Eli looked toward the entrance and saw a slender Southern boy with a digital bag floating behind him, standing on the threshold. His long dark red hair band fell loosely over his forehead, covering one of his eyes. However, the hair couldn't conceal his elegant, well-defined face and charming red pupils, which had a reddish tint staining the whites of his eyes. He was tall, at least 6'2". All in all, it was a classic vampire look as depicted in the movies.
Eli clenched his hands so hard that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood as intense rage and anger assaulted him. Killing intent began to seep out of him as he glared at the student. He hadn't forgotten about the vampires, even though he had hardly seen them or heard of their activities being reported. In fact, they were seen in the world as fantasy tales. But the system said they killed his parents, and he saw it with his own eyes when he was young—the vine made of blood binding his mother to the ground. Flashbacks began to assault Eli, flashbacks of the time he walked into his parents' murder scene before it became a murder scene and saw the perpetrators, that hooded figure, that blonde man. Eli was not completely consumed by the rage as he was doing everything in his might to control his killing intent, even biting down on his tongue and filling his mouth with blood from the cut on his tongue. But sooner rather than later, he would be completely consumed.
[Inspect Activated]
[Name: Van Halen]
[Level: 5]
[Ability: Water Manipulation]
[Advanced Battle Arts: Nebula (B-rank)]
[Stage: Introductory (8th Level)]
[Strength: ??]
[Agility: ??]
[Stamina: ??]
[Skills: ???]
[HP: 1200 (+300 Medium Grade Force Field)]
Eli stared at the incomplete notification, not incomplete because of the question marks on the stats and skills, but because there was no information about the race. "Is he human? Is he a vampire?" Eli mumbled.
[Van Halen is completely human and has undergone intense operation and biological reprogramming and integration, which caused his strengthened heart and high tenacity and health, which also affected his hair and eye color.]
Eli's rage immediately receded like a sea wave after seeing this information. "Hey, are you okay? You were fidgeting," Eli looked up to see Jadeson Tanqour's worried face. Eli shook his head with a weak smile. "I just have a minor illness, it's nothing important," Eli answered.
Jadeson Tanqour looked at Eli with pity. He too was sick and couldn't afford the medication for his illness, so he understood the meaning of Eli's statement and didn't press further.
"Come on in."
Venortt Benetto said with a smile; a rare sight on her hard face.
The boy was the best student and had earned many prizes during the national Math and Arena competition. He was already guaranteed to be admitted to the Silver Fountain University. Therefore, although he was late for class, Venortt Benetto did not mind the minor faux pas at all.
The handsome teenager walked across the classroom, soaking in the adoring gazes from girls.
The sight of the boy also heightened the spirit of the class leader, Chantelle Hermes. She glued her eyes on the beautiful boy, and infatuation was written all over her face.
"This guy is not only handsome but was also extremely smart! He achieved the best score in every single exam. What's even more infuriating was that he never studies! Like, NEVER! He could spend the night before the exam in the Game Hall playing Vulture Mayhem and still get an A+ on the exam. " Jadeson Tanqour said bitterly.
"He also plays the vanguard on the school Skyrocket team. Most of the girl who joined the cheerleaders did so because of him and Machine Billy Danielle."
After he had finished his rant, Jadeson Tanqour heaved a sigh and then said, "Fortunately, he likes Thalassa Aurelia, and all the girls knew it. Otherwise, we would never get a chance at any of the girls."
Eli's lips curled into a smile.
Seeing that Eli didn't take his words seriously, Jadeson Tanqour shot him a hot glance and asked: "You don't seem to care that much about van Halen, don't you?"
"Why should I?"
"Buzz off. Are you always so pretentious and cocky?" Jadeson Tanqour complained. "I don't like him either, but at least I admit that he is talented in his own right."
Eli cracked a smile and did not respond.
Jadeson Tanqour furrowed his brow as he felt this new boy was arrogant. However, he kept his opinion to himself.
Eli's high school life had finally begun.
As a transfer student who was very quiet, most of his classmates didn't pay much attention to him. Chantelle Hermes mistook his reticence for shyness and thought he was a pushover. Consequently, she assigned Eli the cleaning duties no one wanted, like sweeping the floor.
Hutton Academy High let students off school very early. Academic achievement wasn't the only path to success for these privileged teenagers from wealthy families. Many had already decided to relocate to another planet after graduating from Academy High. They had more options and less pressure compared to normal Academy students, whom they referred to as paupers.
One evening, like many before it, Eli walked along the lakeside path toward home after finishing his cleaning duties. Suddenly, he heard a faint cry for help.
"Tsk… Tsk… Tsk," Eli furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue.
Whatever was happening ahead was none of his business, but it was directly on his path. Turning around and taking a roundabout way would waste three hours.
When he got closer, he saw a man in his thirties wearing a patched blue and white striped long-sleeve sports kit of the Fernepotter Skyrocket team, with dark blue trousers. The man had a woman pinned under his chest, one hand covering her mouth to suppress her cries. Her clothes were in tatters, and she waved her arms helplessly, struggling to break free.
"I don't think she wants to make love on the hard ground, which is obviously covered with dirt!" Eli remarked.
[Inspect Activated]
[Name: Bandel Muji]
[Level: 3]
[Ability: Wind Manipulation]
[Advanced Battle Arts: None]
[Technique: Nine Swirling Wind Blades]
[Strength: ??]
[Agility: ??]
[Stamina: ??]
[Skills: Wind Blade]
[HP: 450]
The man was startled. With only the slightest hesitation, he let go of the woman and threw both hands out, sending nine swirling wind blades toward Eli.
Wind blades made by high-level ability users are invisible, but these nine wind blades were very visible and poorly condensed. They looked more like nine slices of badly shaped bread and couldn't even be called blades.
Eli pivoted on his left foot, folded his hands in a self-hug, and spun like a drill through the narrow space between the blades. Eli wasn't sure what technique he was copying or trying to achieve. The nine wind blades were going in different directions but swirling to the same point which made it impossible to dodge if executed perfectly. It was poorly executed, or perhaps due to the fact that the Crimson Paradise advanced battle arts gave him unimaginable arts comprehension, making other arts and techniques look inferior. A well-executed one looked like a child's work, and bad ones like this looked even worse. Eli landed gracefully in front of the stupefied man, covering the distance in a blink. He threw a punch straight to the man's throat, careful not to use all his strength, as that would cause the man's throat to explode, a death sentence for someone who had done nothing to him.
A damage screen popped up on the man's head.
[–400HP]
"THUD!"
The man collapsed to the ground like a broken doll, looking dead with his chest not even rising. Eli could hear his faint heartbeat.
Eli snorted. Using his toes, he flicked the body bag blocking his path away to the left to clear his way.
"Are you alright?" Eli asked the woman on the ground.
Upon closer inspection, he found that the woman was around twenty-seven and extraordinarily beautiful. She wore dark, heavy makeup and a flaming short seductive red nightgown. She reminded Eli of girls who worked at nightclubs.
"Why would you dress like this and walk by yourself in the middle of nowhere?" Eli mumbled.
[Inspect Activated]
[Name: Medulla Fenburg]
[Level: 3]
[Ability: Nature]
[Advanced Battle Arts: None]
[Strength: ??]
[Agility: ??]
[Stamina: ??]
[Skills: ??]
[HP: 500]
Having realized she was saved, the woman finally gathered herself. It wasn't until Eli helped her to her feet that she noticed her savior was an Academy High student. She recognized the emblem of the popular Academy in Hutton District: Hutton Academy High. She said gratefully, "Thank you so much! If not for you, I would have been…"
Tears poured from her eyes, and she couldn't finish her words.
"It's okay now. You are unharmed," Eli said.
The two started talking as the woman slowly recovered from the trauma.
Through the conversation, Eli learned that her name was Medulla Fenburg, and she owned a nightclub. She usually drove home after work, but tonight she had been drinking with friends. Since her bar was not far from her home, she decided to brave the walking path.
Medulla Fenburg seemed calm, but her voice still trembled.
If not for the boy from Hutton Academy High, she would have been raped or worse. Although she owned a bar, she was not as promiscuous as some of her customers.
The more she talked to Eli, the more appreciative she became for his rescue. She was slightly surprised when she heard that he, too, lived in the lakeside community.
"I live here too; what are the odds!" Medulla Fenburg batted her lashes, convinced that fate had brought them together.
The two walked along the highway toward the lakeside community. Having finally recovered from the traumatic experience, Medulla Fenburg's sharp sense of people returned.
"He is obviously a student of Hutton Academy High, but which one of those spoiled brats would choose to walk home? Judging by the Academy uniform he wore, he is not rich by any stretch of the imagination."
When she saw Eli, she saw not only a boy trying to fit in but also her former self when she left her hometown in the countryside to work in the District alone. She suddenly felt sorry for the boy.
When they reached the community gate and were about to bid farewell, Medulla Fenburg turned towards Eli, "Eli, have you ever thought about working part-time?"
"Working part-time?" Eli was caught off guard by the question.
"Yes, you can work for me. I own a bar called 'Della Tavern' near Hutton Park. It's very close to your Academy, so you can walk to work every day. I can offer you the normal monthly salary of a waiter plus a 1000-credit commission," Medulla Fenburg said carefully.
"Um…" Eli was amused by the offer he had 999,000,000 credits on the deluxe card the old man gave him, he sure didn't need a job.
Nonetheless, Medulla Fenburg's intentions were good. The money she offered was generous.
Seeing the boy hesitate, Medulla Fenburg added, "You can rest assured that there is no funny business in my bar. My customers are mostly students. Plus, I am still scared after what happened. I need your protection."
Seeing the sincerity in Medulla Fenburg's eyes, Eli nodded. "Okay."
"Remember to come to work tomorrow. The bar is called 'Della Tavern.' Ask for me when you get there," Medulla Fenburg said with a broad smile on her face.