After Mawi helped me, I, who had been kneeling on the ground, deliberately uttered resonant words that stirred the organ that beats within Lumi's ribcage.
"Thank you, Mawi. If you weren't by my side, I would have surely lost my life, suffocated."
Her ears trembled, and her tail swayed in circular, curved loops for a while.
"Y—yes."
Her face flushed with embarrassment as she lowered her head, apologizing for my disturbance, then she hurried away without leaving a trace behind.
After she left, Lumi approached me, words heavy behind her tongue.
"What do you intend to do, Ethan?"
"Target."
She raised her right eyebrow, leaving the other in place, widening her blue-pupiled eyes.
"You mean playing with the girl's feelings?"
"And what's wrong with that? It will be fine if I achieve my goal."
Lumi dashed toward me in small but quick steps, pulling my red tie down so we would be the same height.
"You know, Lumi, when humans love, they either sacrifice or refuse to believe the suspicions about what they love—like a mother sacrificing for her child and denying all accusations. And in my opinion, why not use those emotions for higher purposes?"
I extended my hand toward Luna as if I were about to shake hers or something. She flew into a rage and slapped my outstretched hand.
She lowered her head, looking at her feet.
"That means you'll exploit Luna, Elithia, Lynette, Nevin, even me. All for your goals and personal interests."
Her angry tone shifted to one laced with concealed sorrow.
"…"
I lowered my head too, feeling guilty. I could not respond; I found no answer to her words.
"Answer, Ethan!"
Lumi shouted in my face.
I stepped back, letting Lumi's tie slip free. She fixed it and shook off the dust covering my suit from my previous corpse.
I retreated further, heading to the science room, as it was time for classes.
When I entered the hall, I found a trio of prodigies gathered around a glossy white table with squared edges.I walked toward them to greet them, and finding an empty seat, I sat down.
"Hello, trio."
"Hello, Klo Yuthnir. How are you?"
"Fine, and you?"
"Better than ever."
They were my classmates from Class 12, and above that, they were prodigies.I sat in the empty spot before anyone else could take it.
The hall was reasonably nice, with comfortable air conditioning, white-painted walls, and bright white lights. What is this? Did I accidentally enter a filming studio?
I placed my hands on the table, folding them together.
"How is your preparation for the upcoming semester exams, Klo?"
A voice from the trio interrupted me. I looked toward the sound—it was the human sitting with us. Youthful eyes, silky black hair.
I forgot about the exams, used to laziness… or dying multiple times as the closest example. Winter terms are the highest gateway to seriousness.
"Good,"
I replied ambiguously.
He patted my shoulder, sitting beside me.
"Good? You're not trying to deflect attention, are you, Klo? You're famous across this academy—or kingdom—and smart. You're amazing, Klo. I wish I were like you."
"There are positives and negatives to everything. You understand that, right?"
My answer may have sounded cold, but it was realistic. I wasn't seeking fame or glory; I wanted peace.
"Of course, Klo!"
The teacher was late. Isn't she wrong? I'm not used to long conversations; it feels like my mind is empty of words.
"Do you know things about this world that we do not, I mean… supernatural things? You are from different races with changing cultures, and I… am of a lowly kind."
"Who did you call lowly?"
"We,"
I gestured toward the other human. I did not know the names of everyone in this group; I had difficulty remembering them.
The dwarf and the half-raccoon lifted their noses in pride, as if declaring victory over humans.
"Alright, Klo, if you insist, fine," replied the raccoon, followed by the dwarf.
"I will listen to you both with an open heart."
"Go ahead, half-human, speak first, let the dwarf follow, and we weaklings remain at the end of the line."
The raccoon obeyed my request and began to speak.
"Our clan leaders possess something called the Master's Banner, which grants them an immense amount of mana, power, and spiritual energy."
I remember adding this banner and extending it to the heroes, but I never delved into it as they did. As for Klo, of course, he never obtained it because he is the villain.
"How do they obtain this banner?"
"They obtain it through a Core Contract, sharing it with a legendary entity. The power it grants doubles your speed, grants smooth mana control, and some contractors become masters of infinite magic."
I looked at Lumi, who had violently turned her gaze away from me.
"Hmph."
Ah, she's really angry at me.
"And what about you?"
"As for us dwarves, we have a technique that allows you to convert mana into solid matter, store it in your bag, and when needed—like low mana or near death—you can retrieve it and absorb it with your hands."
This was new; I had never written about it before. But it's truly useful.
They both looked at us, saying the same words in unison:"And what about you two?"
"We can use threads like a spider's silk, weaving them with mana by rubbing our hands together. But few of us master this technique."
In one chapter of the story, Klo went to a mountain to find an old master of trickery who intended to kill him, but Klo avoided those tricks because he used his own methods.
"That's amazing, Klo. You humans are not lacking at all."
I punched my chest in pride, puffing out air.
We continued like this until time ran out without studying anything due to the teacher's absence.I left the hall, lowering my eyes slightly to see Lumi with a frowning, upset face.I would try to comfort her.
"What's wrong, Lumi?"
"Be quiet."
Ouch.
I knelt, smiling at her.
"Come on, tell me, sister."
"Why are you lying to yourself, Ethan?"
Her words reminded me of someone.
"What do you mean?"
She looked at me, arms crossed, face to face.
"I know you've suffered in this world, but don't make others bear the cost of things they didn't do."
I held her shoulders, placing my hands on each side.
"I know. I don't do this for enjoyment. I want to live, I want to return to my world.I didn't want to come to this place specifically; I was forced to be here."
I lowered my gaze to the ground.
"I want to become strong to protect the girls so they don't die in front of me. I want to become strong to protect myself and protect you with me. I'm tired of repeated deaths, Lumi."
"…"
"Sorry, Lumi. I'm aware of my harsh survival methods. But I'm compelled to do this; she deserves all these sacrifices."
"I—I understand your situation, Ethan… so—if you want, I can train you on your entity's power, which is me."
I raised my head toward Lumi, ready to seize her hand with determination.
"Thank you, Lumi. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
…
"Ah, why are we here exactly?"
Lumi took me to one of the halls I had been unaware of in the institution. It was a training hall for upper years, not us newcomers.
"How did you find this place?"
"I've been wandering a lot lately, and by chance, this thing was here."
"Come on, human, do 1000 push-ups, 1000 heavy mana presses, 1000 squats…"
"Can I take offense at the word 'human'? And why 1000 specifically?"
Lumi shrugged.
"Because you are a lowly creature, and to receive tremendous power from a perfect being like me, you deserve harsh training."
"Really? That's great—I'll get the muscle mass I've dreamed of, the kind trending on social media."
I lay on the ground, ready for intensive push-up training, and with the system's help, I would become the strongest human.
"Now, come on, 1…2…3…4…5…"
I continued the exercise until 30, falling on my face from exhaustion.
"So this is how people train!? Damn you—I put my hopes in you."
"This is impossible for a creature like me."
"Keep going."
"What?"
"As you heard, continue!"
You're harsh.I completed my training until it was done.
"998…999…1000, haaah!"
I collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.
Inhale… Exhale.
"Now continue the second exercise."
I quickly rose, opening my mouth to its fullest extent.
"Come on, Klo, an elegant girl like me won't spend all day with you; just a simple exercise took the whole day."
"What about rest?"
"There is none."
"Fine then."
"Hehehe."
I completed the exercises until the end. When I stood, I felt my joints shattering from slightest movement; my muscles were about to explode.
Lumi approached, staring at me.
"Everything went as planned. You have a strange willpower, Ethan."
"Is this a compliment this time?"
"Now you can borrow my power, as you are qualified. Do you want to try?"
I stood eagerly.
"Yesss, of course, sister Lumi!"
Silence fell for a moment.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Lumi moved in a circular path around me, instructing the steps I should take to become stronger.
"Imagine you are floating, but you are not. Imagine you are lying on ice, but you are not."
"Wow, what an explanation."
"Silence."
I followed Lumi's instructions, closing my eyes. I imagined myself floating when I wasn't, lying on ice when I was not.
I felt cold seep into my limbs. Opening my eyes, I found my skin pale, engraved with glowing blue symbols.
Lumi brought me a mirror.
Looking at my reflection, my hair had grown longer and turned snow-white, my pupils blue with thin blue lines cutting through them, and my skin pale.
I stared at Lumi, then back at the mirror.
"I look like you now."
"Yes, Ethan. This is the form your contracted entity shares. The Ice Fox."