coobybook Chapter 40 Potential Dangers
Chapter 40 Potential Dangers
When Sylvie ran off the training field with tears in her eyes, all eyes were on me.
This was to be expected, as it is a common human reaction.
However, one thing surprised me: Sylvie's psychological trauma was more severe than I had imagined.
"So that's how it is." I thought to myself, watching the departing figure.
“Morse.” Eleanor’s voice rang out. “Can you explain what happened?” she asked as she approached me, her expression full of accusation.
"I was just correcting Sylvie's movements, but she said she didn't want to fight."
"that's it?"
“He’s afraid of fighting, and I didn’t adjust my approach according to her fitness level.” After I explained what had happened, Eleanor’s gaze seemed to harden even more upon hearing my words.
Although she doesn't like me, she is still a responsible and righteous person. She's a bit picky and a bit annoying, but that doesn't mean she has no principles.
"Didn't you adjust your approach? Is it because you lack empathy and push her too hard?"
“Empathy can’t save others in the dungeon. That’s something we’ve been learning all along at this academy. If someone doesn’t have the courage to fight, then they shouldn’t be here.”
"A student who ranks at the bottom of the grade can utter such bold words, so do you think you should stay?"
"No matter my ranking, no matter how others perceive me, the truth will not change."
I don't know why, but seeing Sylvie run away like that made me feel a little helpless, or why I was arguing with this woman in front of me. But realizing I was doing something pointless, I shut my mouth.
“Sigh…” Eleanor sighed and shook her head. She looked at me with a pained expression, but I didn’t understand what the problem was.
Based on what I've experienced in college, isn't this the norm?
"Bring Sylvie back and work with her to solve her problem. Don't come back to class until you've resolved it. Your class is over for today; I'll ask you about the results later."
Her tone was firm, and I could sense the disappointment in her voice, but I didn't care. Disappointment stemmed from one's own expectations, and that had nothing to do with me.
I noticed that the game's main character was looking at me from the edge of my line of sight.
Ethan, in particular, was very close to me; he was also at the bottom of the class. He was glaring at me angrily, clearly because of his heroic nature.
But I simply ignored him. He was the protagonist of the game, possessing exceptional talent and a privileged background. I also had no intention of seeking connections that could help me in my future life.
I came here for only one purpose: to hunt down demons. His heroic nature will only make things more complicated.
Julia's expression was stiff, Alice remained as serious as ever, while Irina wore a sarcastic smile, seemingly enjoying everyone's assessment of me. Oh well, most people are just creatures full of pride and petty-mindedness anyway.
As for the students who were close to Sylvie, they seemed furious. But I didn't care.
"understood."
I nodded briefly and turned to leave the training ground. Soon after, I found traces left by Sylvie. Thanks to my [Insight Perception], I could see the faint marks left by her hurried footsteps and the route she had taken.
Because she ran very fast, the tracks she left were very clear, and her scent still lingered because the weather was not very windy.
Walking along the academy path, I began to think about Sylvie. In the first year, Sylvie wasn't a particularly helpful character to the player.
Whether it's her healing magic, her personality, or her strength, she falls short in every aspect of the Hunter x Hunter.
As time went on, her performance naturally declined. This was all due to her fear of combat, which prevented her from facing monsters head-on. This situation continued until one day, she and the player were trapped in a dungeon, and a demon targeted her.
There's a reason why Sylvie is called a saint in the game; it's not just because she possesses a simple healing skill.
She harbors a deep secret, which is why she is frequently targeted by demons, and this situation will become even more serious at the end of the first semester.
There, as players, we rescue Sylvie, who at that time is still a burden, constantly displaying pessimism and panic. From the player's perspective, this part of the story is somewhat tedious, but necessary. Furthermore, at that point, we cannot abandon Sylvie; doing so would slowly kill the game.
This is because she is a key character in completing the game.
In any case, in the dungeon, if the player chooses to be stricter with Sylvie and reason with her, she will eventually pull herself together and begin her path as a saint.
That's why I was so harsh on her, because someone had to say that to her.
In a sense, she's someone who's always been running away from the past, and it would be best if someone made her realize it. And this is also a way for me to repay my debts.
And so, I followed the trail to the Academy Forest, which was where we began.
'Waaah...'
"She's right here," I murmured to myself, hearing a faint sob coming from the woods. Observing from a distance using my skill, I could tell that she wasn't in a suitable position to talk to me right now.
However, with her head buried in her legs, her field of vision was limited.
"I should check on her." With this thought to myself, I used my special ability to blend into the shadows. I made sure no one was nearby before using it.
“Sylvie.” I called her softly from the shadows. And so began our conversation, until I heard certain from her that she would confront her past.
It was a declaration that she would move forward. Although it wasn't a promise that guaranteed she would change, at least I instilled some principles in her mind, and that was all I wanted to do.
"I know I'm weak... Waaah... I know I'm scared... I've tried my best... Waaah..."
When I heard her say those words herself, it was time to leave.
"The debt has been paid off. Now it's up to you how you change yourself."
And so I left that place and headed toward Eleanor's office to report what I had observed there.
......
Arcadia, the capital of the Human Federation, is filled with towering buildings that seem to reach for the sky.
These buildings primarily belong to organizations that occupy an important position in the industry.
union.
Besides the illustrious families that train hunters, many guilds recruit graduates from academies throughout the Human Federation.
Every city has a branch of the union, but to have a foothold in the capital, the union must have a strong reputation throughout the industry.
The Gold Zone, in particular, was custom-designed for world-renowned high-level guilds. The world's most powerful organizations established their headquarters here, their presence a constant reminder of their control over every industry. This area is filled with luxury and opulence; it's a place only the elite can set foot in.
However, this isn't the only place where a guild can secure a place. After all, in such a vast world, countless guilds are not strong enough to enter the Gold Zone.
At this moment, one of the unions is having a heated discussion.
In a dimly lit room, two people are arguing fiercely around a round table. Their faces are filled with anger, frustration, and sadness.
“This is a disgrace!” the man said, slamming his fist on the table. “Our child has died because of that school’s negligence.”
The woman sitting opposite me had a fierce determination in her eyes. She leaned forward, her voice firm and unwavering. "They want us to believe that our children were killed by some kind of monster? I can't accept that. We've invested so much in our children's future; it can't end like this."
A holographic projection in the center of the room displayed the official report of their child's death. The official version stated that their child died from an unknown creature, a tragedy that occurred within the academy.
They were told that their child had been killed by a monster that had never been found in the academy, and now the academy wanted them to believe this absurd claim.
Just a week earlier, they had seen their child's body. The deep scratches on the corpse were clearly the marks of a monster attack. Even so, in their extreme grief, they refused to believe their child was merely a victim of a monster. They needed to find something or someone to blame.
“Monsters don’t infiltrate the academy without reason,” the woman said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with suspicion. “There must be something we don’t know about. Ordinary monsters could never break through the academy’s defenses.”
The man stared grimly at the details on the report. "Morse Scott...the sole survivor of this incident. He was also the lowest-ranking student in the college."
Morse's image appeared in the holographic projection, intensifying the unease in both of them. Then, some related information appeared.
“An orphan who lost his home in a disaster when he was fifteen, later awakened to become a hunter,” the woman added, her tone tinged with doubt.
The man's expression hardened. "Our information indicates that Morse had a conflict with our child. The connection can't be a coincidence. It doesn't make sense that the last-ranked student in the academy was the only survivor. We know Dylan; he's not the kind of kid who would put himself in danger in an accident," the man said. "After all, we're the ones who taught him."
“You’re right,” the woman replied. “There’s something hidden in these documents provided by the academy. It makes no sense that the orphan is the only survivor.”
A vengeful rage ignited in the woman's eyes. She leaned forward slightly, her voice low and muttered as if she were talking to herself. "If the academy won't reveal the truth, then we'll dig it out ourselves. For our children."
A flicker of agreement crossed the man's eyes as he met his partner's resolute gaze. "We will use every resource at our disposal to find out the truth. If Morse Scott is truly involved in our child's fate... then I will pluck out his fingernails one by one, and burn his body bit by bit, until he feels the pain my son has endured."
Anger filled the air as the two men sat around the round table and talked.
This is the world of hunters, a cruel world. Here, as long as you have power, you can do whatever you want...