Chapter 20
This is a fictional story by realTensai
Alvis' body shook, a higher might forcing it to move. He was in his comfort zone, fully at peace, yet his peace was getting interrupted. The higher might shook stronger and stronger and Alvis knew he would leave his comfort zone soon. He started hearing a voice, and before he knew it, he woke up.
"Wake up, Alvis, you got school!"
Alvis' eyes shot open, his pupils getting smaller upon the sudden change of scenery. As he looked around his room, he saw his mother. His breathing calmed down and his brain put one and two together.
I've respawned.
"Get up. Breakfast is ready."
With those words, she exited his room. Soaked in sweat, he grabbed his head, his brain processing everything that had just happened. From the periphery of his vision, he noticed the date shown on his holo watch.
03.08.2123
A heavy sigh escaped his mouth.
Without wasting time, he opened up his system, wanting to see his notifications.
NOTIFICATION
[YOU DIED!]
Experience is awarded for dying!
LEVEL 2: A lone girl
Mission: Save the girl
General:
Name: Alvis Silva
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Level: 3
Skills:
Basic mana manipulation Lvl. 4-> Lvl. 5
Mastermind Lvl. 2→Lvl. 3
Stats:
Mana: 91-> 96
Strength: 29
Intelligence: 80-> 85
Endurance: 36→ 41
Reflex: 32→ 37
Health: 45/45→ 50/50
Silently, Alvis just took it in. He tapped into his mana core, its depth having increased once more. The ocean of mana expanded in size, filling every pore of him with strength. Only a capable mage could wield it to its fullest. With his basic mana manipulation skill leveling up and his intelligence also increasing, he could become that mage.
Every time his intelligence improved, it felt like he unlocked a new part of his brain. It operated faster and even more efficiently than it did before. This may also be the reason he didn't have a mental breakdown after dying just now.
He closed his system, his attention now on his mission.
Let's start the review.
Alvis had lost his fight against Lia and was now back in time. Even though her hypnosis spell couldn't affect him, he still couldn't survive. Battling against her had made one thing plainly clear.
She is way stronger than me.
Alvis could only chuckle now, thinking about how he thought that two weeks of training would be enough to beat her. Maybe his win against the vampire assassin had gone to his head. But Lia was in a whole different league. Not only was she half vampire and half-elf, possessing both the emerald eyes and the unique plant magic of the elves, but she also had a near-limitless supply of mana. She killed him only using wind arrows, which were beginner spells. An icy shudder ran down Alvis' spine, just imagining what would have happened if she had fought seriously.
So trying to fight against her is a waste of time.
It was a logical conclusion based on his previous run. However, it wasn't that simple. Lia was the one who wanted to kill him, so even if he didn't want to fight her, he had no choice but to defend himself. Yet, no matter what he would do, Lia would always overpower him. In other words, as soon as Lia decided to kill him, his fate would be sealed.
That means I just have to change her mind.
Lia's last words still echoed within Alvis' head. He had seen through her stoic front, noticing her conflicting feelings. Alvis couldn't yet put it into words, but he knew there was more to it than Lia just being a coldhearted killer. Her character in school and her behavior as an assassin were polar opposites. They couldn't just coexist in one person.
I think I might have found the person I have to save.
He clenched his fist, the irony of the situation catching up to him. An introvert like him had to save the most popular girl in the school.
Ha, it couldn't be more cliche.
Even though it would still take a bit of time for Alvis to warm up to the idea, he already had to create a plan for the upcoming two weeks. He had to get closer to Lia and find out her ties to the Assassin Organization. Alvis would do everything it took to unveil her secrets to finally know which Lia was the real one.
——
"What do you think about Lia?"
Once again, they were listening to the entrance ceremony, and it was the student council's turn. Lia just announced her retirement, so the crowd was in an uproar. Alvis, who only focused on Lia's demeanor, wanted to know if others also saw the same thing he saw. He wanted to know if others also saw through the act she put on.
"What do I think about Lia? She is cute. What more should I think?"
"Ah, what did I even expect?"
Dane was obviously the wrong person to ask.
As the ceremony came to an end, the students left to go to their classrooms. Arriving there, Alvis sat down at his place, wanting to observe the discussion about Lia.
"Is it true, Lia? Are you really going to stop?" Kumi asked, her brows furrowed and her body fidgety.
Lia nodded with a soft smile on her face.
"Yes, it is just like I said at the entrance ceremony. I will stop being the student council president."
"But why? Why the sudden change?"
"We are in our third year and our grades are now part of our final diploma. I want to focus on school and being the student council president would be too much."
Her smile never wavered, and the softness in her voice made her seem like an angel. Yet the confidence she displayed was overwhelming. However, Alvis noticed something was off.
"You have straight A's on every subject. And you did that while being the student council president. So why should that change now? Also, it is normal for the student council president to keep their position in their third year and retire in the fourth. This is what Fiona's sis did, too."
Good analysis, Karl.
Lia didn't tell them the real reason. However, it was this reason that Alvis had to find out if he wanted to save her.
"This is enough, Karl! Lia doesn't have to justify herself," Maya said.
Furious, she stepped before Lia, trying to protect her from her classmates. As her best friend, she didn't want Lia to feel sorry about her decision.
However, Lia put her hand on Maya's shoulder, trying to reassure her with a smile. Her emerald eyes looked so sincere, one just had to listen to her. After that, Maya stepped aside again.
"It is like I said, I will retire as the student council president. But don't worry, I will still be in this position for the next couple of months before we find a new president. I won't retire until I find someone worthy. This is all I can say."
Lia bowed before her classmates, her blond hair hanging down. Seeing that, they couldn't complain anymore and even apologized for questioning her. The mood calmed down while they got ready for class.
"What do you think about Lia's decision, Alvis?" his seat neighbor Sekki asked.
Alvis didn't answer right away. Sekki always asked him this question, yet Alvis always seemed to get it wrong. Only recently, he realized what Sekki meant.
He probably also saw through Lia's facade.
"Only time will tell where her decision will lead the class. Lia's position in the class is essential for the class dynamics. Her retiring as the student council president could only be the first step of her distancing herself from this school."
This was the conclusion Alvis came to.
"I see, so you understand, Alvis."
Sekki smiled, satisfied with Alvis' answer.
With their conversation over, Alvis focused on Dane, quickly waking him up. This time he woke him up in 9 seconds.
Two seconds faster than last time.
Alvis had made a game out of this. He would try to beat his own time with every restart. When Ms. Myth entered the class, their lesson began. Yet there was no way Alvis would pay attention to it.
I won't listen to the same mundane lesson for the third time.
——
The bells rang, signaling the end of the class. Alvis packed up his stuff while Dane was half asleep. Normally, they would go to the workshop and hang out there, though this time Alvis had other plans. He would take drastic measures compared to the other loops. If he wanted to get closer to Lia, he couldn't act reserved.
After waiting for most of the class to leave and also for her to leave, he stood up.
"Yo, we going to the lab?"
"Sorry, Dane, I've got to do something."
Dane looked at him but didn't question it further.
Alvis left the room, heading to his destination. He didn't even know where their room was, though one look at his digital school map would give him the answer. It wasn't far away, so he arrived after five minutes.
Standing before the student council room, Alvis went through his plan for one last time. With his resolved set, one last deep breath in and out was all it took for him to be ready.
What he was about to do was so out of character that if one had told him in the initial loop, he would do that he wouldn't have believed it. Yet Alvis wouldn't hesitate now. He had no time to stay in his comfort zone.
Alvis knocked on the door and waited. He had heard voices inside the room, so he was sure they would answer soon. And the moment he thought about that, she responded.
"Enter."
Let's do this!
The first thing Alvis saw when he entered was Lia sitting behind her desk, paperwork in front of her. Next to her stood Maya, who seemed to have been talking to Lia. They weren't the only ones in the room, though. One guy sat on the sofa, which was at the side of the room. Because Alvis saw him on the stage at the entrance ceremony, he knew he was part of the student council, too. He looked like a dwarf, though he also could be mixed.
They all looked at Alvis as soon as he entered, their faces displaying their confusion. Maya and the guy seemed puzzled, and Lia was the only one who was composed. Even though she wore a smile on her face, her gaze seemed to be questioning him.
"Alvis, what are you doing here?" Maya asked, breaking the silence.
"I have got a request."
Maya raised an eyebrow, though it was Lia who spoke up.
"What is it?" Lia asked, her green eyes focused on Alvis.
Alvis gulped, upon locking eyes with her emerald eyes. Yet he just exhaled before he said the words, which would change everything.
"I want to join the student council."