CHAPTER 44: CAUGHT IN THE ACT
"Calm down, Elena! This is not the time to fight among ourselves."
Daniel watched with cold eyes as Principal Martin, a bald-headed man with gentle eyes, tried to de-escalate the situation.
His eyes remained fixed on the young but tall girl opposite him, who was matching his gaze with an equally...no, with a more chilling one.
The girl's hair was a blend of gold and snow white, something that would have turned heads in the world of yesterday. She had light golden eyes, and a busty yet athletic body that could enchant the mind of any sane man.
'Elena.' The name echoed in his mind continuously. This was a girl he had always eyed, of course secretly. But she was a figure he could only gaze at from afar. Not only did she hold the undisputed position of number 1 beauty of Westbridge Academy, she was also an admirable student before the apocalypse. She was the head girl, the president of the student council, not to mention the power her own family wielded.
She was simply the dream girl.
She was the famous Cold Beauty of Westbridge Academy!
Yet that same girl was glaring at him with chilly eyes, a murderous intent that shouldn't be found around any child her age radiating around her in waves.
Above her floated several ice spikes, the cold spreading outward from them, causing the temperature in the room to plummet. And behind her was a small group of survivors, mainly composed of girls, who were likewise glaring at him.
But Daniel himself couldn't be underestimated. After all, he was also an Epic-rank awakened.
Six spears made from his own blood floated above his head as he watched Elena intensely for the slightest movement.
'This bitch… acting like she’s above everyone as always.'
'Just because she was born lucky…'
'But things are now different. In this new world, power is all that matters.'
Even with all that said, he couldn't stop his hands from trembling in anger, and a look of irritation flickered across his face for a moment before he composed himself.
Till now, he couldn't understand how she had found him out. After the night event, he felt a pressure building within his chest, one that almost overwhelmed him.
So, he had to let loose. He needed to find an outlet.
That was when his eyes had landed on a girl, a junior in high school. He had planned to let their fears fester and build for a while before making a move, but he couldn't wait any longer.
'After everything I did… holding them together… keeping them alive...was it too much to ask for such a small thing?'
He had called the girl aside separately to the adjacent room. After a few minutes of cajoling and a bit of layered threat, the girl succumbed to his advances.
'She didn’t even resist that much…So what’s the problem?'
He had barely cupped a feel, and was about to let his inner devil out when Elena suddenly barged into the class before confronting him.
And that was what led to the current situation.
As for the principal, he had simply appeared with another group just when the tension was starting to rise. And Daniel was even surprised to find his little brother among them, bringing a sense of relief to his mind.
"Elena?" Principal Martin suddenly spoke again.
Elena's eyes lingered on him for a moment before she turned her gaze to the principal.
"I am sorry, Principal. But I can't just let this pass. It has only been a day since the apocalypse descended, yet this scum is already showing his true nature."
Daniel's jaw clenched tightly, as a vein popped on his forehead.
'Scum? Me?'
But as if not noticing his reaction, or perhaps not caring, Elena continued:
"Even going after the female teacher in his group would already earn him my ire, yet this scumbag went after a young girl. And you want me to let him be?"
Daniel finally couldn't hold his anger back anymore as he burst out.
"Little bitch, how dare you talk to me like that? Have you forgotten that I am your teacher? Besides, do not speak as if you could do a thing against..."
His breath almost hitched as his words trailed off, his eyes widening at the sight before him. He wasn't the only one, as the great majority of those present shared the same reaction, with the exception of Elena herself and her group.
The six deadly spikes floating above Elena suddenly turned to twelve. That alone already shocked the group when three seconds passed and another set of six appeared. In less than half a minute, more than thirty ice spikes floated above the class, making the room suddenly feel cramped. Many shivered as they breathed icy air, the temperature in the room now comparable to a snowfall.
Daniel's throat bobbed as he squeezed out in a hoarse voice:
"How?"
He didn't understand. He couldn't understand.
'We both have Epic classes… so why…?'
'Why is she much stronger than me?'
The text above Elena's head clearly showed she also had an Epic class like him. Then just how was she able to summon so many projectiles when Daniel himself could only summon six? It wasn't as if he couldn't cast more after the cooldown passed, but he wouldn't be able to control them.
But clearly, it wasn't the same for the girl across from him.
Elena didn't reply, as her golden eyes shone with an icy light, her usual cold expression giving way to an impassive one—one that almost made Daniel break into a sweat.
'She wouldn’t dare… right?'
But even as he thought that, his instincts screamed at him. They shouted at him to turn and run, without looking behind.
Luckily for him, Principal Martin intervened once again, as he directly walked between them, blocking their line of sight.
"Haa... little Elena, you saw those monsters that appeared last night. We need every bit of strength we can get if we want any chance at survival. Besides, don't let the apocalypse change who you are. You shouldn't get any blood on your hands." He added with a gentle smile. "That is not the Elena I know."
The chill in Elena's eyes cooled, while the temperature slowly returned to normal.
Principal Martin, seeing that his words had an effect, turned to face Daniel, the look of disappointment on his face clear for all to see.
"Haa... Mr. Daniel. What do you say about us joining groups? If we want to survive this apocalypse, we need to support each other."
While it seemed like he was asking Daniel, anyone with sharp observation could see he was making a statement.
Daniel felt the anger that had given way to his fear suddenly come back, stronger than before.
'These bastards…'
'They wouldn’t last a day without me.'
'And now they’re looking at me like I’m the problem?'
'Fine.'
'Let them cling to their morality.'
'In the end, they’ll still need me.'
He glared at Elena, a look of hatred flashing on his face, before his eyes returned to the principal.
'Old righteous prick!'
*****
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