A couple of minutes later, Cloud stepped out of the bathroom after an exceptionally thorough bath. He appeared fresher than ever before. The young man decided to discard his finest peasant attire and changed into a white tracksuit, its color seamlessly complementing his hair. He slipped on the white sneakers as well before heading out to retrieve his bag.
'Where did I drop it…? Oh, yes. By the door.'
He recalled letting the bag fall from his grasp the moment he entered the room, or rather, the flat. His phone, minimal luggage, and the three chocolate cookies he had taken from the lobby were all crammed inside. The most important items were the cookies and his phone, though the former currently held greater value.
He hurried to the door and found the bag lying on the floor. Quickly picking it up, he removed the cookies first, leaving the phone inside since it was of lesser importance than food at the moment. He was not fully satisfied yet, either.
Afterward, he returned to the bedroom, retrieved the book that had been resting on the desk long before his arrival, and carried it into the parlour.
He settled onto the couch and began munching on the cookies. Even the words printed on the cover required considerable effort for him to decipher. Had he possessed even less literacy than he already did, he might have discarded the book altogether, deeming it useless.
To survive in the Academy, however, he would need to improve his academic knowledge as well. There was much for him to accomplish, and Cloud felt a twinge of regret for only beginning to consider it now, when most people his age had already mastered such fundamental knowledge.
"…Great Awakened Academy's Rule, Guidance, and Information Compendium."
"Oh, this is very important for me to read, then. I can start studying," Cloud said through a mouthful of cookie, suddenly filled with resolve to read and make use of the time while settling into his new environment.
Yet the moment he swallowed the last piece, his motivation evaporated. He let the book slip from his hand onto the couch beside him.
"I need to get more cookies, but I can only do that if I go to the lobby. Well, since it's the temporary hostel's lobby, I'm certain I can visit it freely."
After a moment of deliberation, the malnourished teenager approached the door and opened it slightly, peering into the corridor to check if anyone was present. As expected, he spotted a male student stepping out of his own room and heading toward the elevator, holding the same book Cloud had just abandoned. The boy appeared composed, gripping the book in one hand as he waited for the elevator doors to open.
Cloud frowned, still peeking through the narrow gap.
'Huh. Why is he taking that down to the lobby? Is he also having difficulty understanding it? Well, I should head down to the lobby too.'
He waited for the male student to enter the elevator and depart, largely due to a very common habit of his. After lingering near his doorway for a while and confirming that no one else emerged from the remaining two rooms, he slipped out and hurried toward the elevator, where he waited for it to arrive.
Once inside, Cloud immediately searched for the control panel beside the door, wondering which button would take him to the lobby. His frown deepened.
'Ugh. Shit, how does this thing work? Wait. If I'm on the sixth floor, then Floor 0 should lead to the ground level of this building. Alright.'
Without hesitation, he pressed Floor 0. As expected, within seconds, the elevator doors opened onto the ground floor of the temporary hostel. Straight ahead, the double doors remained open. Students were stepping out of other elevators around him as well. There were about ten elevators aligned along the ground floor, with no other rooms or exits besides the large double doors.
He observed that most of the students had already changed into the Academy tracksuit, complete with the Academy emblem. Even the male student from his floor was wearing one. Only a small number remained dressed in their personal clothing.
Cloud followed the others toward the exit. Students from the same floors had already begun striking up conversations with one another. It appeared remarkably easy to form connections here.
…Pfft! Not that he intended to make the effort!
Whether it would prove useful later or not, Cloud chose to remain neutral and maintain his social withdrawal for the time being.
He entered the lobby and found several students already settling into chairs and couches, while others approached the attendant stationed nearby to respond to inquiries regarding training and any other matters they needed clarified.
Admittedly, he required more information as well, beyond what little he had managed to gather online. However, that was not his objective for the day. Today, he intended to settle in, eat as much as possible to regain balance, and then resume his daily routine of battling Ignivar. It was personal training of the highest degree. Engaging a powerful beast every single day and surviving was something none of the students here could even conceive of. The experience far exceeded their imagination.
For that reason, he felt a distinct sense of pride. The wounds and pain were merely part of the process. The only reckless aspect was his refusal to allow previous injuries to heal before confronting the dragon again, effectively turning his body into a blueprint of burns and scars, some fresh, others torn open repeatedly. His body never found respite from pain, and it was enough to exhaust him. He was in no condition to add another training schedule to the one he already endured.
He stood at the center of the lobby, scrutinizing the area for a seat that offered sufficient snacks for him to discreetly stock his pockets before retreating to his room.
Soon, he noticed a particular corner. A visibly pale girl sat there with a solemn expression. She had grey hair and a petite frame, her face round yet undeniably attractive. However, she was not interacting with anyone. Rather, no one seemed willing to approach her.
Two male students walked toward her table, but the moment they drew close and looked into her eyes, their expressions shifted to horror. A visible shiver ran down their spines.
"Let's get out of here. She seems weird."
"Yeah. Her eyes were completely white and, gods, I felt the chill of death. What the fuck is she? Such a waste for a pretty girl. Tsk."
They muttered under their breath as they hurried away. The girl remained silent throughout.
Cloud's gaze followed the two males briefly before returning to the girl in confusion.
Then, his lips curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming as they settled on the table before her. He smacked his lips and rubbed his hands together.
'Hmm. I don't know why they ran off, but the spot she's sitting in has plenty of cookies and other delicacies. I can't pass that up. Besides, since she isn't eating anything and seems to function as a natural deterrent, keeping others away, it's the perfect place for me.'
Cloud strode toward the couch and sat opposite her. She did not react to his presence. Her blank white eyes remained peered ahead.
He met her gaze and immediately felt a frigid shiver envelop him, as cold as the breath of death itself.
'What the hell?'
A wave of horror washed over him.
The young girl blinked.
"Is someone there? Um… hi?"
Cloud's expression shifted from horror to utter shock.
'Wahhhhhh! She's blind!? Wait, why am I surprised? She doesn't even have pupils.'
"Hello?... A-are you still there?"