Chapter 81: Self Introduction [BONUS - ]
The realization left Ethan with mixed feelings.
On one hand, the fact that this was apparently the method they could have used to kill those monsters in his previous life left him completely baffled. After everything he had gone through, after watching countless people desperately fight those creatures without knowing their weaknesses and after ultimately losing his own life to them, the solution had been this simple?
All they had needed to do was destroy the core in their eyes.
Ethan almost wanted to laugh.
Knowledge really was power.
If he had known this back then, perhaps things would have been different. Perhaps countless people would have survived. Perhaps he himself wouldn’t have died.
But there was no point dwelling on what could no longer be changed.
What bothered him far more was the other revelation.
The government had created these creatures.
Ethan’s expression darkened slightly as he stared at the screen, his thoughts becoming increasingly complicated. He couldn’t understand how anyone could willingly create something so dangerous, especially when they already knew exactly what it was capable of doing. Whatever reason they had given for creating the specimens, Ethan couldn’t help feeling that there was something seriously wrong with the entire situation.
Still, he knew better than to interrupt an ongoing lecture, especially when he was already a new transfer student who had managed to attract enough attention for one day.
So he kept his mouth shut and allowed the lesson to continue.
Mr. Davin went through several more details regarding the specimen, explaining its known weaknesses, registered methods of elimination, and the precautions Sentinels were expected to take when dealing with infected creatures. Ms. Clark occasionally added a few points whenever necessary, although she remained noticeably quieter than she had been earlier.
Eventually, the lesson came to an end.
Mr. Davin lowered his teaching stick and looked around the classroom.
"Before we conclude completely, does anyone have any questions?"
As usual, he seemed to expect either complete silence or perhaps a question from Jake, who appeared to be the sort of student who had a question ready for practically everything.
This time, however, a hand slowly rose.
Mr. Davin’s eyes immediately landed on Ethan.
"Oh?"
A pleased smile appeared on his face.
"Ethan, you have a question?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Go ahead. What is it?"
Ethan hesitated for only a moment before asking the question that had been bothering him ever since he heard the government mentioned.
"Did the government sponsor the creation of these specimens, or..." He paused briefly, choosing his words carefully. "Did they actually create them themselves? And if they did, why?"
The classroom became quiet again.
Mr. Davin didn’t appear surprised by the question.
"Yes," he answered calmly. "The government is responsible for the creation of the test-subject specimens."
Ethan’s fingers curled slightly.
"As for why, the government has stated that the experiments are being conducted for a good reason, although they haven’t revealed every detail regarding their research. Whatever their ultimate purpose is, the official explanation is that these experiments are intended to benefit humanity and improve our ability to deal with dangerous monsters."
He paused before adding, "That is what everyone believes, at least."
Ethan stared at him for a moment.
So it really was them.
The government had created the very things that had eventually killed him in his previous life.
What an incredible fucking irony.
He slowly nodded before returning to his seat, choosing not to ask anything else.
There was no point exposing how much the answer affected him, especially when he had no idea what connection, if any, existed between the monsters from his previous life and the specimens in this world.
Mr. Davin eventually gave a few final remarks before Ms. Clark stepped forward to summarize the important points they had covered during the lesson.
And finally, the words Ethan had been waiting to hear came.
"Today’s class is over."
The moment the announcement was made, the classroom immediately became lively as students began gathering their belongings, pushing chairs back and talking amongst themselves.
Ethan was already preparing to leave when Mr. Davin suddenly raised his voice.
"Everyone, wait for a moment."
The students stopped.
Mr. Davin looked toward Ethan.
"We still have one thing left to do."
Ethan’s heart sank.
He already knew what was coming.
"Since we didn’t get the opportunity to complete the usual introduction routine at the beginning of the class because of the earlier distraction, I think it’s only right that we do it now."
Ethan’s shoulders stiffened.
Of all the things he had been hoping to avoid...
An introduction.
Mr. Davin gestured toward him.
"Ethan, come up here and introduce yourself to everyone."
Ethan inwardly groaned.
He had dreaded this part from the moment he stepped into the new class.
Still, he wasn’t going to let something as simple as an introduction make him look nervous.
He pushed his chair back and stood, forcing confidence into his steps even though he didn’t feel nearly as confident as he looked.
He walked toward the front of the classroom and turned to face everyone.
"My name is Ethan Ashford. I’m a D-rank Guide, and I transferred here from Class 2F."
He had barely finished speaking when he braced himself.
He knew what usually came next.
Disdain.
Mockery.
Whispers.
Perhaps even outright hatred.
He had become accustomed to those reactions throughout his time at the academy, so he had already prepared himself mentally for the worst.
Yet...
Nothing happened.
Instead, the entire classroom simply stared at him.
Not with hatred.
Not with disgust.
With curiosity.
Then the silence broke.
"Ethan Ashford...? Isn’t he the F-rank Guide who allegedly moved to a D-rank?"
"Rumors have it that he also participated in the Rift Mission in one of the districts and contributed a lot to its success."
"Wasn’t he the Guide who was abandoned by his family?"
"Yes, I’m sure they’ll be having second thoughts about their actions now."
"Well, I’m glad he’s in our class."
"Yeah, me too. I can probably learn a thing or two from him."
"A thing or two? Maybe even ten."
The classroom erupted into lively chatter.
Ethan stood there awkwardly.
He genuinely didn’t know what to do.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
He had prepared himself for the disdain he was used to receiving, yet these people were actually welcoming him.
They were curious about him.
Some of them even seemed impressed.
Ethan’s lips slowly curved into a small smile.
Maybe...
Not everyone in this school hated him after all.
The thought strangely warmed his chest.
He gave the class a shy smile before lowering his head slightly.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
Mr. Davin smiled approvingly.
"You have quite a lot to catch up on, Ethan, considering you’ve transferred into this class after the semester has already progressed. Don’t worry, though. In the next class, I’ll assign someone to help you catch up with what you’ve missed."
He walked over and gave Ethan a light pat on the shoulder.
"Welcome to Class 5D."
"Thank you, Professor."
Ethan returned to his seat, and when the class finally ended for good, he left the classroom with an unfamiliar feeling of excitement.
For the first time since arriving at the academy, he was actually looking forward to his next lecture.
That alone was a huge change.
Previously, simply thinking about attending class had been enough to fill him with dread because he never knew which instructor would find another excuse to make his life miserable.
Now, however, he had entered a class where people were actually willing to accept him.
It felt strangely refreshing.
By the time Ethan returned to his room, his mood had improved considerably.
The moment he stepped inside, however, another thought immediately replaced everything else.
He needed to make spiritual fruits.
Now.