<h4>Chapter 124: When did we be friends?</h4>
Third person''sPOV:
"Status..."
──────────────────────
┌─────────────────┐
│ ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?
└─────────────────┘
????????: Svena Darkthorn?????????:(??+)
??????: 16
??????????????: Homosapien
??????????: Mage/Warrior/Fighter
■?????????????? ?????????? →
? ?
Health: (E+) 480/ 480
Mana: C 800/800
Strength: (D-) 500/500
Dexterity: C
Intelligence: A+
Mana Capacity: 330
? ?
■?????????????????? ??????????→
? ?
Armor: (F+) 15
Resistance: (F+) 15
Stamina: D
Charm: (S+)
Durability: E 25
Flexibility: B
? ?
????????????:
Zephyr''s inspiration[Info...]
Panzer [Info...]
????????????: Spirit Blindfold
??????:
Xsly Whips┃tinum ?
(15%)
Static Swordsman┃Myth ?
(5%)
Hand-to-hand Combat┃Bronze?
(100%)
????????????????????: Threads of destiny
??????????????????????:
[2x Rare Achievements!...]
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Svenna was stuck to the floor, sweat drenching her body, clothes clinging to her skin.
Her frustration was spat with an exhale, "Not good enough..."
Instructor Ailen, Darkthorn family''s sword art instructor, decided to call it a day. "You''ve pushed yourself hard enough for today, Miss. Take rest," she acknowledged before making her way out of the A-21 training ground.
Left behind was the panting figure of Svena. Her chest rising and falling, her Urumiying by her side.
''Not good enough''—that''s not the kind of phrase you would hear from a sixteen-year-old who''s even remotely close to a D rank, let alone (D+).
But for Svena, ''good'' was not enough.
She was a Darkthorn. She carried the weight of that name.
Reaching her room, Svena submitted herself to the bathtub.
Most of Svena''s life revolved around training and ''staying alive''.
In a way, she was a very pure, innocent soul, like a child. Unsullied her perspective—never lived a ''normal life.''
Pop culture? Anime? Aidoru market? Social media?...yeah, those things were pretty foreign to her. Even the simplest things, like porn and dark humor, were unknown to her. It''s not like she was oblivious, but her understanding of these things were... ''limited''.
The only social media app she even had was Q-Text, a pre-installed app, just like google.
To make matters worse, she never had any friends, never yed games.
Her life was confined to a bubble, shielded from the outside world, all because of her mdy.
But, everything changed eight months ago, when she started experiencing visions of the Dreambreaker.
It was such a pity... what was? To see the one who saved her, have ''that'' fate. Instead of gratitude, she felt pity.
????????! ????????!
Startled by the sudden vibrations of her phone, Svena was snapped out of her thoughts.
She took a seat on her bed and quickly checked her phone.
Almost instantly, a frown spread across her face as she read the message notification.
"Why does he keeps bothering me? Ugh, it''s so annoying!" Svena grumbled aloud before proceeding to read the message—
?
[????????????????????: ??????, ?????? ?????]
[????????????????????: ??????, ??????????8, ??????????9]
[????????????????????: ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??
????????????????? ????????...???????? ???????????? ????
???????????????????
?
She rolled her eyes, ready to exit the app when a new message popped up:
?
[?????????? ??????????: ?????????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ????
???????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ???????? ??????
??????.]
[?????????? ??????????: ????''?? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ??????
???????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ??????????????. ??????
???? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????????????????!]
?
"Anhhaaaa...! Why do they keep teexxting me!" Svena heaved an exasperated sigh, her voice carrying her weariness.
It started off as a harmless conversation.
But now, these guys would just bombard her with messages every day.
With a frustrated shake of her head, Svena prepared to exit the messaging app, feeling overwhelmed.
But, suddenly something caught her eye as she noticed another person online.
Instantly, a radiant smile crossed across her face, breathing life into her weary spirit.
"Hmm...hmm! He''s online!...uh, wait, he is online, so why isn''t he texting me?" Svena arched her brows, cing one finger on her chin.
"And, what''s up with that name? Pfftt!" Svena almost burst outughing, but quickly covered her mouth to stifle the amusement.
The user ID was: Vulva Destroyer. It was Noah''s ID.
She waited for a while, expecting a message.
But, nothing came.
Was he ignoring her?
...
Growing impatient, she finally decided to text him: [?????? ?????? ????????? ??????????1]
No reply came.
Svena frowned, frustration creeping in. In a fit of annoyance, she sent a barrage of ten messages!
Still, no response...
With a slightly dejected mood, she left her room.
Svena had a meeting scheduled with Professor Riya in the teacher''s office. It was about what club she wanted to join.
Just as she was ascending the stairs, ready to make a sharp turn around the corner—????????! she bumped into someone, losing her bnce.
Her ankle gave away, and she found herself losing bnce.
Just as she was on the edge of disaster, strong arms swiftly encircled her waist, preventing her fall.
"Are you alright?" a majestic voice enveloped her. It was soothing yet powerful. "I''m sorry, I was on the phone and didn''t see you there."
In that fleeting moment, Svena''s gaze locked with a pair of mesmerizing petal-shaped brown eyes that radiated brilliance.
The guy holding her had tannedplexion— not exactly ck, white, or even brown, but something in between, almost ethereally pale. He was majestic to say the least.
She knew this guy...
"You''re Svena, aren''t you?" Aeravat asked.
"Y-yes," Svena stammered, momentarily caught off guard. "Now, if you could kindly let go of me?"
"Ah, my apologies," he responded, loosening his hold.
"No, need for apologies and thank you!"Svena replied with a smile.
***
Noah''s POV:
Why the heck did he suddenly stop replying?
??????! ??????! ??????!
[??????: ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????]
[?????????? ??????????: ?? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????????????????.]
I had been upied with the chat group I recently created with Riley''s team—the guys from the double dungeon incident.
Since Aeravat and I were going with them, it seemed like a good idea to have a bit of conversation.
But suddenly Aeravat stopped replying.
Guess, he got busy or something?
I shrugged my shoulders before refocusing my gaze on the table.
Currently, I was in Grey''s workshop.
In front of mey the trigger guard, trigger, extractor,ser pin, receiver, C-type cylinder, barrel, static hammer, and chamber with an ejector rod.
These were the parts of ''the revolver'' I was working on.
Unlike traditional revolvers, this one had aser pin instead of a firing pin, and a C-type cylinder designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and pressure.
I was also nning to add a taser to the ejector rod.
Taser darts usually have thin insted copper wire that deliver modted electric current, designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles— neuromuscr incapacitation. But I was nning an improved version of taser.
"Nathan, think you can get these parts enchanted? And make sure to inscribe the runes into the chamber and cylinder," I ordered, handing over a file to Crimson Viper, who simply nodded in agreement. "Also, ce the order for those special bullet cartridges from SMV Aviation."
Speaking of which, fun fact—Rayan Reynold Butts, the owner of SMV Aviation Pvt Ltd., who knows me as Albus Dumbledore. Turns out, he''s actually rted to Harry Butts.
"Um....regarding the request for the game developer team andboratory 1817..." Nathan spoke, his gaze fixated on me as a lone bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
"What''s up? Something on your mind?" I asked, sensing the hesitation in his voice.
"We''re running low on funds," he replied.
"Already?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... Well, that''s a problem. I was
about to gather a team regarding the research on mana contamination. Looks like we will have to hold those ns," I sighed, noticing his eyes tremble at the mention of ''mana contamination.''
"Don''t sweat it. I''ve got hundreds of millions worth, maybe even a few billion, right in the palm of my hand. But I don''t think it''s the perfect time to release the cancer treating drug to the world."
"Then what''s the n now?" Nathan inquired, a touch of worry evident on his face.
"Just go find Alice Bailey and let her know that I''ll be with her in a moment," I replied, evading his question as he walked away.
Now, what am I supposed to do?
It''s clear as day that releasing the cancer treatment drug into the world right now isn''t feasible due to certain issues. Those problems will be sorted out once I establish a pharma.
"And for that... I can aallwaaysss seek some help from good ol'' Mommy Magi—I-I mean Master Seraphina!"
Jess, what a mis-slip!
I couldn''t help shaking my head.
''This ursed tounge of mine will get me killed someday.''
But... all of this will take me months, and I''m tight on funds.
I can''t simply pause and wait for the cure for mana contamination.
''Nathan''s mother...''
Luckily, there was a solution.
In the past, I didn''t join any clubs because time was scarce. My main focus was on building up my finances.
And in the past, I deliberately kept my distance from the main cast.
I felt weak as hell, so I figured it was better to stay away and not get tangled up in the main storyline. I already missed like 2-3 arcs of the Og novel.
But now, I do have free time for clubs and I think I have enough strength to run away if the main cast brings some problems.
And if I am not wrong, then the academy provides money for the club activities?
Of course, I''m not aiming for those measly academy funds. My real target is the main cast. Those guys are loaded with cash, like seriously loaded.
Especially Aurora Lewis.
I ns to create my own club—the medicine club—and convince Aurora to join.
With her wealth and resources, I''ll milk her dry!
I mean,e on, their family''s worth is at least some billions,...I think?
"Heuheuheu! This is gonna be fun... "
***
As I approached the underground chambers, I saw Nathaning out of the experimentingb.
His face was pale, it appeared like he was fighting the urge to vomit, clutching his stomach.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Do I look alright to you?" Nathan shot back, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed to shoot daggers. No, his eyes weren''t actually red, nor was he shooting daggers at me. He was... crying.
What the fuck did he see?
Without answering he quickly ran away.
As soon as I entered the room and move past the curtain Alice greeted me. "Ah, Sir Grey, you are here!"
Her voice was muffled due to her mask, but I could tell that she was smiling beneath her mask.
Unfortunately, I couldn''t reciprocate her smile as what caught my eyes made me feel nauseating.
It was an unsettling sight.
A shiver shot up my spine, and my mind felt a jolt.
Alice stood by the side of a surgical chair. And on that chair, restrained by a straight jacket,y a man.
He drooled uncontrobly, his gaze unfocused and distant.
Strapped tightly to the chair, numerous tubes invaded and exited his body. Nurses moved about, tending to his needs, while a life support system ensured his survival.
But the most unsettling sight was the sight of his skull pped open, resembling the lid of a frying pan, exposing his exposed brain.
The man, alive but silent, appeared to have had a significant portion of his skull surgically removed.
"Nano..."
[Affirmative. Monitoring and regting blood pressure.]
[Deploying Oxytocin to regte emotional state.]
[Numbing down brain limbic system and re-engaging.]
[Regting Hypothmus, amygd, leucine-enkephalin, Endorphins.]
[Stimting Endorphins, Serotonin, Oxytocin, Dopamine, dorsomedial thmus.]
In an instant, a calmness washed over me, as all my worries melted away.
"This is Experiment number 02," Alice exined, while simultaneously handing me a file.
"So, he''s not considered human, but just an experiment? Interesting..."
I read the file, discovering that this guy was a convicted criminal who hadmitted heinous acts of child rape against 32 victims, with 6 of them being young girls.
17 of his victims had tragically lost their lives, while the remaining individuals were left traumatized or paralyzed from the waist down.
Some months ago, I had struck a deal with Jailer Rodion Romanovitch, allowing me to obtain a steady supply of criminals, live subjects who could be used for human experiments to develope mana brain tampering technology.
This agreement came into fruition after I orchestrated a sessful biological warfare strategy using reared masses of invasive Caelifera insects that destroyed his family''s business rival, the Maple Z corporation''s farms.
Those were a special breed of insects that could only be effected by fire magic and using fire magic in a farm? Yea...
As I looked at the man with his skull open I couldn''t help but ask, ''Am I...evil?''
Yes, this guy was a criminal who destroyed many lives but, does that makes what I''m doing any less evil?
***
Emily Reed''s POV:
"Here you go," I exhaled buoyantly, giving a QR code and a specific amulet to Aeravat.
"Best of luck!" I bid a wish, and Aeravat shed me a smile in return.
I turned to Noah and to my surprise, he returned the smile. "Thanks," he spoke, his tone sounded genuine, different from what I was ustomed to.
"What''s up? Something on your mind?"
He gazed at me, replying, "Yeah, your beauty."
"W-what! Where did thate from?!" My eyes widened at his audacious deration.
And where did he find the nerve to say something like that?!
He smirked, "Just joking, you know."
"Joking?" I frowned.
What is he joking? I ???? beautiful.
Without even bothering to give me a second nce, he sauntered off as if nothing had happened.
Aurora, who had been quietly observing the conversation from a distance, slowly made her way over to me.
"Since when did you two be friends?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We never did. It was just a strange, casual, coincidental, conditional kind of talk. If that even makes any sense."