Chapter 68 The First Step Forward
I looked at Doru with a creepy smile as he commented on my attitude. "A cocky one. Huh," he said with a sneer. I didn't let his words get to me though, and instead let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Cocky or not, don't waste my time," I replied firmly. I wasn't going to let Doru's attempt at intimidation work on me. I knew what I wanted, and I was determined to get it. Doru could try all he wanted, but he wasn't going to stop me from achieving my goals.
I then turned my attention to Dante, who seemed to be watching our interaction with interest. "Since my status is higher here, don't bother talking to me," I said firmly, before turning around and walking away. I knew that I had nothing to do with Doru and Dante for now, and I didn't want to waste any more of my time dealing with them. It was strange, though, how fate had put the villain and the hero right in front of me. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I walked away, wondering what other surprises the universe had in store for me. But for now, I needed to focus on my own goals and leave the drama behind.
As I was walking down the hallway, I suddenly heard a strange noise coming from the radio hanging on the wall. It sounded like a distorted voice, but I could still make out the words "Attention all students, please proceed to the meeting hall immediately."
I couldn't help but feel a bit creeped out as I had never heard anything like that before. I looked around, I saw that other students were also confused and hesitant to move.
I turned to Zuri, and asked her if she knew what was going on. She shrugged her shoulders and suggested that we should just follow the announcement and head to the meeting hall.
As we made our way through the corridors, I noticed that Dante was walking ahead of us, his hands buried deep inside his pockets. I couldn't tell if he was nervous or just nonchalant about the whole thing.
Zuri continued to guide us through the maze-like hallways, telling us which way to turn and which doors to go through. Finally, we arrived at the meeting hall, where we found the rest of the students standing and wandering like wet fishes being dragged out from the ocean.
I heard a soft female voice echoing down the hallway. It was difficult to make out what she was saying, but I could just barely hear her instructing everyone to pick a number from a black box in the corner of the room.
Curiosity was getting the better of me.
I quickened my pace until I finally arrived next to the box, and I immediately noticed a man standing in the corner with long black hair, brown eyes, and dark bags underneath them. He was staring directly at me, and for some reason, his gaze made me feel curious.
I couldn't help but wonder who this man was and what his presence meant in this strange situation. I tried to recall all the faces I had read in the book, but nothing came to mind.
Feeling a bit apprehensive, I decided to follow the voice's instructions and made my way over to the black box in the corner. I hesitated for a moment, wondering what this was all about, before finally reaching inside and pulling out a slip of paper.
The number "15" was written on the paper in bold letters, and I wondered what it meant. Was it my fate, my destiny, or merely a random number?
As I looked around the room, I noticed that everyone else had also picked a number and was now waiting anxiously for something to happen.
Suddenly, the same soft female voice echoed throughout the room again, instructing everyone to stand in lines according to the number they had picked. I looked around and saw that everyone was following the instructions, forming lines of ten people each, starting from number one on the left to number ten on the right.
I quickly made my way over to the line for number fifteen and stood behind the person in front of me, wondering what was going to happen next. As more and more people lined up behind me, I realized that there were a total of six lines, each with ten people in them.
Once everyone was in their respective lines, the voice spoke again, instructing everyone to form a single straight line behind the first line. I watched as the people in line one started moving forward, followed by the people in line two, then three, and so on.
As the lines merged, I found myself standing in a long queue of sixty people, wondering what was going on. The man with the black hair and brown eyes was still standing in the corner, watching us intently.
My heart was pounding with anticipation as I waited for the next instruction, wondering what was going to happen next. The room was silent except for the sound of shuffling feet as the line slowly moved forward.
I stood there in awe as the man stepped onto the stage, his long red hair tied back in a ponytail, and his piercing blue eyes reminded me of the ocean on a sunny day. He looked mature, somewhere in his thirties, and his calm demeanor was reassuring. When he spoke, his voice was deep and manly, commanding the attention of the entire audience.
"Who in this hall has ever encountered a demon attack?" he asked, his voice echoing through the room. I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized the seriousness of the question. The man seemed to know something about the supernatural that most people didn't, and I couldn't help but feel intrigued.
As I looked around the room, I saw others who were just as captivated by the man's presence. Some looked excited, while others seemed scared. But I couldn't take my eyes off the man as he continued to speak, sharing his knowledge and expertise on the subject.
In that moment, I knew that I was witnessing something interesting. It's not every day that you come across someone who has also faced demons and lived to tell the tale.
"Anyone else...?" He asked.
I looked around the hall, trying to gauge the reactions of the others to the man's question. But no one seemed willing to take the first step and speak up. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to answer.
As I stood there, I realized that if I wanted to learn more about demon attacks and the supernatural, I would have to be the one to take the first step. I took a deep breath, and with a confident tone, I spoke up.
"I did," I said, my voice ringing out clearly in the silent hall. The man turned to look at me, his blue eyes studying me intently.
I waited for his response. But then he nodded, his expression serious but approving. It was as if he had been waiting for someone to step forward and acknowledge the danger of demon attacks.
"Have you experienced anything interesting?" He then directly asked me again.
"Yes. My siblings were eaten by one and a maid in my house lost all her mana."