The Devil’s Cage

“Cafeteria? Don’t even think about it! I know what you’re thinking because I thought the same back then… Ahem, according to Theorate’s rules, only the 3rd year students are allowed into the ‘cafeteria’. So give up!” Senile wasn’t surprised at all, smiled at Kieran in a rather mischievous manner.

He had seen a lot of students with Kieran’s ambitions, he himself had the same intention when he was still a student, but…

Theorate has written rules about this: before students reached 3rd year and could perform their own ‘hunt’, they weren’t allowed to enter the ‘cafeteria’, except for buying meals daily and eating.

With crossed arms, Senile anticipated Kieran’s disappointed face, and when that happened, he would give him his ‘advice’.

The ‘advice’ that he would give would bear a certain test and although Professor Tyrese hadn’t put him through the same thing back then, as a teacher who carried out the tasks, Senile thoughr students who took things for granted would not value the result. He believed they must work for it.

But…

Kieran’s expression didn’t change, looking at Senile as he said “I’ve gotten the position of Branch Leader of E Block Student Council and according to the rules, the Branch Leader has advance access rights to certain areas, including but not limited to, the ‘cafeteria’.”

“Huh?!” Senile was shocked.

He didn’t think Kieran would bluff him but he still took out his responder for a more precise answer.

Half a minute later, Senile looked at Kieran, even more shocked.

He hadn’t just gotten the news of Kieran becoming the Branch Leader of E Block, he even knew what Kieran had done in the Student Council branch office.

Senile’s expression turned weird, a look of indignation mixed with jealousy.

Though his weird look was soon replaced by seriousness.

“You are putting yourself under the crosshair of some powerful parties. Maybe you are almost invincible among the freshmen, you might not even take the 2nd and 3rd years seriously, but the 4th and 5th years are different. They have a lot more academic scores to fuel reckless acts that disregard people. No one can guarantee what will they do.”

Senile tried his best to tell Kieran what would happen to him.

Outstanding people would always fuel jealous.

Anyone with extraordinary traits would attract unusual attention.

Even a mother might kill a cub born a different color, let alone a human with a complex heart.

Talents were admirable but they also attracted jealousy.

Strangle a baby in its cradle was a saying that was also derived from jealousy.

No one knew better what would befall Kieran than Senile, the teacher who had seen countless talented students.

As a teacher, his duty wasn’t just teaching, he must keep students like Kieran away from harm too.

To Senile’s surprise, Kieran didn’t show the expression that he saw in other excellent students after the advice.

There weren’t any sneers, disdain, or ignorance.

Kieran curled his lips and showed a soft smile.

“They are most welcomed to try,” he said.

Senile looked at Kieran blankly.

“Do you even understand what I am saying?” Senile asked again after a long stare.

“I know. Thank you,” Kieran nodded and thanked the teacher.

“You little… FINE! Go to Professor Tyrese if anything happens, don’t come knocking on my door! I can’t help you with whatever is coming. And do you want to test your talents?”

Senile shrugged helplessly and shifted the responsibility to the professor known for his good temper. He then asked out of standard procedure.

According to Theorate rules, a student who had acquired food that matched his talent could be exempted from taking the blood test again, for the sake of privacy.

Kieran was grateful and most welcome for this particular rule because he had a lot of secrets on him, which he might risk exposing to his enemies if he took a simple blood test.

“No need,” he said.

“Okay then. Remember what I told you,” Senile reminded Kieran again before he left.

Kieran quietly recalled the rumours saying Senile was an unreliable teacher, seeing the teacher off.

It seemed like rumours would not always live up to expectations, as after Kieran truly communicated with Senile, he realized… Senile was much more unreliable than rumoured.

Unwilling to bear responsibilities, seeking only delicious food, akind of lazy man who was reluctant to work for it, but… he wasn’t a bad person.

As for his reminder?

No one knew what he was getting into better than Kieran.

Because of the Witch Enigmatic Realm, the current dungeon world difficulty plummeted but as he dug deeper, it would become harder, maybe even surpassing the original difficulty.

Increased difficulty would surely bring greater danger but also greater profit.

Danger coexisted with gain.

Kieran would not just sit there and wait for a pie to fall from the sky.

The best and most realistic way was to work for his own gains, that was what Kieran believed.

He also believed that ‘one who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions’.

Kieran saw a transient student in a uniform without a badge running towards him, blocked him just as he was about to leave.

He didn’t speak, waiting for the student to voice his intention.

“Respected Sir First Seat, I am Marv and I represent the transient students. It’s an honor to be meeting you for the first time, please accept these meal vouchers.”

Marv took out three meal vouchers. They weren’t just any meal vouchers though, they could be exchanged for three sets of Fast Food in the cafeteria.

“Please don’t misunderstand our intention, we don’t mean anything else. We just hoped that you can be a little easier on us when the semester starts,” Marv explained with his head down.

Kieran, however, did not buy it.

According to Theorate rules, while transient students might not be as well-benefited as real students, they weren’t targets of bullying either.

In a certain aspect, the transient students would be treated even better.

Kieran glanced over the meal vouchers and then at Marv.

Marv was smiling, and unlike most of the youthful faces of the freshmen, Marv had maturity far surpassing his age. His blue eyes were filled with a sincere smile, and together with his neat uniform and brown hair, fondness for him would grow on first sight, but none of that changed Kieran’s mind.

“I will exercise the rights of the First Seat according to Theorate rules, no extra condition needed.”

Kieran then left before giving Marv a chance to speak.

He had no time to tangle with Marv, as he had a place he wanted to go to before dinner.

‘Hope I can get something extra there,’ he thought.