Chapter 34: Weirdest
Since it was still the middle of the day, and the Student Council building stood near the second- and third-year dormitories, seeing Cillian and Caspin walking together was entirely something new.
Some were even jealous that another beauty was accompanying Cillian, but most were intrigued by why another Student Council member was walking alongside someone with a person with a slightly bad history.
Well, not slightly.
It was definitely bad.
Maybe they were already tainted by his nastiness?
They passed through a lot of hallways and met students from every year level, from first years to third years.
Almost all of them greeted Caspin. Every now and then, a student would stop to chat with her that made Cillian signal her to move the fucking fast when she took longer.
Some just saw him, but they gave him only glances and looks just like extras to extras, though Cillian was already numb to such situations and merely ignored them.
Traversing through the room halls, faculties, and club rooms, they finally landed on their destination.
"So let me get this straight. Someone magically appeared at your club and probably infiltrated the academy walls. This guy, who has been roaming around the world for a few decades trying to escape his pursuers, stumbled upon your club. You are sounding as if it is some sort of invasive species when it is just another human. You want me to see if this guy is indeed dangerous and report it to higher-ups right away?"
"Exactly!"
Caspin gave him a weird, suspicious look.
Cillian already knew this was going to happen, but he just urged her to take a look, then he convinced her to call for back-up right away if he was right.
Caspin’s red auburn hair swayed as she shifted her attention to the door. Holding the knob, twisted, and stepped inside with Cillian from behind.
Their eyes slightly widened when they realized two bodies were unmoving in their places. Vin was lying on a chair, his head hung low, while Phillip was lying on the table, his arms and legs spread, eyes closed.
And there was Aiden, reading something on his thin, black parchment that was hovering in the air while leisurely sitting down on Cillian’s usual seat.
Then, upon seeing the people that entered the room, Aiden casually glanced at Caspin before moving his gaze to Cillian.
’Shit—!’
Aiden snapped his fingers, and the thin black parchment disappeared from the air. He stood up and let out the brightest smile he could muster.
"Cillian, there you are. You brought another guest? And she’s a beauty!"
Aiden paused.
"Oh, an old geezer like me shouldn’t say that, so I apologize in advance. But anyways, what do I owe the pleasure?"
Caspin chuckled before sitting down in a chair.
Leaving Aiden to Caspin, Cillian immediately ran toward his colleagues to see if they were in danger and needed medical attention right away.
After inspecting Aiden, Caspin called out.
"Aiden, does everything you said to Cillian true?"
"I’m the most honest man in the universe you’ll ever meet, kiddo. Yes, everything I said is truer if that’s what you’re asking,"
Aiden chuckled before adding, his voice meant to call out Cillian.
"They are still breathing, Cillian. They just have too much... laugh."
Cillian had already checked on them and felt their pulse stable, nothing out of the ordinary.
He warily observed Aiden before giving Caspin the signal that this was enough proof to ask for help.
But strangely enough, Caspin just focused her gaze on Aiden and asked.
"Aiden..."
Caspin’s voice trailed off.
"Do you have ill intentions toward Cillian, this school, and any living person in this world?"
The air around the room turned cold.
Every sound seemed to be gone, replaced by a sense of melancholy and dread. As if time had stopped, they became motionless, their gazes saying more than words ever could as they voice out the weight of the intensifying situation.
"Ill intention, huh?"
Aiden brimmed with a smile as he added.
"Of course, not! Why would I waste my time on puny weak humans like you guys? Come on, get a grip! I’m a very harmless person to harmless peeps! Come on, now. Hahaha!"
"Right?"
Caspin’s voice felt elevated as if she were in a trance, her chuckle and tone rising.
"When I heard Cillian say that you infiltrated the academy, I was stupefied! My mind was in crisis over whether to believe his words or not. But then I realized you indeed infiltrated our academy!"
Caspin tapped her hips as if she was having fun before adding.
"Two people are not conscious right now, but they are still breathing! Would that mean you mean no harm at all? Hahaha! Wait, maybe you are or not? I don’t know!"
’Uhm, what?’
Cillian was clearly confused at such a development, feeling that this day had become the weirdest to date.
He didn’t understand the elevated atmosphere that continued to intensify with its sudden change, and how Caspin got affected by it.
Her words filled with dread, but she was still able to laugh it off as if it was nothing serious.
Caspin didn’t stop as she continued speaking.
"You know, when Cillian told me that the world is doomed, I-I... what was I feeling there? Ah, right, it was hilarious!"
"Now that’s a good attitude! Yes! We must face our problems with positivity. Though your world is doomed, we can painfully resist and resist still!"
Aiden answered back with a burst of laughter that made Caspin laugh back.
He continued laughing before looking at the confused Cillian.
Aiden’s laugh halted, his lips curling upwards before he expressed in an overjoyed way.
"Oh gosh, hahaha! Can we talk, Cillian? I need your help. You see, it seems you’re the only person who remained conscious enough not to let this overflowing power of mine attack you."
With nervous breathing, Cillian asked.
"W-what power?"
Aiden chuckled nervously and said.
"It’s called Humored Insanity, categorized as [Ten] in its Runic Language. I-I think this will spread if I don’t do something about it. I-If we don’t stop it from losing control, then everyone here will die laughing. Hahaha, you will not even be able to escape. Even you."
...
Caspin almost choked on herself while laughing, but she lost consciousness due to excessive laughing. On the good side, she was still breathing and lay on the ground with a stupid grin on her face.
’Ah shit. He said I won’t be able to escape even if I run... I’m not getting affected by this contagious power, though. But should I take the risk?’
Cillian warily watched Aiden, who was laughing uncontrollably. Beneath his giggling expression was a strange mix of nervousness and worry that made him seem different from what he usually acted?
Cillian didn’t know.
But Aiden just looked like a psycho laughing on his own.
Cillian nervously loosened his tie before lightly coughing.
"What kind of help am I going to do...?"
Giggling violently, Aiden tried his hardest to explain.
"Hahaha... it’s getting harder to breathe... But anyways, my method will take at least half a day, but this plan is doable. The first step is handing over half of my power to you. Don’t worry, it will not cause you danger since I’m ninety-nine percent sure you’re immune to it.
"Second, I’ll put this raging power in the available room you’ve given. I wanted to try it earlier, but the power is too strong without applying the former step. Once I’ve isolated half the power into that room, I’ll start infusing it with me. Third, after isolating and infusing half of this power, I’ll retrieve what you have and do the same method."
Aiden used an ’okay sign’ as he smiled weirdly.
"Good, right? The plan is laid out, and all we have to do is execute it. Are we good?"
Cillian listened attentively, trying to make sense of his words, but he didn’t mind the risks at this moment, knowing he was held responsible for the three lives inside his room. It wasn’t their fault that they were in their current position.
They are just in this ridiculous situation at the right time and in the right place.
Now that it had come to this, he had better see it through to the end.
So, in that case, he should get something out of it.
"Heh, looking at your nervousness, it is unlikely that you are lying. Because of that, it seems what’s happening to you is threatening you as well."
Cillian paused.
"If I followed your plan, what would I get from you?"
"You’re not so naive at all! Great, even if this doesn’t end well, we’re all going to die. If successful, you want to receive at least something from me, right?"
Aiden giggled so horribly that his back arched, making Cillian shudder.
Then, Aiden calmed down for a moment as he laughed.
"You’ll get... an artifact, a valuable helper...and information on my adventures while roaming around this world. How... about that?"
"Deal!"
Cillian no longer hesitated to agree, seeing the urgency of the situation after Aiden twisted his back in a very weird, disgusting way. He felt that demanding more payment for his help would only jeopardize everything.
"Nice!"
Aiden suddenly reached out to him and grabbed Cillian from his hand. With a giggle, he led half of his power to him.
’What!’
[Death Flag]
The flag above Cillian’s head changed.
[Death Flag]
Feeling the immense power surging, Cillian panicked and prepared himself for the worst yet... he felt nothing.
He thought it would be the same scenario where an unknown force entered a body, bringing an excruciating pain that a person is unable to handle. Then, he’ll roll on the ground, begging for mercy while shouting, "I shouldn’t have believed any words he said!"
Alas, his expectations turned into disappointment.
’Wait, why am I disappointed? I should be happy instead! Yes, this is a good way to start doing this... whatever the hell this is!’
Finally, after holding his hand for a minute, Aiden let go, stood up, and entered the room.
Stopping inside of it, Aiden glanced back with a chuckle.
"Right, if the power started affecting you, don’t laugh, chortle, or snicker even a bit. Any type of... funny is going to be bad. ’kay?"
Aiden slammed the door shut, leaving Cillian and the three students who were only giggling very subtly.
Cillian stared blankly.
"Well, I guess I have to wait?"
Cillian was filled with ease when he noticed nothing had changed, whether it was himself or the situation.
He stood up from his seat, moved to his table, and grabbed a book from his drawer.
A few hours had passed since then. Cillian decided to practice his sorcery spellcasting, look into his Ruiner powers, study his knowledge regarding sorcery, and check on the condition of the three people who had fallen under Aiden’s power from time to time.
Yet all the movements he had been making came to a stop when he felt something ’funny’ coming inside him.
[Death Flag]
’What the...’
Cillian’s gaze couldn’t help but be diverted above the ceiling.
