Cherreads

Chapter 11 - CHAPTER 11

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Two Weeks Later

Life at Xyrus Academy has finally settled into something that resembles normal.

Wake up. Train. Classes. Eat. More classes. Avoid drawing too much attention. Laugh when you can. Repeat.

Honestly? Not bad.

But I'm getting bored of this mundane routine.

Maybe I should become an adventurer… but for that, I'd have to leave the academy.

…Or maybe not.

I've even started getting used to the cafeteria food—which, while occasionally suspicious in color, is edible enough with the right seasoning. Deric swears by this powdered blend from the markets called Dragon Salt. I'm 80% sure it's just crushed pepper and lies, but it does make the mystery stew taste less like regret.

I've also rearranged my dorm room to suit my preferences—more like a spy's preferences, really.

Took me a while to figure out the optimal setup: bed under the window, desk angled to catch the morning light, training mat rolled up in the corner. Not exactly glamorous, but it works.

And then there's Jörmungandr.

He's… a snake. A very big, very strong, and very dangerous snake.

I call him Jörmi, and he likes it.

You might be wondering how I know that. Well, I can feel what he feels—to a certain degree. He also understands me. He doesn't show it, but I know he does.

He's actually kind of chill.

Likes heat spells. Enjoys sunbathing on warm stones. Hisses at people who talk too loud in the halls.

Honestly? Mood.

He's become something of an unofficial mascot for the eastern dorm block. Someone even knitted him a tiny blue cloak with the academy emblem. He wore it for three minutes before deciding fashion was beneath him.

Kinda funny, actually.

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Classes have been picking up pace. More field simulations, team spellcasting drills, and a new rotation of mana theory with Professor Rowel. The man talks like his beard is sentient and half the class zones out mid-lecture—but I like him. He once explained spell resonance using two spoons and an offended pigeon. Somehow, it made sense.

There's been a friendly tournament brewing in the training wing too—nothing official, just students organizing duels for fun and bragging rights. I've declined a few invitations. Not because I can't hold my own. Just… there's something nice about letting others shine.

Besides, I enjoy watching.

You learn more from the sidelines than most people realize—who's patient, who overcommits, who panics when they're losing. It's all there, written in body language and spell choice.

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I've officially unlocked ten moves from Sun Breathing.

And I finally got Transparent World—I can now see organs and how they work. It was a bizarre experience at first, but now I use it to analyze every muscle and every twitch of even the smallest movement.

Double digits. The kind of progress that makes even prodigies look like they're coasting.

And it's not just the moves—each technique flows like a symphony etched into my bones. Precision, power, elegance. If I closed my eyes, I could swear Yoriichi himself is guiding my hand. Combine that with Accelerator's reality-bending defense and Senju Musō's precognitive clarity, and, well…

I've stopped calling what I do "fighting."

This is art.

I think, and because I look cool.

Assimilations:

[Yoriichi Tsugikuni (56%)]

[Accelerator (21%)]

But here's the thing about growing too strong, too fast—you start noticing how slow everyone else is.

Classes? Boring.

Sparring matches? Predictable.

Even Professor Glory doesn't try to hide her suspicion anymore. Last week, she had me duel an advanced-year student "for evaluation."

I wiped the floor with him in seven seconds.

I even timed it.

She didn't say a word afterward—just scribbled something in her notebook and dismissed the class early. Smart move, really. If she'd asked, I would've had to lie—and Its not like I hate lying or anything but I don't want to make it a habit.

So yeah. I'm still flying under the radar. Barely.

Except… someone noticed.

Not the professors. Not the students either.

Someone else.

Remember the Lances?

Turns out, Varay Aurae has eyes sharper than her ice. During a training session, she walked by while I was mid-exercise—just basic blade drills, nothing flashy—and paused.

Just… stopped. Watched.

Didn't say a word. Just that cold, calculating gaze, like she was scanning me for weaknesses I didn't even know I had.

Then she walked away.

But I felt it. That flicker of recognition. She knows I'm not normal.

Maybe not how or why—but the seed of suspicion is there.

Which means I have to be more careful.

…Or not.

Because let's be real. At this point, I'm not afraid of getting exposed—I'm afraid of what happens after.

And it's not like she can prove anything. She just has her doubts.

The world's already full of monsters hiding in plain sight.

What's one more?

But that doesn't mean I'll become reckless. No—recklessness gets you killed.

Or worse, it gets the people around you killed.

So I'll keep walking the tightrope.

Just weird enough to be overlooked. Just strong enough to be underestimated.

Because the truth is, I'm not ready.

Not yet.

Not for the questions.

Not for the attention.

And definitely not for the game that starts when people like the future Lances start watching.

I've seen how that goes.

Power invites interest.

Interest invites control.

And control? That's a cage, no matter how golden the bars are.

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One Week Later

I am seriously considering becoming an adventurer—because I am freaking bored of this academy.

Even with all the training simulations, new spell rotations, and occasional intrigue, it's starting to feel like I'm running in place. My growth isn't being challenged here anymore. I'm not arrogant enough to say I've outgrown Xyrus…

but I've definitely outpaced it.

I need pressure—the kind that doesn't come from midterm spellcasting drills or controlled sparring rings. The kind that forces me to evolve, to push the limits of my assimilated powers. Where the stakes are real, and hesitation means pain… or worse.

That's the thing about safety—it dulls you.

And I'm not trying to be dull.

Sooooo...

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CHAPTER END

A.N.

Here you go my lovely reader,the second chapter of the day. It's a slice of life type chapter.

And what do you think about him becoming an adventurer. He is going to need a different identity for that.

So give some suggestions.

Oh.. almost forgot, no chapter Tommorow.

Thank you.

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