Chapter 34: My Goal
My Goal
It took Theresa approximately 8 minutes and 54 seconds to explain to Mike what a forum was.
As for why there was a specific number? Well, Mike knew that it was common knowledge that he lacked, so he wanted to see how long it would take for him to fully grasp its meaning.
Did this have any practical benefits in the long or short run?
No.
Did Mike do it both to satisfy his own vanity while also acting on a random thought he had in the moment?
Yes.
With that out of the way, Theresa and Mike settled on the couches in the living room as she addressed him seriously. However, Mike noticed how she kept stealing glances at his shirtless torso, which perplexed him as she should have seen him without his shirt last night when they sparred, but he decided not to comment on it.
"Fuu~. Now that we have that out of the way." She took a breath and regarded him for a moment before continuing. "I think it goes without saying that the results of what you did have some heavy implications." She started, and Mike tilted his head.
"I was of the impression that fights between students were normal as long as no one crossed the line. Isn’t that why that guy from the Disciplinary Committee only stepped in when Agnes tried to kill me?" He asked and tilted his head, vaguely noting how weird it was that someone had tried to kill him and all he’d felt was mild annoyance.
"You’re not wrong. However, you seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding when it comes to the mindset of almost everyone who is a student here." Theresa shook her head with a sigh.
"You see, as a school that’s pretty much a hub for all the young talents for the various families, big and small, reputation matters, a lot. It may seem almost inconsequential to you, but to everyone else, anything that could uplift or downplay their reputation by even a little bit is something to take note of." She gestured towards him.
"Agnes isn’t some second-rate child from the Agni family. She’s a direct descendant, one who is considered to be pretty talented as well. Of the various people who joined this year, people think she’s a contender for the top ten spots within our year under the Pathway she’s following, which is – naturally – combat. So..." She stared at him. "What do you think happens when a boy none of them have heard of before not only baits her into attacking him, but manages to completely humiliate her with taunts and insults, all the while not taking any reasonable damage for the entire ’fight’ and also doesn’t fight back?" When she explained it like that, Mike scratched the back of his head.
He was oblivious about many things, which he knew, but putting it like that, even he knew that things wouldn’t be so simple moving forward.
"I get it... I think. But to be honest, I’m not entirely sure of what you want me to do with that information." He answered honestly, and he saw Theresa pinch the bridge of her nose with mild frustration.
"Then you don’t get it. Think about it, Mike. Soon enough, people will get curious about you and will look into your background. When that happens, they will learn that you have no family to speak of and are here on nothing but luck. At least, that’s how they will choose to interpret it, seeing as you got your ability from an ability orb." She gestured around them.
"The majority of the people here care a lot about reputation, as I mentioned, so when they learn that you have no backer who allows you to act insolently, they will see you as a threat to their standings in the social hierarchy. You’re practically a bleeding fish in a shark tank. Some might leave you alone, but most will either try to oppress you or recruit and then oppress you. No matter what angle you look at it from, you will have a huge target on your back. It’s only a matter of when." Theresa finished her pretty passionate speech, and Mike stared at her for a few seconds as he digested her words.
He understood what she was saying. He truly did. Like she said, he had no backer, no one to shield him from any social backlash or fallout from his actions. So if he upset the masses, he was on his own, and the consequences may be too much to deal with.
He understood her perfectly. However...
"That’s irrelevant in the grand scheme of things." He said, oddly calm. Theresa’s eyes widened, and she was about to retort, but Mike cut her off.
"I know what you wanna say. You think I still don’t get it or am underestimating the severity of the situation. But at the same time..." He lingered before continuing.
"I don’t intend to join any family or large force when I graduate. Moreover, I intend to outdo everyone here. So fundamentally, I’m already going against most of the people here as the path I’ve chosen is one that doesn’t conform to their perception of someone of a lower social standing bowing to them simply because. Whether it’s now or later, a target will fall on my back either way, and I’m going to piss off a lot of people even if I don’t do anything morally or legally wrong." He shook his head.
"I had three options to pick from when I was offered a scholarship. Here, Seeker Academy and Solaris. I discarded Solaris immediately and was torn between here and Seeker due to the practical benefits of both. But I ultimately chose here. Why?" He smiled and little. "Because I’m probably a bit too proud for my own good. The practical benefits of Seeker outweighed Eventide, given my position. But I still picked Eventide. Why? Because I wanted to see how I can compare to the geniuses the different families have nurtured. I wanted to see the difference between myself and the seed of factions that stand at the top of humanity... and I want to surpass them." Mike leaned forward, and Theresa shuddered as he looked at her.
Up until now, she saw him as an oblivious boy who was a bit too wilful for his own good. She respected his talent and drive, but she felt like he needed a lot of guidance and was – to a degree – naive.
However, when he stared at her, she felt something she’d felt only two nights before when they had their first spar. It wasn’t wholly directed at her this time. Not really. But it was unmistakable.
The gaze of a predator.
"You said I have a fundamental misunderstanding of the mindset of the people here, and you might be correct, but you also misunderstand something about me." He continued slowly. "Even now that I’m aware of the implications of what I did, I don’t care. In fact, I welcome the challenge. I came here with the intent of comparing myself to the ones in this place, and what better way to do so than have them all come at me? Naturally, I’m not stupid enough to take everyone on, and I know not everyone will fight me head-on, and there are some I can’t even do that with. But you forget, this is an academy. And the primary thing people do in academies is learn and grow. I simply intend to grow more than everyone else and stand at the apex." He leaned back into his chair.
"That is my goal." Mike finished.
Naturally, he didn’t spell everything out. He still intended to restart the Lupine Lineage like the System said, but he truly meant every word he said.
So what if everyone came at him? He would simply take what they threw at him and improve. Then, he would prove himself to be superior, one step at a time.
’This guy...’ Theresa thought vaguely as she stared at Mike, whose demeanor slowly went back to its ’normal’ chirpy and upbeat state.
’He’s insane.’ She finished the thought, then she started giggling.
Mike stared in confusion and slight bewilderment as her giggles slowly turned into full-blown laughter, tears peeking at the corners of her eyes as she tried and failed to control herself.
At first, he thought she was laughing at his words with mockery, but his senses spoke of something else.
There was amusement, which was obvious enough, but there was also relief, anticipation, and... interest?
It was a full minute before Theresa managed to get herself under control, and when she did, she looked at Mike, but Mike felt her gaze had changed.
"Heh... you want to stand at the Apex, huh? Above even the families that have established themselves as the strongest for centuries?" She asked with amusement, but Mike couldn’t feel the underlying seriousness.
He smiled.
"Yup." He nodded, and Theresa’s grin widened.
"Huh. Alright then." She stood and stretched out her hand.
"I’ll help you. Because that desire just so happens to be similar to something I want as well." She said, and Mike stared at her with some surprise, then he smiled as well.
He also stood up, and he took her hand before they shook on it.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Theresa Agni, half-born of the Agni family, and my goal is to prove a point." She said.
"Huh. Well, the name is Mike. No background to speak of, and I got my ability from a mix of luck and a touch of nearly dying, and my goal is to be the true Apex." They dropped each other’s hands and stared for a while. Then Mike said.
"So Agnes is your half-sister?" He asked curiously, and Theresa’s eyes twitched.
"You ruined the moment!"