Chapter 21: Returning to School
"No problem, do as you please,"
Henry nodded, seeing no issue with Emily's decision and instead asked her, "Anna and I were just discussing what to have for dinner. Do you have any preferences?"
"Uh, anything is fine, I don't mind," Emily replied.
"Is that so?"
Henry pondered for a moment and then suggested, "Since none of us have a strong preference, how about we eat out?"
"There's a great place not far from here on a commercial street. They cook various foods in boiling water for sterilization, then serve them with a unique dipping sauce. The taste is quite good."
Anna rubbed her stomach and pouted, "From your description, it sounds like we're going to eat a lot tonight, I might gain weight."
"Don't worry too much about your figure, a little indulgence is acceptable," Henry casually replied.
Then, considering how women value their physique, he added, "Of course, it's still important to be mindful usually. Let's walk there; it might help burn some calories."
The three of them locked up the villa and started walking leisurely towards the commercial street.
Henry took the opportunity to examine the neighboring villa.
Little Martin mentioned that the villa next door was also his uncle's property, no wonder the two villas shared some architectural similarities, likely designed by the same architect.
As Henry was observing the exterior of the neighboring villa, its door opened, and a youthful, attractive woman in a white blouse stepped out.
She wore gold-rimmed glasses and held a watering can, tending to the potted plants on the porch.
"General Fatima?" Henry froze in surprise, and Emily beside him did the same.
At that moment, Fatima also noticed them.
Adjusting her glasses, she spoke calmly, "What a coincidence, my neighbors."
Hearing her elder sister's greeting, Emily couldn't muster any joy, but instead responded with frustration,
"Why are you here, Fatima? Can't you give me some personal space? Why can't I escape your influence wherever I go?"
"I finally found a suitable team, and you just have to come and disrupt it, don't you?"
Emily's hostility was evident, believing her sister was there to disrupt her relationship with her team.
Fatima placed her watering can on the ground before responding, "First, I need to tell you that I bought this villa first..."
"Moreover, you don't think I wouldn't be aware of the villa resources you accessed using our family's resources, do you?"
"Lastly, it seems you've forgotten our family's motto about self-reliance and strength. As a low-level awakener, using family resources for personal gain is shameful."
Emily clenched her fists, visibly agitated, but eventually calmed down and took a deep breath, "I will explain this to the family elders."
With that, she quickly walked away from the villa, with Henry and Anna following.
Regarding the conflict between the sisters, Henry thought to himself that it was unnecessary. The two of them,
One acted as if she didn't need anyone's protection, already capable of complete independence.
The other, tough on the outside but soft on the inside, harsh to her sister verbally but always doing various things for her behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, he ultimately chose not to speak up.
After all, it involved General White Tiger, a high-level awakener, and it was easy to misjudge the situation and exacerbate the conflict between them.
The trio arrived at the restaurant serving boiled food and settled at a table, beginning to enjoy their meal.
Sensing the somewhat silent atmosphere brought about by her earlier interaction, Emily initiated the conversation.
"I might need to handle some things and go home for a couple of days. If you two want to head into the dungeon first, feel free to go ahead."
Henry shook his head with a wry smile,
"Our graduation season is approaching, and we haven't submitted our thesis yet. We need to go back to school for the next few days to attend classes seriously and complete our graduation requirements."
"Right, I forgot you two are still attending classes," Emily responded, taken aback as she remembered this detail.
Since the emergence of awakeners worldwide, the education system had also been adjusted accordingly.
Students who awakened at their 18th birthday could suspend their studies after completing their high school thesis if their level-up process hindered further education.
They could resume their education later when they had the time.
Emily fell into this category.
Although she had contemplated continuing her education, the pressure to level up weighed heavily on her.
She had decided she would only consider applying to university once she reached at least level 40.
"Well then, our team can also take these next few days to rest and recuperate."
After dinner, they returned to the villa.
Henry and Anna engaged in vigorous activities, while Emily returned to her guest room, this time prepared with toilet paper.
The next morning, Henry and Anna parted ways with Emily and headed to school.
...
Today marked a significant day at Bolt Academy.
An outstanding awakener, who graduated three years ago, had returned to the school to deliver a speech.
The excitement was palpable among everyone.
This alumnus was not just any awakener; he was a high-level awakener, surpassing level 30, and also the leader of an elite team.
His good looks further drew a crowd of adoring fans.
"He's so handsome," one whispered. "If I told my mom I was dating an awakener like him, she'd probably faint from excitement."
Another scoffed, "You dare tell your mom? Aren't you afraid she'd compete with you for him?"
"Senior, please consider dating me," someone bravely shouted.
Darren, the center of all this adulation, looked kindly upon the crowd, his heart swelling with pleasure.
Wasn't this the moment he had strived for?
His tireless efforts to level up and plunder resources in dungeons were all for this - to stand out and be admired.
The cheers momentarily made him forget the setbacks he had recently faced in the dungeons.
Especially the shadow cast by a man named Henry.
Not only had Henry been responsible for the death of a member of his team, but the man's magical and unbelievable exploits also haunted him.
Firstly, Henry had snatched the reward that was meant for Darren's team by performing exceptionally in the third ring task at Snowland, claiming all the accolades.
Secondly, Henry was rumored to be involved in an enviable scandal with the beautiful dungeon NPC Queen Adele of Snowland.
Since childhood, Darren always believed he was a child of destiny.
Born into an ordinary family, yet gifted with the talent to become a high-level awakener.
Step by step, he had defied fate to revitalize his family's fortunes.
But ever since encountering Henry, Darren felt everything had changed.
The title of 'child of destiny' seemed to have been usurped by Henry, no longer belonging to him.
This was precisely why Darren chose to speak at his alma mater.
He intended to use these naive students to stabilize his fragile vanity.
He would impart lessons on realms they could never reach, relishing the sight of them striving towards a goal they would never attain.
Darren found a twisted satisfaction in this.
"Senior is so cool. That's the aura of a high-level awakener," one student admired.
"He's nothing like those two hidden class players who awakened at our school a few days ago, who were so arrogant right from the start," another commented.
"Darren senior's approachable attitude is much better. Look, he's not even wearing any fancy equipment."
Uh,
Darren felt a pang of embarrassment upon hearing their discussions.
It wasn't that he chose not to wear any equipment; he simply didn't have much to begin with.
The best he had were two silver-tier items, and he had sold those recently to compensate the parents of a deceased team member.
However, this ordinary school seemed quite remarkable.
Besides himself, a high-level awakener, there were two players of hidden classes?
Curiosity piqued, Darren felt an itch in his heart.
If he could recruit these two players into his team, he believed his team's strength would greatly increase.
Just then, a security guard rushed towards the crowd, yelling out loud.
"The principal, Henry is back!"
Who?
Darren felt a question mark forming over his head.
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