After the History and Art Club's welcome party, Maya said to everyone in a cheerful tone: "Okay, everyone! That's all for today's orientation!" Maya's voice was full of joy as she said to the gathered members, "I'm really happy to see so many new faces joining us on our journey of exploration!" Snap, snap, snap—— A round of applause and cheers rose from the crowd, clearly showing the positive energy that was felt at this first meeting of the Society. It was all thanks to Maya, who radiated energy like the bright sun. Maya’s leadership and infectious energy were evident in the members’ reactions, and her genuine excitement clearly infected everyone present. “Thank you all for being a part of this,” she continued, with a grateful smile on her face. “We are still arranging future plans at the moment, but rest assured that we will be organizing some trips that will help with historical research.” There was excitement in the air, and as Maya's words fell, I noticed a friendly and harmonious atmosphere among the members. Differences in background, experience and perspectives seem to fade away, and shared curiosity and enthusiasm take over. "Does she know that most people here join this club just to get credits?" I thought to myself. Although clubs are not compulsory, participation in club activities can improve your overall grade in college, similar to the extra elective points offered in university courses.
"Anyway, that's all for today's orientation. We'll meet here again next Saturday to discuss how art has evolved since mana entered our world." Maya's voice was full of anticipation, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the next gathering. Her words earned nods and smiles from the members, and everyone seemed to be looking forward to another interesting discussion. With her final announcement, the orientation meeting officially ended. The open space was soon filled with footsteps and laughter, and members began to leave one after another. Some people started chatting animatedly, others stopped to exchange contact information, and a friendly atmosphere filled the air. Most of the students came to the club with their friends, so the conversations flowed naturally. There were even some freshmen who tried to get close to Maya. With furtive glances and slight smiles, they tried, somewhat awkwardly, to approach Maya. "Hey, Maya-senpai," one of them said, a little nervously but trying to sound confident, "You make this club more fun." His expression was obviously full of nervousness, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. Seeing this, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows and felt a little funny. "Are you serious? They actually want to pursue her on the first day?" I was surprised and a little amused by their boldness. Not only me, but others also obviously found it interesting and watched the scene with joyful expressions. However, the boy nearly fainted from embarrassment and didn't finish his words. Seeing this, another boy interrupted with a slightly smoother tone: "Yeah, we were wondering if you would also like to explore our inner world?" Although his method was slightly smoother, it still revealed a sense of clumsiness. "No..." I frowned inwardly, feeling embarrassed by the scene in front of me. The other party's boldness and lack of self-awareness almost made it difficult for me to look directly at him. I had to look away, unable to bear this indirect embarrassment any longer. Just then, Maya's friend Emilia stepped in, walking forward with a slightly annoyed look on her face. "Hey, you guys," she teased, her voice full of sarcasm, "Maybe you should practice those pickup lines more, and maybe improve your overall image." The boys blinked in surprise at the unexpected interruption, clearly silenced by Emilia's pointed comment, their flattery hanging in the air like a deflated balloon. Emilia turned her gaze towards me, her tone mocking: "If you want to chase girls, at least look like our gloomy handsome guy." There was a hint of teasing in her words, and a mischievous gleam in her eyes. ‘What is this woman doing all of a sudden?’ My eyebrows raised slightly, a little stunned by her sudden mention of me, my expression somewhere between confusion and mild annoyance. “Tsk.” "Ah, now he's smacking his lips again. Our gloomy little prince." Emilia said with a smile, her eyes still fixed on me. She seemed to enjoy teasing me, but I didn't like it at all. “Ahem…” I cleared my throat and tried to respond, but Emilia had already turned and left, leaving only the laughter of the people around them who had seen this conversation. Maya handled the situation with her usual grace. She ignored Emilia's teasing and the boys' embarrassment, took out a bag of snacks from her belongings and handed them to them. "Come on, have some snacks," she said with a smile, still radiating a warm glow, "Maybe this will help you recover from your mistake just now."
The boys took the snacks with grateful and embarrassed expressions, and their red cheeks triggered more laughter from the members around them. Maya used her charm to resolve this awkward situation, which was really admirable. “Sure enough, she’s born to be a leader,” I thought to myself. This girl is always so smart and cheerful, but not everyone with these qualities can lead the whole situation like her. If she did it unconsciously, she's a natural social genius. If she did it on purpose, she's a horrible monster. That's all I can say. After this incident, the boys finally left the scene with a slightly frustrated look on their faces, and Maya refocused her attention on the members, once again guiding the atmosphere with her warmth and enthusiasm, bringing the orientation party to a successful conclusion. I also started to pack my things, but at this moment, my eyes fell on the brown-haired young man who was walking towards Sylvie. Boom! My heartbeat quickened again. "He's using mana." I knew instinctively that he was using demonic energy, albeit to a small extent. "He may have used this power when he first entered the gathering point." I speculated that the conditions that triggered my [Blade of Vengeance] were related to demonic energy. After all, during the orientation session, I did not feel anger or a rapid heartbeat. Watching from a distance, I saw Mason Kent approach Sylvie. His presence exuded confidence and charisma, commanding attention with ease. His outstretched hand held a seemingly insignificant object, and the tone of his voice as he spoke to Sylvie carried a harmless veneer that was difficult to penetrate. "I'm sorry," Mason said in a gentle voice, polite expression and a little apologetic, "I think this might be something you dropped." He handed the small item in his hand to Sylvie, his green eyes revealing a friendly warmth. Sylvie blinked, looking a little surprised, her eyes moving back and forth between the object and Mason. A hint of gratitude and curiosity came over her face, and a small smile curved her lips as she took the object. It was a brief interaction, but something didn't seem right. As I watched more closely, I was more interested in the change in Sylvie's attitude. The usual brightness in her eyes seemed to dim slightly, and a shadow of uneasiness passed over her usually alert expression. "Sure enough, it's because of his demonic energy." I concluded. Mason's words seemed to have some effect, causing Sylvie's brows to frown briefly, and her response was delayed for a moment. Because, when communicating with a stranger, the normal reaction time is about 1 to 3 seconds. In Sylvie's case, her average reaction time was seconds. But now, her reaction time was extended by a full second, taking her seconds to respond. Apparently this guy's demonic energy is clouding people's judgment. "This also explains why Sylvie had such a strange reaction to this matter. It seems that they were well prepared and even able to use these means to confuse her." I thought to myself. Their target was Sylvie, so it was obvious that they knew of her talent. In the future, she will be the key to identifying and fighting the demons, which are a threat to them. Although I'm not sure if she has awakened this talent now, the demon is clearly wary of it. Sylvie nodded slightly and put the item into her pocket with a smile. "Thank you," she said politely, her eyes lingering on Mason. "By the way, I don't remember us meeting before. What's your name?" Mason's smile remained friendly as he held out his hand to Sylvie. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before. I'm Mason Kent, and I'm a member of the History and Art Club. Nice to meet you, Sylvie." As Sylvie shook his hand, I noticed a subtle change in Mason's demeanor. His words were polite, but there was something else in the way he looked at Sylvie. He seemed to be using his magical powers to establish a brief connection, a subtle enchantment that could easily be missed by those who didn't pay attention to the details. Sylvie's smile still looked appropriate as she responded, "It's nice to meet you, Mason. Thanks again for giving this back to me." Mason's answer was still just right, and his tone was gentle: "You're welcome. If you need help in the future, you can always come to me." After that, he nodded and turned around to blend into the conversation around him.
Sylvie turned her attention back to the rest of the club, and I continued to observe from my position. This seemed like a harmless interaction, but I knew his true intention. The object he gives Sylvie, seemingly insignificant, will change her life in the future until she remembers it again. The name of that object is "Abyss Twin Tracker". This is the object he gave to Sylvie. Its function is to locate its location and teleport its twin to that location. An object that goes against the laws of technology and comes directly from the demonic realm. This item will be discovered by the player later in the semester, when Sylvie's importance will gradually become apparent. But for now, no one but me will know it exists. When Mason left, Sylvie sat there, seemingly thinking about something. Suddenly, Sylvie's expression changed, as if a mist of confusion had settled over her face. She blinked and frowned slightly, as if trying to remember something important. Her hand reached for her pocket, where Mason had handed her the item. "Hmm? What was I thinking just now?" Sylvie's voice was uncertain. She looked around, confused. It seemed that a layer of fog blurred her memory and erased her previous thoughts. The object had also disintegrated and disappeared, so she couldn't find anything. I watched from a distance but took no action, because I knew that intervening at this moment would only backfire. If I revealed that I knew about the existence of the item, the demons might send stronger enemies to the academy, and that was a risk I could not take right now. "I'm sorry to put you in danger, but this is the best option." I thought to myself, watching the girl leave. I followed her out... The key plot of the story was getting closer and closer, and I had to be well prepared. "The first demon is about to appear."
