Chapter 44: Change of plans [1]
'Whore's son', just that much. That was all it took to trigger the other Noah's past memories. Perhaps some trauma? A scar? I couldn't tell. I was not him.
But in that fleeting moment, the recollections of a bygone past clashed with the memories of my cherished family. The moment passed in the blink of an eye, but it felt like an eternity. The haunting echoes of two different worlds crashed, stirring up the wounds of the past. And just like that, it unleashed the memory of the day I lost my world, when I heard my mother's voice for the last time. And before I knew it...
"Say t h a t o n c e again, I d a r e you. Say anything about ?????? family," a growl escaped me, my inner soul demanded an answer.
An answer to why, why was I transmigrated? Why was I born with that blood condition? What happened to my world? What happened to the other Noah? Why can't I remember his parents?
Why so many questions and no fucking answers!!
Freya gasped for life, her eyes welling up with tears. She managed to muster a ragged breath and stammered, "S-sorry! Please..."
Her feeble attempt to escape my grip was extinguished, my hand clenched tightly around her throat. In that moment, ?? really wanted to kill her.
I wanted to greet the death who followed me around all my life but never bothered to say a hi.
Death...the recollection suddenly calmed me down like an old friend.
In an instant, a realization washed over me 'Why was I allowing myself to be consumed by anger?'
Yes, her words about my parents did blazed my rage, but this isn't how I act?
'Fuck this memory issue. Fuck the other Noah and fuck his memory as well,' I took a deep breath, attempting to calm myself.
???????????!!— Suddenly, a projectile came at me, propelled by the force of a guy adorned with shiny equipments worth a fortune in Dens.
'Tsk, Takahashi!' I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
Just as his kick was about to make contact, my body instinctively moved, narrowly evading the attack.
I was in battle mode, which activated earlier on a whim of my intent.
Nano possessed the remarkable ability to detect my emotions and intentions, adapting accordingly. It was one of its many superior qualities. Qualities which might have killed Freya today if I didn't regain composure on time.
"Release her! This is not the place for you to play the tragic hero," Takahashi bellowed, aiming a powerful punch at my face.
But, with the ease of my left palm, I absorbed the impact, minimizing the force.
At the same time, I released my grip on Freya's neck, allowing her to collapse.
"As if I care?" I muttered dismissively, turning away from the scene.
Why did I let myself react like that?
I honestly have no clue. Was it the trauma of other Noah Grey? Was it some weird blend of memories?
As I walked away, the sound of murmurs lingered behind me.
Some were expressing surprise, while others wore looks of confusion. But their opinions didn't matter to me.
What truly matters is how I choose to act based on them, and today... I failed.
Today marked the first time I willingly attempted to harm someone, and it seemed to be fueled by the deep-seated emotions I had always buried within me.
My life, plagued by my blood condition, had always filled me with resentment and a sense of loathing towards the world.
I couldn't live like others, constantly confronted with the possibility of death with each passing day.
Over time, this frustration morphed into an anger issue.
"Anger issue plus the other Noah's memories... " I reasoned with myself, searching for an explanation.
There couldn't be any other reason for me to behave so recklessly.
***
Takahashi's brow furrowed in confusion as he struggled to comprehend what happened.
'How on earth did that weakling manage to deflect my strikes?' He thought, his mind swirling with bewilderment while he observed Noah's retreating figure.
A wave of surprise washed over the entire class, forcing them to reevaluate their assumptions about the seemingly ordinary boy who had concealed depths yet to be uncovered.
But, the one who found herself most confused by Noah was, a girl with stunning golden eyes and long flowing hair—Emily reed.
Emily sensed that there was more to Noah than met the eye, and she silently resolved to keep a vigilant watch over him.
Things were far from simple, and Noah seemed to be concealing something.
The intensity of the bloodlust she had sensed from him today surpassed what any mere 'human' could release.
His eyes...for that one moment he didn't felt 'humane'.
***
Noah's Point of view(POV):
As I walked through the crowd, I couldn't help but notice the strange murmurs that began to swirl around me.
But, I paid them no attention, feeling a lingering annoyance build up because of their behaviour.
Glancing at a guy nearby, I watched as his gaze immediately darted away from me, his pace quickening.
A frown creased my brow, 'Why are they acting so strange?'
Enough about that.
Here is what happened to Freya.
She was eliminated from the dungeon trial, but it wasn't just a simple elimination.
No, she was brutally beaten by none other than Takahashi, the same guy who lectured me yesterday.
And to make matters worse, he seemed to have no regard for the fact that she was a girl, treating her like trash.
It was then that I realized just how strange this guy truly was.
He didn't discriminate when it came to beating regardless of gender.
The sound of my footsteps echoed beneath me as I made my way through the dense jungle.
Towering trees surrounded me, their branches allowing slivers of sunlight to caress my skin.
Navigating through this jungle was no easy task.
The ground was covered with thick grass and often adorned with patches of moss wherever my eyes wandered.
"Hey Noah!" A sudden voice interrupted my train of thought, and I spotted two familiar faces approaching me—a girl and a boy.
Who else could they be but James and Anastasia.
"How are you?" they asked at the same time, concern evident on their faces.
They didn't mention it, but I knew they were worried about me after my behavior last night.
"I'm fine," I replied, but a memory flashed in my mind, prompting me to retrieve a mana potion from my dimensional bracelet.
"Oh, and here, Anastasia!" I tossed the mana potion towards her.
"I forgot to give it to you last night."
"Thanks!" she exclaimed, deftly catching the potion.
Aeravat asked the whole class to gather early this morning.
I had a hunch about the reason.
I opened up the map of the jungle in my augmented vision. The other classes were nearby.
'Well, I guess it's time to alter the course of events.'
"Let's get moving," I motioned to the other two to follow along.
***
Aeravat's Point of View(POV):
Taking a deep breath, I managed to regain my composure. It was hard to fathom how I could fail in such a seemingly simple test like this dungeon trial.
One by one, groups of students started gathering in front of me.
Despite the fact that our food ration was destroyed yesterday, we still had enough supplies to sustain us for a day. But that's all we had.
If we failt tolocate the dungeon entrance today, then this trial would be a lost cause.
We simply didn't had enough food to continue.
Emily approached me with her typical smile, "Sightseeing?"
"I'm just thinking whether this will turn out in our favor," I replied, keeping a watchful eye on the different groups of students. "This is my last desperate attempt to win this trial. If I fail, then I have failed as a leader."
"You know, whatever Takahashi said, he said in anger. You don't have to let it get to you," Emily tried to console me.
"But he's right," I replied, memories of the incidents from last night flooding back into my mind. Last night... Noah... What is up with him?
Something about the guy wasn't right. It felt like my soul was used?
"Everyone has arrived," a sudden voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned my head slightly to see Aurora standing nearby.
I prepared myself to set my final plan into motion. But before that...
I glanced at the group of students, clearing my throat as I started to speak. "I have failed as leader."
Silence fell upon the crowd.
"According to what we learned from Freya, our position has been leaked to class A2, and they will be here soon," I informed everyone.
My voice was calm, but it created a wave of concern among the crowd.
-"Well, at least he admits his incompetence."
-"This trial is doomed."
—"We're going to be eliminated."
-"I miss professor Riya..."
Dejected comments filled the air.
"There seems to be no other way but for us to directly confront them head-on. That is, if we fail to find the dungeon entrance today. We don't even know where the rest of the classes are. So, before that, does anyone have any other ideas?" I asked, scanning the faces of my peers, hoping for a solution.
And, as if on cue, a guy with black orbs stepped forward, his eyes were as black as the emptiness of space.
'Ah...Noah,' I mused. Maybe he knows something? I had a sliver of hope that he does.
After all, he did save our class last night, and he seemed quite intelligent.
"Do you have any plans?" I asked, keeping my emotions in check.
"I do. Let's head to the dungeon and defeat the boss monster!" He replied with an 'isn't it obvious' attitude.
I frowned, feeling a tad bit apprehensive. "But we don't know where the dungeon entrance is?"
"I know, but I can figure out its location. Trust me on this. I could explain, but I'd rather not do it in front of everyone."
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