The Protagonist Already Knows

Chapter 32: No More Marks

Not even looking up from the metal armband, she simply answered.

"Just manifest it."

"..."

"You seem quite good at that; I’m not even sure why I’m helping you, but I’m sure it’s exactly what you wanted."

"...I see."

Screwing the metal armband closed, Lily tossed it at me and raised her hand, prompting me to move to the side.

Gazing at her back as she passed me, I paused for a moment.

Should I warn her?

During the virtual reality exam, despite Ren’s preventive actions, the Dregs would still try something, serving as a rude awakening to Ren that his future knowledge could no longer be trusted as an end-all be-all.

On the last day of the Virtual Reality exam, when students and teachers were likely to be most exhausted, the Dreg would locate where Ren’s advisory was taking the virtual reality exam.

Then, they would set up a trap outside the room for the exhausted students to walk into right after the exam.

The Dregs were, of course, targeting Lily, the daughter of their most dangerous enemy.

Shaking my head, I glanced at the now hopefully functional metal armband on my right arm and left the dorm building, walking back to the training hall.

If I told Lily, things could become even more dangerous.

Just like the Dregs had still done something after Ren’s attempted preventive actions, they could still do something after mine.

But if I didn’t take any preventive actions, I would know exactly what to expect instead of being completely in the dark like Ren.

"...anyway, would she believe me?"

Looking up, I was about to mark another student, expecting my mark on Lily to fade at any moment...but my mark didn’t vanish.

Awkwardly, I glanced over my shoulder, seeing a familiar figure in the distance, now holding a lightweight and clean rapier.

As if noticing my gaze, she suddenly glanced upward from her smartwatch, her ice-blue eyes meeting my blood-red.

Awkwardly coughing, I immediatly looked forward and entered the training hall, seeing it even more packed.

After heading to the top floor and thankfully finding an empty AI dummy training room, I took a deep breath and sat down

I removed my mark on Lily.

"..."

Everything became oddly silent.

I glanced at my sword, which was lying beside me: its cold steel blade reflected me.

I looked at myself through my sword.

No...I wasn’t looking at myself, was I?

I was looking at "Ash."

This wasn’t me.

Right?

I didn’t recognize those blood-red eyes.

Right?

Who was I asking?

Myself?

But then, why didn’t I have an answer?

"..."

Ash Fell

The disowned heir of the Fell family: the one fated to succumb to Anubis’s will, massacre tens of Sunken Pearl students, and kill Carissa Chae.

Was that me?

No...I was Ash...just Ash.

I had no predetermined future to follow.

I knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to become strong, so overwhelmingly powerful that I could impose my morals and ideals on others.

The sword was just another way to become stronger.

Grabbing the hilt of my Dao, I paused for a moment.

Impatience.

That’s truly what I felt holding the sword.

I was too weak. Too unprepared.

If I were thrown into another Gate Crash, I would be just as useless and powerless.

Standing up, I held my sword diagonally in front of my body and slashed at the air a few times.

"..."

Why did I feel like puking?

Activating the AI dummy bot and setting it to the elusive level 1 that I had yet to beat, I ignored my burning forehead.

[Level 1]

[User: 0 / AI Dummy: 0]

As the metal dummy charged forward at me, I did the same, sprinting toward its vertically slashing sword.

Then, at the last second, I intentionally fell, sliding on the floor and right under the dummy’s outstretched right arm, avoiding its blade.

Before it could react, I jumped back on my feet and jabbed my sword at its defenseless back.

*CLANG*

Turning around to face me, the dummy jabbed its sword forward at my chest, but I instantly side-stepped to the right.

Shame.

Among the various chaotic thoughts flowing through my brain, there was only one that stood in the spotlight.

I was disgusted...ashamed of myself for being this weak with everything that I had been given.

Frustrated, I met the AI dummy’s incoming vertical slash with my Dao. However, as the two of us pressed our swords against the others, I immediatly felt myself being pushed back.

Disgusting.

It was disgusting.

I was overpowered by the strength of an AI dummy meant for middle-schoolers.

Perhaps that was why, at that moment, I decided to stay still.

Instead of retreating like I usually would have and waiting for another counter-attack opportunity, I stood there, fighting that losing battle.

I knew I was going to lose: the AI dummy had far more strength than I and would easily knock my Dao out of my hands within a few seconds.

But...it wasn’t out of some senseless pride.

I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I retreated.

If I backed up now, would anything change?

If I couldn’t see the way forward to victory, then I simply had to make it myself.

Or die trying.

At least then, I wouldn’t feel like a disgusting and feeble bitch.

Lowering my body as my grip on the Dao grew looser, I threw my left shoulder forward, feeling an eruption of pain surge through my body immediatly.

*BANG*

As my left shoulder collided with the AI dummy’s metal armor, my left clavicle instantly fractured, my left arm growing limp and lifeless.

However, thrown off my balance by my shoulder thrust, the AI dummy swayed for a moment, losing its footing.

Without any hesitation, I poured the last bit of strength into my right arm and slashed my Dao forward at the AI dummy’s sword.

*CLANG*

In the next second, the AI dummy fell backward, completely losing its footing, and landed back-first on the ground.

[User: 2 / AI Dummy: 0]

Gazing at the AI dummy, which looked more like a toppled turtle, I found myself grinning in the reflection of my Dao.