?3 a.m.
The room was filled with many luxurious ornaments.
Having already finished her daily tasks and training, Irina was lying on her comfortable sofa while playing the ChronoScape.
Now, she was already accustomed to playing that game and was using it as a passing time. After all, she also needed to have something to let her stress out of the game.
However, she was not as violent as Julia was compared to how she played.
“JUST BLOCK THE HOOK!”
Well, even she had the times when she couldn’t even stand it.
“Just block the hook, man; I will heal you anyway.”
After her initial defeat against Lilia on the weekend, she felt humiliated. Becoming a laughing stock for them made her feel the shame of being quite bad at the game.
However, she needed to acknowledge her weaknesses. When it came to this game, her mechanics weren’t as good as others.
‘But I am smart.’
However, she was smart, so she started playing in a different class.
‘Support is the best.’
Leaving the crying to carry on the lane alone, she started wandering around the map, helping her other teammates. After all, that guy didn’t block the hook? Why should she help him?
‘DEFEAT’
Irina clenched her jaw as the defeat screen flashed across the ChronoScape. The words “Defeat” in bold red letters felt like a slap to her pride. She couldn’t believe she had lost again, especially after she had switched to the support class, thinking it would be the solution to her gaming woes.
Her teammates had disappointed her, failing to meet her expectations. She could feel the irritation building up as she prepared to unleash her frustration on the carry who, in her eyes, failed to dodge that crucial hook and got one shot.
“Seriously? Can’t you see a hook coming a mile away? I was healing you for crying out loud!” Irina vented her frustration in the in-game chat. The words flowed from her fingers in a heated blur as she criticized the carry for what she perceived as a glaring mistake.
As the flame war ignited in the chat, Irina’s stress level only seemed to rise. The exchange of words became more intense, and soon, the defeat seemed less about the game and more about her need to assert herself.
The virtual battlefield transformed into a battleground of words, and Irina was determined not to back down.
“You bastard, who are you calling a pus*y, huh?”
“How dare you call me goth e-girl? Which point of me is a goth?”
“Fat, ugly basement rat? What the hell?”
“Go 0/1, IRL?”
The words stung, and Irina’s initial attempt to defend herself turned into a futile struggle against the rising tide of toxicity. It was as if these people weren’t even considering her human at all.
“Why do people get this rude over a game?” Irina wondered aloud, frustration lingering as she stared at the now-closed application.
“Sigh…I don’t even want to play anymore.”
With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, contemplating the absurdity of the situation. In the grand scheme of things, it was just a game, and yet the words had cut deep. Irina shook her head, realizing the toxicity had taken a toll on her mood.
“I will just sleep.”
Deciding that sleep might be the remedy for her frayed nerves, Irina attempted to lie down and close her eyes. However, the echoes of the virtual battlefield lingered, preventing her from finding solace in the quiet of her room.
“Again, huh?”
Restlessness settled in, and Irina found herself drawn to an old habit she had developed to escape her strict mother’s watchful eye at home — taking a solitary walk at night. It was something she had been doing even from childhood.
Some may say it was just an entitled act of brattiness, but at the very least, she felt like she was free when she was walking alone, escaping the duties that were enforced to her by her mother.
The cool breeze and the solitude of the campus at 3 a.m. beckoned her, promising a temporary escape from the chaos of both the digital and real worlds.
Slipping into a pair of sneakers and grabbing a jacket, Irina quietly left her room.
SWOOSH!
The night air greeted her, crisp and refreshing. As she strolled through the deserted pathways, the weight of the online toxicity slowly lifted.
She felt herself cooling down. Her normally high body temperature because of her trait was also a little calmer now because of her cold. She wouldn’t even need to take a jacket with her, but she just liked looking like an adult and a normal student.
The moonlight cast a soft glow on the empty roads, and the occasional rustle of leaves added to the serene atmosphere.
‘I guess it is not just me.’
As she strolled, Irina couldn’t help but notice the few students who lingered around at this late hour. Some were engaged in hushed conversations, while others were taking solitary walks like her.
After all, this was the Arcadia Hunter Academy. Awakened students with high talents gathered here; thus, they could go without sleep for at least two days.
The dimly lit corners revealed scattered groups of friends chatting away, their laughter echoing in the stillness of the night.
SLURP!
“Calm down….”
“You know, I can’t…”
Amid the quiet ambiance, Irina’s eyes caught glimpses of couples sharing intimate moments under the moonlight.
‘What the hell are they doing?’
She asked herself, her cheeks getting a little red. Even though she was quite far away, their sounds still reached her eyes.
She felt the shame they didn’t feel but at the same time…
‘I wonder how it would feel?’
A pang of envy tugged at her as she observed them, feeling a sense of longing for the connection and warmth they seemed to share.
‘No, what am I thinking?’
But what was more shameful was not the fact that she was thinking about those things, but the someone that came into her mind.
However, feeling ashamed of her actions, she decided to bury everything deep into her consciousness and hurried her steps, walking absentmindedly.
MEOW!
Suddenly, she noticed a pitch-black cat with rare purple eyes sitting in the middle of the path.
The feline’s mysterious appearance struck a chord with Irina, reminiscent of that ‘certain someone’ she had tried to bury in her thoughts.
‘That….’
She liked cats. Not only cats but cute little things in general. And this one before her looked cute as well, though she normally didn’t like the color black.
Intrigued, she approached the cat with a cautious smile.
“Hey there, little one. You’re quite the unique cat, aren’t you?” Irina whispered, extending her hand to pet the mysterious creature.
“Meow!”
However, as she tried to make contact, the cat swiftly darted away, evading her touch with a graceful leap.
Surprised, Irina chuckled at the playful feline. “Well, aren’t you a feisty one?” She continued to follow the cat, attempting to get closer. The rare purple eyes stared back at her, and for a moment, Irina couldn’t help but compare those eyes.
“Well, you certainly look like him.”
‘A feisty cat…..Certainly suits him.’
The mysterious black cat, with its rare purple eyes, continued to elude Irina’s attempts at closeness.
Despite its swift retreat, the feline didn’t go too far and remained within her vision range. Intrigued and with a faint smile, Irina decided to follow the cat’s whims, her earlier worries momentarily forgotten.
“Well, you’re not getting away that easily,” she teased, her tone light as she continued to stroll after the playful creature.
The moonlight cast gentle shadows on the deserted pathways, creating an ethereal ambiance as the cat led Irina in a smooth way.
As Irina followed the whims of the mysterious cat, they meandered through the moonlit pathways of the academy campus.
The cat’s rare purple eyes were intriguing, so Irina kept following it until they reached the library. She watched as the cat gracefully entered through the open doors, curious as to what it was doing.
As Irina entered the library, the automatic doors whispered shut behind her, enclosing her in the hushed ambiance of the vast space.
“Huh, where did he go?”
The cat suddenly disappeared, leaving Irina standing alone in the quiet library.
“I want to play with it a little bit, though.”
A tinge of disappointment washed over her as she looked around, wondering where the mysterious feline had vanished.
“Hmm?”
However, the fleeting sense of loss was quickly replaced by another discovery. Across the room, amidst the hallowed aisles, she spotted a figure hunched over a table.
As she drew closer, the dim light revealed the features of that ‘certain someone’ she had been trying to bury in her thoughts.
‘What? Why is he here?’
Black hair framed his face, and his deep purple eyes were focused intently on the book in front of him. Long eyelashes cast delicate shadows on his cheeks as he immersed himself in whatever he was studying.
‘What is he even doing here this late?’
As Irina observed the familiar figure engrossed in his studies, a mix of emotions surged within her. She hesitated, contemplating whether to approach him or maintain her distance.
‘Should I just leave?’ Irina thought, feeling a sudden pang of awkwardness. She wasn’t accustomed to seeing this side of Astron – the focused and diligent student. It was a stark contrast to their usual banter and bickering.
Astron, immersed in his studies, suddenly looked up from his book, his gaze fixed on Irina. A small change of expression could be seen, and Irina flinched inwardly, realizing that he had already noticed her presence.
“Instead of just standing there,” he said, his voice calm but carrying a hint of amusement, “you could come and sit.”
‘Tch.’ Google seaʀᴄh N(o)vl(ꜰ)ire.nt
Caught off guard, Irina hesitated for a moment before nodding and taking the chair he gestured to. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes, feeling a bit exposed under his perceptive gaze.
As she settled into the chair, Astron resumed his studies, and the atmosphere shifted into a comfortable silence. Irina stole glances at him, her mind racing with thoughts.
‘This guy….Was he always this diligent?’
Of course, she knew he was good at studying, but if he was someone who would study this late, his grades would have been a lot better.
‘He is not dumb either.’
And he was certainly not someone that was bad at studying. He was the one who found the special point, and his speed in solving formulas wasn’t something to ignore. So, Irina firmly believed that Astron wasn’t bad at studying.
That left a question in her mind. Why were his grades this low compared to others?
As Irina observed Astron engrossed in his studies, her eyes wandered to the scattered books around his desk.
The titles and covers hinted at an intense focus on mana manipulation and advanced techniques for hunters. The realization dawned on her that his commitment to understanding these complex magical concepts was profound.
‘Mana manipulation… Advanced techniques…’ she thought, scanning the titles. ‘This is not just for show.’
The numerous bookmarks sticking out from the pages indicated that he wasn’t merely skimming through the content.
Astron was diving deep into the intricacies of magical theory, absorbing knowledge with diligence that contradicted his outward demeanor.
But as a mage herself, she knew all those books were actually the general knowledge for mages. But Astron was not a mage.
He was an archer, a marksman, though he was also skilled at daggers. In any case, Irina thought his specification wasn’t actually magic, so why was he studying it now?
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Irina finally mustered the courage to voice her question. “You,” she began tentatively, “I can’t help but wonder… Why are you studying magic? I mean, you’re not a mage, and your specialization is in archery and daggers. What’s the deal with all these mana manipulation books?”
Astron glanced up from his notes, meeting her inquisitive gaze.
He leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Good question,” he replied. “You already know, being a Hunter isn’t just about mastering your weapon. Magic is intertwined with everything we do.”
Irina frowned, not entirely convinced. “But you’ve never shown any interest in magic before. Why the sudden change?”
“Sometimes it is just a change of heart that opens our eyes.”