BXBX NOVEL Chapter 9 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1)
Chapter 9 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1)
Chapter 9 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1)
In Cradle, there exists something called a Student Club.
Despite the differences in years, classes, and special abilities, they had formed friendships through the clubs.
Opinions and information were not just exchanged; they also uncovered their own flaws through these interactions.
They often gained insights that they could not have learned on their own.
However, there was a slight regret.
“Yes. Is the martial arts club pathetic? Can’t do anything right? Is this what they call a club?
“That son of a…! Catch that guy right now. I’ll blow his head off!”
“They lose every single match they play and then resort to violence. Ugh. How low can they go?”
There was a peculiar, and somewhat excessive, competitiveness between the clubs. Today the martial arts club and the swordsmanship club were the main characters.
“Honestly, isn’t it too cowardly? Even if it’s a club, it’s for those who are interested in martial arts. Doesn’t the swordsmanship club have mostly weapon-type special abilities!”
“Then the martial arts club should call more martial arts types, right? You’re making a strange argument. It’s because you guys can’t promote the club.”
“That moth…! What does recruiting the same types have to do with club promotion!”
There was no rule that the club should have same-ability members. So, they chose a different club because they felt interested in a different area. The martial arts club was like that. There were fewer martial arts types and more of other types.
However, the swordsmanship club was the opposite.
Weapon types were more than half.
Most of those weapon types were students who handled swords!
When they compete with other clubs, they naturally have a high win rate.
And recently they’ve started arguing that ‘the swordsmanship club is the best.’
Other clubs resisted and tried to reinforce their power in any way.
But those who had already joined the club were reluctant to move.
And some grumbled that they were taking it too seriously for just a club.
“Anyway, let’s admit what you need to do. The current score is 4:0 right.”
“Our martial arts club hasn’t lost yet!”
“Not yet, but there’s only one of you left. We have five left. Can you win it?”
The swordsmanship club members laughed out loud.
The martial arts club members gritted their teeth and waited for their last hope.
Five minutes passed, ten minutes passed.
Now the friendly match time was almost over. But no one had arrived.
Apparently, they have failed to ask for help.
“Yawn. How long do we have to wait? Let’s finish it soon.”
“Sigh. Those martial arts club guys. They’re just wasting our precious time.”
“Kuk! Wait, wait a little longer! Just one more minute!”
They must reclaim the excellent club place taken by the swordsmanship club.
They must regain their lost glory, no matter what they have to do today!
―Ta-da!
“Haak! Hak!”
At that moment, a student runs like crazy from behind.
“Done, it’s done!”
The swordsmanship club members tilt their heads. They were done.
Ah. Were they giving up? Was this tedious wait finally over?
“I persuaded him! He said he’d help this one time! He’s coming now!!”
There was no one behind him to come in.
Just as two club members were about to question his words.
―Kwaah!
Something fell from the sky.
“Woah!”
“Eeek!”
Someone flew backwards. Someone screamed and fell.
Dust raised all around, completely obscuring the view.
What was this sudden lightning strike? As they barely regained their senses…
“Huh.”
A monster they’d never seen before appeared in a place where there was no one.
Ah, to correct that, seeing the uniform, it was a student of Cradle.
But honestly, it looks more like a monster than a student.
“Uh, uh…”
The swordsmanship club members who met his eyes froze on the spot.
How can a person be like that? Was that the same human as us?
If you could kill a person just with your eyes, wouldn’t it be like that?
Even a demon would probably run away at the sight of those eyes.
“Hmm.”
No, no. It wasn’t that the demon would run away; it was the demon itself. The wildly twisting back had been observed.
Surely, there must have been wings hidden inside.
Otherwise, how could it have moved like that? What was that!!
“Someone called me to help you, Senior.”
The demon who jumped off the 5th-floor rooftop asked the club members, who’d lost their souls, why he was called.
“That, that’s… the club… friendly match.”
“Ah, a friendly match. The score of our team.”
“We, we’re losing. They’re winning…”
“So, the martial arts club is losing? That’s a big problem.”
Although he was not interested in clubs, he would still help them out a little as a martial artist.
The demon, no, Deus turned his body.
“Hello. Swordsmanship club members. I’m a new student who joined as a daily club member.”
As he bows his head, the swordsmanship club members also hurriedly bow their heads.
“Ah, yes. Welcome.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, freshman.”
Wasn’t he a freshman? He was their junior. But why was he doing this?
They don’t know. They kept their mouths shut and heads down.
Who wanted to be eaten alive??
The worry was short and the survival instinct was certain. It was a judgment worthy of people with special abilities from Cradle.
***
About 30 minutes ago.
“Senior. Um, you can stop and go back now”
Deus was saying this to the martial arts club member who came to find him.
To be precise, he was saying this to a 2nd year senior.
He hadn’t been able to exercise for a few days and his nerves were getting sharp.
It was withdrawal symptoms.
His hands and feet were shaking and his vision was blurry.
His body had been demanding overload. He needed excruciating pain.
He wanted to roll around until he was drenched in sweat and his mind became hazy.
If he had gotten any more interruptions, he might have really gotten angry.
Two weeks had passed since the start of the new semester, and now it was the 3rd week.
By then, there were hardly any secluded places where students didn’t go.
Every place was filled with chattering students.
It was the worst for Deus, who had been holed up in a quiet place to exercise.
‘The black-haired foreigner is sad. Sob, sob.’
As if a lion had appeared at a waterhole in the savannah, when Deus appeared an emergency ensued among the students.
Everyone closed their mouths and raised their antennae at his every word and action.
He was not a beast, He was human too.
He avoided it because he felt sorry when they reacted like that.
So, in the end, the only place left for Deus was the rooftop where students rarely come.
‘Well, this isn’t too bad either.’
He bought some exercise equipment and set it up, making the area look like an outdoor gym.
If he set up a tent to block the sun rays and rain here, it would be perfect.
There were plenty of training grounds in Cradle. There was also plenty of good equipment.
Moreover, those machines were modern machines that Deus was familiar with.
Originally, it would be right to go there and tear up the muscles.
But he couldn’t do that. Because the reaction there was the same.
Everyone was shaking and slowly avoiding Deus!
So, a newly created hideout. A personal gym on the rooftop.
He was proud to think that there would be no students coming here. But exactly one day later, an uninvited guest barged in.
He was so angry.
“Please! Please help me, Junior Deus! No, junior!”
“Well. I’m saying no. This is too one-sided help.”
It was not that he had to help a lot just because he couldn’t ignore the misfortune of a good person.
In cases like now, where it gave one-side benefits, to one side it was excluded.
This was not a problem of ‘good and evil’ but of ‘profit’ on one side.
“I don’t have any interest in clubs in the first place.”
“I know! I know…! Among the remaining martial arts types, you are the only one, junior. The other martial arts types are already in other clubs!”
“So, there are no martial arts types in the club?”
“There are. But there’s a bit of a level gap with the swordsmanship club…”
Then that was because the training of the martial arts club was lacking. At Deus’ cold evaluation, the 2nd-year student bowed his head with a groan. It was an undeniable fact because they were undoubtedly weak.
“But, if we lose this time…. we have to give up the martial arts club room!”
“You’re giving up the club room?”
The martial arts club was created late compared to other clubs, so the club room was also assigned late.
But thanks to that, they were able to get into the most modern building.
There were clubs that had been envious of that place for a long time, and the swordsmanship club was one of them.
“……Because they said that if they win this match, they want to change the club room.”
“Eung! We’ve already lost the excellent club plaque, and if we lose the club room too, we…”
“It certainly seems to cross the line a bit.”
He was worried. This was beyond the level of profit for one side. Even if he made a vow, there was no problem. I can step in as a daily club member.
But…
‘But then, strange rumors will spread again. From black-haired foreigner to black-haired barbarian. Black-haired savage. Black-haired mercenary, something like that.’
As Deus was scratching the back of his head and was about to fall into thought again.
“You. If you help! There is exercise equipment. Our club will give you that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, there’s all this type of exercise equipment. It seems like you like to exercise. You’re doing this on the rooftop and seem to enjoy it alone.”
“You seem to like doing it. Right?”
“…”
It was not that he liked doing it alone, but he had no choice but to do so.
When he went to the cradle training ground everyone looked at him like he was some kind of monster.
“Since it’s the rooftop here. We’ll even set up a tent for you! How about it?!”
“Hmm.”
It was a tempting offer. He had actually spent too much money on buying equipment. Now, he was almost out of money.
He can’t afford to overdo it anymore.
In fact, He has been looking for a part-time job since yesterday.
‘This is not about getting help. It’s just about getting paid.’
Was this okay? He gently touches his arms and neck.
There was no sharp pain. No burning-up sensation.
It was okay. Oh, good.
“Deal.”
“You go down first. I’ll be there soon.”
“Ah, got it! Come quickly!”
“Thanks, junior!”
After sending the senior first, Deus tried to slightly loosen his lower body.
‘Let’s finish quickly and lift more weights.’
To loosen up the sluggish body and to stimulate the body.
Deus jumps straight down from the 5th-floor rooftop.
***
“What can I do to help, senior?”
That was the story of a devil falling from the sky.