My System Doesn't Give Power

Chapter 68: First Day II

Zac looked around the now-emptying auditorium. "That’s it? The orientation finished just like that?"

Marty shrugged. "I don’t know."

Then he turned toward Shobin. "What about you? You’ve been here longer than us."

Shobin scratched his cheek. "I honestly don’t know either. I too thought it would be a much bigger event. But now I feel it’s a little..."

"Lackluster? It’s completely simple and lackluster," Zac finished.

"Yeah, exactly." Marty nodded. "I was expecting speeches from other teachers and top students or at least free food."

Marty sighed. "It’s fine. Let’s just go where we’re supposed to." He looked at the others. "So, where are your locations?"

All three of them opened their VSBs. A moment later Zac raised an eyebrow. "We all have the same destination."

Shobin looked at his screen to confirm. "It seems the show isn’t over, right?"

"I wouldn’t bet my money on that," Marty said. Just as the three of them were about to leave, a sharp voice echoed through the auditorium.

"Hey, you! Bitch boy!" The surrounding students immediately turned their heads. "Stop right there!"

Zac closed his eyes. "Not again..."

[You are the one who started it.]

He slowly turned around and saw Sabrina was marching toward them.

Her silverish white hair swayed behind her while several students instinctively stepped out of her way.

She looked exactly as annoyed as the last time he saw her. "What do you want, Ice Cube?"

The temperature around them seemed to drop. Marty and Shobin immediately took two steps backward.

"Is it okay to abandon your friend like that?" Shobin asked Marty. "What do you know? Survival is the most important. Plus I’m not the one who saw her naked."

Sabrina stopped a few feet away from Zac with her icy blue eyes locked onto him. "Didn’t your parents teach you how to respect a woman?"

Zac’s expression instantly hardened. "And who the hell are you to talk about my parents?"

Sabrina frowned. "If your upbringing had been proper, maybe you wouldn’t have developed the habit of sneaking into women’s rooms."

"You know what?" Zac took a step forward. "I didn’t insult a woman. I insulted a bitch."

Several nearby students gasped. Marty covered his face. "I’m not with him."

The temperature in the hall dropped even further. "You still refuse to admit you are in the wrong."

"I already told you it was an accident. I never intended to do any of that."

"That did not change the fact of what happened."

"What do you even want? It is true that I saw you naked, but for that you also saw me naked. So it’s resolved. Just leave the hell out of me. Why do you have to be so vocal about it? Thanks to you, now everyone thinks I’m a pervert."

"That’s because you are one." Even she wasn’t sure why the incident kept bothering her so much. Part of her knew it had probably been an accident. But every time she remembered it, she saw his face standing there and looking at her.

And her irritation immediately returned. "In my hometown," Sabrina said coldly, "actions have consequences."

A powerful aura burst out from her body, and the nearby students immediately backed away.

Zac immediately summoned his sword from his inventory. "If we’re doing this, then let’s get it over with."

Then a new voice suddenly cut through the air. "My, my..." Everyone paused and turned toward the source of the voice.

A tall blond man was walking toward them.

He wore elegant royal attire and carried himself with flawless posture. His long blond hair flowed behind him with a cheerful smile on his face.

More than anything else, though, he radiated an almost unreasonable level of confidence, as if the entire world naturally revolved around him.

[Why do I feel like I’m going to hate him even more than I hate you?]

The blond man stopped in front of Sabrina and gave her a graceful bow. "My lady." He reached for her hand, intending to kiss it, but Sabrina instantly stepped back.

The blond man paused for a fraction of a second before smiling as if nothing had happened. Keeping one hand over his chest, he straightened and said,

"My name is Adrian von Ainsworth."

The moment he spoke his surname, whispers spread throughout the crowd.

"Wait, is he really from the Ainsworth family?"

"You mean the Ainsworths from the Crown Union?"

"Who else would dare use that name?"

"One of the strongest families in that country..."

The murmurs quickly grew louder. Adrian listened to them with a pleased smile. Then he straightened his back even further, looking every bit like a prince enjoying the attention he believed he deserved.

"I heard the rumors about your situation."

Adrian briefly glanced at Zac before turning back to Sabrina with an even brighter smile.

"As beautiful as you are, it would be a shame for someone like you to stain your hands dealing with a bug like him."

He placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "Allow me to handle the dirty work. Though I dislike getting my hands dirty, I would gladly make an exception if it is my lady’s wish."

Silence fell over the area. No one seemed quite sure how to respond.

Zac slowly turned toward Marty and Shobin. "Who is this charlatan?"

Shobin nearly choked. "The Ainsworth family is one of the two ancient families of the Crown Union. They may not be the strongest, but they’re ridiculously wealthy."

"I heard one of their direct descendants enrolled this year," Marty added. "I just didn’t know he was... like this."

Zac watched Adrian for a few seconds. Then he nodded thoughtfully. "Even the greatest families make mistakes. He just happens to be one who can talk."

Everyone who heard it immediately looked away to hide their laugh.

Hearing Zac’s comment, Adrian neither lost his smile nor got angry. He simply stood there and said, "Every generation calls its geniuses lunatics before they carve their names into history."

He placed a hand on his chest. "And soon, my name will be etched into the history of this world, while the rest of you won’t even be the scraps left behind by the carving."

Marty leaned toward Zac and whispered, "How can someone be this narcissistic? His narcissism is even worse than yours."

Zac looked at Marty, unsure whether he should applaud him or punch him.

"What? You are a narcissist."

"I am not. Just a little proud of myself."

"See? That’s exactly what a narcissist would say."

Meanwhile, Adrian ignored them completely and turned back to Sabrina. "So, my lady. Do you require my assistance?"

Sabrina stared at him with a completely blank expression. "Who are you?"

For the first time, Adrian’s smile cracked. "I’m sorry. I think there’s something wrong with my hearing."

Sabrina didn’t blink. "Who are you?"

A faint twitch appeared at the corner of Adrian’s eye. Still refusing to give up, he straightened and bowed once more.

"It seems someone has failed to inform you of my identity. Allow me to introduce myself."

"I am Adrian von Ainsworth, heir to House Ainsworth; future leader of one of the most influential families in the Crown Union; and, to top it all off...I’m an S-rank potential variant."

He spread his arms as though expecting applause, but to his dismay, nothing came.

Adrian slowly opened his eyes and saw Sabrina was still standing there with the same expressionless and unimpressed look she had before.

"I don’t care."

The words hit harder than any punch. Even Zac felt a little bad for him. "Come on," Zac said, turning around. "Let’s go."

"Please," Marty said. "I can’t take this anymore."

"Same," Shobin agreed.

The three immediately started walking away. Seeing Zac leave, Sabrina took a step forward and pointed at him. "I’m not done with you yet."

But before she could move, Adrian stepped in front of her again. "My lady, there is no need for you to concern yourself with someone like him."

He placed a hand over his chest. "I assure you, I can handle everythi..."

"GET LOST!"

BOOM!

A massive spike of ice erupted from the ground. A split second later, Adrian was launched through a nearby wall.

The entire hallway shook from the impact, and dust filled the air. The students stared in stunned silence at the hole in the wall.

Several seconds later, a figure slowly stood up from the rubble. Adrian calmly brushed the dust off his clothes.

Then he pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and adjusted his collar.

When he looked up again, he still wore that disturbingly cheerful smile.

"Such passion." His eyes followed Sabrina’s retreating figure. "Such conviction."

He sighed dreamily. "This is how strong women express their love." The nearby students immediately took several steps away from him. Some even started jogging.

Following the directions on their VSBs, the recruits eventually arrived at their assigned location.

It was a massive open classroom built a few meters high on the mountain.

Stone pillars supported the roof while the front remained open. Beyond the classroom stretched a breathtaking view of the valley below, with distant waterfalls, forests, and sections of New Dawn Academy visible from the mountain.

Students slowly filled the classroom, searching for seats that suited them.

Without hesitation, Zac headed straight for the last row and dropped into the corner seat. Resting an arm on the desk, he looked completely at home there.

Marty, who had been heading for the front row, stopped when he noticed where Zac had sat.

With a sigh, he grabbed Shobin by the collar and dragged him toward the back.

"Why are we sitting here?" Shobin asked.

"I have no idea." Marty dropped into the seat beside Zac and looked at him. "Didn’t you always sit in the front row back in high school? What happened to Mr. Number One?"

Zac slowly turned toward the window. "The view is better from here."

Marty and Shobin stared at him for a moment. Then both silently shook their heads.

Inside Zac’s mind, however, a completely different conversation was taking place. "Tell me again why you wanted me to sit here."

[Because I just finished reading about the astrology and numerology of this world.]

"I already don’t like where this is going."

[According to my calculations, my Seventh System Sense is telling me that sitting in this exact seat will greatly increase your luck and karma.]

"How does sitting in a chair increase my luck?"

[Based on your name, date of birth, time of birth, and the current alignment of the stars and planets, all cosmic energies are perfectly synchronized with this location.]

Zac blinked.

"You mean this last seat?"

[Precisely.]

"System. You’re making this up, aren’t you?"

[No.]

The reply came instantly. [Who do you think I am? I am the great...]

"Okay, stop."

[But I wasn’t even halfway through my title.]

"I believe you."

[Good.]

While Zac was busy arguing with the system, more and more recruits entered the classroom, and it quickly filled up.

A few minutes later, Sabrina arrived and chose a seat near the front on the opposite side of the room.

Before sitting down, she glanced toward the back. Then she gave Zac a chilling glare. Even though Zac never looked at her, he could still feel it and wisely chose to remain silent.

Eventually, every seat in the classroom was occupied, and the noise gradually died down. The moment the clock hit the half-hour mark, a woman’s voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"Is everyone here?"

The classroom instantly fell silent. Every student turned toward the front, including Zac.

Sitting at the teacher’s desk was the same green-haired teacher from the orientation. One leg was crossed over the other, and a relaxed smile rested on her face.

Despite that smile, every student in the room shared the exact same expression.

’Confusion.’

There was only one question running through their minds.

"When the hell did she get here?"