NOVEL WEB Chapter 18: What a trouble
Chapter 18: What a trouble
"24..,25..,26..,27..,28..,29..,30!"
With a 'huff!' from my mouth, releasing the stress, I got up from the floor.
It has only been two weeks since I started my training, and where as I wasn't even able to pull of 5 push-ups in the past, now I could easily do 30.
A normal human simply would not be able to improve at this fast rate, doesn't matter what drug they use to enhance themselves.
But thanks to Nano, my growth rate is exceptionally rapid in comparison to that of an average human.
"From being half-dead to that of a robust health—just in two week—quite the remarkable feat, if I do say so myself." A wry chuckle escaped me.
"But in a world of magic... these types of physical improvements mean nothing. I still don't have a mana core", I grumbled.
'I would need those mana circuit tattoos.'
I rose from the ground and quenched my thirst with a swig of water from my flask.
Anyway, when I first thought about the mana circuit tattoo, I realised it would be almost impossible to obtain them.
Because I lacked the exact details of how the circuit looked like.
But, during my recent interactions with Nano, I discovered Nano had the ability to extract memories of a person. Memories which are vivid and hard to recollect details of.
"Nano.."
[Affirmative, think about the memory you want refined]
Nano even has the ability to understand the intent of the user.
[Nano on standby mode, user can proceed]
I focused my thoughts on the 'Mana circuit tattoo' from my novel.
And almost immediately, vivid memories flooded my mind, complete with intricate geometric shapes and details on how to create it.
Even the specific page number where the tattoo was described in my novel came to mind with clarity.
In a way Nano could be considered a cheat skill, way more broken then what the hero Rune Valtari has.
I was even able to execute those martial arts moves straight out of a movie.
It would have been amazing if this was enough to survive in this world, but in reality, such skills can only guarantee a few victories.
In any case...
Right now, I have the knowledge to design the Mana circuit tattoo precisely as I saw in my memories.
But, I would need a skilled tattoo artist to bring my creation to life, along with top-notch mana stones too.
But for that, I would need alot of funds, which I don't currently have.
Also I might need an alchemist's assistance.
So, to assemble a team consisting of a tattoo artist, a contractor, and an alchemist, I need alot of money.
Money is the motivating factor that will encourage them to work together for me.
But Noah Grey of this world simply lacks the financial resources to spend money like a billionaire.
But I was not the Noah Grey of this world...
I have some plans on how to earn money.
From pillaging low-level dungeons for top-tier items and selling them. To locations of high level relics. I have a lot of plans.
But, this methods are not a reliable long-term solution.
I need a steady stream of revenue.
After thinking for a bit, another idea struck my mind.
An idea, which should have been obvious from the get go.
'How can I forget about my own speciality?!'—"Tcht!"—my tounge clicked against the roof of my mouth.
The focus of this world was on power and other things were only considered secondary.
The development of technology is simply for the increasing of fighting power.
We were constantly at war against monster, demons and other species so it was only natural for this approach.
But ,what is life without a little bit of entertainment?
In my previous world, I was a computer-science genius.
Yes, I was.
But that doesn't mean I would be able to make an app easily and sell it in the market.
It eats the brain to spend hours staring at a computer screen, searching for the correct algorithms.
But with nano...
With Nano I could probably build the entire tech industry from scratch.
"Come to think of it, didn't I had an appointment with James?"
Thinking so, I got up from my bed and left the room.
***
(Somewhere in the Academy park)
A young boy of ebony complexion, with curly hair was sprawled to the ground.
Tears streaming down his face as he cried and sobbed in pain.
Bruises covered his body, visible evidence of a recent beating.
Takahasi growled— "Do you understand?"
Three boys nodded in fear.
Takahasi turned back to the boy who was now cowering on the ground, eating dirt.
"You better remember this lesson well," he said, spitting on the ground near the boy's face.
"And if I ever catch you around her again, you won't just be sorry, you'll be dead."
The boy nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face.
With a final kick to his stomach, Takahasi turned on his heel and walked away, his underlings trailing behind him like scared puppies.
Amidst the strict code of conduct in Academia, bullying was considered highly inappropriate and frowned upon.
But, the unfortunate truth was that many commoners were too afraid to report instances of bullying.
Especially if the perpetrator hailed from a rich and powerful noble family, as was the case with Takahashi.
Though he possessed physical prowess, it wasn't solely due to his strength that he was able to get away with his behavior unscathed.
One word from his mouth was enough to destroy the reputation and livelihood of a commoner's entire family.
An unsettling reality of nobility's power and influence.
Though noble families were few in number within the Academy, they held significant sway, primarily due to their political connections and unwavering influence.
The fear of retaliation and consequence was enough to silence even the most victimized of students.
The Academy was a world unto itself, isolated from the real world's political machinations.
But the aristocratic youth still clung onto their formidable power within the school's confines.
In this world, nobility was deemed an exclusive club attainable through two methods: being born into it or cultivating great power.
***
Noah's Pov(Point of view)
James Reeves.
The guy was an odd character.
He was extremely introverted and never talked to anyone, but me.
Despite his weak appearance, there was always an air of mystery surrounding him, almost as if he was hiding a secret.
I can't quite explain it, but it was like a gut feeling that I couldn't shake off.
Strangely enough, he never played a part in the story.
To my surprise, James had requested to meet me in the cafeteria today.
He had something important to discuss with me, or so I was told.
It would still take me atleast 10 minutes to reach there considering how big this school is.
As I strolled through the bustling streets of Arcanum Academy, my eyes flickered over the streamlined electric cabs whirring by.
Despite their sleek appeal and convenient nature, I found myself surprisingly resistant to the idea of hopping into one of these 'modern' marvels.
Just like how the outside world operates on 'Den' currency, inside the blue walls of the Academy, we had to use 'credits' for special services.
These credits acted as a student's lifeblood - points earned primarily during tests and exams - and thus, there was a great demand for them.
Sure, one could exchange Den directly for credits, but I wasn't eager to waste money on buying them.
It's not like I was a millionaire, after all.
So, I just walked.
As my mind wandered, I thought about how the Academy was both a world within and without.
While we were technically isolated from the outside world, students weren't restricted from visiting it.
The life may have been "cut off" from society, but we were still part of a microcosm within the protective walls of the Academy.
I paused for a moment, then muttered under my breath, "Well, that won't be the case for too long."
As I was walking, I heard an unusual sound from the alleyways between buildings.
Curious, I decided to investigate.
To my surprise, I found four boys loitering in the area.
One of them appeared fat and held a blue bottle, which seemed to contain a drink of some sort.
"I think he is in my class", I muttered.
I approached, I could sense a faint aura emanating from the blue bottle.
'That must be an expensive drink', I thought to myself.
I didn't recognize any of them; the other three appeared to be my seniors, and their power levels felt around E.
After a few moments of observation I was able to discern one thing.
This was a bullying scene going on.
"Nano, focus my hearing in there"
[Amplifying user's hearing...Adjusting]
"Watcha carrying, pipsqueak?"
"Aren't you gonna share dweeb?"
It appeared that the chubby guy had something pricey from the cafeteria, and these senior were attempting to take it from him.
"Impressive abs," they sneered, mocking him.
He attempted to resist, stammering, "N-no, it's mine. I bought it."
"Shut up kid! Give that bottle to me. I won't beat you as severely as you deserve," The bully responded.
Hmm.. Now what should I do?
Should I try to help him?
Fuck that shit, who cares.
I was about to walk away when suddenly, "Hey, Noah! I was just looking for you in the cafeteria," shouted James from behind.
I quickly turned around, hoping the bullies hadn't heard.
To my dismay, two boys were already standing in front of me.
"What were you doing here, pale face?"
"Noah?" James approached me from behind confused about the commotion.
'Fuck this', I cursed in my mind.