CHAPTER:16 [Queen's Gambit]
Hearing that horrifying voice made Kai's body tremble in fear. Chills ran down his spine. He felt disoriented and on the verge of blacking out until Tina shook him.
"Hey, you okay? Are you fine? Maybe you should go to the nursery."
Kai looked at her worried expression, his eyes still blurry.
"I-I'm fine… just a little disoriented."
Tina still looked concerned.
"Maybe you should go back to the dorm and rest today."
"Yeah… you're probably right. I should get going now."
They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. As they were chatting cheerfully, someone was watching everything through the surveillance system.
......….
"What is he doing now?"
Dona frowned as she watched their jolly conversation on the CCTV feed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the student council room. She quickly turned off the screens and opened the door.
It was Tina, who had been ordered to deliver a box to the council. She greeted Dona impatiently and set the box down.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Dona. Were you the one who called for me today?"
Dona looked at her with clear disgust.
"Good afternoon. Yes, it was me who called for the meeting."
Tina asked curiously,
"So what is it?"
Dona answered with an indifferent gaze.
"Let's wait for the others to arrive. Then we'll start the meeting."
Soon the rest of the student council members arrived. Dona seated them according to their roles in the first-year academy hierarchy. She asked Jennifer for a summary of how things were going. Jennifer reported that everything was in order except for a few rumors about Dona herself.
They discussed various matters for a while before Jennifer leaned in and warned,
"You shouldn't put so much trust in the council. They are scums who strike at the back."
Dona leaned back in her chair and looked out the window, thinking about Jennifer's words.
(Sigh. I need trusted and strong people.)
The only person who came to mind was someone she didn't have a good relationship with. Still, she left the room to find the one person she thought might be useful.
The academy was a maze designed to confuse invaders. Its many twists and turns meant even experienced people needed a guide.
Dona searched the entire academy and finally found Feng Lin in a private training room, training with absolute focus.
Feng was sparring against an automated mannequin, his sword moving faster than the eye could follow. His long silky hair waved with every strike, and his black eyes were locked on the target. For once, his usual smug expression was gone.
Suddenly a girl's voice broke the silence.
"Not tired yet?"
Feng turned around and saw Dona.
"Oh, it's the silver bitch. C'mon, tell me why you're here. I don't think you came to check on a loser."
Dona ignored the insult. She was in a difficult position.
"Quite frankly, yes. I need you."
Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Woah, woah, slow down. Aren't we moving too fast?"
Dona looked confused.
"What are you talking about? I need you for a job."
Feng smirked as he stretched his muscles.
"Heh. What do you need me for? I'm just a loser anyway."
Dona's tone grew serious.
"I need people. Trusted people. People who can watch my back."
Feng Lin shook his head.
"Yeah… well, I should be the last person you should have visited."
"I'm not joking, Feng."
"Does my face look like it's joking?"
He pushed past her and headed for the door.
"If you won't become one of my people, then you'll become my enemy. Are you really willing to take that risk?"
Feng paused at the doorway.
"It's better to be the enemy of a control freak than to become a slave."
He disappeared from sight. Dona stood there, disappointed.
......….
It was already evening by the time Kai returned to the dorm. As he entered, Verda greeted him, but he paid her no mind and went straight to his room. He locked the door behind him.
"Nia!"
A white but glitchy screen appeared before him.
(Run a quick scan on my body and search for abnormalities.)
Because of the heavy tasks he had already given her, he didn't want to burden Nia further, but the symptoms were getting worse by the second.
After a while, as Kai rested on his bed, the screen reappeared.
Str: 90
Agi: 80
Dex: 78
Int: 150
Mana: 500
Status:
Perm debuff: erasure existence
Temp debuff: body deformation, Authority of defiance not available due to host broken state, Corruption.
Chaos poisoning: 40.5
Class: Guardian A
Skill:
Shapeless Shield: the user can shape the shield however he wants.
Authority:
Authority of defiance, Authority of observation, authority of knowledge
Warning: The host is connected to the god system
END OF CHAPTER:16