"Ah... what an interesting class!"
I had gained a decent amount of information, and everything was going well. However, there was a girl who kept staring at me, her features embodying pure rage. Based on the information I gathered from the book Human Races, I believe she is an Elf. And here she is now, walking toward me, her expression radiating deep-seated hatred.
She stood before me and spoke in a condescending tone:
"You... you must be the new student. Why are you looking at me like that? You humans are truly disgusting! Do you even know who I am? It seems you are truly ignorant."
I replied with cold indifference:
"My name is Niko. Go away; I don't have time for you, Miss Elf."
Her face flushed with anger as she snapped:
"First of all... my name is Natalia Grotaro, and I am the daughter of the Deputy Queen of Arcadia! You have no right to speak until I grant you permission, do you understand?"
I cast a disinterested glance at her and said:
"Be gone, stranger. I have more important things to attend to."
Natalia was livid, screaming:
"How dare you speak to me like that? I need to teach you a lesson, human. Your time will come soon!"
I muttered to myself as I walked away:
(Ah... what strange creatures. It's as if they are in need of a mental correction...)
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through my thoughts:
"HEYYY NIKO! I'm here!"
I smiled instinctively; it was Melina. I thought to myself: (What a difference between her and Natalia. That Elf's voice was truly grating!)
Melina approached, slightly out of breath.
"Where have you been, Niko? I've been looking for you."
"Oh, I was just wandering around. I need to head out of here immediately... see you later."
A look of disappointment and kindness crossed her face.
"Oh... leaving so soon? Then I guess I'll head home, or..."
I interrupted her hesitation:
"Or you could accompany me if you'd like."
Her face brightened instantly, a spark of joy in her eyes.
"Of course! I'd love to accompany you!"
I told her, "Great then, let's go."
As we walked away, I felt eyes piercing my back from a distance, and a faint voice whispered with spite:
"Lowly humans...!"
We walked side by side, and Melina asked:
"So, Niko, how did you find the class? Did you get your answers from the professor? You seem quite well-informed."
"A bit, it seems. But my questions are still floating in a void; answers aren't always satisfying—sometimes they only increase your hunger for knowledge."
Melina laughed. "Oh, you're so mysterious, Niko! You truly have a great appetite for learning. Speaking of appetite, how about we head to the nearest restaurant? I think you'll like it a lot."
I agreed. "Certainly, let's go."
We reached a quiet spot, and Melina said excitedly:
"Here we are, Niko! This is a famous local restaurant... what would you like to order?"
"I'll leave the choice to you."
She smiled proudly. "Oh, I'll definitely order the most delicious thing! Please... I'd like two plates of..."
Suddenly... I felt a strange sensation. What was happening to me? Why was my body boiling from the inside? Suddenly, my senses stopped working, and my body froze completely. What was going on? Was there something I had overlooked or wasn't aware of? I saw Melina's movements become surrealistically slow, and suddenly, before my eyes, above me, I saw something like a crown... it was glowing with an incredible radiance! Then it vanished in the blink of an eye. I began to hear a voice calling my name... a voice coming from distant depths:
"Niko... Niko... Dra..."
Suddenly, everything returned to normal at the sound of Melina shaking my shoulder in panic:
"Niko! Niko! Niko! Are you okay?!"
I clutched my head, which felt like it was about to explode, and said:
"Oh... my head! Yes, I'm fine. I just drifted off deep into my thoughts. Don't worry about it."
She looked at me with clear concern.
"You look truly exhausted. You should get some rest. Eat your food before it gets cold, and then I'll walk you back to your room."
"Oh, thank you... that's very kind of you."
That "dream" or "vision" was truly bizarre. Just by looking at that crown, my face began to turn pale as if the light was being sucked out of it... what a horrific sight. I hope it doesn't repeat.
After we finished eating, Melina said:
"Let's go, Niko. Let me walk you to your room."
"There's no need for that. I'll go alone. Thank you; the food was delicious... see you later."
She said softly, "Oh... of course. If you need any help, just let me know."
"I certainly will... goodbye."
She smiled. "Goodbye, see you later... it was a wonderful night."
I walked away, thinking: (What a kind girl! Incredible... I'm sure if she had seen the scene I saw, she would have collapsed and died of terror. Damn, this is truly annoying. I need to rest for now...)
Finally, I reached my room. It seemed I had completely depleted my energy. I think I'll skip the morning classes; knowledge is wonderful, but it's truly exhausting. I surrendered to sleep immediately.
(Sounds of students... distant conversations...)
I opened my eyes with difficulty. "Ah... morning has come. I feel my body has regained its strength."
I looked at my hand and suddenly the blood froze in my veins. "What?! What is this black energy coming from my hand?!"
But it vanished as fast as lightning. "Damn! I can't believe I'm drowning in new questions every day... how long did I sleep?"
Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. "Who's knocking?"
The voice came from behind the wood: "Niko, it's me, Melina. Can I come in?"
"Yes, come in, Melina."
She entered with a look of relief on her face.
"Thank God you're okay! I can't believe you've been asleep for two whole days!"
"What?! I slept that long?!"
"Yes, I was so worried about you."
Damn... what is really happening to me? Did something happen to me? That crown I saw seems to hide something mysterious and sinister.
Melina cut through my thoughts: "Niko! Niko! Are you okay?"
"Ah, yes, Melina, I'm fine... just lower your voice a bit."
She said apologetically: "Ah... sorry about that. I think I'll leave you now. I'll be waiting in the back courtyard."
"Yes, I'll join you once I'm ready... goodbye."
"Goodbye." (She smiled and left).
Melina closed the door quietly behind her, then paused for a moment, let out a sigh of relief, and said to herself:
(This feeling is strange... why did I suddenly feel afraid? I couldn't get close to him even though I just wanted to check on him... I don't know what's happening to you, Niko, but I truly hope you're okay.
As I left the room, I thought to myself: (I think I'm overthinking things. I need to catch up with Melina now; we are about to start the training session. It seems it involves combat and endurance tests. This should be interesting—a good opportunity to test the strength of this body...)
My reflections were interrupted by a familiar shout that shook the surroundings:
"HEYYY NIKO! I'm here!"
I replied with a tone of slight irritation:
"Yes, I see you, Melina... No need to shout again. You're giving me a splitting headache."
She apologized sheepishly, "Oh... I'm sorry about that."
I sighed with a lack of patience and said: "Ugh... how long are you going to keep apologizing? Your apologies have truly lost their weight. Anyway, let's head to class."
Melina said as she walked beside me: "Yes, you're right... but for some reason, I hate this class. I don't like attending because it involves fighting, and I hate combat. That's not my path; I only want to reach a rank in the defensive level."
I stopped for a moment and looked at her seriously:
"That's fine, Melina, and I agree with you on that. But keep one thing in mind: those who only defend often have a lower chance of survival than attackers. If the enemy has a decent level of intelligence, they will decide to attack the defender first to break the opponent's defense. As long as the defender exists, it's hard to defeat the team. Therefore, I advise you to work on both: attack and defense, so that you have a strong immunity. I know this might be hard for you, but this is the reality. So, I leave the choice to you... Regardless, if you decide to come, you'll find me there."
I left her immersed in her thoughts, the signs of frustration clear on her face. She whispered faintly: "I guess you're right, Niko... Anyway, I'll catch up with you once I'm ready. See you there." (She gave a weak smile).
I continued on my way, thinking: (I think I was harsh with my advice, but humans must accept things as they are without sugarcoating them with illusions that might destroy their psyche when facing the results. They must realize the truth from the beginning before the worst happens).
I finally reached the arena and thought to myself in awe: (I've arrived... I suppose this is the university's battle arena. They weren't lying when they said Arcadia University has a massive reputation. It looks like they're about to start the event).
Suddenly, that annoying Elf, Natalia Grotaro, appeared and spoke mockingly:
"Look what we have here! The arrogant human is in the battle arena. So what..."
I didn't wait to hear the rest. I simply bypassed her and walked away as if she didn't exist. She flared up with rage and screamed:
"Hey! Did you just ignore me?!"
I was fully aware of what I was doing; I couldn't waste a single word on her. Talking to her was a complete waste of time. Natalia continued shouting behind me:
"Ignore me if you want, but there will come a moment when you will bow down, you..."
Suddenly, the words died in her throat, and she looked terrified. She took a step back, trembling:
"Wha... what is this terrifying aura? His gaze... my body just froze!"
I cast one last glance at her and muttered internally: (Stupid girl, you don't realize that the words you say might cause your death in the future... I suppose Elves truly are arrogant).
The loudspeakers blared throughout the area:
[Students, please head to the battle arena for your training sessions]
A man with a stern appearance stepped forward and said:
"Welcome everyone. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Simon Lazarus, the supervisor of the battle arena. Before we begin, I will read the arena rules to you."
He continued in a booming voice:
"Rule One: Duelists are chosen randomly to accurately determine each person's strength and level.
Rule Two: The confrontation continues until the opponent surrenders or touches the surrounding barrier.
Rule Three: It is strictly forbidden to attack a person while they are touching the barrier or announcing their surrender. Anyone who does so will face the severest penalties, including permanent expulsion from the university."
He added, pointing toward the VIP platform:
"We have some high-ranking Generals here with us in case something goes out of control, including General Akaria, who holds a High Legendary Rank."
The students began whispering in awe and admiration:
"Look! It really is General Akaria!"
"What a legendary commander! Look at her beauty and majesty."
"I love General Akaria; she's the strongest in the entire kingdom!"
"Be quiet, you aren't describing her well enough. She is much more than that."
I watched the scene coldly and thought: (So, it's time for the test... but I wish I were facing that General Akaria instead of these children. That would have been better, and I wouldn't even care if I lost).
Melina broke my train of thought as she approached me:
"Hi Niko, I made it! Has the roll call started?"
"Ha... you came after all, Melina? So you changed your mind... I wish you the best of luck."
"Yes, it's all thanks to you. I thought about it carefully, and you were right."
Simon's voice returned to announce the start of the combat:
"Before we begin, students, I have a piece of advice for you: try to balance defense and attack to strengthen your power effectively. This is much better than relying on one side. Get ready... I will call the names now."
Melina whispered with a laugh:
"It seems you were piercingly right, Niko. Your words weren't in vain."
I replied calmly:
"Yes, I know. Remember, defeat is normal. The bad thing is to enter with a defeatist mindset. No matter who the opponent is, they have flaws and weaknesses that appear in the first few minutes; so try to exploit that to seize victory. I'll try to help you a bit... if you see me raise my hand, it means the person you are facing has shown their weakness. Attack immediately at that moment. I wish you good luck."
Melina said with great gratitude:
"Wow! I'm so lucky I met you! Thank you for this golden advice. I won't let you down..."
[End of Chapter 3]