"Like I explained before, using your senses other than your eyes is far more important in actual combat."

With my eyes closed, I listened to the voice echoing. I stood straight, touching the hard surface of a boulder.

My body tensed as the smell of the dried-up ground engulfed my nostrils.

"There will be times when your eyes will betray you," a strict and cold voice echoed again. "Times when what you see won't be real."

I nodded my head slightly to her words, keeping my senses focused on the boulder.

"Now, try using it again," she commanded, her voice trailing off.

"Huff..."

I drew in a deep breath before exhaling softly as I used Ruah.

It surged through my body, moving towards the arm that touched the boulder.

The lump of Ruah moved towards my fingertips.

Ruah is both exhausting and exhilarating energy to use.

It felt like the raw power of the stars bursting through my skin, tearing through my body.

It tore through the boulder, too.

My eyes went white, then black, then snapped back into an unpleasant sharpness.

Warmth spattered over my hand from within.

A dull THUMP cut through the silence as the broken, crushed boulder fell to the floor in a pile of silk.

The light returned to my eyes as I glanced back at Lauryn's silent face.

I jerked my hand to alleviate the burning warmth.

"You still can't control it," she commented, looking at the boulder. "It wasn't supposed to break apart."

"I still don't understand," I grumbled, genuinely frustrated. "How am I supposed to let Ruah pass through a non-living object without breaking it?"

"Learn how to do it before you ask why," she rebuked, glaring at me.

"Yeah, whatever," I whispered under my breath as I walked toward the water bottle.

Opening it, I took a sip as I turned around to look back at her.

"Will you tell me where the mid-term exams will be held if I ask?" I questioned, walking closer.

"No," she replied instantly without thinking, "your exams will happen next week anyway, why bother asking?"

"I see," I mumbled, gulping down the entire bottle.

'Why did I even ask?'

I wondered, glancing at her as she fixed her mahogany hair properly.

Like always, she was in a bad mood for no apparent reason.

She trained me harshly today as well, but I am already used to it.

"Classes will start soon," she commented, glancing at me. "Don't be late."

Leaving those words, she turned around before walking out of the training ground.

"Sigh..."

Sighing, I glanced at my reddish left hand.

Using Ruah for attack is hard, and even with my body that is being tempered with Neplh and Muspelh, I still take some damage.

'I hope learning how to use Ruah in a fight comes in handy later on.'

If I learn and get the hang of it, it might become my trump card in the mid-term exams.

[...Why did you even ask when you already know where the exams will be held?]

El asked, his voice doubtful.

'Because I don't know if my influence has changed anything again or not.'

With what happened to Ethan and how things turned out around him, I can't help but be anxious about the mid-term exams.

'I don't even know how things will turn out.'

Cleaning up my body with a towel, I thought silently.

If anything, I know my mother will do something terrible.

...Like she did in the game.

[I am curious, Az, what was the most gruesome thing your mother did in that game?]

'Leave the other games aside, she did worse things in the first game itself.'

I replied, placing the towel back in the bracelet. I walked out of the training ground as well.

The sun had just begun to rise, but the heat was still grazing my skin.

[And what did she do?]

'She did a massacre.'

I replied quietly as I remembered those vivid scenes from the game.

The blood that spilled, the bodies that fell, the lives that were lost, and the faith that was broken.

'.....She butchered an entire army of angels in front of everyone.'

[.....]

She broke the faith that everyone had.

....Faith in the three main Gods.

[....Az.]

As I silently walked towards my dormitory room, El's solemn voice echoed in my head.

'Yeah?'

[Why did your mother even kill those Angels?]

'....Because she wanted nourishment for her growth.'

[Don't tell me...]

'Yep, she used heavenly angels as nourishment.'

***

***

"Arghh, classes are a pain in the ass," Aimar, walking beside me, grumbled, stretching his body.

"Can you just shut up?" Aaliyah remarked, walking beside Oliver. "All you do is sleep anyway."

"Huh!?" He let out a startled voice, staring at her. "Just so you know, madam, I am always attentive in class." He grumbled.

"Like hell you are." She rebuked, glaring at him. "You just sleep."

He looked at her, dumbfounded, before he turned towards me. "The fuck happened to her? Wasn't she the shy type?"

"I don't know," I replied, shrugging. "Ask Oliver."

"Wait, who are you calling shy?" She grumbled, her eyes narrowing.

"Oye, Oliy." Aimar haughtily turned towards Oliver. "Say something."

Oliver looked at him as he replied, "Stop bothering her."

Aimar's expression crumbled as he looked at him, dumbfounded.

"I feel your pain, brother." I patted his shoulder as I whispered, "That sneaky chick changed him."

"You're my only brother from now on, Azariah." He hugged my shoulder while glaring at Oliver, "And fuck you, Oliy."

He grinned as he asked, "When?"

"Aye!" Aaliyah slapped his arm, glaring at him. "What are you saying?"

"Ahem, nothing," he replied calmly, averting his gaze from her.

"Anyway, bro," she turned around and looked at me, "did you talk with Ashlyn?"

"She isn't picking up my phone," I replied, shaking my head.

"What happened to her?" She mumbled, a dejected look on her face. "She has been absent for half a month."

"I will just go visit her home today," I replied, looking at her.

"Tell me what happened to her tomorrow," she replied, nodding her head.

'....I hope her situation isn't serious.'

I thought, looking around the hallway. The students were moving towards the canteen.

From what I know, her sister is having some issues.

While I would have visited Ashlyn sooner, the last stunt that her sister pulled made me hesitate.

Anyway, they live in a safe place under my mother's protection, so there shouldn't be any problem for now.

As I walked, I could feel quite a few gazes on me, some with malice and some with adoration.

'...I still can't wrap my head around how some girls even have a crush on a guy like me.'

I mused, stretching my body as I looked around.

My body, which had no muscles at the start, has now grown muscular. Even my height has increased by several inches.

'Huh?'

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

My steps abruptly stopped as someone blocked my way.

"...What?" I asked, looking at the silver-haired girl standing in front of me.

Her crimson eyes stared into mine as she stood without saying anything.

A few students stopped to look at us, including the twins who had now moved to the sidelines to enjoy the show.

'Those two fuckers are always the same.'

I grimaced, glaring at the two who took out a pack of popcorn, while Aaliyah gave me an apologetic look.

"I need to talk," Shyamal's voice made me look back at her.

"About what?" I asked, tilting my head.

"It's personal," she whispered softly, her eyes still staring at me.

"Personal?" I asked, even more confused now.

Since when was there anything personal between us?

"What—?"

"What's going on?" A high-pitched voice cut in, making me look back.

Walking through the crowd of students, Ethan arrived close to us.

He looked at both of us before glaring at me, "What are you doing to her, Azariah!?"

Ruby also walked behind him as she glared at me as well.

"None of your business," I replied, frowning.

He then turned around and looked at Shyamal as he asked softly, "Do you need my help?"

Her nose wrinkled as he stood close.

Taking a step back, she hid behind me as she replied sharply, a look of disgust on her face, "No."

'..Right, Vessels hate the smell of Avatars,' I mused, observing her unusual response.

Ethan looked at her silently, then he glanced at me, his eyes turning cold, "What did you—?"

"Enough, I don't have time for this," I interrupted as I glanced back at Shyamal. "If you really want to talk, then find me sometime later."

She nodded, her crimson eyes still staring at me.

"Sigh..."

Sighing heavily, I walked away from them.

'Why is she such a weirdo?'

I wondered, rubbing my temples.

My phone vibrated as I took it out from my pocket.

My steps halted again as I looked at the number—Ashlyn's number.

Quickly picking it up, I whispered, "Hello, Ashlyn? Are you alright?"

"....."

I just heard heavy breaths without any reply.

"Ashlyn?" I whispered again.

A long silence lingered, making me wonder if the call was disconnected.

"....Az," I heard her voice—a broken, trembling voice.

"....Ashlyn?" I asked, hardly recognizing her voice.

"....Every...one died," she whimpered, her voice cracking.

"Wha—what, hey, what are you saying?" Confusion and anxiety filled my mind as I asked, desperate for answers.

"My...sister....She isn't here anymore."