Chapter 245

After the transaction was finalized, Ray swiftly exited the hall with a beaming smile plastered on his face, one that refused to fade even for a moment.

However, when he glanced down at the interface of his watch, a solemn expression quickly replaced his joy.

The balance now displayed: 6.5k credits.

He had requested a specific favor from the Captain before departing, and the cost of that request had left him with this reduced amount of credits.

’It’s worth it. It’s worth it. It’s worth it... ah damn! I really didn’t want to do this,’ he shouted inwardly, grabbing at his hair in a brief moment of agony over his dwindling funds.

«Then don’t,» Bruce snarled from within.

For some reason, the werewolf had become far more talkative lately, actively speaking in the boy’s mind more frequently than ever before.

Ignoring the grating voice of his internal partner, Ray took several deep breaths to steady his nerves before straightening his uniform and brushing his hair back into place with his fingers.

"It’s worth it..." he muttered under his breath before finally walking away from the training hall.

***

Back inside the hall, Captain Jake stared at the beast core in his palm with a calm, stoic gaze, recalling the strange favor the boy had asked of him.

’What does he need so much of that for? Wait, why did I even agree to it?!’

The Captain dragged his palm across his face in exasperation before striding toward the raised platform, seating himself with a tired, heavy sigh.

He looked at the mechanical, steel-plated training bot, which currently sat deactivated and silent.

"Something is definitely weird about those kids." His eyes narrowed in deep suspicion.

"They claimed the beast was injured, which is plausible, but as the saying goes: an injured lion is always the most dangerous. So how exactly did they escape with their lives? It simply doesn’t add up."

He rubbed his temples, lost in thought, before glancing at the ceiling for a long moment.

"... And I haven’t even gotten closer to the truth regarding what happened in the tech hall that day. With the footage mysteriously erased, I feel like something is approaching.

Where do I even begin? If the General returns, I’ll be interrogated on the matter. An instructor potentially lost her life, and I still haven’t uncovered a single fact. Sheesh."

Jake angrily hurled the towel from his neck to the side before walking away from the bot and exiting the hall.

.....

A few minutes later, Ray could be seen standing in front of a dorm room that was not his own.

He stared at the number on the door for several seconds, conflicted about whether he should turn around and flee or stay the course.

He contemplated his options for several seconds, which quickly stretched into two minutes.

He remained there for nearly three minutes before taking a final, deep breath to brace himself.

He lifted his hand and curled it into a fist, moving it forward to give the door a firm knock—only to freeze a second later.

The door clicked and swung open to reveal a girl with wavy, long blue hair and piercing, icy eyes.

"Huh? What do you want?"

"Who’s there?" another voice called out from the interior.

A second later, a second girl came to stand beside the first.

"Huh? Ray? Is there a problem?" Chloe inquired, staring curiously at the boy’s suspended, raised hand.

Noticing her gaze, the boy quickly dropped his arm and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Ahem.... Trisha, Chloe. You’re exactly the two I wanted to see."

Trisha stared daggers into the boy’s head, her gaze so intense it caused him to take a subconscious step backward.

"Get on with whatever it is you want. You are cutting into my training time."

Taking a deep sigh, the boy reached out, his hand swinging forward as he aimed for Trisha’s.

With swift, practiced speed, Trish yanked her arm backward, causing Ray to miss her by a few centimeters.

In one fluid motion, a jagged ice dagger materialized in her hand.

She hauled it forward, pressing the frigid edge directly against the boy’s neck.

She moved closer, their faces nearly touching as she narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t even think about transforming, because before you even finish, I will cut you into tiny pieces," she growled softly.

Her breath brushed past Ray’s face, the proximity between them sending a jolt through him.

Despite the cold steel at his throat, he wasn’t afraid at all; instead, he looked completely stumped.

His heart thudded against his chest with a rapid, frantic rhythm—not out of fright, but because of something else he couldn’t quite explain as he looked deeper into those icy blue eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey! What’s going on here? Trisha, leave him be for a moment. Ray, explain yourself right now!" Chloe shouted, her eyes narrowing as she stepped between them.

The terrifying thought of that entity—the one that had occupied Ray’s body before—returning to claim him again creased her mind, filling her with worry.

Glaring at him for several more seconds, Trisha took a slight step back, though she still held the ice dagger in a white-knuckled grip, ready for anything to happen.

Heaving a sigh, Ray bowed his head slightly in Trisha’s direction.

"I’m sorry for spooking you like that. I just came to give you both something."

Chloe lifted a brow, her suspicion not yet faded. "And what’s that?"

Standing upright, Ray opened his palm toward Trisha with a calm, steady gaze.

"Please?"

The Ice Queen stared at him for several dubious seconds before finally holding out her own hand.

Taking it in his grasp, Ray lifted his second arm and pressed his watch against hers.

A few seconds later, a soft chime—like coins clattering together in a piggy bank—rang out.

Swiftly, he did the same with Chloe before stepping back to watch the two girls as they stared at their flickering displays.

They each saw exactly two thousand credits deposited into their accounts.

"Huh? Why?" Trisha questioned, her voice dropping as she looked up to stare at the Tribrid.

"I absorbed the first core and sold the other. I thought about it deeply and realized you were right. It’s not good for one person to hoard all the rewards.

I know this isn’t as much as you might have expected, but you can use it to grow stronger. Purchase a skill book, upgrade your gear, or even get a new weapon," Ray said, his gaze lingering on Trisha as he recalled her sword being shattered in the recent battle.

The girl opened her mouth to refute the gift, but Ray quickly bowed again, making sure to bite down on his tongue to keep from taking back the offer.

"Please, don’t refuse it."

Trisha paused, staring at this unexpected display of humility.

A storm of conflicted emotions raged inwardly, her usual icy defenses wavering.

But before she could voice her protest, Chloe beamed, squealing like an excited kid.

"Thank you so much for your kindness! This will help me immensely," Chloe chirped, bowing back after Ray stood upright.

Ray grinned softly at her, then gave a final nod in Trisha’s direction.

Turning on his heel, he walked away from the girls’ presence.

A pang of annoyance flared in his chest as he checked his new, diminished balance.

2.5k credits.

’Well, it’s a huge dent, but it’s still something,’ he thought, trying to convince himself as he disappeared down the hallway.