Brrr!
Sing and Mob headed to the cafeteria and discovered Dobi shamelessly seated, munching on food.
“Dobi.”
“This is my seat. If you’re looking for a spot, you might want to go elsewhere.”
“That’s not going to work. You were the one who first coveted my seat.”
Splash!
Sing poured cold water over Dobi’s tray.
Among the raucous academy students, meal time was typically respected like a sacred ritual.
Sing’s bold act stirred whispers everywhere.
“Choose your fate. Will you get humiliated in front of everyone, or come quietly to a secluded spot?”
Just moments ago, Dobi was nothing but a failing student, barely hanging on.
Yet, instead of trembling in fear at Sing’s blatant provocation, Dobi laughed lightly and stood up.
“I know a good place. Follow me.”
Sing, an upperclassman, challenged Dobi, a lowerclassman, and the challenge was accepted!
Excited by the news, first-years put down their meals and followed.
The idea of a duel was thrilling, especially with Dobi suddenly losing his mind and accepting a fight that was borderline suicide.
“That Sing guy, he’s pretty feisty, isn’t he? But he rarely starts things with others.”
“True. What could Dobi be thinking, accepting a challenge when he should be worrying about failing? Is he trying to achieve some ‘noble’ death, convincing himself he wasn’t expelled but rather killed by a classmate?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! If he joined the academy to succeed and just dies, what’s the point?”
“However, Dobi has been acting strangely energetic lately. It’s almost like he has this strange charisma.”
“I bet he went nuts after visiting the professor’s research lab.”
“Maybe he had a third-year’s soul forcefully injected into him.”
“What? Did Dobi eat a high-year’s soul?”
“They say after Oknodie, the second soul predator in the first year has appeared!”
As always, wild rumors spread like wildfire in the academy!
It escalated to claims that soul predator Dobi was trying to consume Oknodie’s soul to become stronger, which provoked pedophile swordsman Sing to throw down the gauntlet.
“Mob, is there any truth to this rumor?”
“Word is Sing and Dobi are fighting here. You must know something!”
“You’ve been working with the organization that plays with Oknodie, haven’t you? Is Sing really a pedophile swordsman?”
“Does Oknodie eat souls?”
“What if Sing is trying to prove Dobi’s weakness to stop him from being consumed by Oknodie?”
Mob drew a line amid the tide of wild rumors.
“Don’t ask. I can’t say anything.”
“Looks like it’s true! Sing really is a pedophile swordsman.”
“Dobi and Oknodie are both soul predators!”
“The black knight Mob swore never to lie, so he must’ve mumbled something instead!”
“Did Mob really make such a vow?”
“Those knights in fairy tales all did!”
Of course, Mob knew the truth.
This was just nonsense.
Still, he didn’t bother to refute it directly.
Sing was a powerful rival he would have to face someday.
It would be nice if his enemy’s reputation sank on its own.
“Anyway, no one can pass me from here.”
“Who do you think you are!”
“… If you want to pass, take me down.”
As Mob recalled a move he saw Sing use and unleashed a fierce intent, the students flinched.
“Tsk. Let’s go back.”
“Boring guy.”
“I’m not running away because I can’t win! I just didn’t feel like fighting!”
When Mob ferociously glared from under his helmet, the last student squeaked Eek! and fled.
‘What a waste of time.’
Mob remembered Dobi as the weakling who accompanied the library expedition.
Even though Oknodie’s events and the incident that captivated the second years were strange, he couldn’t imagine Dobi winning against Sing.
So, when he felt peculiar mana swirling inside, he fully expected Sing to come out.
‘After all, his opponent is the Eastern swordsman Sing. Aside from the warrior or Oknodie, it’s hard to find a contender among first years.’
As he pondered how to hide his murderous intent while looking at that shameless face, footsteps approached.
The erratic clopping of an unruly gait echoed—someone whose weight distribution was all over the place, ready to charge at any moment.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Sing—it was Dobi.
“You, how did you…?”
“Are you trying to interfere with me too?”
Dobi’s eyes glimmered ominously.
Mob realized it.
Whatever Dobi had done, he had beaten Sing.
He would be no match against him.
“Just answer one thing. What did you do to Oknodie in a swimsuit with tentacles? Depending on your answer, I’ll report you to the student council and Professor Mahabharata.”
Dobi, without a hint of reluctance, boldly declared, wiping his own face.
“I didn’t do anything. Oknodie wore the swimsuit of his own free will, and he communicated with the monster on his own accord. He simply spoke through a curtain in a secret foreign language and left the monster in a moving tank.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“If you don’t, just visit Oknodie’s lecture tomorrow and ask him yourself. He gathered the monster for his own purposes.”
Mob was aghast.
“Tomorrow… is Saturday?”
Isn’t Saturday a day off?
Why is there a lecture?
*
Oknodie, whom Mob thought would be gloomy after such a crazy incident, welcomed him back surprisingly well.
“Oknodie. Are you okay?”
“I’m completely fine!”
“You weren’t mistreated by Dobi, were you?”
Oknodie tilted her head innocently.
“I’m fine, but the seniors might be a different story!”
“That brat… Did he lay hands on the seniors?!”
“Taking away the summoned beasts was a bit much, wasn’t it?”
“Even beasts!!!”
“Ah, it wasn’t a beast. It was a mineral-type summoned creature!”
“That guy wouldn’t stop there, would he!! Under that delicate, sneaky face, he hid his monstrous instincts??!!”
Ultimately, Mob’s conversation with Oknodie raised more concern than relief.
“Are you really okay? With a swimsuit and tentacle and all that…?”
Oknodie’s confusion grew as Mob struggled to find words.
“Are you curious to see?.”
“Stop with that shameless talk!!”
“Huh?? I don’t get why Mob is angry…”
“Sorry… for raising my voice. But you shouldn’t casually say things like that, Oknodie.”
“Really?”
“You need to cherish yourself more.”
“True. I shouldn’t just show something precious to anyone.”
“Exactly.”
“But Mob is my disciple. You’re special, not just anyone.”
Mob’s time momentarily froze in front of Oknodie, who was chewing her fingernail in thought.
This moment could perhaps be replayed in his memory forever.
“Alright. I won’t show my stuff carelessly to newbies anymore!”
“Th-That’s good…”
“Are you okay? You’re suddenly turning red. Dobi was acting like that earlier too. Is that flu event going around or something? Oh dear, you should have raised your disease resistance.”
Lost in thought as he followed Oknodie’s innocent nature, Mob suddenly snapped back upon seeing a rolling box behind her.
“Tentacles!!”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing carrying those around? You should submit them to the student council and use that to report Dobi.”
As Mob reached toward the box, Oknodie swiftly slapped his hand away.
“Not allowed!!”
Gah!
[Durability]
[Toughness]
[Kinetic Resistance]
[Heavy Armor Defense]
Despite the robust defensive skills honed through rigorous training, Mob was flung backward in armor, rolling 720 degrees before crashing down.
He barely managed to roll with the fall; otherwise, crashing headfirst into the ground after spinning could have knocked him out for the day just from Oknodie’s slap.
“What’s in here is Goo Kraken. It’s not for others; I brought it for myself. Why should I submit it to the student council?”
“O-Oknodie… that’s not right… You’re still a child, and yet you…”
“Ugh, annoying Mob, just faint already!”
Oknodie squatted down in front of the fallen Mob, her soft calves and thighs drawing his eye, Thwack! a powerful smack rang out on his helm.
Mob couldn’t withstand the overwhelming impact and fainted right there.
