"I feel like you don't really understand me," affirmed Shauwn, sitting down, frustrated, his fingers massaging his temples.
"What's the matter, Shauwn?" replied the director, waiting for him to explain.
"Why do you think I withdrew to Silver Creek while keeping a low profile? I don't want to have to use what those bastards taught me anymore, because they're partly the reasons why... anyway."
"Why are you making such a drama out of it? Whether you use them or not, it's not like you could have interactions and a social life like the others, so—"
As soon as he heard that, using his chair as support, Shauwn leapt over the desk, legs joined, ready to strike the director before him.
His blow could not land because, just as his feet were about to hit their target, Eriksha moved the director by sweeping away the supports of the chair with one strike. He had fallen but had avoided being struck by his future student.
Shauwn gnashed his teeth; his action had failed and now he was lying on the back of his interlocutor's desk. The secretary wasted no time: since the young man's legs were still extended, she used her own legs, and with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, struck his shins.
The leverage effect caused by her act forcibly pulled Shauwn away, who stepped back, rolling backward and catching himself with the help of his chair.
Shauwn had not acted out of anger. True, what the director had said had personally stung him, but it was not enough to provoke animosity in him—at worst, he was merely irritated. Because the director was right: his skills had been imprinted into him, and even if he wanted to, he could not rid himself of them.
However, he had just pushed the director to affirm his true intentions without realizing it. Because his earlier words had revealed to him something important: the director didn't care about him; otherwise, he wouldn't have addressed him with words that could potentially wound him. However, there was some importance in his presence at Arcanum. And that, he would have to discover.
To legitimize his assault against his interlocutor, he had had to feign that feeling in order to determine another factor: the strength he had to face. Shauwn had already accepted the fact that he would probably have to survive among thousands of supernaturals. To do so, he had to determine just how much stronger than him they were. And for that, he at least needed to take a direct hit to get an approximate idea.
The director himself had realized far too late: Shauwn had started steering the conversation the moment he mentioned the program, forcing him to reveal more than he knew, to leak his thoughts toward him in a veiled manner. And to use that occasion to test himself.
This boy... I got tricked... annoying.
"Please, Mr. Arkynas, calm down," pleaded Eriksha, as she put her head back on her shoulders.
"I knew I shouldn't have fallen for your fine words, neither in Silver Creek, nor here," insisted Shauwn, ironic.
"Oh my... I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to hurt you."
"Director, you should get up now," continued the young woman, her stitches mysteriously restored.
"Of course," he said, following his assistant's orders. "I beg your pardon for my inappropriate words."
"Don't worry about that, Director, I know it wasn't intentional. So, how long must I hide my nature?"
"Until I can officially announce it."
"I need more details."
"When I find the right opportunity..."
Shauwn rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, exasperated. He didn't know how long he could survive here. The experiment he had just done had proven it: he could no longer really feel his own body; he was simply pretending to be fine. Moreover, he knew full well that Eriksha had held back so as not to impact him too heavily.
[ A pre-existing skill has been detected!]
[ Skill Emotional Filter detected ! ]
[ Mask of Neutrality detected ! ]
[ Pain Resistance detected ! ]
[ Due to your various confrontations, your Intermediate Pain Resistance (Novice) → Intermediate Pain Resistance (Medium) ]
Shut up!!
If he wanted to stay undercover, then the best way was not to attract attention, to avoid involvement, and most importantly, to avoid confrontation as much as possible. Otherwise, escape would be the rule.
When the voice echoed again in his mind, Shauwn thought of asking the director what he knew about it. He wasn't going to talk about the voice, but about what was supposed to have awakened in him: the antithesis gene.
"Given the mess you've put me in, could you at least answer a question?" asked Shauwn, curious about what information he might extract.
The director was rather surprised, but he accepted.
"Go on."
"You wouldn't happen to know what the antithesis gene is, by any chance?"
The director's eyes widened in shock, but soon gave way to a severe, dark expression. The atmosphere of the room seemed to darken and distort, though it lasted only a moment. Before he replied, with no trace of hostility, wearing instead a smile proclaiming innocence.
"No. AND FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO AVOID MENTIONING THAT INSIDE MYSTIC ISLE. That also goes for the professors, even if most of them are aware of your existence... IF, OF COURSE, YOU WANT TO LIVE PEACEFULLY HERE."
He's lying, and warning me at the same time...
"And to prove my goodwill, I'll do my best not to interfere too much in your student life and its unfolding."
"I'll believe you then..." added Shauwn, doubtful.
"Good. I'll deliver some belongings to you in... hmm, let's say at 7 p.m. My secretary Eriksha has already prepared a guide to take you to your little place. After that, feel free to explore! Oh, by the way, I like your new dye, it strangely suits you."
"Dye—"
He couldn't finish his sentence because, as the director snapped his fingers, a mysterious mist appeared and carried him away. There was no longer any trace of Shauwn in the office.
"Are you serious!!" cried Eriksha, more expressive after Shauwn's departure.
"It had to be done, otherwise that boy... I mean, it would have gone on in endless discussion, it was necessary to cut it short," continued the director, weary. "So, what do you think of him?"
"I don't know him, so it's you I should be asking, since he's here thanks to you."
"And his skills? You managed to exchange a bit earlier," he said, intrigued.
"Well, honestly, if that's what he's relying on to enter Arcanum, he won't survive."
The director burst into laughter.
"You need to learn how to gauge. I can tell you Shauwn was only at 10% of his capacity. If he really wanted to fight, this office wouldn't already still be in this state. Besides, it's not like he was truly fighting—you should have felt it. Shauwn wasn't sharp enough yet; I conclude his senses are coming back? His assault had no purpose... no, rather it's not that his action lacked intention, but that there was no will to harm. He simply didn't fight with the intent to kill or neutralize his opponent, because if that had been the case, human or not... he would have left you with an indelible mark. Given that, in his current state, you would defeat him without difficulty."
"Who is he, really? What makes him so special and so dangerous? Yet I didn't sense anything disturbing."
"Exactly, that's what he wants to make you believe. Let's just say that everything he has lived through from the age of 7 to now has contributed to making him this way."
Eriksha was quite astonished. It was true that she had been surprised by the sudden attack he had attempted, yet she hadn't felt anything so...
"And about the gene? Why not tell him the truth?"
"I hadn't expected him to be aware of it. I thought that would only happen once he settled in and lived within the community. However, he still doesn't seem to understand what it is. For the moment, that's fine. I'm more curious as to how he could have learned of it. The world, huh..." he declared, staring blankly into space.