Sami spent his first night reading the System, learning about his abilities, analyzing how to fully utilize them, and trying to find a way to avoid thinking about his first ordeal. Sleep was strange to him after the recent nights spent in a scorching desert, but it seemed his body was extremely exhausted, and he found himself sinking into sleep without realizing it. And so, his first night in the Colosseum ended.
Sami noticed some strange things about his roommate. He had stayed awake until 4 a.m., and he seemed obsessed with video games, as his bag was filled with various gaming devices. This didn't bother Sami much; in fact, he saw it as a good thing—it meant the boy would be occupied and leave him alone, which he considered an advantage. But seeing all those devices made him feel he should have brought other things from his home instead of just his notebook. Anyway, it wasn't that important.
Sami woke up in his bed, arranged his sheets before putting them in the wardrobe, then quietly left the room. It was still a bit early, but he was used to waking up at this time. He entered the shared bathroom; its state wasn't great, as expected from bathrooms meant for teenagers, but it served its purpose. After showering, he returned to his room and changed his clothes under the sheet, as he didn't like changing in front of anyone—that was one of his red lines. After finishing, he sat on his bed and took out his book to start writing.
It seemed his roommate had finally decided to return to life. Sami looked at him with a somewhat justified look of disgust; instead of being alone under the sheet, there was only a long pillow with a drawing of one of the famous game characters on it. Even Sami, who doesn't play much, recognized it. It was a shocking discovery. It seemed his roommate was a professional "otaku".
The roommate noticed Sami's look but didn't seem interested; instead, he exchanged an indifferent glance, as if accustomed to this type of interaction. After that, he changed his clothes and sat on his bed opposite Sami.
Sami tried to ignore him at first but eventually gave in and said:
"Well... what do you want? Speak up, I hate it when someone keeps looking at me for a long time."
The boy replied:
"Nothing big, I just noticed I don't even know your name yet. See? My name is Niko, a professional gamer with a rating of 459 in 'M.E.O'... and you?"
Sami looked at him in bewilderment. This self-introduction was incredibly stupid, but he realized he had to get used to this type of person.
"...I'm Sami."
Niko replied with annoyance:
"Come on, man, don't be boring! And stop acting all cool!"
Sami decided to remain silent, averting his gaze to return to his book, his eyes reflecting a clear will not to engage.
Niko looked at him restlessly and said:
"Well, never mind... but the more important question now is: where is the food? Do you know where it is, Sami?"
Sami looked up at him seriously:
"Now that you mention it... you're right, where are we supposed to eat? When they brought me yesterday, they only showed me my room and the bathroom, and didn't tell me anything else. Do they expect me to live on photosynthesis?"
Niko replied in the same tone:
"Exactly! You're absolutely right... how do they expect us to live without food?"
"Right?!"
Suddenly, two people entered the room. A man and a woman wearing loose white uniforms with black stripes on the sleeves. The man had neat black hair and sharp features, while the woman stood with dignity, her black hair and weary eyes making her seem like a crow. They were strangely compatible, as if mirroring each other's darkness. Their serious aura affected Sami and Niko, and they automatically stood at attention.
The man opened his mouth and said in a formal voice:
"Bound Number 4559 and Bound Number 4560, Sami and Niko, you are to report to Hall Number 8 for the Sorting Ceremony."
And so, Sami found himself amidst a group of students, all wearing the same white uniforms, standing in strict order before a large stage on which a massive table was placed, behind which sat ten people. These were none other than the ten strongest individuals in the Clan.
But they weren't the only distinguished ones. Among the new Bound, there were also shining faces, like the Clan Leader's daughter, the Rail Guard Commander's son, the Colosseum Founder's daughter, and many others. Add to that the huge number of cameras scattered everywhere, making Sami feel like a worm trying to squirm away from the gaze of eagles watching him.
And so, the Sorting Ceremony for the Colosseum institution under the "Gloomy Winds" clan began with a formal speech from the Clan Leader.
And in the midst of all this, Sami was trying his hardest to disappear and avoid attention. Not because he was an important person hiding his identity or had a secret plan... but simply because he was just a bookworm suffering from social anxiety!
To be continued...
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