Ch. 31..35: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 31-35
Chapter 31: Pre-training
Zinnia caught up to Lyra and blurted out, "My brother and his friends always say I’m not like other girls. Are all of them supposed to be this much trouble?"
Lyra shook her head, replying, "Not really. Jealousy and rivalry aren’t just a girl thing."
Lyra was more interested in what people did rather than who they were. She judged others by their actions, believing that stereotyping groups often led to misunderstandings about individuals.
"Everyone’s got their own thing going on, like us. We’re both girls, but we’re different," she continued.
Zinnia nodded, adding with a grin, "Exactly! I mean, I’ve got curves and I’m pretty confident about it." She puffed out her chest playfully, catching the eyes of some passing boys and bursting into laughter at their reactions.
Lyra just smiled at Zinnia’s playful side.
When Zinnia saw Lyra grabbing their shared hoverboard, she was confused, "Aren’t we heading back to the dorm?"
Lyra shrugged, "Dorms are for resting, but we’re at a military school. We don’t need that much rest."
Zinnia was impressed, "Wow, no wonder my brother told me to stick with you. I want to be a top student too!" She quickly grabbed a hoverboard, "So, where are we going?"
But before she could finish, Lyra was already zipping away on her hoverboard, leaving a trail of bright blue flames.
"Wait up!" Zinnia called, racing after her.
By seven in the evening, there was a freshman orientation meeting scheduled.
Vivian had been busy prepping since her afternoon nap, pampering herself with face masks, hand masks, and foot masks, while enjoying delicacies in her dorm. Now, she was meticulously applying makeup.
As six o’clock rolled around, Mandy couldn’t help nudging her, "Vivian, we need to hurry! We don’t even know where the Grand Hall is, and we’ll be in trouble if we’re late."
Vivian, still in her headband, was debating lipstick shades in front of the mirror, "Relax, it’s still early. We can just ask someone for directions."
Just then, Lyra and Zinnia walked in.
"You two haven’t left yet?" Zinnia asked as she grabbed her uniform, "Remember, uniforms are mandatory."
The official outfit for the Department of Command and Strategy was a formal dark blue, complete with a silver chain across the chest, resembling stars in the night sky.
Both the men and women wore military pants and boots, with a belt that gave everyone a statuesque look.
Zinnia giggled when she saw Lyra’s uniform, "Lyra, why’s your uniform so big? You look like you’re wearing a man’s uniform."
Lyra shrugged, putting on her hat, "I had it tailored to the smallest size. It’s fine, I’ll grow into it."
It was actually all because she had to control her physical growth to lessen the effects of the Soul Spike. After getting rid of one with Lavaberry, she’d already grown five centimeters. Without that, she wouldn’t have met the height requirement for the academy.
Zinnia thought Lyra was just being stubborn and chose not to push the subject. Even with genetic improvements, a nineteen-year-old woman typically wouldn’t grow much more beyond another two or three years.
As they headed out, Mandy called after Zinnia, "Do you know where the Grand Hall is?"
Zinnia replied, "Yeah, it’s between the entrance hall and the administration building, right behind the academy’s flag."
Mandy wanted to ask where the flag and administration building were, but Zinnia was already out the door. She sighed and turned to Vivian, "Vivian, it’s six twenty..."
Vivian snapped, "Why are you so annoying? If you wanted to go with them, you should’ve just gone. I didn’t ask you to wait for me." She put down her lipstick and glared at Mandy.
Feeling hurt, Mandy quietly said, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to," and sat down on the couch.
When they finally hurried to the Grand Hall, the freshmen were already lined up by their numbers, and the roll call for the School of Combat And Commanding had started.
Vivian blew a kiss to the boy who showed them the way, "Thank you!"
They quickly found their spots and joined the lineup just as their names were called. Vivian responded with a charming smile, "Here!"
The instructor’s expression softened a bit at the sight of the cheerful girl.
"Thank goodness we made it," Mandy whispered in relief once the instructor moved on.
"I told you we wouldn’t be late. Why were you in such a hurry?" Vivian replied smugly, trying to flip her hair but only managing to flick the air since it was tied up. She tugged irritably at her uniform, muttering about how ugly it was.
Inside the Grand Hall, a solemn mood hung in the air.
Thierry, representing the freshmen, delivered a passionate speech, followed by a closing address from the principal.
Seeing the plump old man, Lyra remembered she hadn’t submitted the recommendation letter. However, since no one had questioned its authenticity from the application process to enrollment, she figured they already knew.
NMA valued efficiency, so the orientation meeting wrapped up in half an hour.
After that, their class met their coordinator, Freida, and their instructor, Webber.
After a brief introduction, Freida announced loudly, "Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin pre-training. In a month, the School will hold internal competitions, so everyone needs to be prepared. Instructor Webber will explain the details."
She stepped back, letting Webber take the stage.
"Pre-training will focus on physical conditioning and adapting to military academy life, including combat techniques, weapons, and mecha training. There will be daily assessments. If you don’t pass, you won’t earn credits and may even be expelled. So prepare yourself for that," he said, casting a glance at a young woman in the front row.
Lyra suddenly felt a sense of unease.
"Starting tomorrow, wear your training uniforms. We’ll kick off with a weighted long run at five in the morning. No excuses," Webber announced.
Lyra had always known the physical demands at NMA were intense. But the next morning, when she heard they had to run around the entire campus, she felt the real sting of pre-training.
The academy spanned a quarter of an island, with the full circuit being at least 600 kilometers. Even with levitation car, it would take over an hour to complete.
Lyra knew her stamina wasn’t up to the task, unless she walked the entire way.
"No superpowers or auxiliary tools are allowed," Webber announced. "We’ve got robots monitoring the course. If you don’t finish by noon, there will be a punishment. Since this is your first training session, we won’t deduct credits. Instead, we’ll shave your heads!"
"Now, strap on your sandbags and get ready to go," the instructor commanded.
Everyone looked horrified, realizing the challenge ahead was enormous.
"Lyra," Zinnia whispered reassuringly beside her, "If you can’t keep up, I’ll help you."
Lyra shook her head, "No need." She knew that with such a grueling task, few would have the energy to assist anyone else.
Zinnia seemed confident in Lyra, thinking she could handle it. But less than twenty minutes into the run, Lyra started to fall behind.
"Lyra?" Zinnia quickly moved to support her.
Lyra’s lips were pale, and she was struggling to breathe, making a wheezing sound. "Cough, cough... You go on without me," she gasped.
As their classmates passed by, some gave sympathetic glances, while others, like Jorath, sneered. He called out, "What a wimp!" and ran away, laughing with a few others.
Chapter 32: The Bald Girl
"You are so weak," Vivian remarked with disdain.
Then she turned to Mandy and Zinnia, saying, "Let’s go. You heard the instructor; he said if we don’t reach the finish line by noon, we’ll get our heads shaved."
"She’s right," Lyra said, giving Zinnia a gentle push. "Go ahead, I’ll catch up soon."
As the group hurried away, Lyra took a moment to use her superpower to regain some strength. She focused, using her power to protect her lungs and force herself to keep running.
She hadn’t made it more than five hundred meters when a pigeon robot flew overhead, its eyes glowing red.
"Unauthorized use of superpowers, first warning," the robot intoned.
Lyra sighed, stopped using her powers, and pulled out Schedar, creating a simple support frame to conserve energy.
The robot’s eyes flashed red again. "Unauthorized use of auxiliary tools, second warning."
The cold, mechanical voice made her clench her fists.
Just then, Instructor Webber’s voice came through the robot’s speakers, "Lyra, you sure are bold."
She looked up, unflinching. "I’d rather shave my head than collapse from exhaustion."
With the robot hovering above her, continuously issuing warnings, Lyra kept running.
As she passed older students, they looked on, surprised and somewhat admiring her gutsy determination.
When she finally crossed the finish line, she collapsed to the ground, coughing hard.
Her exhausted classmates stared at her, speechless.
"Fall in!" Webber barked, and everyone quickly assembled.
Lyra slowly made her way to her spot.
Just as she steadied herself, Webber called out, "Lyra!"
"Here," she replied weakly, stepping forward.
Webber, surprisingly amused, said, "Should I thank you for making it to the finish line?"
Lyra, feeling a bit annoyed but trying to keep her cool, responded, "No, sir. I moved myself here because the cafeteria is closer from here. It’ll be easier for me to grab a meal later."
Despite her exhaustion, she still had an appetite.
Some of the students, including Zinnia, couldn’t help chuckling, yet they quickly silenced themselves as Webber gave them a stern look.
Webber then pulled out a razor, smirking. "You said you’d rather shave your head than die from exhaustion."
The students widened their eyes in disbelief. ’Is he serious?’
Vivian, in particular, touched her hair in horror, feeling relieved she had completed the task. She couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
Lyra, seeing the shiny razor, undid her ponytail and turned around, unbothered by being made an example.
As the razor buzzed across her scalp, her dull yellow hair fell to the ground, exposing her pale skin beneath.
Some of the girls gasped and covered their mouths, horrified at the thought of losing their own hair.
As Lyra stood with her freshly shaved head, the group burst into laughter. Jorath laughed the loudest, shouting to the others, "Doesn’t she look like a boiled egg? Ugly!"
A few people shot him disapproving looks. It was funny that Lyra had shaved her head, but Jorath’s comment seemed unnecessarily harsh.
Thierry, with a serious expression, spoke up, "I think it’s kind of cute, like a Barbie doll without hair yet."
Zinnia, trying to lighten the mood, quickly agreed, "Exactly, she’ll look better than any of us once her hair grows back."
Lyra touched her head, feeling the cool breeze, and remarked, "It feels pretty good, actually."
Vivian covered her mouth, chuckling, "As long as you’re happy with it."
Freida came to the front of the group. Even though she already knew about Lyra’s shaved head, her calm lips twisted a bit when she saw it.
"We need to choose class officers. Anyone want to volunteer?" she asked.
Almost everyone raised their hands, including Zinnia and Vivian.
After voting, Thierry was chosen as the head student, with other positions like cultural and academic officers filled as well.
At twelve-twenty, Webber announced the training location for the afternoon at one o’clock, and they were finally allowed to go eat.
In the crowded cafeteria, Lyra’s shiny bald head drew a lot of attention.
Even at NMA, known for its bold and wild reputation, it was rare to see a girl with a shaved head, especially someone as petite and delicate-looking as Lyra.
Some people snapped pictures and posted them on the campus forum, quickly catching attention.
"A new student from Combat School, super brave and cute..." read one caption. The picture showed a young woman running with a monitoring robot hovering above her, issuing constant warnings, her expression stoic.
"Whoa, isn’t that the girl with the shaved head from the cafeteria?" another post questioned.
This confirmation quickly put her on the campus forum’s trending list.
"Is this year’s troublemaker from Combat School really this unique? And she’s totally my type!"
"Isn’t she the one with high scores in all other subjects except for physical fitness? Where she only got four points?"
So, the whole school soon knew about her struggle with physical stamina.
While eating, Lyra noticed more and more people staring at her. Her tablemates, Zinnia and the others, had strange expressions after checking the forum. They quickly guessed the reason and hurried through their meals.
In a quiet campus, even the smallest bit of gossip could cause a stir.
After eating, when they got to the training ground and still had some time, Lyra sat on a mat, browsing the campus forum.
"Lyra, don’t worry about it," Zinnia said, linking Lyra’s small size with her own perception that Lyra was fragile.
Lyra didn’t respond, so Zinnia leaned over to see. "Huh? Why are you looking at posts from the Research Institute? Are you... Are you planning to hack the campus forum?"
"Just curious," Lyra said, staring intently at a particular post. Then she quickly closed her opticomputer as the instructor arrived.
"For the next week, we’ll be doing weighted long-distance running in the mornings and shooting training in the afternoons," Webber announced. "Now, I’ll explain the features of the gun we’ll be training with today—the m12."
Everyone sat on the ground, paying close attention.
"The head student, please demonstrate," Webber continued.
"Yes, sir," Thierry responded, standing up to take the m12. This micro-pistol was standard issue for every officer in the Alliance and was one of the most common pistols available. Its shooting speed, range, and other features were average, making it ideal for beginners.
BANG! BANG! BANG! After three shots, the targets at three hundred meters showed scores of nine, nine, and ten.
Webber was impressed. ’As expected from someone from the Whyte family,’ he thought.
"Now, everyone practice on your own. The final test requires an average score of five rings. Those who don’t pass will have extra training tonight!"
Some students, like Mandy, who had never handled weapons before, looked anxious at the requirement.
Despite their worries, everyone at Combat School was among the top Peculiars in the Alliance. Their psychokinesis would help them quickly adapt to learning and combat.
At five-thirty, it was time for the assessment.
"First group, numbers one to ten."
Lyra was fifth in line, right next to Jorath.
"Lyra, want to take a bet? Let’s compete," Jorath glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Honestly, competing with a wimp would be a shame for me."
Lyra shot him a cold look, unfazed by his contradictory taunt.
At the instructor’s signal, Lyra’s hands moved with lightning speed, assembling the parts in a blur.
Jorath glanced over, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes.
By the time he finished assembling his gun, Lyra had already picked up the m12 and fired, completing the process two seconds faster than Thierry had.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The target’s bullseye displayed three holes in a perfect triangle, the smoke still lingering.
Webber noted down the three perfect scores, thinking, ’Gosh, is she for real? Or am I just seeing things?’
After disassembling her gun, Lyra glanced at Jorath, whose face was twisted in frustration, and quietly said two words: "Wimp."
Chapter 33: Suspicion
The day’s training had finally wrapped up, and everyone looked wiped out.
After forcing themselves to eat something, Zinnia stretched her neck and asked, "Hey Lyra, heading back to the dorm?"
"I’ve got something to do, you go ahead," Lyra answered, then slipped into the crowd.
Vivian, rubbing her sore wrist, grumbled, "She’s walking around with a shaved head. She should at least wear a wig." She waited for a reaction, but when she turned, she noticed Mandy looking worried.
Mandy hadn’t passed her shooting test and needed extra practice.
Vivian didn’t like seeing her so anxious, so she pulled Mandy over and said, "It’s just shooting practice, no need to stress. Come on, I’ll help you with some extra practice."
Mandy managed a small smile, "Thanks, Vivian." For Mandy, who didn’t start training young, hard work was her only option to catch up.
Lyra returned to the dorm just before lights out. Spending so much time together, Zinnia could tell she was in a good mood and quickly asked, "Did something good happen? You seem pretty happy."
"Just training," Lyra said. ’Is it that obvious?’ She touched her shaved head, smiled.
And then, she headed to her room for a quick shower and to throw her clothes in the wash.
The next morning at five, they all gathered in the usual spot for a weighted long run.
Under the faint morning light, Webber looked particularly stern. "After yesterday’s update, starting today, any rule-breaking or failures will lead to losing credits. Stop joking around!"
As he spoke, he glanced at the noticeably shorter spot in the lineup. "Especially some of you!"
The "called out" Lyra just blinked, pretending not to hear the giggles.
As they started running, she fell behind again. The others were a bit speechless but soon surprised—Lyra kept running, slow but steady, and the monitoring drone overhead didn’t react at all. It was like she had changed over night.
Webber was sunbathing at the finish line. When he saw the surveillance footage, he immediately set down his coffee, looking doubtful.
He hopped on his hoverboard and zoomed over. "Lyra, step out of line!"
Lyra stopped, walking from the back of the group to the side of the road.
"Here... cough cough," she responded, looking pretty worn out.
Webber’s sharp eyes scanned her up and down. "Roll up your pant leg."
Lyra didn’t budge. "Sir, time is precious."
"Any delay will cost you credits."
"It’ll also delay lunch."
"Follow my orders!" Webber shouted.
Lyra sighed, untied her boots, and rolled up her pant leg. Her fair, slim leg was clean.
’Nothing?’ Webber still didn’t believe it and contacted the drone staff through his earpiece. "This is Webber, request to check the monitoring drone’s status."
The response came quickly, "No anomalies detected."
’This was maddening!’
Webber glared at Lyra, who showed no expression but had a look in her eyes that said, "Are we done yet?"
"Get back in line!"
"Yes, sir." Lyra slowly rejoined the group, a slight smile on her face as she turned around.
The bright silver elastic metal extended along her thigh, boosting her.
The monitoring drone overhead flashed and then disappeared.
Webber, seeing it was still early, decided to pay a visit to the tech department. As soon as he walked in, he grabbed the head of the department and demanded, "Is there any way to make the monitoring robots go haywire?"
The head tech, a man with glasses, looked surprised for a moment before replying, "Well, if you put it that way, there are several possibilities." He continued, "The program could’ve been tampered with, or someone could’ve intercepted the signal... there are lots of methods."
Webber, not being tech-savvy, had always thought the monitoring system was foolproof. Now he realized there were numerous potential loopholes.
"But," the tech head added, "the robots are handled by specific personnel, so tampering with them directly is unlikely. Based on what you’ve described, someone might have intercepted the signal."
With that, the tech expert got intrigued and started checking the backend for the robot of Class One of School of Combat and Commanding.
"This is a bit tricky..." he muttered.
Webber pressed, "I’ll leave it to you; just figure out what’s wrong." He knew Lyra’s physical capabilities well enough to be certain she couldn’t manage such intense training on her own. This young woman was clearly cheating.
The next day, during the weighted long run, everyone in Class One completed the task on time.
Normally, this was expected at the School of Combat and Commanding, but today everyone was looking at Lyra, the pale young woman who was usually an exception.
"Wow, Lyra, you made it today!" Zinnia exclaimed, giving her a big hug with a satisfied grin.
Lyra nearly got squished by the hug but nodded seriously. "I’ll keep working hard."
Webber nearly staggered in frustration.
"We’ll meet at the shooting range at one this afternoon. Dismissed!" Webber announced. After most people had left, he sent a message through his opticomputer.
Later, while getting their meals, Lyra noticed a young man staring at her. She walked over with her tray and asked, "Something on your mind?"
Thierry scratched his head, grinning sheepishly, "Uh, can I join you guys for lunch?"
Lyra quickly moved her tray, avoiding getting any sweat from his hair on her food.
"Sure," Vivian answered eagerly, nudging Lyra aside. "By the way, we haven’t talked much since you joined. How’s Cohen doing these days?"
’So, you’re interested in me because of my cousin,’ Thierry thought, chuckling. "His actions are classified; even I don’t know."
That quieted Vivian down. During the meal, the group was mostly silent except for Zinnia.
Thierry glanced at Lyra’s big plate of food and commented, "You’ve got quite an appetite; you eat almost as much as I do, and I’m a big guy."
Vivian chimed in, "Aren’t you worried about gaining weight, eating all that?"
The mood was a bit awkward. Mandy fiddled with her fork, unsure what to say, while Lyra kept eating as if nothing was amiss.
After lunch, Thierry tried to tag along with Lyra, but a male classmate pulled him aside.
"Thierry, moving fast, huh?" Another classmate nudged him playfully. "How many numbers did you get? Don’t keep them all to yourself; share some with the rest of us, okay?"
"Ah, I’m not into that," Thierry said quickly, feeling a bit flustered. He wasn’t sure what the instructor was thinking, asking him to keep an eye on Lyra and see if she interacted with students from other departments.
But the group of guys wasn’t letting him off the hook.
"We’ve got the prettiest girls in our class, with Lyra and Vivian. Zinnia and Mandy aren’t bad either. Who are you trying to fool, saying you’re not interested? Come on, spill it!"
’Lyra?’ Thierry shuddered at the thought. ’Calling her that way, aren’t they afraid they’ll get beaten up?’
But to these guys, Lyra was just a petite, gentle, and cute girl. They couldn’t see the same intense, capable person Thierry had seen during training.
Chapter 34: Lyra’s Date
After Thierry slipped away from the group, Lyra had already vanished.
During the afternoon shooting practice, Lyra nailed it again, perfect as ever. Webber felt a mix of pride and frustration, itching to catch her in a slip-up.
The next day, the tech team was still clueless about who was intercepting their signals. Webber was so furious his eyes were practically glowing red.
On day three, they finally got a lead. "The person messing with the signals has to be within 500 meters," they told Webber. "You should start searching."
"I’m on it!" Webber shouted, eager to track down the culprit.
He searched high and low but found no one. Instead, he stumbled upon a mobile robot, proving the other side was craftier than they had expected.
Lyra finished her task on time, but received a message: "Your instructor busted the interference bot halfway through. I had to step in personally and almost got caught. This will cost extra."
She replied calmly, "Okay."
Surviving three days was no small feat.
There were only three days left of the weighted long-distance run.
Just after sending the message, a shadow loomed over her.
Webber stood there, face dark, sneering, "Let’s see what tricks you’ve got left. You’d better watch out."
"Please, sir, look forward to it," Lyra shot back.
Jorath, standing a step behind, overheard and chimed in, "Sir, how about we check everyone with a detector before each run to catch any cheating tools?"
"Good idea," Webber agreed.
Jorath threw a challenging look at Lyra, who returned a cold stare, feeling a rare surge of anger.
At lunch, Thierry finally spotted Lyra across the table from a strange man. He hurried over and joined them.
"Thanks," Thierry said, sitting down and eyeing the young man with a single-lens electronic eyepiece. "Who’s this?"
Lyra propped her head on her hand, her cold stare making the guy across from her squirm. " People guess about my relationships," she began. "The gossip about me and Cohen were almost your bedtime story before. Now you see I’m actually dating a guy from school, and you don’t feel anything? Seriously, dude, what’s your problem?"
Thierry, caught off guard, repeated in surprise, "Dating?"
"Lots of people are showing interests in me. Didn’t you notice?" she said, her face expressionless, head shiny and bald.
Thierry stared at her, deep in thought. If he’d paid more attention, he might have noticed the young man’s awkwardly twitching mouth.
Lyra put down her forks and sighed, "Head Student Thierry, is that all why you’re sitting here next to us? If yes, could you please excuse us?"
"Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude," Thierry mumbled, scurrying off like his pants were on fire, wondering how many hearts would break this time.
He glanced back and saw the ’boyfriend’ handing Lyra a white candy. ’So sweet,’ he thought, feeling a pang of sympathy for his single self.
Lyra examined the new interference tool and asked, "Are you sure this will trick the detectors?"
"It’s made from high-polymer biomaterials and can be digested by the body, no problem," Sean assured her, proud of his invention. "It lasts eight hours, plenty to outsmart the school’s machines."
"Impressive," Lyra said, satisfied. "What’s the price?"
Sean, pleased with her straightforwardness, leaned in and asked softly, "Miss Shedd, any interest in investing in this technology of mine?"
Lyra’s calm eyes flickered slightly. She tapped the table, thinking deeply, then placed her hand firmly on it. "I can provide funding and a market," she said, knowing this jamming technology was ideal for those on the Voidstar side and the military, and she had just the right connections.
"I have the technology and the personnel," Sean responded.
"I’ll find someone to help you," she promised.
They had reached a tentative agreement, but there were still plenty of details to iron out.
Meanwhile, in Snowfall, Sorren spent his days in a drunken haze. He had money and lived freely, but without a powerful backer, he felt uncertain. When he received a video call, he quickly tossed aside his bottle and jumped up.
"Boss, you finally thought of your dear Sorren? I’ve missed you so much~"
"Cut the nonsense and get to Planet Nagano. I’ve got a job for you."
At that moment, in the hemisphere where NMA was located, it was nighttime. Lyra opened her window, gazing up at the starry sky, lost in thought.
Sorren, though greedy and full of schemes, was driven by self-interest. After being left alone for a while, he could probably be useful again.
Being new to Planet Nagano, Lyra didn’t have enough people. It was better to bring in a known quantity than an unknown subordinate.
The next day, the students watched as the instructors held detectors, looking serious.
"Line up and get checked one by one."
Everyone was scanned, and when it was Lyra’s turn, Webber looked like he wanted to shove the detector right into her mouth, still eager to catch her slipping up. But nothing unusual was found.
"Hey, Thierry, did Lyra really go on a date with someone yesterday?" a boy whispered.
"That’s what she said," Thierry replied.
Several boys clutched their chests in despair, feeling their budding crushes crumble.
Then a scoff echoed. "That’s definitely a lie. Who would want her with that deadpan face and bald head? It’s embarrassing to be seen with her," someone sneered.
This drew immediate angry glares. A young man near Thierry rolled his eyes and shot back, "Hah, picking on a girl like that, Jorath, you’re really something."
"That’s my business. Who are you to stand up for her?" Jorath retorted.
"I just don’t like it, so what? Want to fight?" The red-haired young man’s temper flared.
"Do you think I’m scared of you?"
"Bring it on!"
Just as things were about to get out of hand, Webber put the detector away and shouted, "Am I nothing to you here?"
He strode over and kicked both of them down. The two boys quieted down immediately. Webber snorted and then turned to Lyra. "Lyra, fall in!"
"Yes, sir," she responded, falling in line.
Jorath glared at her, eyes sharp as knives.
During the run, Jorath stayed close to Lyra, determined to catch her cheating. But whether he used psychokinesis to sense superpower particles or his pocket-sized detector, he found nothing unusual.
Still, he was convinced she was cheating.
As they neared the finish line, Jorath suddenly grabbed the small monitoring device in his pocket and pressed it a few times. A loud, shrill alarm went off.
Jorath shouted, "Sir, Lyra’s cheating!"
Everyone turned to look but kept running until they reached the finish line. Then they stopped and watched, curiosity piqued.
Webber rushed over, eyes wide with urgency. "The detector I gave you reacted?"
"Yes," Jorath responded confidently, pointing directly at Lyra’s pant leg. "She takes off her pants and the truth will come out."
The crowd fell into a shocked silence. Many were thinking that was just shameless.
The accusation was bold and unexpected, leaving everyone unsure how to react.
Chapter 35: Humiliation For Jorath
"You’re a disgrace to all the guys in the class!" Claude, the one with red hair, shouted, pointing accusingly at Jorath.
Zinnia and the other girls were just as angry, their faces bright red with fury.
"You’re gross and shameless! How could the school even let you in?" Zinnia yelled, her voice full of disdain.
Vivian turned away, disgusted. "I’m pretty sure he’s the kind of guy sneaking into the girls’ bathroom... ewww."
Even though she wasn’t close to Lyra, Vivian still couldn’t stand Jorath’s behavior.
Realizing he had crossed a line, Jorath blushed and stammered, "I just... I just misspoke! We could just have a girl check it, right?"
But it was clear he had blown any chance of dating any girls in the class for the next four years.
Webber, regretting getting Jorath involved in spying on Lyra, turned to the female head student and said, "Take Lyra to the restroom and check her."
The girl hesitated, but Lyra, her expression cold, spoke first, "I refuse. Everyone knows Jorath holds a grudge against me, and having him involved isn’t fair."
"That’s only because you cheated..."
"Do you have any evidence, sir?" Lyra cut him off loudly. "You’ve suspected me from the start without any proof. Involving Jorath just makes it more obvious that you’re targeting me, for no reason."
With no evidence, her argument seemed solid.
Seeing the Webber’s silence, Jorath quickly added, "Then are you willing to let someone check you up?"
"Are you willing to have the detector checked?" Lyra challenged, stepping forward with her head held high. "Can you guarantee you didn’t set me up? According to the rules, you need to prove you weren’t targeting me before proving I cheated."
In the quiet that followed, Claude was the first to speak up, "Sir, I think Lyra has a point."
Zinnia chimed in, "Yeah, why should we just believe whatever Jorath says?"
"The detector was given to me by the instructor..."
But Webber, wiping his face, said, "To clear this up, let’s check it."
Jorath panicked and reached into his pocket.
At that moment, Zinnia darted forward and snatched the device from his pocket.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"Look, the detector is still going off!" Zinnia exclaimed, backing away from Jorath, who tried to grab it back. She moved farther away from Lyra, but it kept beeping.
Claude took the detector, glanced at it, and then smirked. "The detector is set to body detection mode, beeping whenever it touched a human body." He tossed the device at Jorath. "The Shedd family must be ashamed to have someone like you."
Lyra nodded in agreement. "Now the truth is out. Sir, next time, maybe pick someone reliable, like the head student, if you want to monitor me."
Thierry awkwardly scratched his nose, realizing Lyra had figured it all out.
Webber’s face turned dark with embarrassment, understanding just how wrong he had been. He walked up to Lyra and bowed, "I’m sorry. I trusted the wrong guy."
He only admitted to trusting the wrong person, not to falsely accusing Lyra, because he still believed she had cheated. He just hadn’t caught her yet.
Lyra smirked slightly. "Apology accepted, sir."
As long as they hadn’t caught her, it wasn’t considered cheating.
Webber was furious. "Jorath! Apologize to Lyra!"
Jorath felt like he was on trial in front of everyone, but he knew that not apologizing would make things worse. So, he walked over to Lyra, bowed with a serious face, and said loudly, "I’m sorry, I was confused and wrongly accused Lyra."
He sneaked a glance at his classmates, noticing their continued disgust. He then put on a more sincere and apologetic expression. "I was misled by stuff I read online. I know I was wrong. Let’s try to get along as classmates for the next four years."
At least he had the guts to admit his mistake, which eased some of the tension.
It seemed that showing humility, even if just a bit, could sometimes work in your favor.
Lyra accepted his apology, saying, "People often get swept up by things on forums. I hope you’ll be more discerning next time."
She was well aware of who was causing trouble on the school forum.
And with that, the issue of cheating was put to rest.
After the shooting training, everyone was dismissed. Many of the classmates who used to hang around with Jorath now avoided him, except for a few leeches who still tried to suck him up.
Jorath had a gloomy expression. The more he interacted with Lyra, the stronger the unsettling sense of familiarity became.
It was like looking at a distant glacier—majestic and beautiful from afar, but cold and dangerous up close.
Actually, Lyra reminded him one of his cousins, who had died years ago.
"What a jerk! Just a simple apology and that’s it? The instructor didn’t even punish him," Zinnia fumed, glaring directly at Jorath. "No way, I need to beat him up to feel better."
Mandy tried her best to hold Zinnia back. "The school has strict rules against fighting; you’ll get in trouble."
But she couldn’t restrain her tall and strong roommate for long. Desperately, she looked to Vivian for help, but Vivian just shrugged and said coolly, "Why get involved in other’s problems?"
With that, Vivian walked away, and Mandy, momentarily distracted, lost her grip on Zinnia.
Zinnia stumbled but was stopped when another slender young woman caught her arm.
"Lyra, don’t stop me! How can you just let this go?"
"I can’t," Lyra admitted, still holding Zinnia back. "But it’s not worth getting ourselves in trouble over someone like him."
She thought there must be blind spots in the school’s surveillance system.
That night, after Jorath had vented his frustration on the field and was heading back to the dormitory, a hand suddenly grabbed him from the bushes and yanked him in.
The hand wasn’t large, but it was as strong as steel.
Despite weighing nearly 100 kilograms, Jorath was lifted off the ground.
Terrified, Jorath tried to fight back. Being from the Shedd family, he had some training, but the attacker moved too quickly for him to get a clear sense of her position in the dark. He could only aim based on the sounds, but after a few attempts, he had taken several hits.
Each punch landed squarely on his joints.
CRACK.
The sound of bones dislocating was enough to make anyone wince.
Realizing he couldn’t win, Jorath tried to escape, but the attacker tripped him with a swift kick. The beating continued, one-sided and relentless.
The flurry of blows lasted for five minutes. Then, the assailant picked Jorath up and hurled him hard against a tree before disappearing into the darkness.
Jorath lay there, dazed and in pain. ’I’ve been dragged into the woods and beaten up!’
"Damn it, I won’t let you get away with this!" he growled.
He punched the ground in frustration, then quickly reported the incident to his roommate and the coordinator.
At this point, he didn’t care about losing face; he just wanted to catch whoever had done this to him.
...
"The surveillance only caught footage of you being dragged into the woods; nothing else was found," Freida said, rubbing her tired eyes after reviewing the footage for what felt like forever. "Do you have any other clues?"
Jorath, lying down as the school nurse tended to him, looked frustrated. "I... I just remember the person was quick and not very tall."
Freida exchanged a look with the instructor, both realizing that this description wasn’t very helpful. With so many students moving around at that time, it was impossible to pinpoint who the attacker might be.
Jorath had to accept the situation. Even though they couldn’t identify the person who beat him up, word quickly spread around the school.
Everyone knew about the incident, and Jorath was left to deal with the embarrassment and frustration of it all.