Chapter 90: My partner’s a lunatic dog
"Why did you let her get in here?" Hector asked tiredly, leaning his back against his bed.
But no answer came back.
Hector just sighed and looked toward the door.
"Even if I'm blind, I can still sense you."
A few seconds later, a voice drifted faintly from outside.
"Well, I guess that's your sixth sense, huh?" Tyrone said as he opened the door and stepped inside.
He added with a shrug: "I couldn't stop her, you know! I'm just a commoner. It'd be dumb to get in her way."
He glanced toward the hallway and teased,
"So… she's your beloved girl, huh?"
Hector didn't say much. He just took a deep breath, choosing rest over an argument with Tyrone.
Still, his face twisted in pain as a sharp wave of headache hit him.
"F-Fuck…"
Without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby acupuncture needle and lightly stabbed it into his right temple.
A few seconds later, he let out a quiet breath and laid back on the bed, visibly relieved.
That was one of the techniques he'd learned from Derek's book before he lost his light.
"Damn it… I need that artifact as soon as possible."
—
A week passed.
During that time, common students trained without any instructors.
"Tsk. With no one guiding them, how are they supposed to grow stronger? Look at them. Pathetic. None of them can fight properly or think while attacking. They're like clueless kids learning how to throw a punch."
Tyrone watched his classmates with boredom as he sat on a bench at the edge of the training yard.
"Just focus on yourself," Hector, who was sitting on the bench with Tyrone , muttered with a sigh, shaking his head in discomfort.
Tyrone flicked his tongue as he crossed his arms.
"You don't seem to care about them at all. They're our classmates, you know."
Hector narrowed his eyes when he heard that.
He knew someone like Tyrone would never say something nice like that. It had to be a lie.
"You're so two-faced."
"Anyway, we're going to a place to find a team and weapons to prepare before the final exam happens." Hector leaned back on the bench, remembering the important things he had to do if he wanted to survive the final and claim the reward for himself.
"I don't care. You've got a big brain, so it works for me. Do whatever you want." Tyrone scratched his chin, lazily looking around.
Weeks passed.
Today was the weekend, so I was absent, either taking a break or doing something fun. But for Hector, it was a different kind of day.
Hector and Tyrone were walking through the castle hallways. They had walked through many floors. Now, they stood in front of the 30th floor of the castle.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Hector knocked lightly on the lab room door, but no one responded.
"It's me, Hector. I know you're in there, so if you don't open the door, I—"
Bam!
The sound of the door bursting echoed through the hallway as Tyrone smashed it in with a punch.
"Guess he wasn't gonna open it." Tyrone smirked, stepping inside while ignoring Hector's anger.
They entered the lab room.
At that moment, they saw everything.
The place looked the same as the last time Hector had come—nothing had changed.
Gear parts, test tubes, and papers were scattered everywhere, like always.
Bam was still working on his weapon, using different tools and gears for whatever he was working on. They had no clue what exactly he was doing—this stuff wasn't really their area.
"There you are," Hector said, shifting his blind eyes toward the pressure point that was shaping into a human form.
Bam, as always, with a pale face and sickly look, turned to the two people in front of him while putting his tools down on the desk.
"Who are you guys? I rented this room, so you can't just barge in. If you want a place like this, go ask the castle manager."
Hector let out a deep sigh and forced a smile.
"I'm Hector. Remember me? A few things changed—like, I'm blind now, and thinner—but just small stuff like that."
A second passed. Bam narrowed his eyes, scanning Hector's condition and Tyrone standing beside him.
"Alright. That really surprises me. I thought everything started happening that night. But that's not what I care about. After all, you still owe me."
He added in a cold voice:
"So, you come here to pay me back or something? If that's the case, come another day. I'm busy today."
Then he went back to working, waving his hand like he was shooing them away.
"And you're gonna pay money for breaking the lab room's door, too."
…
Tyrone nearly grimaced at Bam's attitude.
"You really seem like someone who only cares about himself."
Hector didn't respond. He just gently tapped his cane on the ground to find direction, then sat down in a nearby chair.
"Do you want to form a team? I know you're aiming for the final exam reward. If you join up with me—and him—we might actually have a shot at getting it."
Bam narrowed his brow again, eyeing Hector, who sat there looking around into the void, clearly uneasy.
He knew Hector had some ability related to seeing the future, but he didn't expect him to know that much.
Bam sighed tiredly.
"Even if you know all that, you think you can handle it in your current condition? You'd just be dead weight. A bit of information won't change anything."
At those words, Tyrone burst out laughing.
"Buddy, I think you're underestimating our power. So, let me show you."
In a flash, red mana burst from Tyrone, suppressing the air around them.
The floor started to shake and crack, sending shockwaves toward Bam. He tried to resist, and he did, but he clearly couldn't hold out for long.
"Enough!"
Everything stopped. And, Tyrone simply shrouded his shoulder as casually.
Bam was breathing hard, pain etched on his face. It was obvious his illness had gotten worse over time. Maybe, he actually couldn't attend the second challenge as Hector had predicted early.
"Sorry about that. My partner's a lunatic dog. But now you've seen his power. That should be enough to consider us for your team. Plus, I've got some information about the final exam that could really help us."
"Also, I'll be buying some weapons from you. Don't worry. I've got plenty of money."