After leaving Kenji to his painful, System-induced transformation in the park, I walked straight to school. The path was familiar, but the journey felt different. My mind was a chaotic landscape of new powers, looming threats, and tangled emotions. I found Jack by the main entrance, leaning against the brick wall and looking like he hadn't slept in a week.
"How are you doing, buddy?" I asked, clapping him on the shoulder.
He let out a long, weary sigh. "Nothing much. Just sorting out my life, you know?" He gestured vaguely at the students milling around us. "But wherever we go, I can feel their eyes on us. It's weird."
I'd noticed it too. A constant, low-level hum of attention followed us everywhere. Whispers, pointed fingers, kids quickly looking away when we met their gaze. "Don't you think everyone is watching?" I asked.
Jack gave me a completely unamused look. "And what did you expect? A group of nobodies took down some of the most powerful people in the Ruthless Animals. We walked into the Tiger's Den and came out alive. Brother, we're bloody celebrities now. There are already fan clubs. Not just for you, but for every core member who fought."
"News travels like wildfire," I muttered, though a part of me enjoyed the newfound respect.
"Tell me about it," Jack said, pushing himself off the wall. "Listen, brother, I have some club activities to get to. I'll meet you in the guild room in a bit."
He left, and I was alone. I wandered into the canteen, the familiar smell of lukewarm coffee and fried food doing little to settle my thoughts. I grabbed a drink and slumped into a chair in the corner, trying to make sense of the new world I was living in.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice her approach. One moment, I was staring into the middle distance; the next, a pair of soft, delicate hands covered my eyes, plunging me into a world of perfumed darkness.
A soft and mischievous voice, smooth as silk, whispered near my ear. "Guess who I am?"
I didn't have to guess. There was only one person in this school who smelled like that. A unique and refreshing scent of fresh peaches. "How are you doing, Senior Louis?" I said, a slow grin spreading across my face.
The hands slid away, and she glided into the seat opposite me. As she sat down, I got the full, bewildering effect of Louis Blossom in a school uniform. It was like watching a panther try to disguise itself as a house cat—a fundamentally flawed and utterly mesmerizing exercise. The standard-issue navy blazer was stretched taut across her shoulders and the swell of her bust, the fabric fighting a losing war. The white button-down shirt beneath it was a battlefield, and the pleated grey skirt, while regulation length, seemed less like a symbol of youthful modesty and more like a dare.
But it was her face that sealed the paradox. That impossible cobalt hair was pulled back into a loose, elegant knot, but rebellious tendrils still framed a face that held none of the anxieties of a student. Her full, rose-tinted lips were curved into that familiar, knowing smirk. And her magenta eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanned me with a playful glint that was entirely adult. She leaned forward, resting her chin on a delicate hand, the very picture of predatory grace amidst the clatter of plastic trays. She wasn't wearing the uniform; she was holding it hostage. She was the undisputed idol of the school, and looking at her now, I could see why.
"How do you always know it's me?" she asked, her voice a low purr.
I leaned back, matching her relaxed posture. "Because I can always smell your unique and refreshing peach perfume," I replied with a grin. "It's one of a kind. Just like you."
She let out a soft, musical laugh. "You're very intuitive," she said, her tone turning slightly sarcastic, though her eyes danced with amusement. "I've been hearing your name a lot recently. For so many things. The boy who was once invisible is suddenly the talk of the entire school. It looks like someone is finally showing their true colors."
I just laughed, shrugging it off. "Nothing much, Louis. I'm just trying to spend some time, maybe make a few changes around here."
"A few changes?" she mused, tapping a perfectly manicured nail against her chin. "Humiliating the school's top bullies, starting a vigilante group, making the headmistress's daughter your second-in-command… I'd say that's more than a few changes, Adam. That's a hostile takeover."
We fell into an easy, generous conversation, a strange back-and-forth between a senior and a junior that felt more like a conversation between equals. She was special. She was a third-year, one of the school's elites, but she was still willing to talk to me. As she spoke, my curiosity got the better of me. I instinctively activated my [Appraisal] skill.
Status:
Name: Louis Blossom
Strength: 110
Agility: 93
Endurance: 85
Mentality: 250
Intelligence: 320
Mana: 0
Potential: S
Skills: [Mastery of Deception], [Mastery in Adaptability], [Mastery in Acting], [Mastery in MMA]
Passive Skills: [Emotional Intelligence], [Surveillance], [Technical Proficiency], [Persuasion], [Succubus], [Observant]
Superpower: [None]
Soul Ledger: [Love for Adam] & [Cute Junior]
I looked at her stats, and I was amazed. Her Intelligence was a staggering 320, more than double my own. Her skills read like the resume of a master spy: Deception, Adaptability, Acting, Surveillance, Persuasion… But it was the last two entries that made my brain short-circuit. A passive skill called [Succubus]? And her Soul Ledger… Love for Adam?
I must have zoned out, because the next thing I knew, Louis was waving a hand in front of my face. "Okay, Mr. Leader," she said, a teasing glint in her magenta eyes. "Lost in thought? Plotting your next move? I'm leaving. I have some classes to attend. I'll meet you later."
She stood up and walked away, leaving me sitting there in a daze.
"System," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Are you sure about that status? The Soul Ledger… it's too impossible."
'Host, you cannot say I am giving you wrong data,' the System replied, its tone flat and emotionless. 'Whatever I show you is 100% true.'
"But… her stats look like she's some sort of secret agent," I argued. "And that [Succubus] skill, and the Soul Ledger… I'm just too confused."
'Host, you cannot judge on the basis of a skill and a Soul Ledger,' the System retorted. 'If you want answers, you have to find them yourself. I am only here to guide you, not to be your substitute. Solve your own problems.'
I was so confused. The Soul Ledger, her skills… I needed to calm down.
(Isabel's Perspective)
I was in the middle of the basketball court with Maya and Chloe, supposedly practicing, but mostly just recounting the events of the past few weeks. I told them everything, in detail.
"You bitch, you just want to brag about it!" Chloe shot back, though she was grinning.
"Yeah, you're absolutely right," Maya agreed, fanning herself dramatically. "You're just saying, 'We went for six hours, twelve rounds, my brother's ten-inch dick.' 'How loving he is, how he cares about me.' 'How passionately he fucks me.' We don't want to hear about how lovey-dovey you two are!"
"But… you both wanted to listen!" I protested.
"Now we don't want to hear it," Chloe said, crossing her arms. "We know your brother is amazing. The whole of Northwood is inspired by him. Now, hearing about your loving night is just salt in the wound."
Maya let out a theatrical sigh. "I also have a sibling. He doesn't take me on any dates. My boyfriend is such a noob, pathetic. I also want a stepbrother like Adam. I want to get penetrated by a ten-inch dick and moan like I'm on cloud nine."
"I want to feel like a woman!" Chloe wailed. "I want to squirt from getting penetrated by a huge dick! I want to be loved and cared for!"
"It's not my fault!" I said, though I couldn't suppress a small, triumphant smile.
"Can you share your brother with me?" Maya asked, her eyes wide with a pleading look.
"Yeah! Please let us get fucked by your brother, just for once," Chloe begged.
"What the hell are you saying?!" I shot back, my face flushing. "He is my brother, not some whore!"
I turned and stormed away, leaving them standing there, still pleading dramatically.
(End of Isabel's Perspective)
After half an hour of trying to make sense of the Louis Blossom mystery, I gave up and went straight to the guild room. When I entered, I found the whole inner circle already there. Ken, Jack, Isabel, Anna, Tiffany, Padro… and even Qasim.
Everyone greeted me as I walked in. Then, Qasim stood up and came towards me, his gaze fixed on the floor.
"I am sorry, leader," he said, his voice low and full of a profound shame. "For not completing my duty, for not being able to fulfill my responsibilities, and for not being able to see the big picture. I was blinded by the horror of the Animals. I forgot our guild's motto. 'We are hunters, and hunters hunt animals.' That was the line that attracted me, that inspired me. But my decision yesterday was made on a whim. Please, forgive me."
I could feel his regret, a heavy, palpable thing in the air. But it wasn't enough.
"Listen, Qasim," I said, my voice cold and hard. "It's not about why you were scared. Everyone gets scared. I was scared. But we can't let ourselves be consumed by that fear. Yesterday, you let your fear consume you. And because of that, you and Anna were put in danger. I'm not just blaming you for being weak. Everyone has weakness. Physical weakness can be cured, it can be overcome in most conditions. But a mental disability is far more dangerous. And right now, you are mentally disabled. You need a stronger resolve."
I paused, letting my words sink in. "You made a vow to me. I thought I could believe your words. But what you said yesterday… it wasn't just words. It was a cancer. You told us to kneel. That goes against our most fundamental principle."
"But leader, I am regretting it, and I am asking for forgiveness," he pleaded, his voice cracking.
"Listen," I said, my voice softening slightly, but still firm. "Does my forgiveness overcome your fear? Will you be able to forgive yourself? You say you're regretting it, you're asking for forgiveness. Qasim, you're not understanding. This isn't about my forgiveness. It's about whether you can forgive yourself. Can you look at yourself straight in the mirror? Tell me."
I looked around the table. "If anyone here thinks I am being too harsh, if anyone thinks my way of dealing with this issue isn't correct, they can raise their hand now."
Qasim looked at everyone, his eyes pleading. But no one raised their hand. Not even Padro.
"We are fighting a war, Qasim," I said, my voice dropping to a low, final tone. "We need warriors. They can be an asset to the Hunter's Guild. We don't have room for liabilities."
He kneeled down, my words finally breaking him. He choked back a sob. "Okay, leader," he said, his voice muffled. "I will return with absolute resolve."
Then he stood up and walked out of the room, his shoulders slumped. I sat down in my chair, the weight of my decision settling on me.
"We should start discussing our next move," I said. I looked at Padro. "I know I was harsh, but…"
He interrupted me, his own voice firm and resolute. "Leader, you were right. Qasim needs to evolve. Otherwise, we won't be able to win. I am in full agreement with you."
One by one, the others echoed his sentiment. "We fully agree with you, Leader."
The guild was united. But we had paid a heavy price for it.