Chapter 7- Bully
For a few hours, Rein dug deep into the internet. He searched every nook and cranny for any pieces of information he could use. He read theories, threads, old news, and even tried to come up with theories himself to draw a somewhat full picture of the world he was living in.
However, as hard as he tried and as many details as he was able to piece together, he still didn't understand many things about this world. All the useful information was simply not available to the public.
He had to get it all from the people who knew, from the Awakened themselves. That could only come, naturally, after becoming one himself.
"Sigh…"
It was already night, and Rein finally pushed himself off the chair as he stretched his limbs. "I'm so sore. I spent so many hours going down this rabbit hole. This world is somehow far more complicated than Earth. Perhaps it was the inclusion of Life Essence and the presence of the Awakened that made it so much more unique.
There were wars being waged everywhere across the continent, there was slave trading, monsters of all kinds that exceeded the wildest imaginations. There were majestic cities impossible to build on Earth. Temples, vast forests, treasures, and everything one could think of.
"I gotta give it to them… This is one beautiful world. Far prettier than Earth, for sure." He muttered. "Also, way more dangerous. These monsters are quite interesting."
That image of the large, giant carcass he saw earlier that day was etched into his mind. If such things existed than he was in for a journey unlike anything he could imagine. He felt it. Reaching Sherry was going to be a task.
"I've gone through hell and back, died and reincarnated, and now that I know my wife is here, I'm not giving up." He clenched his fist. "Nothing will stop me from finding her. Not even the deity who rules this world."
This wasn't an oath or a belief… This was the truth in Rein's eyes. He was going to find her, even if he had to cross this world countless times.
Nothing can stop him.
***
*The next day*
*Chirp* *Chirp* *Chirp*
It was a sunny morning. The weather was hot as usual, the sky was clear, and the world was slowly waking up. Rein had spent the previous night training and researching before he fell asleep again.
When morning came, his alarm woke him up with loud rings. Tapping it, he rose from the bed. It was time for a crucial part of Rein's day… School.
Since he was 18, he was a senior in high school and was about to graduate. The past few years had been cruel on Rein, and high school was one of the major reasons why. Not only due to his lack of friends or genuine relationships, but also due to constant bullying, bad grades, and a cocktail of other things.
"This boy had lived a miserable life. I can somewhat understand why his life spiraled into the mess it became." He muttered. Since his mind was integrated with that of the boy, he felt the deep hatred and disgust he harbored toward those students. The people who hurt and abused him.
He could feel the genuine desire for revenge he carried. Those nights where he cried to sleep because of the horrible day he had lived.
Rein felt sympathy toward him.
"Sigh, well, this is going to be fun. I could just stop going to school altogether, but I'm quite curious about it. I might be able to gather some useful information there." Rein muttered as he got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He took a shower, changed into a fresh uniform, ate a proper breakfast, and carried his bag and left the house.
The city was as active as ever, with people going about their day. Rein walked through the streets with his back over his shoulder.
'I seriously need a haircut; this hair is killing me in this heat.' Touching a strand of his hair, he took a note to go to a barber after school.
Eventually, he reached the main gates of the school. Surprisingly, Rein was attending a very decent school. It was the most prestigious one in the city by a margin, and it had a huge student base.
As he stood there, inspecting the building with his eyes, a student passed beside him, talking and laughing as usual. It looked like any normal high school he knew.
"Here goes nothing." He muttered as he walked in. Heading through the corridor, he reached his classroom and walked in. There were already students inside, chatting as usual. They all stopped and looked at him for a brief moment and then ignored him altogether.
'Damn, these kids hold nothing back. They looked as if they saw a cockroach walking in.' Sighing with a wry smile, Rein took his seat.
Students slowly flowed into the classroom, and many of them looked very familiar.
"Good morning~"
"Did you watch that…"
"Dammit! I lost so much money!"
The classroom became a boiling pot of chatter and noise. Rein naturally wasn't a fan of that, but he didn't bother with it as he pulled his books out to read while passing the time until the bell rang.
That was until…
"Fatty! Where the hell are you?"
He heard an angry voice calling for him.
'Fatty? Is there a fat person here?' Rein looked up as he saw a young man standing at the door. He was quite tall and well-built, with a handsome face and striking brown hair. He had a smug, weird look on his face as he looked directly at Rein.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at the two.
"Come out, we gotta talk." He gestured for Rein as if he were calling his dog.
'Oh, right, I am the fatty. And that guy… Hmm, it seems he's the one who bullied this kid.' Rein squinted his eyes at the boy.
His name was Ethan Rogers. A young man from a rather rich family in the city. He was your typical school bully, obnoxious, arrogant, and way too curious for his own good.
Rein immediately felt a deep hatred towards him, purely from the memories of the boy. He could see the horrible things he had done to him, and even if he wasn't the one directly harmed by it, he could only harbor those feelings, too.
"I said, come out. Are you deaf?" Ethan said as he walked toward Rein.
"Hmmm…" Rein sighed as he stood up and looked at him. "Can you quiet down? You're too loud."
"..."
The entire classroom was submerged in silence, staring at Rein with shocked eyes. They never thought in their lives that they would hear that boy reply like that. Every time Ethan came to the classroom to talk to him, he would come out silently, looking scared and timid.
However, now, his eyes looked far from timid. In fact, he kept eye contact with Ethan, without breaking it.
'What the hell is wrong with this guy?'
The boy felt a chill run down his spine from that look, for some reason. This wasn't the usual response he gets.
"What did you just say to me?"
"And deaf too… Fair enough." Rein sighed as he walked to him. Even though there was a big difference in height, Ethan felt like he wasn't the one in control in that situation. Something about Rein felt extremely off. As if the boy were a completely different person.
However, realizing what kind of thoughts he was having, he felt outraged.
"You piece of!"
Grabbing him by the collar, he tried to drag him out of the classroom. However, before he could do that, Rein grabbed his hand and then his pinky finger.
"Wha-"
"Shhh, let's not resort to this, ok?" Rein said as he twisted Ethan's finger slightly, threatening him with a calm tone. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to feel that kind of sensation." He smiled.
"..."
Ethan's eyes widened as he looked around him. Everyone was watching them curiously. His entire reputation was on the line if he didn't act quickly.
"Get out." He said as he pulled his hand away and walked out of the classroom. Rein watched him with a smile before he looked at the class. He didn't really care that he was being watched.
Shaking his head, he followed Ethan outside. After walking a bit far away from the class, he stopped at a quiet corner.
"Since when did you grow balls to talk to me like that, fatty?" Ethan was standing there, resting against the wall with a cruel smile on his face. "Didn't know you had a death wish."
"Ehhh, you could say I'm quite suicidal. Had some success with that, too." Rein shrugged mischievously.
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it. So, how can I help you?"
"... You. Bastard, give me the lunch money. I don't have time for your nonsense." He said as he extended his hand forward. "Quickly, before I beat you up."
Rein stared at him for a few seconds, and Ethan stared back, both silent. Then…
"Pfffft…." Rein started laughing. "Hahahaha, you're so funny, you know?"
"What the hell is making you laugh?"
"Lunch money? Really now?"
"Wha- Give me the money before I make you regret it!" Snapping from the boy's carefree attitude, he grabbed him by the collar and tried to press him against the wall. "I'm not a patient person."
"Sigh…" Rein nodded faintly as he felt his back pressed against the wall. "I see."
"..."
"Well, I didn't want to resort to this but… You got three seconds to release me before I break every single finger on your hand." He stared up, his eyes cold and deadly. The way he said those words felt so flat that Ethan thought he was hearing something different.