David entered the cafeteria. The spacious hall was filled with the noise of voices, the smell of hot food, and the buzz of dozens of conversations. But his gaze immediately fell on the very same guys who had once tried to humiliate him. They noticed him as well, and predatory smirks spread across their faces.
As David's steps crossed the threshold, four of them rose from their seats. Their leader, a tall boy with sharp features named Han, moved toward him, the others following close behind.
"Hey, Han, what are you gonna do?" one of his lackeys asked, his voice trembling with anticipation.
Han shot him a mocking look and hissed,
"I'll beat him so badly he'll beg me for mercy."
"Don't forget," the boy on his left interrupted, "he's ranked number one in the second year. And, by the way, he already has a title."
Han froze mid-step, his expression hardening. That news caught him off guard.
"What did you just say?.. He has a title?"
"Yeah," his companion confirmed.
Inside Han, anger boiled, mixed with a sharp pang of fear. Backing down wasn't an option — dozens of eyes were on him. Yesterday, he had personally seen David lift over twenty-five tons, yet retreating now would mean disgrace. What should I do?.. flashed through his mind, but his feet kept carrying him forward.
All the students in the hall were watching. Even that strange boy who had sat next to David during the lecture looked up from his tray.
Finally, Han stopped directly in front of David. He loomed over him by a few centimeters, trying to crush him with a downward stare.
"I challenge you to a duel. Do you accept?"
Fighting was forbidden in the academy. But for those who had cleared the prologue and passed the trials, there was a special rule: official duel challenges were permitted. Accept or refuse — those were the only choices.
David looked at Han. His face was cold, devoid of any emotion.
"I accept."
The words fell like a stone into water. Han's smile vanished, a flicker of doubt flashing in his eyes. He had counted on a refusal, but things had turned out differently.
"Fine," he said, his voice tighter than he intended. "Two o'clock, at the academy arena."
Turning quickly, he strode away. His friends followed close behind.
In the hallway, one of them asked cautiously,
"Han, what are you gonna do?"
He didn't answer. His thoughts were tangled, fear pressing down harder than he expected. Suddenly, everything around him seemed to freeze. The hum of voices disappeared. The footsteps of his friends dissolved into silence.
Han turned — and saw that no one was there. Just an empty corridor.
"What the…" he muttered, but never finished the sentence.
Behind him stood a dark figure. It watched him silently, its gaze burning straight through him. A hand rose and brushed toward his face. Han's world was swallowed by darkness.
David, ignoring Han's departure, calmly made his way to the counter. After taking his food, he scanned the hall. Every seat was occupied — except one, across from the same boy with the gloomy expression.
Approaching, David asked,
"Mind if I sit here?"
The boy's expression didn't change. His voice came out flat, almost lifeless:
"Yeah, sit down, dude."
There was something strange in his tone, as if nothing in the world mattered to him. David sat down across from him and involuntarily began to study him. He couldn't figure out which clan the boy belonged to. But what intrigued him even more was why someone from a clan would attend a lecture meant for commoners.
The silence between them dragged on. At last, David couldn't hold back.
"What's your name?"
The boy slowly raised his dull eyes and said,
"Feels like crying. Call me whatever you want, buddy."
Not a muscle on his face twitched. It seemed as though he was speaking of eternal sorrow that had fallen upon him alone.
David smirked faintly.
"In that case, I'll call you Noah."
"Oh… good name. Feels like crying…" he replied again, his voice as expressionless as before.
David frowned. This guy seemed strange, yet there was something oddly… captivating about him.
After finishing his meal, David stood up.
"See you, Noah."
"Ah… feels like crying… later, pal," Noah answered, his gaze still filled with lifeless gloom. But inside, he thought:
Too bad… I just made a friend, and he's already leaving. Feels like crying…