Chapter 17 – Am I Famous — Positively or Negatively?
(First Person POV – May Blackheart)
I was eating pizza again.
I knew I probably shouldn't be. But it tasted too good not to. The cheese stretched perfectly with each bite, the crust was crisp without being dry, and the sauce had just the right amount of heat. Honestly, if Earth had pizza like this, I might have considered staying there.
And thanks to Iron Stomach Rank 6, I could digest almost anything without consequences.
Life was beautiful.
"Mmm…" I murmured internally. "It's so good."
A translucent blue screen flickered in my vision.
"Host, excessive consumption of processed fats and carbohydrates is not optimal for long-term health."
It didn't ruin my mood. I had developed an exceptional ability to ignore things I didn't want to hear.
I took another large bite.
The text flickered again.
"Host, I strongly recommend a more balanced nutritional intake."
Still ignored.
Another slice disappeared.
Then—
The screen flashed violently.
"HOST. LISTEN. TO. ME."
I almost shouted out loud.
"Fuc—!"
I choked mid-bite and had to grab my drink to wash it down.
"What?!" I snapped internally.
"As previously stated, overconsumption is unhealthy. Adaptations are for survival. Not indulgence."
"Oh, come on," I replied. "Iron Stomach literally exists for this."
"Iron Stomach exists to prevent poisoning and digestive failure. It is not a buffet pass."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a full bottle of soda, drinking half of it in one go.
The screen darkened ominously.
"Host, consume something healthier immediately or I will temporarily suppress Iron Stomach."
I froze.
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"…Okay. Okay. Mercy."
I almost said it out loud but caught myself at the last second.
With deep emotional pain, I pushed the pizza tray away and stood up.
Tragic.
Truly tragic.
I walked to one of the food counters and scanned the options with visible reluctance. Eventually, I picked up a salad and a medium-rare steak. Don't ask me why there was a steak special in an exam facility cafeteria. Cellular Adaptation claimed it had confirmed the nutritional balance through its information-gathering function.
It really was an S-tier support ability.
I returned to my seat and began eating properly.
It wasn't bad.
Just… not pizza.
Since I had time before my final match in the afternoon—because apparently someone realized making examinees fight three times within an hour was stupid—I extended my auditory range slightly. Just enough to gather information. Nothing too obvious.
Conversations around the cafeteria sharpened.
"Have you heard?" one guy said nearby. "Someone got into the two-month training period without taking the first three exams."
"How lucky can you get?" another replied.
Lucky?
I tilted my head slightly.
"The hell do you mean lucky?" a third voice cut in. "They had a C-rank talent. Of course they'd get fast-tracked."
Smart one.
I felt a strange flicker of pride. Lily deserved recognition. She earned that opportunity simply by existing with that level of potential.
But then—
A new voice spoke.
"Still bullshit," someone scoffed. "Why should they get a backdoor while the rest of us have to grind?"
Something inside me tightened.
It wasn't logical.
It wasn't strategic.
But I felt… irritated.
No.
Angry.
I stood slowly. The chair scraped softly against the floor. Without meaning to, I let a fraction of my aura leak out. Just a fraction.
The air temperature seemed to drop.
The nearby chatter died instantly.
I walked toward the table where the comment had come from.
The boy who spoke stiffened immediately. His face paled. His friends froze beside him.
I stopped directly in front of him.
Up close, he looked smaller than he had from across the room.
"So," I said quietly. Each word deliberate. "Do. You. Have. A. Problem. With. The Overseer's. Decision?"
My aura pressed down slightly harder. Not enough to harm. Enough to make breathing uncomfortable.
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. His eyes trembled. Sweat beaded along his forehead.
"I. Am. Talking. To. You," I repeated, colder this time.
A suffocating silence filled the cafeteria.
He shook his head rapidly.
"N-No! I didn't mean— I just—"
His voice cracked.
The smell hit a second later.
I blinked.
He had… lost control.
His friends scrambled backward in embarrassment and panic.
My anger drained instantly.
"…Seriously?"
I released my aura at once. The oppressive pressure vanished. The cafeteria slowly began breathing again.
I stared at him for a moment longer.
Then I sighed.
"You talk too loudly for someone that weak," I said flatly.
I turned and walked back to my seat.
The whispers resumed—but different this time. Lower. More cautious. More fearful.
I resumed eating my steak calmly.
Inside, though, a thought surfaced.
Am I famous now?
And if I am…
Is it positive?
Or negative?
On one hand, people would think twice before insulting Lily again.
On the other hand, fear attracts attention.
And attention attracts problems.
Cellular Adaptation flickered quietly.
"Host displayed excessive emotional reaction."
"I know," I muttered internally.
That had not been calculated.
That had been instinct.
Protective instinct.
Possessive instinct.
Annoying.
But…
I didn't regret it.
I finished my meal slowly, ignoring the occasional glances sent my way. By the time I stood up again, the cafeteria had created a noticeable empty radius around my seat.
Interesting.
Maybe the answer was both.
I wasn't famous because of talent.
I wasn't famous because of favoritism.
I was becoming famous because people weren't sure what I would do.
And uncertainty…
Was powerful.
My final match was in a few hours.
If this reputation continued spreading—
The arena would feel very different next time I stepped onto that platform.
Good.
Let them hesitate.
Let them fear.
After all—
A true battle for life wasn't only fought with fists.
Sometimes…
It was fought with presence alone.
(First Person POV – Overseer Mark)
I felt it immediately.
Something dangerous had stirred inside the headquarters cafeteria.
I activated the hidden surveillance feeds and watched the scene unfold in real time. What I saw left me pleasantly surprised.
The girl named May had reacted with extreme possessiveness the moment someone spoke poorly of Lily. It wasn't mere protectiveness. It was something deeper. Something obsessive. The way she had loomed over that boy, the way her aura had pressed down like an invisible hand around his throat—it confirmed what I had begun to suspect.
Using my authority to fast-track Lily had been the correct decision.
May's attachment to the younger girl ran far deeper than simple friendship or strategic alliance. It bordered on ownership. Whether it was love, obsession, or something darker, I couldn't yet tell. But one thing was certain: May was not the type to love someone in a normal, emotional way.
She loved like a shadow loves light—by consuming it.
I would need to keep constant watch over her once she passed the first three exams and entered the two-month training period. Someone like her could never be held or stopped by ordinary rules.
And that made her both valuable…
And extremely dangerous.
End of Chapter 17