I Became A Side Character Fated To Suffer-Chapter 22: Whispers That Only I Can Hear

"Here’s where you’ll be living for the duration of your stay."

Today marked the inauguration day. Apart from the obligatory speeches, we were each ushered into our respective dorm rooms.

Due to my circumstances, I was given a preview of the dorms ahead of the others. As the leader of the first year, I was given the grandest room of all.

I may not like the sophisticated and complex behavior, but I do like noble grandeurs, riches, and vanity.

Perhaps it was for the best.

"Here’s the key. You’ll need it to access your dorm." The keeper gave me the key, but as I snatched it, I noticed his hands trembling a bit.

I opened my lips to ask if I was too scary but decided otherwise. After all, it would be odd if a normal person wouldn’t be scared after my speech.

Arrogant, haughty, nonchalant, indifferent, and villainous... That’s an objective image I was going to pursue during my stay here.

Or I will try to...

I stood silently, observing the imposing structure before me.

The Leaders Building. With over ten floors, it loomed grandly over us all.

A fitting abode for the top-ranked.

"Cadet Noel?"

Only then did I notice the black card extended toward me... "Thank you."

Just a plain, metallic card.

It appeared unremarkable.

For godsake, I was the top ranker, so shouldn’t my card be gold plated and shiny? So what is this plain bland thing?

Is this discrimination or someone playing strings from behind?

"Heh, is this my card? I mean I ranked one, so shouldn’t I have it shiny?"

"Not that I am aware of," the man gave a forced smile and spoke. "If you require anything further, please do not hesitate to inform me."

"I won’t."

Stepping into the building, I ascended the stairs, making my way to the topmost floor of my designated space.

Being ranked number one did have its privileges.

"This must be it."

A tall, wooden door loomed before me.

Without hesitation, I swiped the card, unlocking the entrance.

"....Wow."

Though not unexpected, the sight was staggering.

"It’s spacious."

The room was grandiose. Far larger than anything I had anticipated. Sizable windows adorned one side, offering a view of the expansive garden below.

Plush sofas and an assortment of decor filled the room.

Under normal circumstances, I would have taken my time to explore every inch.

...

Rustle!

The fluttering of clothes accompanied the cool breeze that smoothened the atmosphere.

"Haa..."

The small wisps of water vapor swirled in the air before vanishing.

And the cold chill that pressed against the cheeks in the early midnight. A sense of unease crawled under my skin, that resisted the flow of drowsiness, asking me to slumber peacefully.

I closed my eyes.

A perpetual darkness covered my vision, but in that grim darkness, ripples started to spread.

[Kiekekek.....]

[Hear us... Can you hear us...]

[Oh! Lord, The Herald of Darkness... The Ruler of the unfilled void of Chaos..]

[Please, hear our call...]

Whispers started to echo, followed by screeching noises of despairing agony.

"Ahh!"

"Damn! Can you fuckers not sleep and have some rest? Stop ranting all the time, I am sick of it.."

I immediately took out a cigar and lit it up, took a snoop. As soon as the first wisp diffused inside, my mind calmed down.

My senses dulled and the perception of the world slowed down until all those annoying noises stopped.

Clicking my tongue as I opened my eyes, the grim scenario of a beautiful garden greeted me, but my overlooking went past it and fell on a spot beyond the huge spot.

The region is inhabited by corrosion caused by Chaos.

Years ago, the world collapsed out of nowhere and cracks started to appear.

From the cracks, a devilish force made its way that tainted everything on touch.

The force mutated monsters into something worse, the ground was infected, and plants mutated.

Humans who came in contact with eroded energy turned into monsters. This went on until the people hailed as Monarch at Demi God realm created a domain out of their will that can protect against the corrosion.

The Monarch who managed to achieve first Godhood had the mystic of Seven Virtues and Sins.

Even out of all, the mystic they possessed was superior to the superior.

In a way, it won’t be wrong to say, the entire play to reach the top lies in the type of Mystic you awakened.

Unless you had a terrifying mystic to supplement your strength, you are nothing, just like him who possesses nothing at birth.

Feeling a frightening chill, I caressed my right arm and saw a layer of skin peeling off, showcasing a blackish necrotic mass.

"Devil seed... I hope you don’t betray my expectations."

....

"He is entering... Huh!"

"That trash is finally willing to come out," a dark-haired boy with a sinister expression smiled as he held the letter.

Reading the contents, he couldn’t help but dance in joy.

Finally... Finally, he can trample that bastard.

"Father, that’s very good news, isn’t it?"

He then stared at the expression of the cold, icy figure whose emotionless eyes scanned him. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Ducal Lord Phillips Sol Estrans.

One of the four Dukes of the Nexarian Empire.

"I don’t know why you are so obsessed with trash to the point that it has become a dent in your personality, Ian."

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Ian clicked his tongue at his father’s cold words.

"You won’t understand... You will never understand. After all, you are just an emotionless being who can sacrifice everything for gain."

"Whatever! If you want to step on that pebble, make sure to step on it thoroughly and crush it into dust."

Ian stood up and gave a nod. "I will make sure that the Novas won’t be able to lift their heads, and with that trash’s downfall, you can finally take action to destroy the unbreakable walls of Nova."

"Hmmm!"

A cold voice responded.

"Make sure to do what you declare."

"Of course I will. Last time defeat was just a fluke. If not for that bastard crawling into a shell and hiding for the last 8 years, I would have already crushed hi-" Ian’s words paused in the mid as an object slammed into his face.

BAM!

Ian staggered back a little and pulled down the thing only to see it was a newspaper.

"Read it," Phillips demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"What could b-" Ian’s eyes popped out of their sockets seeing this.

"RANK ONE OR RIGGED ONE? — Noel De Nova’s Sudden Rise Sparks Outrage!"

"From Iron to Icon in a Day? Experts Call It ’Statistically Impossible.’"

"Academy Corruption? Grand Duke’s Shadow Looms Over Ranking Results."

"Combat Fraud? Witnesses Claim Noel Barely Survived an Orc — So How Did He Top the List?"

"Gold or Gimmick? Inside the Mystery of Noel’s Suspicious Evaluation."

"Fluke of the Century — Orchestrated Victory?"

"Was the Orc Fight Staged? Insiders Question Security Footage Tampering."

"Bribes Behind the Banner?

"THE NOVA CONTROVERSY: HERO, Hoax, or Hidden Threat?"

"When Rankings Lie — The Untold Story Behind Nexus’ Darkest Admission

And below all that bogus show, a man with a cold, emotionless face devoid of any expression with a quote

[For the upcoming three years that we will stay here, I advise you to keep your tails tucked in your pants and not wag them in my way.I don’t have a habit of stepping on tails, but I like to grab and tear apart annoying things blocking me.]

"What the Helllllll?"