Chapter 42: Special Free Gift!
By the time Rin stumbled into his room, the only thing holding him upright was rage and low blood sugar.
He slammed the door behind him and dropped his bag like it was full of bricks. His legs trembled slightly from hunger, exhaustion, and the emotional trauma of surviving not just one, but two Vortellions in a single week.
’How am I still alive?’ he groaned in frustration. Even the system advised him to eat but...
"I would eat if someone hadn’t hijacked my afternoon and made me miss lunch. Only if I could punch the Dean in his face,"
His stomach let out a noise that sounded like a dying goat.
"...Great. The sound of absolute hunger."
It was too late to go to the academy dining hall. It closed hours ago. That meant no stale bread, no suspicious stew, no cheese and salad. Even if he never enjoyed any of those meals, at least, it made him feel full.
He rubbed his face tiredly and limped toward his small bed. He saw Niblet, by the corner of the room, chewing something.
"Niblet," he called out weakly, "I swear if you chewed through my socks again, I’m throwing you in a holy pond."
A small bark came from the shadows. He dropped the wet socks on the floor with a thud and walked towards Rin, rubbing his head on Rin’s hand like a cat.
Rin sat down heavily. He peeled his white coat off his body, rolled up his sleeve, and gestured for Niblet to come closer.
"Come on. I know you’re hungry too."