Thursday.
Popularity? That had changed. The low tiers of Silvic High seemed to recognise me now as a model. Most of them had begun talking back to their bullies, even going so far as to lay a finger on them. However, that whole confidence was bolstered by Aria's return.
With Aria around, the halls were more lousy. The low tiers were more comfortable. This was Silvic High when there was a high tier that actually wasn't a fan of the hierarchy. Aria had even been frequenting the lower floor cafeteria, just to eat and chat with low tiers.
Tyler? He was suspended just after I anonymously sent his recorded confession to Mr Ross. Two weeks of school deprivation. That was enough time to get him off my hair.
And it was all starting to come to my knowledge. This was everything I'd worked for. To become strong enough to beat him. To save myself from a suspension. Apparently, that was supposed to be the end of my mission.
Right?
"Hey, grey eyes." Aria's voice interrupted my thoughts. She was standing in front of my table, holding up her food tray. "What 'ya doing?"
She slammed her food tray against the table, probably assuming that she was being the most gentle as she did that. Then, without permission, she sat, dug her fork into her cabbages and took a loud munch at it.
"I prefer eating alone," I said, trying my best to sound calm.
"That's your problem." She said while chewing, wiggling her fork here and there.
"If you're still waiting for me to thank you for the other day, then don't." My voice became firmer. "As I said, I didn't need your help-"
"The low tiers keep calling you out to me, claiming that you beat Tyler the other day. I'm sure you feel like a hero now." She snickered, still wiggling her fork.
Gosh. How much more annoying could she become?
"But I'm curious though." She continued, totally ignoring the frown on my face. "How did you pull it off. He's a middle tier, and you're...just a guy who insists on skipping the gym."
Her eyes studied me as she said that last part. Not that I could blame her anyway. Girls rarely work out, and so when she does, she'd decided to throw it in everyone's face. Like, hey everyone, look how fit I am. It was no easy feat.
Cocky idiot.
I continued eating, completely ignoring her. And just when I thought she was going to finally shut the hell up, her phone notification bell rang. She pulled it out, and looking into the screen, her eyes widened slightly.
"My application was approved? That fast?" She asked no one in particular and continued scrolling through. "But I just applied an hour ago."
"You're trying for the BHA?" I asked, eventually resisting the urge to mind my business. "Why?"
Then again, I didn't know much about Aria. But judging from her disinterest in school hierarchy and power scaling, I didn't think she'd want to be a part of the hunters. It didn't matter how government-sponsored and uncharacteristic they sounded, but the hunters were also a part of the world hierarchy.
"Uhh, why not?" Aria had put her phone away, and she resumed munching on her food- loudly. "Must there be a specific reason why anyone should apply for the BHA?"
One specific reason I knew was the disadvantage. My powerlessness. But then, maybe that was a foolish excuse to hold on to, because thousands of people were probably currently applying for the examination.
And yet, only ten were going to be selected as winners.
Even with an ability, what would be my new excuse? That-among thousand others-there was no way I had a chance of running up on the top ten list?
Chronic justification. At least that was what Amelia had diagnosed in her most recent pep talk. She mentioned that if I kept on finding reasons why I couldn't do the hard and risky things, I'd suffer hard consequences.
I wasn't sure whether my application for the BHA had anything to do with hard consequences. But in my opinion, maybe it was actually worth the shot. After all, the admins of the BHA had extended the examination terms for cripple's participation.
It sounded like a one-time opportunity, one that I shouldn't miss.
"But you're right. I do have a reason." Aria said after a while of a minute of silence. Well, that lasted for a while. "After all, I'd never been interested in going to college. That's another three years of torture and a graduation hat to show for it all." She said, matter-of-factly. "The BHA is only 18 months long, and even after that, you're guaranteed a job."
She was right. After one finishes from the Hunter's Academy, they're given a job and allocated to one of the Bureau Hunter department units. The pay was granted depending on your level, but it was still way better than some other uniform jobs in the country.
"And I don't plan to work in a restaurant forever, so the BHA is still my best bet- if I'm lucky."
Lucky? Even as I hated to admit it, she definitely wouldn't need luck. She was luck herself, cloaked with silver hair and dark red eyes. If the Order feared her, then her rank was way beyond what anyone could imagine.
A-rank? Honestly, it's hard to think that her rank wasn't higher than that. But it was probably A. If higher, then the school would be stunned to figure out that there was a transcendent among us.
Transcendents were a rare kind of people whose rank was beyond the normal power scaling structure. Their decided rank was usually S. And they were commonly known for living under shadows. Fake identities. Just so they wouldn't be discovered.
"Why? Don't you plan to register?" Aria cut in, her eyes waiting for my answer.
"Not your business." I cleared my throat and looked away. "Are you gonna leave?"
"Are you gonna eat that?" She replied with another question, then grabbed a spoon and scooped my mashed potatoes.
"Hey!"
*******
"Why do I still hesitate?"
My hands went stiff on the knob of the staff room door, something in me still refusing to waltz in there and ask to register for the BHA. Sheer embarrassment? For anything, the students here weren't the only ones looking me down as a mere cripple without significance.
The teachers were like that too. And they showed it at the opportunity they got. Brutal eye stares. Insistent suspensions. Unfair judgment. And even now, I knew they'd probably try to deny me a right to apply.
Why did all those intrusive thoughts matter anyway? Through embarrassment, I'd been punched and gotten a system. Through the embarrassment, I'd sent the most persistent bully I know on a two-week holiday.
Through embarrassment.
And BHA? I was going for its tryout. Not because I planned to win, but because finally, I was getting to do the things I couldn't do just because I was called weak and unproductive.
And-
"I have good news and bad news," Amelia said, her hologram appearing. "The good news is that a challenger noticed your progress in the tournament and invited you to a duel."
Like a multiplayer kind of thing? Only that I was the only real person in the tournament.
"What's the bad news?" I asked immediately, almost sounding like I was dying to hear the whole bad side of this.
A system panel appeared at my left side, the cropped picture of a young girl with purple hair and eyes. The wide grin on her face explained just enough. She was a psychopath.
Beneath the picture were her details.
[Opponent]
[Name: EMBER]
[Difficulty: Impossible]
[Duel/ Decline]
Impossible? Oh.. I see now. She was just another psychopath who couldn't just pick on people of her own size. I could barely keep up with the insane difficulties, an impossible one was like a straight death wish.
Death wish, huh?
"Amelia," I called with a knowing smile. "How far could this challenge boost my stats?"
"Don't tell me you're thinking of accepting." She lowered her eyes at me. "You really want to die, don't you?"
"Probably." My smile remained plastered to my face. "Duel."
"Ren-!"