The cafeteria was in complete chaos. The previous night's fight had already spread like wildfire, and everyone was talking about how amazing Caster was.
"You should have seen it! He was like a blur! I couldn't see anything at all."
"He moved like a torpedo."
"He defeated Changing Star in, like… two seconds."
"He's so handsome. Is he single?"
Caster was practically a celebrity–more than he already had been, actually. Wherever he walked, the Sleepers' eyes sparkled with admiration, seeing in him the hero they believed he was fated to become.
However, there was another name circulating, especially within Caster's group of friends.
"It has to be a mistake. There's no way that Otto guy is stronger than Caster."
"Yeah. We should take this to the higher-ups."
"I already talked to Instructor Rock. He said there were no mistakes."
"No way. Did you see that guy's hair?"
'Why do they keep talking about his hair? Is it really that bad?' Not that Cassie could see it.
Just like them, she also was interested in this boy, but for a different reason.
Her Aspect Ability allows her to see people's Attributes. Thanks to that, she knew Caster was strong, knew Nephis wasn't lying about having a True Name, and also knew there was someone else she had to keep an eye on.
She tilted her head slightly, 'looking' at a pale boy sitting not too far from her.
The boy ate happily, almost like he had never eaten before. They had been sitting at the same table since the first day, yet they had never exchanged a single word. She understood why, so she respected his privacy and never initiated a conversation.
Still… It was lonely.
Everyone avoided her. She understood–no one liked the idea of being friends with someone who was "already dead." Even she had felt that way at first. Now… now she was getting used to it.
In any case, of all the Sleepers, Otto was the only one she had never sensed. Unlike everyone else, he didn't seem to avoid her—or at least that's what she thought, remembering the day of the entrance exam when he had spoken to her.
…Or had he? She wasn't entirely sure. But she had definitely heard his voice. That much she knew.
Anyway, that wasn't the reason she was curious about him.
What made him interesting wasn't only his invisibility–that intrigued her, but not by much. What she really was curious about was what she saw when he spoke. At the time, for a brief moment, she saw some strange runes that hadn't left her head ever since.
'Who is Silk? And why can she see Fate?'
It was really intriguing to know that someone else had powers similar to hers, she wanted to talk with this person. Who knows, perhaps they could be friends? Yet, she couldn't find him anywhere. Even the office worker that helped her couldn't find him.
Where was this mysterious existence?
Currently, he was seated right beside her—obvious to her thoughts—while eating the largest amount of food he had ever eaten in his life, two lifes even.
Otto had spent the entire night experimenting with his Sorcery. His entire body hurt, new scars appeared beneath his hoodie, and he could barely walk, but he had managed to learn a few new names and maintain the ones he already knew for longer.
He had worked hard, that's why he was rewarding himself with some food, though it tasted kind of blend.
'I still have to help Luke in the afternoon… and more combat class in the evening. Surviving really takes a lot of effort.'
At least no one was bothering him today. He had even sat at the weirdo's table, hoping they wouldn't dare to approach it, or maybe think he was a freak and then leave him alone.
Yet, even as he walked between them no one seemed to care about him, almost like no one could see him. Not that he was complaining though.
He was happy to eat in peace; that alone had already put him in a good mood. Nothing could go wrong.
"Ah, I finally found you! What are you doing eating here, Otto?" …Or so he thought.
That voice was like a bucket of freezing water poured over him. Once again, he didn't even need to look to know who it belonged to.
Luke walked toward him with the biggest and most innocent smile on his face. Completely oblivious to Otto's thoughts of killing him before Fate could.
He hadn't spoken loudly, but somehow, even though the place was noisy, the entire cafeteria seemed to hear it. The Sleepers' eyes followed his gaze, falling over Otto.
Some looked with curiosity, simply following his gaze. Others were surprised, but did nothing more than cast a quick glance. However, a few of them, especially in Caster's table, looked at him with hostility.
If only looks could kill…
The officer worker at Cassia's side also looked at him, nearly jumping out of chair in surprise. To him, the boy had appeared out of thin air, literally spawned there.
"Really, are you hiding or something? Why are you sitting here of all places?" Luke asked, taking a seat directly in front of him.
Otto didn't respond.
"Hm… why are you looking at me like that? Can you stop? Your eyes are a little scary, you know…"
Otto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"It's fine," he finally said. "Don't worry about it. I get grumpy when I don't sleep."
"Really? Why didn't you sleep?" Luke asked, taking a bite of his meal.
"I was studying–"
Suddenly, Otto heard footsteps coming in his direction. Before the guy's shadow even fell over him, he already knew it was trouble.
"So, you are Otto, huh? The Second Strongest?"
Otto looked up and saw a tall Sleeper glaring down at him. The boy had messy dark hair, sharp brown eyes, and an irritated look on his face, like Otto had personally offended him by existing. His uniform was creased, and he stood with his arms crossed, clearly confrontational.
Otto remembered seeing him at the Caster's table before.
'Is this guy trying to get on his good side or something?'
"No, you must be mistaken," he said, then pointed at some random boy. "He is Otto."
The sleeper raised an eyebrow, then looked at the boy–who was just as confused–before turning back.
"Do you think I am stupid?"
Otto shrugged.
"I do, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."
His scowl deepened; he was about to explode.
"Wait," said Otto, interrupting the Sleeper just as he was opening his mouth. "Can we skip the insults and all that, and go straight to the part where you challenge me or some shit like that? I'm tired."
The Sleeper blinked slowly, his eyebrow twisted uncontrollably.
"…What?"
Otto rubbed his temples, understanding why the guy was a npc.
"God, why did it have to be this stupid…" He looked back at the guy, "Look, you came here to posture, right? Say something stupid, challenge me, try to appear cool for Caster or something stupid like that. So just cut to the chase."
The entire cafeteria went silent by now, watching. Even Nephis, who usually was indifferent.
The boy's irritation deepened.
"I—I wasn't posturing! I just wanted to—"
"Fine then, just say what you want to say." Otto cut him flatly.
The Sleeper's mouth opened, closed, then opened again.
"You mongrel! I challenge you to a duel!" His voice filled with rage.
"Great," Otto said, already standing up. "Then I deny it."
The Sleeper blinked.
"…Huh?" He froze, without knowing what to do.
Before he could recover, Otto quickly went around the table, grabbed Luke by the back of his collar, and, with Sorcery, he dragged the poor boy across the entire cafeteria toward the exit.
Luke flailed helplessly behind him.
"W–wait, Otto! I can walk! I can walk!"
"Shut up!" Otto snapped, irritated.
And with that, the two of them disappeared through the door. Leaving the Sleeper stunned, motionless, and confused.