Dreambreaker

Chapter 22: Misfit of the Academy

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I was on my way to Magic Library.

It was situated somewhere between section B and section C, almost 40 kilometers away from my current position, which made it illogical to cover that distance on foot.

Begrudgingly, I took the decision to book an electric cab, though it did put a hefty dent of 40 credits in my soul.

***

As I stepped inside the library, I was struck by the grandeur of the space.

The high ceiling gave the room a sense of airiness, and the rows of shelves stretched out before me, filled with books of all kinds.

As I drew in a deep breath, a familiar fragrance of paper and ink tickled my senses, filling me with a soothing calmness.

The inviting ambiance of the library welcomed me with open arms.

With a leisurely gait, I began to explore the aisles of literary delights.

"Hmm..."

"Nano, can you scan books? You know, like an X-ray scan of the entire book and stuff," I asked, hoping for an easier way to search for the data I needed.

[I am totally capable of scanning books with X-ray, but the data retrieved will be jumbled up as the pages will be stacked together and texts, which could be either mirrored or straight-]

"Ok, I get it," I cut Nano off, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Guess I'll have to turn the pages manually for a proper scan?"

[Correct] Nano affirmed.

As I attempted to recall a particular piece of information from the novel, I proceeded towards the librarian's desk.

"Hello! How can I help you today?", the librarian asked kindly.

"I'm looking for a book on data analysis," I told her, my eyes scanning the shelves.

"Sure, I can help you find that. Do you have a specific title in mind?"

"Title? Hmm... Actually, I'm searching for a couple of books — one on Ancient Egyptian Language and the other on Magic Formulas," I requested, my mind jumping between different sections of the library.

"I can certainly assist you," she replied, her fingers already tapping on the keyboard.

"We have several books on both topics. Follow me, please!"

In a serene manner, the librarian led me towards the appropriate section of the library, guiding me past dozens of shelves brimming with books.

The peaceful aisles echoed only with the soft whispers of rustling pages and the occasional hushed footsteps of other patrons.

As we made our leisurely way towards the section dedicated to Ancient linguistic models, I was awed by the sheer diversity of literature on offer.

From rudimentary beginner's guides to high-level academic texts, there was everything related to language that one could possibly desire.

Engrossed in my search, I was suddenly interrupted by the librarian's soothing voice, as she handed me a weighty tome.

"Here we go," she announced contentedly. "This should cover everything on Ancient Egyptian language that you'll need."

***

Third person's POV:

Noah began to read the collection of books on the study table, his inky-dark eyes underwent a subtle transformation, the hue gradually metamorphosing into a somber shade of slate-grey.

This alteration was the result of five billion microscopic nanites coursing their way through Noah's iris, leaving them a stunning, otherworldly shade of grey.

Unaware of the cosmetic change, Noah continued to scan each book with feverish intensity, determined to extract every single drop of knowledge that lay within the volumes.

Time, meanwhile, danced on relentlessly, and before long, a staggering five hours had passed by.

***

For many days, Noah's daily routine at the esteemed Arcanum Blades Academy had remained consistent.

Every morning, he diligently executed a customized fitness plan, skillfully crafted by Nano.

After he finished his workout routine, Noah would dedicate his time to develop tech applications and online manuscript databases, often accompanied by momentary rages at his computer screen.

Once his academic lectures had concluded, he would head straight to the training grounds to sharpen his expertise.

Unfortunately, Noah's methods and practices had long been considered odd by his peers, who frequently shunned him.

But, whether or not there were any scheduled training classes, Noah could always be found rehearsing his frog jumps at the training grounds.

Back in his hostel room, Noah would spend the remainder of his day working on his computer, doing his cardio, and then advancing to a grueling four-hour long machete training session at the gym, somtimes overwatched by trainers.

Although Noah's unconventional ways had made him well-known, it was for all of the wrong reasons.

His fellow students had dubbed him a 'misfit', viewing him as an eccentric oddball perpetually lurking around and engaging in weird activities.

***

.

.

.

A group of students sat and huddled together as Myung Joon cracked a joke that received no laughs, except for a boy who exclaimed,"Hahahaha, that's so true!"

Karthik, however, shook his head and maintained his focus on his phone screen, on which a symmetrical box with black and white pieces was visible.

"Phat! I lost again!" Karthik said in frustration.

Surprised, Myung Joon leaned forward and asked, "Isn't that the new game? What was it called again? Chuss? Chase?"

Karthik's reply had a hint of condescension,"It's chess. It's called chess."

Another round of chuckles went around, "Oh yeah, haha!" Myung Joon laughed.

Myung Joon, ranking third, belonged to Class A2 , whereas Karthik, ranked eighth. Both belonged to the same class.

With their aura of unspoken superiority, it was clear that this was an assemblage of the first year's elites.

"Enough about that," Ellie interrupted Karthik, as Freya arrived. She called out,"You're late!"

Freya apologized, "Yeah, the training classes took longer today because of the commotion a certain idiot made."

Ellie raised a brow and asked, "Idiot, huh?"

Gleaning who they were referring to, Myung Joon probed, "Are you guys talking about 'the misfit' of the first year?"

Earning the title of 'Misfit of the 1st Year,' it would be an understatement to say that Noah's infamy was as significant as that of the main characters', albeit for different reasons altogether.

"Noah, that trash was assigned to the same class as me. Ugh, talk about fate," added Freya, to which Thomas interjected, "So that bathroom incident, was it true?" in hopes of stirring up some drama.

Karthik gave him an insinuating 'read the room, bro' look.

"Ahem, anyway, let's not focus on trash. We have more important matters to discuss," said Myung Joon, interjecting.

"The Dungeon Trials."

Karthik put down his phone, as the topic emerged.

"Do you have any strategies for it?" Karthik asked.

"I do," replied Myung Joon as he took a sip of his espresso.

"Though I'm not too sure if our class can come out on top."

"What do we even need to worry about? All classes A3, A4, and A5 are just trash," Thomas interjected.

"Yeah, and what about Class A1?" Karthik retorted.

"What about 'him'?," everyone had a fair idea whom Karthik had in mind.

"Aeravat Indrath, was it? But he isn't our only problem," continued Myung Joon, taking another sip of coffee.

"We have to watch our backs for Takahasi, Aurora, and Emily as well."

Confident as ever, Karthik said, "I am sure I can handle Aurora and Emily. As for Takahasi, I don't know who among us can deal with him."

"Don't worry; I will handle him," assuaged Myung Joon.

Connecting the dots, Freya said, "And that only leaves Aeravat on your path. So, you want me to be the spy?"

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