

Kai intended to enjoy his school trip to the fullest.

As Kai’s thoughts drifted toward the road beyond the gate, a soft, delicate hand tapped him on the shoulder.

Kai turned his head, only to meet Rachel’s crimson eyes. "What?"

Rachel observed him briefly, then pointed at the headphones protruding from the small bag at his feet. "Can I have that?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "But they’re mine, though."

Rachel nodded. "I know."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Kai responded. "What if I don’t want to give it to you?"

She hesitated briefly. "Then I’ll sit back."

Kai sighed. He had already grown accustomed to how eccentric the characters in his novel were, especially the girls.

’Note to self: don’t write female characters when you’re depressed.’ He reached for the headphones and handed them to her.

Rachel nodded and sat back, only to stand almost immediately and stretch out her hands with a deadpan expression. "Do you have any snacks?"

Kai felt his strength drain. "Uhmm... Captain, did you hit your head?"

Rachel, who was also the captain of Team 7, which Kai was part of, shook her head. "No."

"Okay..." Kai reached out and pulled out a bar of Choco Creamy that he had packed for Anica, who they were going to meet in Ashton City.

Rachel smiled and then sat back.

Kai glanced behind him for a moment. Seeing she wasn’t about to ask for anything else, he turned and stared at Matt. ’They really are different, even though they have the same mother.’ His expression darkened slightly. ’I guess he still believes they share the same awful father.’

This plot point was intended to unfold later in the story, but as the author, Kai already knew it.

It was also one of the reasons he had told Reni to rescue the students, and even after Hari defeated Rachel — who was possessed, he didn’t reveal it to anyone. Instead, he instructed Reni to lie to the students, claiming what they witnessed was merely an illusion conjured by one of the Drifters.

The reason Kai made this decision wasn’t solely because he wanted England to owe Reni a favor, thereby elevating her political standing, but also to prevent a war.

Nobles weren’t the most tolerant individuals, and even on Earth, minor incidents could lead to conflict.

And since this was a world where power dictated everything, hearing that one’s child had been killed or terrorized by a princess of a foreign land would undoubtedly ignite a war.

Kai also knew that this was exactly what the Lust Order of the Demonic Cult was aiming for, not to use Rachel as a test subject, but to corrupt her.

However, since Kai had prevented it and possessed evidence of her actions, he would be able to negotiate directly with the King of England, providing a chance to resolve the conflict between England and Germany before they happened.

This was part of a layered strategy he had developed to place Reni at the forefront of the race for the crown.

Still... there was time before that happened, which meant he could rest his mind before beginning his next set of plans.

Matt’s voice jolted Kai out of his thoughts as he put down his phone. "So what do you plan on doing once we arrive in the city?"

Kai shifted his gaze from the window, then reclined in his seat. "Well, I need to visit a blacksmith first."

The bus’s interior was all black, unlike the white exterior, and to Kai, it resembled a luxurious mobile home more than a bus.

A screen was mounted in front of him, held firmly by the headrest of the seat ahead.

A small, openable refrigerator was situated between him and Matt.

The seats even featured built-in massagers. ’Noctis really knows how to go all out, don’t they?’

Matt considered Kai’s words for a moment. "I guess I’ll tag along and meet the blacksmith." Matt paused, raising a brow slightly. "But Kai, aren’t you a Wave Controller?"

Kai smiled, then raised his finger, his gaze locked on Matt. "No. I’m a Wildcard."

Matt frowned. "What’s that? Are you just making up terms now?"

The term "Wildcard" wasn’t supposed to appear until later in the story, during the onset of the war arc.

But since Kai already knew how the position was acquired, he planned on introducing it before enemies from other nations could use it against him.

And the reason he hadn’t ignored it, despite it being merely a combat class, was because classes would hold much greater significance later in the narrative.

Kai grinned. "Well, you wouldn’t understand."

Matt scoffed. "Like I can’t come up with names like that too."

"You can’t, can you?"

Matt’s face twitched. "Well, just wait and see." He sighed and shook his head. "You’re making me forget what I was going to say."

He shut his eyes tightly for a moment. "Oh, right, what kind of weapon are you planning to make?"

Kai looked at Matt for a while. It wasn’t like he could just say: "Hey, I have a Transcendent-grade vestige." Even Neko-sensei had nearly fainted upon discovering it.

According to her, she still couldn’t believe it.

"Well, I’m not sure just yet." Kai hadn’t lied, since he genuinely didn’t know what he wanted.

But if he could find the greatest blacksmith and one of the most powerful aura users in history, he was confident he could find a way to bypass Star of Ruin’s restriction.

He needed this because the restrictions it imposed on other vestiges it merged with were identical to that of a Transcendent-grade.

Which, in Star of Ruin’s case, would not only give him the Nice Guy Penalty, but also limit how long he could use it while locking away perks meant to be granted due to its Transcendent rank.

That meant he was playing a losing game by using Star of Ruin, and he couldn’t discard it, so this was his only option.

He sighed. ’No wonder training is so important.’

The bus was moving steadily, the route taking them through a desolate forest region with paved tracks.

With clairvoyance, he was able to see as far as the cities up ahead, though to most students, they appeared only as silhouettes.

Kai briefly closed his eyes, then opened one, using it to glance at Matt, who, like most of the students, was already asleep.

At first, the sight of almost everyone in the bus sleeping made him instinctively raise his guard, but after a while, he relaxed.

’Honestly, I should stop overreacting so much.’ He mused, shutting his eyes again.

They were now less than an hour away from Ashton City, the land of prosperity, alchemy, and blades.