Chapter 34 : Chapter 34
Chapter 34 : Late
Sal panted heavily as he finally returned to the dormitory.
He had poured so much time into his blueprint work that Upgrade had poked her head into the room and asked if he planned on living there for the rest of his life.
Sal had wanted to run out right then and there, but Upgrade held him back, insisting on reviewing the blueprint he was drawing together.
Thanks to that, it took up quite a bit of time, but in return, he received incredible feedback from Upgrade.
It was clear she was deeply interested in the project Sal was working on.
"Upgrade, I'm sorry. I really don't have time."
"Sure, I'll just wither away in the workshop with my old friends."
Sal left the workshop without being able to retort.
As he headed toward the circular auditorium, countless first-year students had already gathered to enjoy the party.
"I'm late...!"
Arriving in his room, Sal quickly moved to open his wardrobe and find something that looked as decent as possible.
It was finally a chance to see people as something other than gray blobs, so he couldn't mess it up.
Trying on black slacks made him feel like he was going for an interview, and trying on white pants just made him anxious about spilling something.
"Ugh, what should I wear?"
Most of his clothes were gray to match his eye color, but now that gray was the same color as the school uniform, it was the worst option.
"Dammit, I don't know. Let's pick a top first. A white shirt should be safe."
Just as he picked up the shirt, he paused, smelling himself.
The shirt fell to the floor, and Sal muttered a curse as he ran to the bathroom.
It was a miracle he didn't cut himself while shaving.
Glancing in the mirror, Sal noticed his hair starting to grow unruly and vowed to get a haircut soon.
Suddenly curious, Sal activated his Mythos Crafter ability, and his gray eyes turned a brilliant purple.
Since maintaining the ability took almost no effort, he briefly considered whether it was worth keeping these eyes throughout the party.
But he shook his head, deactivated the ability, and headed back to the wardrobe.
"White shirt, gray V-neck sweater... roll up the sleeves? Good... collar open? Done."
Sal muttered as he got dressed.
Then his eyes sparkled at the answer that appeared before him.
"And jeans!"
Checking himself three times in front of the mirror, Sal finally opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.
It was already late, but at least he wasn't in his gray uniform anymore.
Sal felt satisfied with his appearance for the first time in a while and wondered what others would look like in their casual clothes.
After closing the door and checking that he had his Q-Card, he walked toward the elevator.
"Sal! Hurry up! Before someone takes me away!"
Hannah waved and called out to Sal with a laugh.
She had spotted him before he had even taken two steps down the stairs of the circular auditorium.
Beside her, a male student with a serious expression was holding several plastic cups.
But before he could descend the stairs fully, Divinity called him from the left.
"Sal, there's someone I want to introduce you to!"
Sal was completely caught off guard seeing Divinity in casual clothes.
The uniform really was the problem.
She wore a short crop top and jeans, completing the style with leather boots that came up to her knees and a striking leather jacket.
The person standing next to her was someone Sal had never seen before.
A mysterious girl with black hair, cold blue eyes, and the best poker face Sal had ever seen.
She wore a black skirt that came down to her ankles and a top that looked like a corset combined with a white shirt, strangely giving off the vibe of a pirate undertaker.
Divinity beckoned him closer with an even brighter smile.
As Sal approached, the pirate undertaker-like girl looked at the two of them with a weary expression.
"You know, it's weird enough that you're talking to me, but I'm not interested in your friend either. Can't you just leave me alone?"
If annoyance could be personified, this girl was it.
Divinity tried to soothe her and gave Sal a pleading look.
"Uh... Melanie, this is Sal... Sal, this is Melanie!"
All the puzzle pieces fit together instantly.
Sal stepped forward intending to offer a handshake but stopped upon seeing Melanie's expression.
She looked extremely uncomfortable with the situation, as if ready to explode at any moment.
Realizing this, Sal changed his strategy.
"Divinity, did you happen to tell Melanie about that vision?"
Sal looked back and forth between the startled Divinity and Melanie, who suddenly showed curiosity.
"Ah, I'm really sorry, Melanie. Actually, we weren't sure if we should talk about this... but since Divinity met you here today, maybe it's fate?"
Sal tried to soothe Melanie's suspicion while stimulating her curiosity.
Judging by her expression, she definitely seemed to want to know more.
Melanie uncrossed her arms, tilted her head to one side, and frowned.
"What vision are you talking about?"
Sal put on a troubled expression as if he didn't want to say.
Raising the tension for a few seconds, he finally let out a deep sigh and acted as if he was reluctantly revealing it.
The corners of Divinity's mouth began to lift slightly.
Sal gestured for Melanie to sit in the spectator seats, and he sat down as well.
Divinity went down to the seats on the lower level instead of sitting between them, kneeling on the seat to look up at the two.
Meeting Melanie's gaze, Sal chose his words carefully.
"We saw a few visions about the future, and in many cases, the beginning was similar. You start hearing certain voices and think you're going crazy. You can't focus on daily life and can't get any work done..."
Melanie's eyes widened, and Sal added a few of his guesses as if he had seen them.
"You feel like you don't belong in this academy, and you think your ability isn't strong enough to be a hero, right?"
Melanie straightened her shoulders and put on a flustered expression as if she might crumble at any moment.
Her eyes darted busily between Sal and Divinity, and she opened her mouth almost in a whisper.
"Do I hurt someone in the future?"
Her fear was blatantly obvious to anyone watching.
Sal could tell she was imagining all sorts of terrible futures from just that one sentence, running through countless scenarios in her head.
With this kind of reaction, it was understandable why she would self-destruct in the future.
Sal slowly shook his head and smiled reassuringly.
"In the worst future, you get expelled, keep hearing voices, and eventually get swept up in it. There are many casualties, both human and monster, and you become one of the most powerful dangers in the city."
He paused for a moment, observing her reaction.
It was a look of disbelief.
He didn't know which part caused that reaction, but Sal continued his story.
"But there's also a future where everything works out. You enter the Savior Class and learn to handle your ability properly. In that future, you save thousands of people and eventually become one of the greatest heroes in history."
Divinity pointed at Sal with her chin.
"He's Rank 19 and I'm Rank 2. We've seen everything that happens in the coming months and years. This semester is the worst for evaluating your ability. That's why you end up getting expelled."
"What? Then..."
"If you join us, you'll rise to the top of the class and even enter the Red Zone before the semester ends."
Sal frowned slightly, and Melanie looked at Divinity with terror-filled eyes.
"Enter the Red Zone? Are you crazy?"
Judging that simple comfort or persuasion wouldn't soothe her, Sal changed direction to stimulate her curiosity again.
"Melanie, do you want to know what your ability is?"
Melanie's anger, which was about to explode, subsided in the blink of an eye.
She looked at Sal with wide eyes and asked in a voice that couldn't hide her hope.
"You know my ability?"
Sal nodded and shifted his posture slightly.
"I don't know what's written on your Q-Card, but it's probably a weak version of your true ability."
Melanie nodded, took out her Q-Card, and handed it to Sal.
"It says Spirit Medium. But there's no record of such an ability."
Sal confirmed that she was taking Analysis classes.
Among the modules she chose, nothing was related to that field.
It was her obvious mistake.
He returned the Q-Card to her and said.
"Spirit Medium is partly correct. Your ability is Necromancy. The power to handle the dead. As you get stronger, you'll be able to bring those voices to your side."
Sal looked at her carefully, hoping Melanie wouldn't have a mental breakdown.
But unexpectedly, a broad smile bloomed on her face.
"I can control the dead? And the voices in my head aren't because I'm crazy?"
As Sal and Divinity nodded, Melanie let out a deep sigh of relief.
"I really thought I was crazy! Then... what do I have to do to not end up like the first future?"
Sal knew she didn't fully believe everything, but just having this conversation and showing interest was enough.
He spread his hands and said.
"The first future happened because you didn't make friends and fell behind in classes. We have no intention of forcing friendship on you... but we want to help as much as we can. If you move with us, the probability of you becoming a hero will be much higher."
He waited for her reaction, and she didn't disappoint.
Melanie snorted and shook her head.
"I thought you two were a weird couple trying to recruit me into a threesome or something. Seriously, until a few minutes ago, I thought this was the most elaborate pickup line of my life. But honestly, hearing that I become an incredible killer in the future doesn't make me feel too bad?"
Divinity burst into musical laughter and pointed at Sal.
"Tell me honestly... which is worse? Hearing you might become a disaster to the world, or getting hit on at a party?"
Melanie pretended to ponder, then looked at Sal and squinted slightly.
"Getting hit on is definitely worse."
Sal protested with a bewildered face, flustered.
"Hey, hey, wait a minute! I didn't do anything! You called me over first, don't you remember?"
Laughing, he raised both hands and stood up from his seat.
"Want something to drink? Shall I get you some?"
The two picked up their plastic cups from the floor to indicate they were fine.
Sal bowed his head playfully in farewell.
"See you later then."
Before he went down the stairs, Divinity called out to him.
"Give my regards to Victoria."
Divinity laughed with mischievous eyes and waved Sal away.
Shaking his head, Sal looked around the circular auditorium.
The evening air was cool, but the atmosphere was excited and warm.
Hundreds of freshmen were sitting in groups in the stands, laughing and chatting, and music and lights blended on the central stage, heightening the mood.
Sal recognized Hannah dancing with a few others in the middle.
On one side, a male student was handing out cups, and students were lined up holding their Q-Cards.
Curious, Sal approached that way to see what was going on.
But a few groups near the stairs went quiet as soon as they saw Sal, and he felt strange.
Turning his gaze, he soon found the reason.
The nameless female student sitting at the center with her arms crossed was a face Sal could never forget.
For a moment, Sal thought about paying that girl to heal Kane, but that was a ridiculous expectation.
Because he had clearly ruined that relationship with his own hands.
Rather than ignoring her and passing by, Sal nodded to her with a smile and walked down the stairs.