After I got home, I made something to eat, and after taking my time eating, I finally changed to go to the training center. It was almost 23:00 in the night when I entered.

[Rank 915, Cristopher D. Lamas, Confirmed.]

I swear, I don’t know why all the training facilities here need to be saying your rank every time you enter them. It’s not like saying it would make me train harder. A rank is just a number. It doesn’t define your real strength.

But well. It doesn’t matter.

While thinking useless stuff again. I go directly to the treadmill. To the farther, as far as possible from the crazy girl that’s sternly looking at me as if I killed her parents or something.

“Hey! Are you thinking mean stuff about me?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“It’s written in your face.”

“Really? And I thought I washed my face before coming here.”

“I hope you don’t truly think you’re being funny with your sarcasm.”

“No, never thought about it. It just naturally goes out of my mouth when talking to you”- I said, while getting on the running machine and putting my headphones to stop talking to her.

“Now, if you don’t mind me, I’ll start warming up.”-I said while putting some music.

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… MUSIC STARTS WITH SOME GUITTARS AND DRUMS… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

{Finally, some peace.}

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… OOHOOOHH~~~ OOHOOOOOHHHHHHH~~~~… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

{Ohhh I love this song; it just puts me in the mood for some hard training. Let’s bring up the speed!!}

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… TODAY I KILLED, HE WAS JUST A BOY; EIGHT BEFORE HIM, I KNEW THEM ALL… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

I start running faster, reaching the 90 Km/h while humming, not really caring about my own breathing. Not that you should do that.

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… IN THE FIELDS, A DYING OATH: I’D KILL THEM ALL TO SAVE MY OWN… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

As the intensity of the song goes up, so do I. I start running faster and faster until the treadmill reaches the 100 km/h.

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… CUT ME FREE, BLEED WITH ME, OH NO; ONE BY ONE, WE WILL FALL DOWN DOWN… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… PULL THE PLUG, END THE PAIN, RUN’N FIGHT FOR LIFE; HOLD ON TIGHT, THIS AIN’T MY FIGHT… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

While I’m running, Olivia is in the treadmill beside me, panting already, trying hard to keep up the pace. Though, to be honest. She’s still at 60 Km/h, I don’t know why she’s trying so hard to keep up my pace, nor would I ask about it.

*♪♫♬♪♫♬… DELIVER ME, FROM THIS WAR, ITS NOT FOR ME, ITS BECAUSE OF YOU… ♪♫♬♪♫♬*

I’ve been listening to music for at least 15 minutes, when something happened.

{Mmmm…?} I feel a touch on my arm, but I choose to ignore it.

*pointing, pointing*

{…}

*pointing, pointing*

*SIGH…*

While sighing, I slowly stop the treadmill and pause the music.

“What do you want?”- I said while turning my head to my left, with slightly angry.

“huff… huff… how… can… you… be… so fast… huff huff”- Asked a panting Olivia while barely standing up thanks to the side of the treadmill.

“…”

While staring blankly at her, I take out a water bottle and give it to her.

“Drink some water and have some rest first. I don’t want to talk to some human sloth.”

“…”-She stares at the water bottle again.

“Take it now. We’re not doing this again. It’s just some water for fuck’s sake.”

She finally takes it after I reprimand her. After that, I guide her to a long seat for resting and sit her down. Glaring at her while waiting so she can recover some breath.

“Thanks again…”

“No problem. But let me be clear here. This is the last time you stop my training; I’m truly getting tired of all this routine of you asking me things that I obviously don’t want to answer. Just stop.”- I sternly said to her.

“But… Why? Why won’t you just answer me how you can be that fast! It’s not like I’m asking you what’s your weakness or something like that. It’s just an advice!”-She angrily shouts at me.

“…”-I keep glaring at her, my eyes going icy with each passing minute. “I don’t care. You could be asking me what time it is right now, and I still wouldn’t answer. You’re creeping up on my nerves. And I don’t like that.”

“JUST TELL ME HOW TO BE THAT FAST AND I WILL STOP PESTERING YOU!”-She stands up, yelling right to my face. “please!”- She finally says, stepping back a little to bow.

“…”- I slowly facepalm, and then start rubbing my temples.

{This girl is insane. There are no better words to describe her…}

“Why? Why would it matter to you to be so fast? You’re just a 16-17 years old cadet. Go at your own pace. Why you need to hurry so much that you’re being a bother to someone you don’t even know and that could probably hurt you.”-I said after some seconds of silence, finally calming myself.

“… You wouldn’t hurt me. And even if you thought about doing it. We’re in Cube, there’re cameras everywhere here.”- She answers, with a determined look. I must admit. She has balls, or ovaries, whatever suits you. But still, she’s naïve. Too naïve.

“You sure are naïve… And you shouldn’t go everywhere testing unknown people’s patience. And cameras? You really think I would care about that? Let me give you an advice. Wrath can blind. It numbs your mind and can transform you into a real beast, without conscience. So you better stop, before it gets too late; or haven’t you heard of the phrase ‘the drop that spilled the cup’?”-I say to her.

Though being honest. Just a little pestering won’t be enough to bring out a blinding rage, but it’s never bad to advice some naïve girl.

“Still… Even then. I can’t let this chance pass by. I need to be faster, stronger. So please! Tell me how you did it.”- She asked again. With that determined look in her eyes.

“…”-I put my hand on my face again, and breath while counting to ten.

“…Why do you want to become as fast as I am that much?”

“I told you… I need strength, I need power.”-She says, with a somewhat disguised anger in her words.

I’ve heard those words before. Those who say them never end well. And that anger. Revenge. I feel the double-edged blade of revenge in her. I know that too well. And also know that it ends even worse.

And in this world. It could bring a perfect self-destruction. Djinn. Even if they don’t want to see it that way. A Djinn is merely a puppet. A failed puppet that followed an unfulfilled wish to a dangerous end.

“*sigh…* Fine. I’ll tell you. But instead, you stop bothering me. We have a deal?”-I finally give in.

“You won’t ask why I need power?”-She asks with a somewhat uncredulous face.

{This girl is nuts! I swear she’s not right of the head!}

“… No. I won’t. I don’t even care in the first place. I just want you to stop pestering me. Why? You wanted to tell me or something?”- While also stopping a possible future enemy, don’t want her going crazy and transforming in a Djinn just to pester me in a more bothersome way.

“… No… But… It’s just… I thought you would probably want to know why I need power after asking why I needed to become faster… You looked like that kind of people after all.”

“…huh? What kind of people?”

“The kind who would ask you to sell your soul for power.”

“…”-I stare at her blankly… {THIS GIRL!!!!!}

*face-palm*“YOU THINK I’M SOME KIND OF DEVIL OR SOMETHING!!!!????? Oh. You know. Maybe you’re right. Give me your soul, or I’m not telling you how can you become faster.”

“YOU ALREADY TOLD ME YOU WOULD TEACH ME!!!! YOU CAN’T GO BACK!!!!”

*…SIGH*

“You’re insane. But persistent. I’ll at least give you that.”

“That means you will teach me?”

“… You know. I should probably teach you manners instead.”

“I don’t need them. They can give me power.”

“No. They can’t. But at least they would stop people from killing you for losing patience.”

“I’m not a bothersome girl.”

“You’re truly saying that to me? REALLY!? I’M ONE OF THOSE THAT WANT TO KILL YOU FOR BEING SUCH A FUCKING BOTHER.”

“You know. You talk too much, but haven’t even started teaching me how to be faster.”

“… You know what. It’s my loss. I’m the one who is stupid enough to be discussing with you.”

“Don’t worry. Nobody has died for being stupid.”

“…”

“Well, shall we start?”

“I already told you how.”

“Huh? When?”

“Yesterday.”

“WHEN!!!???”

“Remember when I told you about working on your gravity chamber’s training? Well, that was a clue. Fuck that. It was the trick.”

“What does it have to do the gravity chamber with augmenting my speed?”

“You sure are stupid.”

“Hey. Don’t call people stupid.”

“… Look. Gravity is the best way to train speed. Put that thing up. And start doing laps inside it. Forget about controlling or even using your mana. Use your body’s own strength.”

“…Doing normal training in there is already hard enough. And you want me to work out without using mana?”

“Exactly. Strengthen your body first. Increase your speed while inside there, and you’ll start seeing results faster that way. Mana is a great way to reinforce our body, but if you trust on it too much, your body will lack grow, which would limit your own grow, and worse, won’t even let you get to your full potential.”

“… But can’t I do the same on the treadmill?”

“You sure can. That’s a nice way to increase your speed. At a normal pace I mean. Use gravity to increase the difficulty. Make it so that your body would need twice the strength to move at a normal pace. And hang on as much as you can. That’s the easiest way you can use right now to increase your speed. Or well, you could also bring some weights and start running on the treadmill, but it is more bothersome that way.”

“…”

“I already told you how you can become faster. Now it depends on you whether you do it or not. With this, I hope you stop bothering me.”.

“Fine… I’ll at least try it for a week or so. To see if it’s really true.”

“That’s good. But you probably would need two weeks. The first one you’ll be adapting to not using your mana inside there. And believe me. It will be hell.”

“Why you say it? You did the same?”

“No. I didn’t. It’s just that it’s not hard to predict.”

“If you didn’t used the gravity chamber, how did you increase your speed?”

“In a worse way than that, one you wouldn’t have access here. So, you are really lucky. I would totally love to put you on that same training. Sadly. I can’t.”

“You sure the gravity room idea isn’t just to mess with me?”-She asks, suddenly turning wary of me.

“It sure is to mess with you! I’m still angry about today and yesterday’s pestering. BUT. It will do what you want. It will make you faster.”

“…I’ll trust you.”

“I hope so. Or I don’t know how I would stop myself from killing you.”- I said while glaring at her with frosty eyes.

“You shouldn’t joke like that; it would bring up misunderstandings.”

{What was I waiting from her, really?}

“*Sigh*…Fine, whatever. I don’t care. I’m leaving. Don’t even want to train anymore.”

“Mmm… Okay! I’ll stay here a little bit more. See you tomorrow night!”

“Sure. Whatever you say.”- I said. Frustrated. With my arms down while going back to my room.

{Is this some kind of retribution for my past actions? Why do I have to find this crazy girl here??? Fuck. I should have exploded myself when I had the opportunity!}

After getting home, I first take a shower, then change to some shorts and an undershirt. Then I sit on the oh so soft coach that received my first night here, and then stared at the laptop.

{What’s what I was going to do?}

“OH RIGHT!”

I turned on the laptop. And opened the app with the settings that Hajin wrote. Swiftly looking for what I needed.

“Here it is.”

“So… Next Sunday huh… Well, I guess Hajin would have to make his debut then. I won’t interfere there. Though, that would be depending on who would be my pair. What it’s sure is, that I will help a little with things outside. If I don’t remember incorrectly, there would be monsters outside.”

Sure. I said I’m no hero. But I still won’t stay quiet while things go on right in front of my eyes. And, after all, I’m a cadet. It’s like an obligation to us to help in cases like those. Well, taking out those cases where it’s almost impossible to do something.

After I’ve finished taking some notes on my notebook, I close the laptop and recline on the couch. Listening to some music.

{To think I’m just starting the plot… It reminds me of the old times. When I went through some weird experiences. Though to be honest. I never thought I would be able to enter a novel’s world. I did enter some movie’s or anime’s worlds, but a novel? Wasn’t possible. Just how did it happen this time?}

However it happened, this time I must finish this with my limited power. Not that it’s impossible.

“Also… I’ll have to do something with that crazy girl. Really. She’s going to kill me.”