With his body blocking the screen display. Dean made sure to take his sweet time before stepping away.
The score kept climbing until it stopped.
[80]
"What the…?" A vampire said with a surprise tone.
"It was at human speed…" a fellow vampire said dismissively.
A certain ginger head watched and smiled as she walked out of the hall.
Dean ignored all the bickering. His main focus was the boy that accused him of cheating earlier.
Locking eyes with the boy, Dean smirked directly at him as he watched his smug smile completely disappear.
Seeing that idiot. Whoever he was. Eating his words was simply satisfying.
Getting his satisfaction. Dean walked towards Olsen and Ash.
"Your ability to change stance is quite impressive,"
Dean glanced at Olsen with an eyebrow raised.
"You saw that?"
Both Ash and Olsen nodded like a hive mind.
"Most wouldn't pay attention," Dean whispered.
The gentle giant had just become a much more interesting prospect.
Like twins, Ash and Olsen looked at Dean like he was crazy for saying what he did.
'Weirdos,' he thought, but just then, he noticed a familiar gaze still lingering on him.
Having caught it from way earlier. After he'd activated hermit's eyes.
Dean's eyes followed the gaze and noticed its target was the score board.
He was curious to see what his supposed fan was searching for.
He looked back and the first word he saw set off alarms in his mind.
"Truman."
Dean squinted. As the word rang over and over again.
'Truman.'
Having obtained an epiphany. Dean turned back to the boy.
But he wasn't there anymore.
'So that's how it is..' Dean thought as his jaw tightened.
"Are you okay?" Olsen asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, between a short sigh and holding his hand out.
The slime slid from Olsen's arm into Dean's.
And just when Dean was about to move to the main reason he was actually here,
A familiar sound rang in his head. Even as an orange screen flashed in front of his eyes.
[Ding]
[You have completed a self-imposed objective]
Dean smirked, dismissing the screens.
After taking a few steps forward, he remembered something.
Half-turned. He glanced at Olsen.
"You coming…or what?"
Olsen smiled. "No… mate."
Taken aback. Dean spoke again.
"Why?"
"Done that already…Mate."
Unable to help his curiosity. Dean asked in a blurt.
"When..?"
The gentle giant shook his head
"I'm a Reed. Mate!"
Dean's eyes narrowed.
'What does that even mean?'
***
While the freshmen got acquainted with the system at Franseint academy.
A meeting was happening behind closed doors.
"I don't understand their angle," the calm voice of Richard Vaughn filled his office.
"We don't either," Vera spoke as she sat opposite Richard with hands on his desk.
"This could be their way to keep their eyes on the academy too.."
"But why?" Richard said as he suddenly stood up from his chair.
His question was left unanswered. But the silence was far from comfortable.
The man turned towards the two W.S.A agents.
"What are you not telling me?" He asked as he tapped his cane on the floor.
"It's nothing to worry yourself about," Vera responded.
Staring at the woman. Richard eyes didn't hold retreat.
He wasn't going to be denied an answer to his question.
Walking towards the duo. Richard sat at the edge of the desk , he rested his cane and focused on the both of them.
"You'll not put my school in jeopardy. Tell me what I want to know."
Vera stared at him for a second or two. Her chest heaved before she looked down and away from his gaze.
"It's the Gray boy…"
The older man beside Vera shook his head.
"This is beyond our clearance, V."
But just as the man spoke. He felt his chest tightened.
He began gasping for air.
He looked up to see Richard staring down at him with a darkened expression.
The man's blue eyes had turned into a spiral pattern.
"What about the Gray?" He inquired.
"He is a person of interest and even Dorian gave him an offer."
"...And he refused?"
Vera didn't answer. She only gestured towards the older man beside her. Pleading with her eyes.
The older man's eyes were now bloodshot, as he fell forward, slamming his head on the desk, while he choked.
"Pleeeaa..see"
Rolling his eyes, Richard flicked his finger and the skill he used was dismissed.
The man began coughing violently while he held his chest.
"As I was saying…," Richard looked at very again. His eyes were back to normal now.
"Yes… the boy rejected."
"...And that is why their sending one of their abominations."
Richard stood with a knowing smile as he trailed his fingers around the head of his cane.
"Everyone is welcome at Franseint–" he paused.
"---Even a Vermith."
***
"... fucking tired."
Dean fell back on the soft bed, letting out a deep, long breath.
Looking around, he realized Olsen was still nowhere to be found.
The last time he saw him was when they parted at the registration hall.
In that time, he'd also dismissed Ash after experiencing just how draining the slime was without the [Sage circuit] perk active.
It was one of a few reasons he was this drained.
If he was told his first day would have been this tiresome. He would've avoided the whole academy thing.
He'd gone from registering his courses to other interviews about his life, where he was assigned a therapist he was never going to see again.
Taking a few minutes to rest. Dean meditated before a thought crossed his mind.
He sat up quickly.
With a single thought. He opened the system.
The orange screens popped up as Dean read through.
[You have completed several self-imposed objectives]
[You have acquired a new friend.]
Dean stared at it.
'No…'
[Reward: 1500EXP]
Another screen appeared.
[You completed your first academy test]
[Rewards: 2500EXP]
[Total EXP gained: 4000EXP]
The rewards weren't bad at all. And if his math was any good, he was certain this was enough to rank up.
Quickly he opened the next screen.
[Total experience points: 11,000EXP]
With a sly smirk, he spoke. "Rank up."
His body surged with new life as he felt the fogginess in his mind from tiredness dissipate.
[You have ranked up from Elite tier 1→ Elite tier 2]
[Total experience points left: 1000EXP]
Dean blinked, scratching the back of his head.
Ranking up now cost an arm and a leg and it was only going to get harder but he wasn't stopping now..