Chapter 51: Growing Enemies
The questions were unending from Wiro, and Nolan opened his mouth just to close it again, repeating this action several times.
After a minute of non-stop questioning, Wiro finally got tired.
Nolan simply looked at him blankly, rolled his eyes, and then entered the small cottage.
"Hey, wait!" Wiro screamed after Nolan as he rapidly chased after him and entered his house, shutting the door behind him, only to find Nolan gnawing on the bones of the meat Wiro had 'taken' from the cafeteria the previous night.
"You! That's the last leftover I have!" Wiro roared out like a beast as he ran towards Nolan, wanting to snatch away the meat.
He succeeded, though when he looked at the 'meat,' all he saw was a huge bone in his hand, sucked dry of every vestige of its usefulness.
"You!" Wiro roared, his cheeks flushing with anger.
"I'm very hungry!" Nolan said, slightly embarrassed, yet his voice sounded thick and merciless, making his apology seem doubtful.
"What's that got to do with me? If you want to eat, go to the cafeteria!" Wiro yelled as he flung the bone away and sat on his chair, now rubbing his temples as a pounding headache set in.
Just a second ago, he had accepted death, and now he was dying from having his meat stolen in broad daylight and right before his eyes.
But soon, he calmed down and stared at Nolan, who was already fiddling around his wardrobe, searching for something.
But Wiro didn't even bother with him and just let Nolan stuff away all he needed into his stomach.
He couldn't stop him anyway, so why go through the trouble?
Only after packing away everything did Nolan settle down on the bed and pat his stomach, which was still growling, but at least it was better now.
"So, ready to tell me where the hell you've been these past five days?" Wiro asked as Nolan settled over the chair, his interest piqued by the book on the table.
"I told you already..." Nolan answered, swiping the pages of a book, and Wiro's eyebrows furrowed.
Only now did he remember when Nolan had told him that he would take a week to take care of Quinn and his goons, but Wiro had only laughed at him.
Yet looking at Nolan right now, it was obvious he had truly grown.
But still, Wiro was pretty sure Nolan still couldn't beat Quinn yet.
"Did you hear what happened to Quinn just three days ago?" Wiro suddenly asked, and Nolan paused, looking at him.
"He died?" He guessed, and Wiro almost coughed out blood.
"How can Quinn die!?" Wiro asked in shock. Nolan shrugged.
"That's the only reason why I would care about him—if he died!" Nolan answered.
"No, he didn't die. He grew stronger. Not only did he break through to the Heavenly Disciple Stage, but he also awakened his two bloodline marks!"
"Now he has four abilities, each with its own blessings."
"Right now, he might be strong enough to become one of the top ten most powerful first years in the academy!" Wiro exclaimed as Nolan's eyebrows furrowed a bit.
'He broke through to the Heavenly Disciple Stage too, and he has two bloodlines and awakened their marks,' Nolan thought in his head.
Having two bloodlines makes the average Celestial Heir an automatic prodigy, and now that Quinn had awakened the marks of his high-grade dark bloodlines, which meant absolute control over his four abilities, he had no doubt become a tougher foe.
But it only excited Nolan even more.
The stronger the challenge, the better.
There was never joy for a lion who managed to crush a feeble ant, anyway.
But soon, his ears perked up when he caught the last part of Wiro's words.
"What do you mean by Quinn now being one of the top ten strongest first years? Could there be people who are even stronger than Quinn himself?" Nolan asked, and Wiro looked at him as if he had just been asked the dumbest question yet.
"You don't know the Godly Ten?" he asked as Nolan's eyebrows furrowed before he shrugged it off.
It seemed like something he ought to have known, and yet he didn't. A lost part of his memories, perhaps.
"The Godly Ten are the most powerful prodigies among the first-year students."
"Ordinary first years like us can never hope to see them at all, as even the academy keeps their identities a secret while nurturing them in the shadows."
"Right now, other students are speculating that Quinn might have reached their power level based on how strong he is now, but it's only a guess."
"We can never be sure yet since none of us have seen the might of the Godly Ten."
"Still, that means you shouldn't mess with Quinn right now."
"For the other students to say he might be on the same level as the Godly Ten means people like us better learn how to keep our distance."
"Now that he has reached such a high level of strength, I'm sure he would have easily lost interest in you and would be focused on becoming one of the Godly Ten."
"Just lay low for a while and this will blow over. You understand?" Wiro said to Nolan, whose eyes flashed with a deadly light that screamed murder and bloodlust, yet it was incredibly fickle, passing over like it never existed at all.
"I do..." Nolan said to Wiro before rising to his feet and moving for the door.
It was clear he was now leaving.
"Hey, you can't go out with those torn clothes, or you'll start attracting attention, something you should avoid right now."
"I am fat, so my clothes should be big enough for you..." Wiro said as he headed towards his wardrobe, scattering things around before he found an extra big sweater with a hoodie for Nolan.
"That should cover you up well..." Wiro said as he flung the sweater to Nolan, who caught it, inspecting it for a long while before he wore it.
And truly, it fit him well.
"Good luck, Nolan..." Wiro said as Nolan stepped out the door, but suddenly he stopped and turned his gaze back to Wiro.
"Wiro...." Nolan suddenly called out.
"Yes?"
"You'll be fine..." Nolan said before placing the hoodie over his face and moving away slowly, disappearing into the forest, under the lost gaze of Wiro.