Chapter 189: Noisy Morning
Kai mined and hunted in the Dead Range alone.
His mana is still limited due to the Prye Overload that seized him that night, which he learned from Bree that it’s a unique state for a Supernal with a high-rated Patron God. A kind of berserk state where the Patron God personally invested in desiring you to win.
Recalling his last encounter with the Goddess, this didn’t surprise him at all.
She’s probably doing this to persuade him to call her mom.
And that’s not happened.
I appreciate the help, but you’re not going to coax me that easily.
Just the thought of her alone made the moon flicker, as if the Goddess was winking at him.
Kai was annoyed, but he quickly ignored it and focused on the moment.
He was still not in an optimal state to battle a Star Beast, but he wanted to test his newly completed Ending Fragments. Specifically, he wanted to see what the Night Mutation within the Reckless Ruin Ending Fragment would do to him.
But unfortunately, he found no sign of a Star Beast.
Of course, he tried going deeper, yet he saw several students from the Auric Cabal along the way, which dissuaded him from getting to the inner area. He was alone right now and was not at full power, so it was best for him to be careful.
The others wouldn’t stumble across him either, as he scours another area.
Far from the area where he and the others had come through last time.
So, he needed to be alert.
Regardless of the solidarity during the sparring session, he still has enemies.
People who would gladly kill him if the chance arises.
Kai brought the haul from his mining session back to the academy. He cut the hunt short tonight because he didn’t have a ride back. Just like how he got here in the first place, he would need to ask others for a lift.
Five people refused to give him a ride back.
At this point, Kai was cursing himself for going through this trouble.
Just because of his embarrassment, he took the harder route, and now he might be stranded.
It didn’t sound fun at all to stay overnight in the Dead Range until the shuttle ship came, but he already had a place in mind in case he had to. Fortunately, the same guy from earlier came about an hour before midnight.
And he returned with that guy.
He thanked the guy and Zeus for the blessing and got to his bed exactly at midnight.
On the next day, early in the morning.
"Master Kai, wake up."
"Eugh... Give me five more minutes."
"Master Kai... You got home quickly last night, and you act like this now? Wake up!"
"Leave me alone," Kai groaned, and hid his head underneath a pillow, wanting nothing more than to mute the world and the sound of early morning activities. "I don’t want to go to class today. Maybe I’ll skip class this one time."
"The punishment for skipping class for a Lesser Angel is five whips!"
"I’ll take that five whips any day."
Talitha rolled her eyes—and snatched the pillow away, forcing Kai to sit up and flutter both his eyes open in groggy complaint. He had always liked how gentle—and understanding she was, but that version of her seemed entirely absent this morning.
"What’s with waking me up this early?"
"Didn’t you remember? You’re volunteering for the Sky Gate."
Kai paused.
But before he could process what Talitha said, he sensed a presence approaching his room.
He recognized the presence almost instantly—and his sleep eyes flew open. The knock at the door was a thunderclap in the quiet of the basement room, and the voice that followed sent a surge of pure adrenaline through his system.
"Kai, open the door!"
It was Bree.
Despite the muffled voice, he could hear the annoyance in her tone.
Kai launched himself out of bed as if the mattress had caught fire. Talitha yelped at the sudden movement and then found his hands on her shoulders. Before she could grasp the situation— she was already forced to spin toward the staircase. "Go up there—and tell her I had already left for the professor’s headquarters. Go!"
"Huh...?" Talitha blinked, utterly bewildered. "What’s going—"
"Go!"
Because of the urgency in his tone, Talitha went up the staircase.
On the other hand, Kai bolted for the bathroom—and pressed himself into the corner behind the door, still fully clothed and still half-asleep. I don’t want to meet with Bree, but damn it, there’s no other choice.
The bald professor was going to give a briefing to the volunteers about the details.
Talitha must’ve been informed about this to make sure that Kai wouldn’t forget.
Regardless, Kai would have no other choice but to meet with Bree.
But at the very least—he wanted to avoid her a little longer. Savouring these final minutes of peace before the inevitable confrontation. Just the thought of Bree teasing him about last night made him wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
Upstairs, Talitha opened the door with what she hoped was a convincing smile.
Even when Bree’s face came into view, she wasn’t surprised at all.
"Bree?" She tilted her head, pretending to be surprised. "If you’re looking for Kai, he had gone ahead to the professor’s headquarters early. About ten minutes ago. Sorry."
Bree’s eyes looked down at Talitha and then narrowed.
Silence stretched for a good five seconds.
Her gaze made Talitha uncomfortable as beads of cold sweat formed on the side of her face.
And though Talitha tried her best, Bree could see through the transparent lie. She didn’t say a single word and stepped past Talitha into the basement room. Even from the door, she could sense his presence downstairs, which vanished only when she knocked on the door.
It was obvious that Kai was trying to hide from her, and she’s not going to let him.
"W-Wait!" Talitha trailed after her, hands fluttering in gentle protest that Bree ignored. "I told you he had already gone on ahead to the professor’s headquarters! Master Kai is not here. Not here at all!"
Bree descended the stairs and scanned the basement room.
Scanned with the precision of someone who learned to track things far more dangerous than a nervous boyfriend, but she found no sign of Kai.
"See?" Talitha cleared her throat. "He’s not here."
Instead of heeding Talitha’s words, Bree looked at the messy bedsheet and pillow, and then at the floor before settling her gaze on the bathroom door. She crossed the room and pushed it open without knocking.
And as expected, she found him wedged into the corner.
Still fully dressed, and eyes wide in shock and fear as a rabbit caught by an eagle.
"Really?" Bree placed both hands on her waist. "You are teaching your servant to lie for you now? You’re not going to start avoiding me. Just because Matilda made it messy, you decided to avoid her and me?"
"Messy?" Kai’s forehead creased in confusion. "It’s not about that."
"Not about that? Then what is this about?"
"It’s because of... You know. Me finishing early."
Just saying it aloud made Kai feel embarrassed and smaller somehow.
And Bree was stunned at what he said.
"Eugh... Of course, you’re thinking about that." She massaged her forehead, disappointed in herself that she failed to understand that Kai probably wasn’t thinking about the fact Matilda was clearly jealous of them. "If it’s about that, then you only need to do better next time."
"Huh? There’s a next time?"
"Most certainly. We’ve got to finish what we started."
Kai swallowed harshly.
And maybe because it was early in the morning, he was hard again.
But then, as if the universe had decided that this morning would be the most hectic morning Kai had ever had since he became a Lesser Angel—another set of footsteps echoed down the stairs. Heavier and quicker.
Talitha checked to see who it was, and then quickly backed away.
Matilda appeared at the bottom of the step.
It’s dangerous for Talitha to get in the middle of this, as all of them are Supernals.
Attempting to stop Matilda would be like throwing herself into a fatal accident; her body was far too fragile compared to a Supernal’s. So, all Talitha could do was stand before the bed with an awkward smile on her face. ’I don’t know what’s happening, but good luck, Master.’
Matilda’s eyes swept the room until they landed on the bathroom doorway.
Her eyes narrowed sharply, and she quickly walked.
"What are you in the bathroom? Get out and give him some space," She said, leaning her back against the door frame—leaving enough space for Bree to walk out. "It’s early in the morning, and you’re already a nuisance."
"If anyone is a nuisance here, it’s you," Bree retorted sharply.
"Look at him. He wanted you to leave."
"I beg to differ. It’s obvious that he wanted me to stay."
"If you’re staying, then I’m also going to stay."
"What’s this got to do with you?! Why are you even waking up this early? You’re not one of the volunteers."
Of course, the thought of showering with Bree was enticing.
But Kai always woke up to a peaceful morning, which was his preference. And he was also an introvert, so the noisy quarrel between the two really irritated him. He sighed, wrapped an arm around each of their waists, and unceremoniously shoved them out of the bathroom.
"If you want to argue, then argue outside," Kai said firmly and then looked at Talitha. "Bring these two out of my room. If they resist, shout my name, and I’ll drag them out myself."
Once he said that, he slammed the bathroom door shut.
Silence swept the entire room in the next few seconds.
Matilda and Bree exchanged an annoyed look and then threw their faces away.
Across from them, Talitha smiled helplessly.
Moments later.
Kai walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel around his waist.
He closed the door behind him—and saw that Bree and Matilda were both sitting on his bed, but there was a really big space between them. Clearly still not on good terms. "Finished with the quarrels?"
"Yes," Bree answered.
And Matilda nodded.
"Oh," Kai went to take his uniform. "Good. Because next time the two of you do this again—make a commotion early in the morning—I’m not going to let either of you in again. And I am serious when I say this."
Seeing that the two seemed to understand, Kai nodded inwardly.
"Matilda," Kai paused to look at her. "Go to the factory and learn about how things go there. We have a group now, so we need to participate."
He then turned to Bree, "Are you ready to go to the Second Sky?"
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