Just like back on Earth, when I used to work a normal job, Monday morning arrived far too fast. But at least I spent the weekend being productive. So even though I was tired, I stepped out the door with confidence.
Assured that I was smarter, faster, tougher, and stronger than before.
Not that my stats really reflected that.
Name: Daniel Blackwell
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Body/ Strength: 8/ Endurance: 9/ Toughness: 8
Mind/ Acuity: 31/ Wisdom: 11/ Intelligence: 11
Soul/ Destiny: 1/ Fate: 3/ Radiance 9997
The only stats that saw an increase over the weekend were wisdom and acuity. Because I spent the better half of the weekend with my nose in the books.
`Ehh. Any increase in stats is fine. At least it actively shows I'm doing something.` I think as I walk out the door of my room with a yawn. Obviously, ignoring the insulting smears on my door again. Since it didn't bother me at all.
The sneers and glares I get on my way to grab breakfast don't bother me either. `It really is mostly people from the esteemed and foundational class.` I muse as I take notice of who the people who consistently glared at me were. `I bet jealousy has a part to play in it.`
Breakfast was peaceful. The real bullying, if you can call it that, starts once I actually reach the main building today. The foyer is humming with morning chatter, while students drift around either by themselves, in pairs, or in groups.
And it's one such group that attempts to pick on me. Led by no other than that same red-haired girl who picked a fight with me last Friday in the cafeteria.
`Oh no. Repeat offenders. Whatever will I do?` She and some friends were blocking the bottom of the stairs that I had to ascend to get to class. Of course, letting other students pass unharassed. But I doubt that it would be the same for me. `Bruh. This is so childish.`
Though it's not like they can actually stop me. It's not like they can hold me there. As that would also stop other students from getting upstairs this way. And that would surely get them into trouble.
So all they can do is to wait for me to approach the stairs. Before they attempt to close them off. By standing right in front of them. Pretending to chat with each other innocently while actually being in the way.
I watch them for a second, studying the false laughter, the way one of them seems to accidentally glance sideways at me when I approach. `Typical.`
However. As before. They weren't prepared for my reaction. Or lack thereof. "Move." I just push the red-haired girl aside with one arm while sternly commanding them to move.
And that does the trick. Or at least my audacity stuns them long enough for me to get past them. Ignoring the tirade of the red-haired girl that follows me up the stairs. After I dared to move her aside so nonchalantly.
`Hehe.` I swear I could hear her trying to insult and belittle me all the way to my classroom. But all that did was amuse me.
Not that the insults themselves were funny. They would be quite hurtful to others. But to me, it's just a child throwing a tantrum. Which I poignantly ignore.
`No point in getting upset over this shit.` I had more important things to do. More important things to focus on.
And the classroom was, as always, peaceful and quiet. People just don't acknowledge me in here.
The prestige class students seem to all have their own sense of pride. Or perhaps they simply refuse to stoop so low as to bully me. `Or. Or. Maybe they just won't do it in the classroom.`
But either way. In here, no one bothers or acknowledges me.
Besides Selvan. Who gives me a little nod as I walk in. A nod I reciprocate before I take my usual seat.
My chair creaks slightly as I sink into it, the faint smell of ink and parchment filling the air. A comforting scent. The room is already warm from sunlight spilling through the tall windows, catching on floating motes of dust. I watch them drift through the air for a moment while basking in the morning sunlight.
Before I eventually open a random textbook to get some more studying in before classes start for the day. And for a few moments, the world shrinks to just what is written on the pages before me. Just the formulas and runes.
My focus is only briefly interrupted when Elira walks in and sits down next to me. Seemingly even more determined to ignore me today than ever before.
"Morning." My greeting fizzled out between us like always. `Hmm. Typical Elira.` Not that I mind.
In fact, seeing her act like always, elegant yet distant, is kind of a relief. It tells me that nothing's really wrong with her. Without her having to say anything.
And it's not like I can't stand the silence between us. It's actually kind of comforting. Though her voice is also pretty. And I'd like to see her get more flustered every now and then. As a treat for me and my weary heart.
But again. The silence between us is alright with me. It lets me concentrate on studying. Not that all the studying I do saves me from getting my ass beat once Calveth walks in and begins to teach.
And unlike last Monday, we spent the first four hours on two very complex subjects. Doing two hours of Anatomy for Mages and two hours on Runic Syntax.
Both subjects require my full attention and concentration. Nearly every word that falls from Calveth's lips noted down by me.
With me fully dialed in to the lecture. So much so that I almost miss the fact that the bell for lunch break rings. Calveth was similarly absorbed in the topic until we were interrupted.
As for lunch. Well. Of course, I'm bothered again. Another mook. Or goon. Or whatever you want to call them. They're here to ruin my lunch break. Probably sent by the Queen to keep the pressure on me.
A pretty average-looking boy with shaggy black hair this time. "Who do you think you are eating here, huh? Rats like you should eat outside where no one has to look at you."
I take a slow bite of my food, chewing casually. `If only they had any actual plans. Or at least some good insults.` "Oh, word? Too bad, I guess." Another villain swiftly beaten back by my blasé attitude towards their attempts at bullying.
My lack of any real reaction is really proving to be the best defense against them. They always seem to expect me to react negatively or throw a tantrum. And when I don't, they just sputter and eventually leave.
`I'm sure there are going to be more persistent ones as well. Like that red-haired girl. And it's only a matter of time until someone steps over the line.` But I'll worry about that once it happens.
For now, I just keep eating, listening to the distant chatter of the cafeteria. Cutlery scraping against plates, distant laughter echoing through vaulted ceilings. A certain normalcy in the situation despite everything.
Maybe it's just the fact that I'm too busy to worry about pointless stuff.
`Not when afternoon classes are surely waiting to continue to beat my ass.` A stray thought that is proven right in short order.
Two hours of Runes and two hours of Magical Theory and Mana Flow leave me drained by the end of the school day. By the time Calveth dismisses us, my brain feels like it's been wrung out like a wet rag.
So much so that I barely even notice the same red-haired girl from this morning and last Friday, trying to pick on me on my way to my room.
"Don't you get that no one wants you here?" She huffs while cutting me off. But I just step around her and continue on my path while waving her off lazily. "I don't care."
`I'd rather use my remaining energy doing something useful.` I muse while I shamble upstairs to my room.
Passing by one of the dorm staff members who looks at me with a certain level of disdain as I do. Possibly because I haven't bothered to clean my door yet. Or maybe he just didn't like me.
There is school staff on duty to keep things orderly in the dorms. But just like me, they hadn't bothered to clean the graffiti off my door. Even if they passed it regularly on their patrols.
It's each student's responsibility to keep their own space clean, after all. Either by themselves or by letting their servants handle it for them. And my door was obviously part of my space. Therefore, my own responsibility.
In fact. I had expected to eventually get told to clean the door because it reflects poorly on the dorm atmosphere. Or some other excuse like that. But nothing so far.
It seemed like even the school staff didn't really mind me getting picked on. Which isn't exactly surprising considering who my detractors are.
`I wonder how much of the school staff is actually in the pocket of the various nobles?` I muse while entering my room.
The school itself was a royal institution. `And Malrik seemed pretty incorruptible.` So it was unlikely that money or power could change anything significant in the school.
But the same was not true for the people within the school. `It would be weirder if there weren't at least a few staff members who take bribes.` Not that I knew how much a professor or staff member earned. If I did, then I may be able to guess how high the percentile of corruption is or should be.
"Ah. Whatever." I shake my head and rub my temples with my palms. To banish my useless thoughts and instead focus on what matters. Which is, of course, my studies and exercises.
"Let's get this homework done quickly. I don't wanna have to think about too much more today." I mutter as I put my things on the table and begin to prepare what I need to get my homework for the day done.
Though getting through it still took a while. Especially today. The homework was more difficult than anything we got last week. It takes me nearly an hour to finish it. And when I finally do, I spend a good five minutes or so with my head just resting on the table.
"Damm." I sigh after I eventually get back up and roll my shoulders. Feeling a little lighter now that I'm done with my homework and can finally begin to exercise.
But just before I begin, I hear a knock on my door. "Hmmm?"`Who could it be?`I wonder as I walk over and open the door. Curious to see who would come to my room. Halfway expecting that it's someone here to pick on me.
Except. There is no one at the door. I check down the hallway, left and right. But. `Yeah. There is no one in sight.` Leaving me confused.
Because I was at the door pretty quickly. Since I was standing near it. Not nearly enough time for anyone to run or hide after knocking.
`Was it magic?` Of course, my first assumption is that someone used magic to knock on my door to annoy me.
Though it is forbidden to use magic on other students or their things. A rule that is strongly enforced with heavy punishment. But it's not like that means much. Especially in a school full of potentially rebellious teens that come from noble families and probably believe themselves to be untouchable.
However. There was one thing about this that made me pause. Not only did I not know of any spell that could do this. There were also no objects out of place in the hall. `If they had used a spell to make an object float and use it to knock on my door, that would make sense. But nothing seems to be out of order.`
And that in turn led my thoughts to another possibility. `A ghost?`
Ghosts existed in this world after all. They were one of the many enemy types in the game.
In fact. There was a country. Or rather, the island state called Tirvolg in the game that was famous for being surrounded by fog year-round. And in that fog lurked ghost ships and other creepy apparitions that loved to attack sailors.
`Ah, yeah. I remember how hard it was to reach that place in the ga-.` I shake my head and facepalm. "Bruh. Focus. There might be a ghost up in this bitch."
I say that. But of course, I had no idea how to actually make sure if there was a ghost here or not. Reminding myself that this was a real world now.
That being invisible or camouflaged didn't just mean you were less likely to get hit by an attack like in the game. No. Being invisible means actually being invisible. And the possibility of an invisible creature lurking around made me a little nervous. `Ghosts would definitely be invisible.`
Not afraid, mind you. I've never been afraid of the possibility of ghosts or spirits existing. I just feel a healthy dose of respect for such beings. The same kind of respect I have for death. I don't fear it. But I won't pointlessly invite it either.
Even back on Earth. Despite my logical and scientific approach to most things, I always believed there was more to existence than what we could see. So I won't fuck around now that I'm in a world that was inhabited by actual ghosts and spirits.
Luckily, it clicks in my mind before I embarrass myself any further. `Wait. Ghosts are real in this world. Everyone knows. So there is no way they would just let them roam around here freely to terrorize the students.`
I facepalm after I realize that there was no way a ghost made it all the way into the academy unnoticed. Much less into the dorm of the prestige class. That dorm that is filled with the most important and talented students in the whole school.
`Well. And me.`
Which leads me back to thinking this was probably some kind of prank.
"I don't know how they did it. But fuck em." I grumble as I turn around again and close the door to my room. Going back to what I was doing before with a huff.
Ignoring any further distractions. Like the occasional knocks I hear on the door. Now I'm sure that it must be some sort of prankster trying to annoy me instead of some spirit or ghost.
And I believe I am proven right, as eventually the knocking stops and I'm left to my own devices again. To spend the rest of my evening in relative peace. `No way an actual ghost would just give up like that.` I think mid-push-up, when I notice that the knocking had finally stopped.