<h4>Chapter 71: Time sure flies—flies like a butterfly</h4>


    Saturday.


    Three days after the Unit Test, the results were out. The weekends were approaching and along with weekends were approaching monsoon.


    Ofcourse, being the favourite season of a particrly annoying species of insect —many people hated rainy season.


    On this particr saturday, something was moving quietly through the ionosphere many miles above the surface of the; several somethings in fact, several dozen huge ck chunky b like somethings, huge as office buildings, silent as birds.


    They soared with ease, basking in electromaic rays of sun, biding their time, grouping, preparing. The beneath them was almost perfectly oblivious of their presence, which was just how they wanted it for the moment.


    Meanwhile, down on the ground, Takahashi Aoi found himself frowning as he gazed at the disy board


    1. Aeravat Indrath


    2. Takahashi Aoi


    3. Aurora Lewis


    His name was disyed beneath the ''oh-so-great'' Aeravat Indrath, a cement that did not sit well with him.


    "Oh,e on, not again!"—Takahashi''s ears perked up as he heard a voice, seemingly appearing out of thin air, from his right.


    With aical twist of his head, he turned to face the direction the voice came from, only to find the other guy doing the exact same thing simultaneously.


    There stood anky fellow with jet-ck hair and a pair of captivating brown eyes, gazing straight at Takahashi.


    Who was this mere mortal, daring to interrupt his presence?


    Of course, being the wealthy young master that he was, Takahashi had no knowledge of peasants. How could he possibly be acquainted with suchmon folks?


    The peasant in question was James Reeves.


    James shifted his gaze towards the leaderboards, casually turning his head.


    His position on the rankings stood at a modest 578, nothing extraordinary, but certainly satisfying for him.


    And there, high above on the prestigious second spot, was none other than Takahashi.


    With a deliberate slowness, his gaze refocused on Takahashi, who weed him with an intense re and a deep frown etched face.


    Perplexity consumed James. ''What brings about this perpetual anger?'' he pondered quietly. ''It''s as if he harbors a deranged disdain for those he deems inferior. Like a contemptuous cockroach.''


    But James knew he was no cockroach—he nced downwards, reassuring himself.


    "Why are you always angry?" James finally burst out, locking his eyes with Takahashi''s.


    "Roaming with smoldering rage..."


    "Perpetually furious, driven by some invisible madness. Your face, so tightly creased."


    To drive his point home, he contorted his own face into an exaggerated expression, imitating the anger radiating from Takahashi with absurd sounds — "Hnnghheh Henngh!"


    In response, Takahashi''s frown deepened. Fate, perhaps, intervened to spare James from the brunt of his wrath on that very day.


    Without uttering a single word, Takahashi abruptly departed.


    Unbeknownst to all this, a figure with pale features, raven-ck hair, and eyes to match strolled down the hallway, lost in thoughts of how to salvage this ursed world.


    ***


    Noah''s POV(Point Of View):


    Later about that.


    Anyways as I was saying, ''Vampire kins'' and ''Demon kins''. What are these ''kins''?


    Well, the term ''kin'' refers to a human who has given an unbreakable Oath, either to a vampire or a demon.


    Now why do thay do that?


    Kins are also called ''lessers'' and for a very good reason.


    In this world, there exists a fixed barrier called the ''system cap'' or ''potential cap'', which determines the maximum rank a person can reach. This cap sets a limit on an individual''s abilities and potential.


    And it''s no secret that there are going to be billions of people whose potential cap will be set at a very low rank like F, G or E.


    Among this sea of struggling souls, a significant portiones from the wretched slums that dot our world.


    In this world, gued by demons and monsters, where power reigns supreme, what choices remain for the forsaken souls?


    Born in the gutters, potential capped at G-, loved ones grappling to satiate the hunger gnawing at their bellies,.. all while the wealthy and influential nonchntly shower them with a disdainful stream of their own excretions.


    What choice is even left for them in such a dire circumstance?


    They all sumb to darkness.


    While many would like to lecture them about morality and hope...


    While many would hate Demons kins and Vampire kins...I would not.


    I won''t.


    I understand. I know what it feels like..to be a fucking crippled.


    Demonkin and vampirekin are humans who were originally born with limited potential but have surpassed their inherent limitations through unconventional methods.


    As for the specifics of these unconventional methods? Later about it.


    Anyway...


    There are other pacts such as the Mana contract or blood contract, but they can be broken.


    On the other hand, an unbreakable oath is binding to one''s soul and cannot be undone under any circumstance.


    That''s why people don''t easily make an unbreakable oath unless they are willing to die for the cause.


    Of course, there is onr particr Mystery that can break an Unbreakable Oath—precisely why I willingly forged a pact with Crimson Viper.


    I was nning to get my hands on that Mystery a tad earlier than I initially nned.


    I have an unsettling intuition ....a feeling foreboding that something dreadfully amiss might happen sooner than anticipated...meh—''Must be my mind ying tricks on me'', I dismissed the thought.


    ''Ohe to think of it, I was supposed to receive my parcel today, right?!''


    I almost forgot about it.


    A parcel from SMV Aviation Pvt Ltd., sent by my dear business partner Reynold, who will also be my lottery ticket in the future.


    With that thought in mind, I made my way to the hostel.


    ''Today, I will finish building the Neuroshock ster.''


    ***


    Nestled in a secluded corner of a cozy coffee café, Juan Lopez reclined on a cushioned chair.


    Puff!—Exhaling smoke from his prized cigar, his keen gaze meticulously fixed on the file resting before him on the table.


    "Hah!''—Sighing deeply he closed the paper and casted a nce out of the window.


    The bustling streets of Krenada city mirrored the vibrant energy he remembered from hisst visits.


    s, such visits were a rarity for him.


    Time didn''t allowed him to—he was the best information agent of HymnNuntii. He was mostly busy doing his duty.


    His duties dominated his existence.


    ncing at his watch, he counted down the minutes—Riya was due to arrive.


    Lost in contemtion, he mentally retraced the contents of the papers—confidential documents that revealed the information he was tasked to gather about .


    Information about a rather peculiar boy.


    Riya Ahujja, an old acquaintance, had personally requested his assistance in uncovering details about this boy.


    Being the top information agent of district 2, this mission was going to be a breeze—or so he thought.


    As wisps of smoke from his cigar took on ethereal forms, his thoughts veered into uncharted territories.


    Initially, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about this Noah Grey—a seemingly ordinary boy—that is... until he tried to dig up his past.


    "Juan?", Suddenly a voice interrupted his thoughts and when he...


    ***


    Riya''s POV(Point Of View):


    My gaze instinctively snapped towards a petite yet pristine building—Jbyurein Coffee Studios.


    The café where I was supposed to met Juan.


    Click!—As I stepped foot into the café, my eyes were captivated by the presence of a man, d in a sharply tailored suit.


    The alluring aroma of freshly brewed coffee and fragrant tea wafting through the air assaulted my nostrils, enthralling my senses.


    Amidst the bustling crowd, the man stood distinguished, his ck suit rendering him distinct, while a waft of smoke from his cigar set him apart from the rest.


    I approached him, "Juan?"


    "Oh, you''re here?", he gestured for me to take a seat across the table, and without hesitation, I obliged.


    "Apologies for any dy, the traffic was-"—My sentence trailed off as he swiftly interjected, his response dripping with humility. "Not a problem at all. I was busy with this anyway" he dered, brandishing a file in the air with his right hand.


    While his left hand brought the cigar to his lips, exhaling a swirling plume of smoke.


    Puff!


    Puff!


    As the ethereal tendrils of the cigar''s vapor waltzed through the air, my gaze fixated on their tantalizing dance. Like their enigmatic swirls, my question hung in the air, eager for an answer. "Did you find anything?"


    He took a deep breath—"Hnffffhaaaa!"


    His gaze fixated on the window, instead of meeting my eyes, which was most unusual for someone who always appreciated the visual delights.


    It seemed that his mind was captivated by something far more intriguing than momentary beauty.


    "This boy... I''ve tried, but..." , his words trailed off leaving suspense in the air.


    I couldn''t resist the suspense; I interjected, refusing to let it leave me hanging—"But?"


    "His file is restricted. Restricted by the central union. Do you understand the gravity of the matter, Riya?" he asked, his eyes piercing into mine with an ominous glint.


    "His data...it''s erased from the system."


    "I am even uncertain if ''Noah Grey'', as you call him, is his real name. Whoever this boy is..."—Juan shook his head as if to heavily imply a big ''No'', " I strongly advise you to drop this matter."