"My Venma is Hypnosis."
After saying that, Lisa sat down and looked down at her desk.
Liam stared at her in shock, and he wasn't the only one.
Her Venma is Hypnosis?!
So... theoretically... she could make people do whatever she wanted.
Why would she come out with it? Is it reverse psychology?
Has she—?
Liam pinched his arm hard. Discreetly, of course.
Idiot.
She would never do that to me, and I have no recollection of... wait.
What if—nonononono. Stop it.
Liam pinched himself again. He furrowed his brow, using the pain to get his thoughts into perspective.
Why did she tell everyone, though? Now they'll be on guard around her. How will she—
"That was unexpected," Zantos said, his expression one of open surprise. "That was a test to see if you could keep classified information to yourselves. I wouldn't say you passed that, but keep in mind that there are just some things you need to keep hidden, even from your superiors."
Lisa remained silent, her expression neutral.
"This is not to say you're untrustworthy, but to point out that folding under pressure could lead to bad consequences. Take it from someone who has experienced something similar."
"Yes, sir," Lisa replied, her head still down.
Zantos frowned.
"Hey, Lisa. Look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you. Do you understand?"
Lisa slowly looked up, her hair falling across her eyes.
She brushed it aside and looked Zantos dead in the eye.
From beside her, Liam caught a glimpse of a smile before she responded.
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Now the rest of you, get up and introduce yourselves one by one."
The first to stand was Kazumi, followed by Lee.
The boy with the red streak in his hair was Lloyd Raidou, and his friend with the green streak and brown hair was his cousin, Rex Raidou.
Their other friend, the boy with teal-blue hair, was Nanami Kirin.
And he was very, very loud.
"Hey, gang! My name is Nanami Kirin, but you can call me—"
He paused to strike a pose and covered the lower half of his face with an arm.
Then he continued in a deep, husky voice.
"The Eye of the Storm."
Right. Definitely gonna stay clear of that guy, Liam thought. Isn't he embarrassed?
"I'm sixteen, blood type A negative, am five feet seven inches tall—"
"Nanami—" Zantos tried to say as he raised his arm.
"Status is Desired, Venma is Electric—"
"Enough."
Zantos shot him a dark look.
"There's such a thing as too much information, boy. Next."
Next was the dark-skinned girl, her dreadlocks covered by a red beanie.
She was Hannah Daniels.
A quiet boy wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head muttered three times before his name could actually be heard.
Jay Ares.
A dark-eyed, tired-looking girl with grey skin was Nelly Point.
The timid-looking girl with green bangs was Zoe Herb.
Then a literal monkey of a girl shot to her feet.
"Hello! The name's Ruby Osgood!"
Liam groaned inwardly, letting his face meet his desk.
There's anotherone?!
"I like bread, ham, cheese and pranks! I stand at the pinnacle of all Accepted! The Monkey Of The West!"
This is so cringe, Liam groaned.
"As you can see, my Venma is Monkey, and I am a Muta! This tail and my big ears are proud symbols of my heritage—!"
"Next," Zantos said, his tone cold.
You're the best, sir! Liam projected his gratitude with his eyes. I'm sorry I ever doubted you!
Also, that girl said she was a Muta? Well, since it's a term for people with strange mutations, it's not really surprising.
Ruby pouted and sat down, then glanced behind her.
Someone with teal-blue hair, two columns and one row back gave her a thumbs up.
She returned it with a wink.
Next up were twins who wore opposing eyepatches.
Their names were Duke and Eris Quansah.
Right in front of Liam was a girl with short, messy grey hair and a small black choker around her neck.
"Tiffany Wolfe," she growled before sitting back down.
Then it was Liam's turn.
He stood, ignoring all the eyes locked onto him as best as he could.
Then he took a quiet breath.
"My name is Liam Paxton. Nice to meet you all."
The gazes suddenly seemed to sharpen and focus even more on him than before.
WHY?! he screamed inwardly.
Then he turned towards the last person, a short, round boy with pastel-coloured blond hair.
Liam's own anxiety died down as empathy and a little pity welled up inside him.
That guy must have it rough.
He looks so scared. Probably used to being a victim, though I feel like that won't be a problem here. Although...
Liam glanced at the girl in front of him for a split second before looking down at his desk.
She seems to be angry, though it might just be me misunderstanding. Volatile too, and the type who usually does the bullying. I better watch out.
"...M-my name is Au-Augustus Caesar..."
The round boy quickly sat down.
"Good." Zantos nodded. "Now we'll start the lesson properly. Since I've given you information on the past, we'll start right away with Introduction To Monster Biology..."
****
After the two-hour Biology class came Craftsmanship—which Liam loved—and Hunter Economics.
After checking the revised timetable, Liam took note that all practical lessons—Weaponry, Martial Arts, Craftsmanship, and Wilderness Survival—would take three hours of their time.
After they chose their elective subjects, those would be added to their timetables as well.
"Alright, students. Before class ends, please upload your elective choices to the school database," said Zantos as he walked around the room.
"Remember, you can only pick two elective subjects, and you will have one week to read up on them before the option to switch will be revoked. Keep that in mind. One week. Don't get carried away and choose something you can't handle."
He glanced around the room.
"All of you should have read the guide on choosing the subjects best suited to you. If you have, make your choices."
Liam was about to select his own electives—a decision which had cost him thirty minutes of sleep the previous night—when he heard Augustus whimper behind him.
"But I can't do anything!" the boy muttered, caught in an obvious dilemma.
Liam frowned.
How did he pass the entrance exam? He's obviously lacking in self-confidence, though I'm not one to talk.
At least I have some level of confidence in my academics. He seems like the kind of guy who actively avoids doing his best purely because he's scared of failure.
Liam thought back to the entrance exam and all its stages as he selected his electives and uploaded them to the school database through the device built into his desk.
[You have one week to make any desired changes.]
The message appeared on the black screen.
"Those who have made their selections can leave," Zantos announced.
Threat Assessment & Adaptation won't be easy, but it'll help build quick decision-making skills, and Scouting will definitely be a great supplement to it.
Liam thought about Tactical Command, then chuckled.
I'm not cut out for leadership, so I am definitely not choosing Tactical Command.
He stood up at the same time as Kazumi, then endured the small looks he was given by everyone else and left the classroom.
Still thinking about his electives, Liam suddenly stumbled upon a potentially more disturbing observation than he thought.
"Wait. Won't Scouting make me even more self-conscious? Oh no..."
Liam sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He joined the crowd of students leaving the classroom area, then realized that he had gotten side-tracked by a lot.
"What was I even thinking about again?"
He frowned as he tried to backtrack to his earlier train of thought.
Choices... choices... ah, right. The entrance exam.
Liam exhaled as the memory resurfaced.
The entrance exam had forced him to make plenty of decisions.
If I remember correctly, there were five stages...