Chapter 33: A Strange Encounter
BLLEEERGGHHH
An extra loud belch echoed through the cafeteria hall as Nolan rose up from the table, where lay a gigantic tray filled with nothing but bones.
Slowly, he adjusted his belt to better fit his bulging stomach.
[It seems your appetite has increased and quite voraciously too. You actually ate the size of what you ate yesterday and an extra quarter, and yet you're not splayed all over the floor.]
[That is noteworthy...] the system teased Nolan, who smiled pridefully.
"Of course, I, Nolan, am the king of whales!" Nolan said proudly, declaring a stance by placing his clenched fist on his stomach while planting one of his legs on the seat, looking at the distance with a smart gaze.
[What are you doing?] The system asked Nolan, who smiled shamelessly.
"I'm posing, of course. What do you think?" Nolan asked as his stomach bulged out even more.
[I think you're embarrassing yourself in front of a pretty lady at the cafeteria entrance...] the system said to him as Nolan's body went rigid.
Slowly, he turned his head back to the cafeteria entrance only to find out there truly was a pretty girl standing there, looking at Nolan just as Nolan was looking at her, dumbfounded.
"What are you doing?" the girl asked Nolan, who slowly put down his legs and scratched the back of his head shamelessly.
Right now, he felt like finding a hole and digging himself into it.
"Damn, I should have taken a picture and shared it with NetNet. I'm pretty sure many would admire it…" she said while giggling evilly at him.
She was a green-eyed girl with equally green hair, and there was a strange flower tattoo that peeked through the side of her neck, coming from within her shirt.
Light-skinned and about 1.75 meters tall, she looked like that godly beauty from Earth.
But Nolan didn't find the conversation appealing.
He was officially the trash of the school.
Why would a girl suddenly approach him and make some remarks about him without outright calling him trash at first glance?
Anyone else would have found it heartwarming, but Nolan was only suspicious, and he sought to get himself out of this situation as soon as possible.
"I over ate a little, so I felt a need to get some energy back with a little stretching exercise…" he replied back to her, cracking his neck before he carefully slid around her and slowly moved out of the cafeteria.
But in the next instant, the entire world seemed to flash before his eyes, and in the next instant—
BAAAAAANG
Arrgh
A slight groan escaped Nolan's lips as he felt himself slam into the cafeteria entrance wall.
An inch before him was the girl, her ruby-green eyes staring at him with a smirk.
[Give it up, she's at least thrice stronger than you are]
"They're targeting you, Nolan. Be careful..." she gently whispered to him before backing off with a cunning smirk and entering back into the cafeteria.
Nolan's eyes flashed with an unusual light before he moved himself off the wall, covered up his face with his robe, and quickly made his way towards his dorm room.
Soon he arrived before the Greek Descents dorm building.
He carefully slid to the backyard, appearing before his dorm room.
He took off his robes before slamming down hard on the bed, a loud yawn escaping his lips.
But his eyes belied quite the seriousness as he wondered about the strange girl and what she had said to him.
"They're targeting me? Of course they are targeting me. I've always been targeted all my life."
"Heck, I don't even know when Quinn will come seeking my neck once more, and the rest of my bullies."
"The real question is, why did she want me to be careful? Did she care, or was she just bluffing? And why did she care? Or just who is she even?" he mused to himself with furrowed eyebrows.
Suddenly, the golden notification panel appeared.
[Side Quest Issued: A strange girl with a mysterious bloodline has shown interest in the Host. The Host must find out why and who she is.]
[Rewards: ????]
The system said to Nolan, whose eyes flashed.
"I guess thinking about it was worth it then. I'll find a way to get back at her tomorrow. She's not in my memories though, so it'll be a little hard…" Nolan said to himself, deciding to leave the matter for tomorrow. Slowly, his eyes closed as all the exhaustion finally hit his body, and soon snoring could be heard ringing through the room.
---
"Where is he?" The voice, husky and brimming with a strange malevolent power, echoed throughout the dark hall where about a dozen robed figures stood, all on their knees before a figure who sat on a humongous dark throne, a crimson light that screamed of blood and madness shining through his darkness-shrouded face.
"He isn't in his house. When we arrived there, my lord…" one of the dozen figures answered respectfully, and a silent and low hum resounded throughout the entire hall.
"Tomorrow will be the day he dies, once and for all. And this time, I will be accompanying you all…" the husky voice boomed through the entire dark hall before the figure faded away into the shadows, and all the shadowed beings kneeling slowly rose up before giving a bow.
"All Hail, the Shadow Prince of Erebus!"
---
The golden light pierced through the window panes, illuminating the face of a handsome young man whose eyelids fluttered as he quickly rose up from his bed.
"HMMMMMM"
"Ahhhhhhhh"
A loud inhale was taken by Nolan before he exhaled loudly, stretching his backbone and feeling the great energy present in his body.
"Another good day to live…" Nolan said with a smile before quickly rising up and heading towards the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, he was done dressing up for school before he grabbed his bag on the seat and quickly made his way to class.