Locke's gaze drifted down toward Carrie White, a faint sigh escaping his heart. "A female supernatural being who hasn't undergone professional academy training... how could she be a Mage? Wild-born talents can only ever be Witches."
Mages were of the academic school—structured, disciplined, and institutional. Witches, on the other hand, were wild; they awakened on their own and completed their class changes through instinct.
Oh well.
Something was better than nothing. While he would die before actually transforming into a Witch, in a life-or-death crisis... well, as the saying goes, to survive, there's no shame in a little "Witch-morphing." Locke's principles had always been remarkably flexible.
Moreover... Locke's eyes fell upon the Faction description.
『Faction: (Unnamed)』
『Members: 1/1 (Your energy is infinite, but you can currently only share it with one person (Current available Supernatural Class to bestow—Witch!))』
This meant he could bring people into his faction and turn them into Witches? Locke raised an eyebrow.
'Actually, that's not bad.'
He rubbed his chin, and with a single thought, he entered the name.
『Faction: M78 Nebula (Land of Light)』
"Perfect!"
The corners of Locke's mouth curled up. His sense of mischief was peaking. Look at that name: *M78 Nebula*—it sounded impressively mysterious to anyone who didn't know better. *Land of Light*—the ultimate Lawful Good, heroic-sounding organization.
Nearby, Carrie had picked herself up off the ground. She stood with her head slightly bowed, watching the energy Locke had bestowed upon her as it surged over her palms.
Locke's infinite energy was fundamentally neutral—or rather, it contained all attributes. But as it flowed into Carrie, it reacted with her soul, manifesting as a dark, roiling power.
It was understandable. Given Carrie's family environment and social situation, Locke wouldn't even be surprised if she decided to slaughter the entire student body of Augusta High the moment she felt this power.
As the saying goes: 'To raise but not to teach is the father's fault.' In this town, the faults were many.
Carrie whispered, "Thank you."
Locke kept his hands in his pockets. "Remember what I told you? Look up."
Carrie raised her head. Locke saw a flicker of newfound confidence born in her eyes.
"With my power, you may kill!"
"When people are killed, they die—that is the law!"
"From this moment on, no one can make you bow."
"That is the one thing you must do for me: do not bow!"
Locke smiled at the girl who now held the power to control her own fate. "I have only this one requirement. Beyond that, you owe me nothing."
Carrie bit her lip and nodded. She instinctively started to lower her head again, but she froze, using every ounce of willpower to fight her habitual reflex until she held her gaze steady.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, hitting Carrie's face. She couldn't help but squint slightly, looking a bit like a lazy kitten.
Locke laughed, turned around, and raised a hand in a wave. "I'm off."
Carrie watched his retreating back, her voice soft but clear. "Thank you, Locke!"
"Call me Peerless!" Locke didn't stop, simply waving over his shoulder as he walked away.
The reason she recognized him was simple: her power was "loaned" from him. He was her creditor. And very few debtors fail to recognize the person they owe. After all, a follower must know the true name of the Dimensional Lord they serve.
As for the risk of exposure? Non-existent. The contract was already written into the energy transfer. If Carrie ever tried to pull an "Ancient One"—borrowing power only to turn around and strike the lender—the energy would recoil instantly. If Locke didn't allow it, the moment she tried to reveal his true identity or the secrets of the dimension, she would die. Instantly.
This was the main benefit of the Faction System. He had spent 50,000 Achievement Points and 50,000 Potential Points; if it were just a cosmetic title, those 100,000 points would have been a total scam.
...
Back at the house, Locke dispelled his "Good Student" clone and walked from the yard into the living room. The shockwave in the woods had been violent, but it seemed the house had remained undisturbed.
"Alright!"
"Done!"
Gwen and Cindy stood up happily, high-fiving each other. They held up a full sheet of A4 paper—a detailed itinerary for a two-day, one-night trip. They looked at Locke as he entered. "We're going to the Gypsy Traveling Circus first. It's the furthest away. We'll play there, then head back. We should be back just in time for the 8th."
Locke smiled. "Sounds good."
Gypsies? The only thing he associated with that was "Witch's Brew."
They didn't waste time. Cindy called Mrs. Cord to inform her of their plans, while Locke and Kahn loaded the luggage into the R8. Within twenty minutes, Locke was behind the wheel, driving the group toward the circus.
...
A while later, the leaves in the small woods rustled. Carrie stepped out, no longer walking with a slumped posture. Her eyes were no longer filled with confusion; instead, they held an indescribable, sharp clarity.
When she returned to school, she heard laughter in the halls. It wasn't directed at her, but her old instincts told her it was, making her want to bury her head in her chest.
But then, Locke's voice echoed in her mind: "With my power, you may kill. No one in this world can make you bow!"
Her fragile heart wanted to hide, but the energy flooding her consciousness fought back. She bit her lip, standing still for a long time, before walking toward her locker with her chin up.
'Carrie, do not bow!'
"Carrie!"
She looked up to see Tommy, Sue's boyfriend. This time, she didn't look down, though her voice was still low. "Enough, Tommy. Stop making fun of me."
She couldn't believe anyone would genuinely invite her to a dance. It had never happened in her entire life. Besides, Tommy was Sue's boyfriend; this was obviously another cruel prank. She couldn't stop them from trying, but she could try to keep herself from falling for it.
Tommy looked her in the eye. "I'm not making fun of you. Really."
"You're Sue's boyfriend."
"I am. But she doesn't want to go to the dance."
"...Just go away." Carrie felt a stir of hope, but her self-preservation made her refuse again.
What if it was a trap? Weak students in any school have a very clear map of the social hierarchy—who is powerful, who is ordinary, and who is a target. Carrie knew Tommy was with Sue, and Sue was best friends with Chris—the girl who had filmed her in the locker room.
In the gym, Miss Desjardin—the teacher who had punished Chris and truly cared for Carrie—spotted the girl sitting with her knees pulled up. After hearing what happened, the teacher comforted her.
"Carrie, the world isn't entirely malicious, is it? Take that handsome boy from the competition team..."
Carrie looked at her. "Locke?"
Miss Desjardin nodded. "Exactly. Since he arrived, there have been so many girls trying to get his attention, yet he's the only one who went out of his way to talk to you and shake your hand. If Sue wasn't on the competition team, do you think he would have bothered speaking to her at all?"
Carrie shook her head. "I don't know."
The teacher led her to a mirror. Looking at the girl who was finally holding her head high, she smiled. "See? When you look up, you aren't inferior to anyone else. You shouldn't hide. The girl who looks up and the girl who looks down are two completely different people."
Carrie bit her lip, staring at her reflection.
...
Later that afternoon, Carrie saw a car parked in front of her house. She ran over to find Tommy about to walk up to her front door. "What are you doing here?"
Tommy smiled. "I thought you might invite me in?"
Carrie shook her head frantically. "What do you want? You can't be here."
Tommy chuckled. "Alright. It's about the dance."
Carrie looked nervously toward the road; she could practically feel her mother's presence getting closer. "I already said no."
"I know. But I was hoping you'd change your mind. Girls are allowed to do that."
"Why do you want to invite *me*?"
"Because I want to."
"You should leave."
"I'm not leaving until you say yes."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I think we'll have a great time," Tommy said. "And because the poem you read in class really moved me. I actually went to the library to find the book—the one about Samson pulling down the temple, right?"
Carrie looked down the road to the right, then back at Tommy. "Okay. Fine. I'll go."
It wasn't just because her mother was about to arrive. It was because she was finally holding her head up.
And she intended to keep it that way.
***
Very Close to 300 stones guys, just 10 more stones, but I'll post a chapter in advance 😉
I trust you my lovely readers
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666