F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 129: A Suspect

"Soren! Hurry up... we are late for class." Pencil hurried as fast as his protruding tummy could allow him—swinging left and right like a simple pendulum bulb.

He would look at Soren behind, urging him to walk faster.

But Soren knew that there was no need. They were already late for the class.

Also, he needed to think. And his current pace helped the process.

Images flashed in his head.

The Black-clad figure (Shade Killer)

The presumed dead cadet in his room.

The CCTV cameras not showing his attacker.

Tommy’s mysterious disappearance from the detention center that the authorities were trying to hide.

They were all connected somehow.

The puzzle pieces were falling in place—all elements of a bigger picture his subconscious was begging to make sense of.

What other piece was he missing?

Yes.

There was also—

"Soren! Soren!!"

He raised his head to Pencil

"Not that door," Pencil whispered.

But it was too late. Soren’s body had been acting on autopilot—focused on the thoughts in his mind.

Somehow, he had made it to the front door, again.

The class froze, all stares on him.

"Good morning, ma’am."

The instructor looked at him. Eyes as cold as he remembered them.

"You are late. There is nothing good about the morning."

Soren kept silent.

"Go on, don’t you have anything to say for your tardiness?"

Huh! Is she baiting me?

Soren clearly remembered that during the first loop, she had said that she was already informed of what happened in the dormitory, and therefore, he was excused for coming late.

But now, she was expecting him to give an excuse?

Of course. How could he forget? She made a joke with him the last time.

Probably wanted to do it again. His gaze lingered on her eyes.

Yes.

She wanted to.

"I don’t want to know what happens when a cadet is late to your class," Soren said.

Her brows frowned.

No nervous laughter from the class.

Silence.

"Take your seat." She said flatly, not bothering to spare either him or Pencil a second glance.

However, Soren’s attention had already left her.

Instead, he was searching. And then he found him.

The skinny cadet with silver hair. The same one he had seen during Tommy’s fight with Rhea.

The same one that had whispered to him in class during the first loop.

Yes. He was actually in class—sitting at the far left.

Just like the last time.

They locked eyes.

An acknowledgement passed between their gaze.

Soren did not waste time.

Instead of going to sit where he did before—at the far back—he headed right next for the silver-haired cadet.

Fortunately, there was an empty seat at his side.

The moment Soren slid in, he whipped out his dagger under the desk.

Spun it.

The sharp edge came down.

Slush...

Straight into the thigh of the silver-haired cadet.

But surprisingly, the cadet did not scream in pain.

Not even a flinch.

Sitting there like nothing happened.

Blood did not pour like it would have from a normal person.

It did not even flow from the wound.

"Oh," they spoke low but with an edge of excitement. "You seem to already know who I am!"

"I know what you would be if you don’t tell me what you want with Tommy." Soren sat, gaze on the instructor, but attention on the silver-haired cadet.

"Tommy!? Hmmm... I see, one of the unborn ones. But don’t worry." They spoke gently. "When he is reborn, even a Waterfell will know how to have true respect."

Soren was taken aback. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Instructor!" Thet raised a hand. "Soren is distracting me."

The instructor looked his way.

Soren quickly removed his dagger from their leg.

"Cadet Soren, interrupting my class. Minus ten points." She said angrily.

The class murmured.

"Change seats," she instructed.

They smirked.

Soren quickly sheathed his dagger before standing up.

As he left, he heard their voice. "And thanks for the meal. Such a feast from a Waterfell is most appreciated."

Feast? Are they trying to eat Tommy?

Soren thought to himself, remembering that he had been bitten into in one of the loops by the black-clad figure.

Back then, they even chewed and swallowed.

The thought of such an abominable thing happening to his friend made Soren panic.

Soren switched seats, now sitting close to Polystar.

"Good. You are here," Polystar whispered. "I know where..."

"I’m in," Soren interrupted him.

"Huh!" Polystar was taken aback by the sudden response.

"You need help sneaking into the science research institute, right?"

"Yes... but how did you know that? Did they contact you too?"

"Cadet Soren!" The instructor called.

"Yes, ma’am." He stood. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"I can see that your recent victory in the Orientation garden has deluded you into thinking you have many points to spend." Her gaze focused threateningly.

"Don’t make me waste them."

"Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry."

"If you are, then you won’t mind telling me the two types of Neuralinks?"

Soren’s mind flashed to the first loop. He had been asked the same question back then.

"Rune neuralinks and Aether neuralinks," Soren answered.

A slight pause.

"Very good." She commended, continuing the lesson.

However, the moment Soren sat, his mind spun.

He remembered the Neuralink symbols on the chest of the horned-face cadet that brought his clothes.

And then the neuralinks that marked the face of the Black-clad figure.

Quickly, he raised a hand. "Instructor, I have a question, please."

The instructor frowned. Obviously annoyed that he was interrupting her talk.

But she permitted his question.

"Go on."

"What would you say is the major difference between Rune neuralinks and Aether neuralinks?"

A slight smile tugged at one side of her lips. She was impressed by the question.

"Rune neuralinks and Aether neuralinks are very similar in nature and sometimes function. However, a major difference between the two would be that the former can only be carved by those of the Glass, and the latter by humans, elves—basically fleshy bodies."

She noticed most of the class seemed confused by this, so she added.

"Of course, there is another major difference. And this one truly sets them apart. Rune neuralinks can only function on organic matter, while Aether neuralinks only function on inorganic matter."

Soren sat back down. Her words had just added some more pieces to the big puzzle in his head.

Was it possible that this was another Eldritch attack?

After all, human beings were organic creatures.

But why—

No, how could such a thing happen in the academy?

For a moment, Soren wanted to stand, point at the silver-haired cadet, and scream. ’Eldritch soul.’

But his common sense helped him refrain from doing that.

The reasons were numerous.

While the silver-haired cadet did not bleed when stabbed, they also did not leak ectoplasm.

That meant that they were no eldritch soul.

Of course, they could just be possessed by an Eldritch parasite, just like instructor Marcus had been on the train.

But this one. They did not act like the way the instructor did back then.

Their skin did not turn green, and they were obviously capable of intelligence.

Or was it a different kind of upgraded parasite or something of the like?

If it was, how was he sure it was detectable?

Soren did not even need to go through the orientation garden to know that a false accusation in such a place could lead to punishment.

Of course, he could simply just commit suicide and repeat the day if he was wrong.

Yeah. Maybe he should do that.

As the thought took place in his head, he reached for his dagger again.

RING...

The bell rang.

"That will be all, class. Remember the winter games start at the beginning of next month, so make sure you are a part of a party to participate," the instructor said as cadets stood to leave the class.

However, Soren’s eyes were on the silver-haired cadet.

He was going to get him this time.

"Cadet Soren," the instructor called.

"Yes, ma’am." Soren replied, turning to her.

Just like before, she told him to meet her in her office.

However, the moment Soren looked back at the location of the silver-haired cadet, he was gone.

Soren frowned.

He did not notice Polystar observing him closely.

...

Just like the last time, Soren met Polystar and Vass just before the start of the next class.

However, their advance, unlike the first time, was faster.

Thanks to Soren insisting that they had to hurry up.

Before they even reached the admin block, he had already sent out a clone to free the path ahead.

Once again, Polystar’s gaze was on him.

They made it into the Science Research Institute, hiding behind the boxes.

"We are going that way." Soren pointed.

Before Vass or Polystar could protest, he was already moving.

Vass and Polystar looked at one another, baffled at Soren’s confidence.

But the path had somehow been the right one.

There were voices ahead. Dr. Kaya was talking in the room.

Soren, Vass and Polystar peeped in.

"They are not dead," Dr. Kaya stated.