Chapter 43: First Incident (7)

Noah remained standing there without making any noise.

He could see the man’s back. He was wearing a blue-colored T-shirt and black pants, which were the uniform for academy workers.

His hair was black. Noah observed the man for a while.

’I should get out from here slowly.’

But just when he was about to turn around to leave, the man spoke.

"Where are you going? You came to find me... now leaving without greeting me?"

Noah’s whole body stiffened. He stood there like a frozen statue.

’Damnit!’

He slowly forced himself to turn around.

He could simply run away, but he decided not to. The man could just chase him.

Or maybe... if he ran away, then he didn’t know how much time it would take for this man to show himself again. He might hide somewhere else.

’Calm down, Noah.’

He held the door and slowly opened it. The man came into view. He was still looking at the battle that was going on.

Noah stepped onto the terrace.

The man was standing at the edge, leaning against the parapet wall.

"Isn’t today’s sight beautiful? What do you think?" the man asked, still looking forward. He was talking as if he was Noah’s old friend.

He was too casual.

Noah clenched the fist of his free hand tightly, while his grip on the spear tightened.

What was he talking about? Beautiful sight? He killed so many innocent students and workers. They lay lifeless out there, dying for no reason.

Even Noah’s life was in danger as well.

And now this man was asking if today’s sight was beautiful or not.

Yet Noah didn’t burst out. Rather, a smile crept onto his face.

"Of course. Today’s sight was such a beautiful one. The helpless cries of young students. Their painful screams while trying to run for their lives. Their fresh blood that splattered on the roads while fighting monsters. Their dead bodies lying on the road like some showpieces. Hehe~" Noah giggled.

"It was just amazing. The scent of blood flowing in the air was even more euphoric," Noah continued to talk in a dramatic way.

Finally, the man turned around.

Noah could see his face. He looked in his late twenties. Black hair and green-colored eyes.

On his chest, his name was written.

’Petrick’

A delightful smile bloomed on Petrick’s face.

"Oh finally! I met someone who appreciates such a beautiful sight! You cannot believe just how happy I am after hearing you praise my sweet work. Haha!" Petrick laughed happily, calling his disgusting deeds beautiful work.

Noah didn’t show anything on his face. He kept a gentle smile.

"I know, I know! That was something amazing."

Petrick raised his hand and pointed at Noah with his index finger, then shook it while laughing. "Haha! Boy, I like you. Thank you for complimenting me."

"No! No need to thank me... can I know your name?"

Petrick looked at Noah with confusion.

"What? My name? Well, it’s Petrick. It’s written on my shirt."

"Oh, come on. I know that’s not your real name. You just made that name to enter the Academy. There’s no way you would use your real name. It’s easy to guess."

Noah paused for a moment and started to think. He turned to right and walked. After few steps he stopped. then turned to face Petrick again and continued.

"Or... you are controlling the body of a worker named Petrick from far away." he asked with knowing smile.

This time, Petrick’s smile nearly broke.

But he forced himself to smile again.

"Interesting speculation... but why would you even think something like that? That I might be controlling a body from outside. It sounds ridiculous."

Noah didn’t reply for a moment, a smile still playing on his face.

Mana slowly gathered around his right hand, the one holding the spear.

"Nothing is ridiculous in a magical world. There were many things that pointed out that you are using someone else’s body to control and use it."

"Interesting... you are no fool, I guess." The man took one step forward.

"Can you tell me why you think so? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Pretty easy. Looking at the physique of this body, I can tell you are... or should I say, Petrick is not a weapon user. The body is thin, no muscles that indicate hard physical work. No calluses either. It shows no experience in weapon wielding. There’s no way the enemy who came here to kill people would be weak."

"I could be a mage... someone who focuses more on magic."

"True... you might be. But then again, the dead bodies at the counter had sharp cuts on them. Cuts that are only possible with a blade and by no means do they look like they were done by a novice or a mage who never trained with weapons."

Noah then continued,

"And lastly... which idiot would enter the Academy directly? There are so many monstrous instructors here. One mistake and you cannot escape from this place. I don’t know which organization you came from, but they wouldn’t hand this mission to someone weak or inexperienced. So they gave it to you... someone strong, who can play safe from afar."

Petrick continued to smile.

"You are really interesting."

"That aside... so... can you tell me your name?" Noah asked again.

Mana moved toward his feet as the floor beneath him started to freeze.

Petrick didn’t reply.

He vanished from his position.

Noah instinctively moved. His spear came in front of him as something clashed against his spear.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

"Arrrgh!"

Petrick had attacked Noah with his dagger, and the impact was so strong that he was thrown back.

His body shot toward the parapet wall.

Crashed.

THUD!

"Arrrrrghh!"

His back hit against the waist length parapet wall. The pointed edge struck his back, giving him more pain.

"Dammit!"

He had used his innate ability to freeze the floor around where he was standing just moments ago.

"What?" Petrick was surprised as he nearly lost his balance. He remained standing where Noah was just a few seconds ago after attacking him. Now trying to keep his balance.

"Haha~ let’s see if you can kill me or not," Noah said with a smirk.

Noah, who was leaning against the waist-length wall while looking at Petrick, threw his body backward as he fell from the building while laughing.