CHAPTER 28: Ghost?
[Day of Torture: 21, Total Cellular Transformation Completed: 23.7%]
The numbers hung in front of me in the form of a Translucent Window.
[Evaluation of Unbroken Will complete: Rating Improved]
Archive hovered in front of me.
[I think you must have been a jailer in your previous life since the sheer atrocities you have been committing with your body lately cannot be described with mere words]
“I…HAH…cannot…HA-help…..” I tried to say while sucking air through my mouth and nose together.
I grabbed the water bottle from my bag and gulped down every last drop of it.
The chill of air vanished, steam rose from my body. If torture had a language then my body must have been screaming by now.
My body pained, I tried to sit straight but my body felt like lead.
I heard a low hiss, I turned my head to see the same girl with snow white hair and shining berry blue eyes walking.
I closed my eyes. It was always like that, She came around midnight, trained an hour and left without saying ever a single word. Sometimes she would come in front of me and demonstrate a certain stance for the exercise I was performing without saying anything. I would also correct myself through observation. If I am doing it right she would observe for a minute and then return to the middle of the ground for her own practice.
We never talked but after two weeks we had developed a natural recognition for each other and didn’t mind other’s presence.
But the footsteps never stopped, instead I felt a shadow covering my eyes from the starlight. I opened my eyes and saw two blueberries staring into my soul.
I sat up because those eyes commanded my full attention. Her golden band reflected the moonlight.
[Classification of Snow White Girl: Extremely Important Person]
I gulped and said “What’s up?”
“…………..”
“…………..”
[…………]
One minute, two minute, three minute…..my face became redder with every minute.
[And the worst pickup line in history award goes to….] Archive was about to say when she picked out a notepad and a pen from somewhere and started scribbling.
After five second she turned it towards me.
Why?
Was what was written in the notepad in a devastatingly beautiful handwriting.
[Her handwriting makes your handwriting look like vomit] Archive remarked.
I ignored it. Instead looked towards her and said.
“To survive, if you mean why I come here with this trash body of mine to exercise”
Her eyes opened a fraction wider
She started scribbling again, but before she could finish however the meaning arrived to me instantly.
“It means to not be squashed so badly that I need to be transported to cremation oven instead of a hospital bed, at least” I said with sincerely.
That made her smile
She started scribbling again
“I know, but at least this is better than sitting and crying over it” the meaning arrived directly to me.
This time her jaw dropped and she stopped writing and started staring at me with her wide eyes. In her hands she had the notepad with a written sentence.
But your form and sequence is terrible
[Omnilingual field test: Ongoing]
This time she put away her notepad and put her hand above her hips.
Are you a psychic or something? The meaning arrived to me directly.
“Nah, just a depressed teenager” I smiled as the conversation flowed naturally between us
Her lips opened a bit and meaning arrived directly in the form of a small laugh.
Heh
Then she looked around and then straight into my eyes.
Tomorrow be here sharp at 10 p.m .The meaning arrived to me
“Huh?” I wanted to ask but she vanished like wind.
[Is this what they refer to ‘Must have been the wind’?]
“I guess we will get to know tomorrow”
My day started with running to Mess for breakfast then towards the central lecture hall.
“WHY THE HELL ARE ALL OF MY CLASSES IN THE CENTRAL HALL!” I complained while my legs carried me towards the lecture hall at top speed.
[ It is because someone thought that it was better to argue with fellow roommates on the cover of polity textbook rather than getting some rest] the Archive reminded me.
I attended the lectures, ate lunch, did some self study in the library and ran towards mess for dinner at 9:00 PM
The door of martial dome opened with a slow hiss.
I looked at my band, 9:55 PM.
I looked here and there, the empty stadium provided me no answers.
I reached at the center of the stadium and my watch buzzed.
10:00 PM the watch said. Suddenly the air changed and I felt a prickling sensation on my back.
I slowly turned around and saw her.
She stood there, behind me. Her snow like hair made in a high ponytail.
Today she wore a black tracksuit and long black leggings. She was approx three heads taller than me.
I had to talk to her while looking up at her.
She didn’t waste any time and pointed towards the track.
25 Rounds, No break. The meaning arrived to me instantaneously.
“W-wait. I-“ before however I could object I saw her hands heading towards the swords at her hips.
And as any sane person my survival instincts kicked in.
She ran behind me hitting her wooden sword on the ground just behind me. “Eek” I regretted my all decisions upto this point.
[Training Regimen difficulty updated]
[Current Difficulty: Asian]
[Warning, the current events are being performed by professionals do not try this at home]
Archive began delivering commentary to an audience invisible to me while I prayed for my life.
I crawled back to my dorm, dead both in my mind and spirit.
The dorm hallway was dark, moonlight scattered through windows working for now retired lights.
I crawled one step at a time, my back was hunched and my posture looked like that of a corpse.
I knocked three times on the door of my room.
After some time the door opened.
Robert opened the door clearly in sleep paralysis.
He opened his eyes a bit to see the person standing in front of him.
At the exact moment light flashed revealing my ominous face with sweat and blood, looking like a corpse deciding to wake up on the day of rain.
“……………….”
“……………….”
“……………….”
“……………….”
“Uh-Robert I can exp-“
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Robert screamed falling on his hips.
“H-hey, Robert it’s me Arin” I tried to explain but the light outside flickered again momentarily highlighting sweat and blood.
Robert took out a cross from somewhere and started praying “I will say of the lord, he is my refuge-“ he began.
I held out my hand and grabbed his cross “Hey it’s me Arin-“ but when I grabbed the cross in his hand. I saw his face going through all shades of color finally stopping at white.
He fainted in my hands while saying “My lord I am coming to thee”.
I looked at him, laying in my hands unconsciously, when finally someone turned on the light.