Author's note(important):
After thinking for a while, I've come to the conclusion that the race known as "Beast race"(Himo's race) had to change name. I took the occasion to rework a bit more, so the elves changed as well.
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Beast race -> Nakelen(race), Naklain(single individual), Naklenn(plural)
Instead of the previous subdivisions like "wolf-man", "cat-man", and similar, they'll all be considered Nakelen.
The main features are virtually the same:
A tail and beast-like ears. Both tail and ears will vary between naklenn. Some have a fluffier tail, while others might have a tail whose fur stays glued to the tail. The same goes for ears: some naklenn have long, upright ears, while others have short ones that nearly hide between their hair.
Both tails and ears are generally of the same color as the naklain’s hair. There are some times where the tail has a different color, but it’s rather rare cases. Additionally, their muscles are more developed and compact, while their teeth are sharper.
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Elves -> Elkedity(race), Elkedian(single individual), Elkedians(plural)
The main feature of the elkedians is a light-blue star on the top-right corner of their irises. Generally, they are high, slim, and have long hair.
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I'm not entirely sure on what to do with humans and angels, so they'll stay as they are for now(but I'm sure that, even if there will be changes, they will be minimal).
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While Himo and Azusa slept in their rooms, a certain hall was awake. A bright ball of light dangled from the ceiling, lighting a circular wooden table that spanned the whole hall. Angels, naklenn, elkedians, and humans were seated around the table. Some fiddled with papers while others stood in silence. They were teachers. At one end of the table, a single angel, fully clothed in white, stood up.
“Now that you’re all here, we can begin.” The headmaster looked at an angel beside him. “Can you describe what happened in the test with Himo?”
The angel nodded and stood up. “At first, we were surprised by his skills, but it was still within our expectations. But then… he said two words.”
“Two words?”
“Yes. He said ‘hydrogen bomb’.” A shiver spooked his body as he remembered the scene. “An odd metallic dart appeared in the sky, right above us. From the moment we saw it, we knew that it was dangerous. So, we layered several defenses, but when it exploded, it took a single instant for it to destroy everything. Even our best defenses crumbled instantly.”
Those words silenced everyone in the room.
The headmaster narrowed his eyes. Where did he get that knowledge? To create "something" in an illusion realm, it’s needed to know how that "something" works. It’s already complex to create natural reactions, but to create a complex machine… If he had the necessary tools, he could build a weapon like that even outside of an illusion realm. The image of Himo’s reaction at the sight of Met-3 flashed in his mind. Does he have connections with them? But…
“Headmaster!” An elkedian slammed the table. “We have to do something about him!”
“Calm down.” The headmaster frowned. “From now on, you three will supervise Himo every day.” He pointed at three teachers: an angel, an elkedian, and a human. “Stay hidden and don’t let him notice you. Your job is to report to me anything suspicious. You are not allowed to approach him, no matter what he does: you’ll need my authorization to take any action.” His thoughts wandered to his friend, Eitha. “We can’t make a move without being certain. Remember that he reached S-class in his first attempt. If we’re wrong and we do something to him, we’ll be sinners of wasting his potential!”
The three teachers nodded. The others didn’t oppose the decision. A few moments of silence passed, interrupted only by the rustle of papers.
From behind stacks of papers, a human raised a hand. “What about Aura Azusa? She’s suspicious.”
“Suspicious?” asked a teacher beside her.
“I’ve never seen her spells.” She raised her pen from a document. “And the way she reacted to Met-3 was… questionable. She clearly stopped it from declaring her race.”
The teacher widened his eyes. “Is she from an enemy race? W-we can’t let her get stronger! With her magic, she might be unstoppable once she reaches our realms!”
The headmaster cut in. “I’ve found her in the south of the Rallog Forest: in the border between human and elkedian territories. While I don’t know if she’s truly human, the chance of her being an enemy is low. Besides, it’s not like she’s invincible.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t create panic.”
The woman behind the papers asked, “So, what will we do?”
After a moment, the headmaster selected five teachers. “The same we'll do for Himo. Just take more distance, as she might know some type of detection spell. Lastly… remember to not act without my approval.”
“Understood!” The five teachers nodded, but they felt something odd within the tone of the headmaster. As if his last words were a threat, instead of an order. Naturally, they dismissed that thought.
The headmaster scanned the hall of teachers. “Does anyone have anything else to say?”
“Yes.” It was the woman behind the papers once again. She showed a stack of documents; one filled with numbers. “Who will fix the mess in the main stadium?”
The expression of the headmaster crumbled. “I’ll take care of it…”
The reunion continued for several more topics, until it finished with the headmaster’s dismissal. The eight teachers tasked of surveillance darted out of the hall while the others left at a slower pace. Soon, only the headmaster stood within.
He slumped in his seat. “Now, what to do…” He sighed.
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The next morning, Himo woke up in the dark. “I should get that gem fixed.”
“Good morning!”
He turned to the greeting's source. “Good morning, Phylia!” Even if all he saw was darkness, he knew where she was. He stroked her head. “Was it boring these days? The tests occupied most of the time.”
She shook her head. “It was fun!”
“I see.”
Ding!
Himo blinked. It’s been a while since I last heard this sound.
[Quest Success: Reach S class during the next test!]
[Quest Difficulty: S+]
[Quest Reward: 300 BS points.]
[You now have 349 BS points!]
Oh. I’m rich.
[The user says that now, but chances are that those points will be used up in a few days.]
Knowing your scams, I won’t even argue about that. Himo rolled his eyes. I’ll buy the guide you’ve offered yesterday.
[Subtracting 100 BS points…]
[You now have 249 points.]
[Injecting the guide “Awesome Masking Technique(100% Risk-Free!)” into the user’s memory…]
Word by word, the guide showed itself in Himo’s mind.
[Injection completed. Thanks for your patronage!]
Himo read through those memories. It was akin to looking back at the past, a past whose only event was reading a book. He crossed his legs and followed its teachings. After a while, he frowned. I don’t feel anything. System, did you just scam me?
[Now that the user has practiced it, the masking technique will function automatically. Anyone under a certain level of perception will be unable to gauge the quality of the user’s cultivation.]
Himo narrowed his eyes. But he shook his head. Whatever. I’ll buy the next fragment of the “Legendary Myriad of Ways” cultivation technique.
[Subtracting 150 BS points…]
[Thanks for your patronage!]
[You now have 99 BS points!]
While the information on how to cultivate the next string appeared his mind, Himo grimaced. I’ve already spent two hundred fifty points!
[It looks like the prediction wasn’t accurate. At this pace, the user will regain a penniless status in a few minutes.]
I won’t!
