Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9: The shockwave and The System Call
The silence in the courtyard was absolute.
The noisy whispers from the students had disappeared completely, and even the morning wind sweeping across Aurelius Academy seemed quieter than before.
Marcus’s storm eagle remained pressed against the stone platform with its wings trembling badly. The proud beast that had entered the battle surrounded by wind mana now looked pitiful. Its sharp claws scratched weakly against the cracked stone while its head stayed lowered, refusing to look toward Qhuin.
The eagle was not injured, there was not even a single feather out of place but the moment Crimson Pressure touched it, the beast’s instincts had already recognized something far above itself.
Qhuin calmly turned his back on the trembling eagle without another glance. His fluffy white fur looked harmless under the sunlight, and his long ears bounced lightly as he hopped twice across the battlefield before stopping beside Lina.
A small squeak escaped his mouth as the surrounding students stared at him like they had forgotten how to breathe, some of them looked confused, others looked frightened.
Even several professors watching from nearby platforms had narrowed their eyes in disbelief. Qhuin’s crimson eyes slowly swept across the pale faces surrounding the arena.
’Are they terrified of a rabbit? Humans truly had become fragile over the centuries’
Ding!
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Battle Concluded: Victory!]
[Target Evaluated: Storm Eagle (Rank D - Earth Potential)]
[Condition Met: Flawless Victory through Bloodline Majesty]
[Blood Energy Gained: +35]
[Current Blood Energy: 73/100]
Qhuin focused on the final number for a moment.
’Seventy-three.’
Only twenty-seven more Blood Energy remained before he could evolve again, and a faint feeling of excitement spread through him.
This tiny rabbit’s body had irritated him from the moment he reincarnated. His current strength was pathetic, his size was embarrassing, and worst of all, his rabbit instincts constantly ruined his dignity.
"S-Snowy?"
Lina’s trembling voice interrupted his thoughts, the girl rushed forward and then knelt beside him. Her hands shook badly as she scooped him into her arms and pressed him tightly against her chest.
"You actually did it..." she whispered.
Qhuin let out a small squeak while pretending to enjoy the attention.
’Of course I did’
Still, acting harmless was important, especially in front of this many people. Right now he looked like nothing more than a fluffy white rabbit with soft fur, round crimson eyes, and tiny pink paws tucked against Lina’s academy uniform.
Nobody here must know what he truly was.
Lina’s heartbeat pounded loudly against his sensitive ears while she held him close. Qhuin could practically feel the excitement and confusion coursing through her.
"You beat Marcus’s eagle..." she said softly, almost sounding like she still couldn’t believe it.
As her fingers brushed behind his ears, Qhuin suddenly froze and his body relaxed automatically. His hind leg kicked once against the air before he could stop it.
Qhuin’s eyes widened slightly in horror.
’Why does this body keep doing that?’
Lina smiled faintly after noticing the reaction.
"You like that?" she asked quietly while scratching behind his ears again.
Qhuin immediately buried his face into her sleeve to hide his shame.
’Curse this rabbit body.’
Around them, whispers slowly began spreading throughout the courtyard once more.
"That rabbit scared the eagle..."
"How is that even possible?"
"Was that some kind of mental skill?"
Marcus himself still stood frozen near the edge of the platform. His face had turned bright red from humiliation while his fists trembled at his sides.
"No," he snapped angrily. "That makes no sense. A mortal-grade rabbit cannot defeat my storm eagle!"
His voice echoed across the courtyard, drawing everyone’s attention back toward him.
"That thing definitely used some kind of illegal skill or artifact!" Marcus shouted while pointing toward Qhuin. "Professor Valerius, there’s no way a normal rabbit can do that!"
The moment Valerius’s name was spoken, the atmosphere immediately changed.
A heavy pressure spread across the battlefield, making several students instinctively lower their heads while others stepped backward nervously.
Qhuin’s rabbit ears twitched slightly. Professor Valerius slowly stepped forward from the judge’s platform.
His long black coat moved behind him while his sharp golden eyes remained fixed directly on Qhuin. Even among the professors, Valerius carried a different kind of presence. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.
The moment their eyes met, Qhuin immediately remembered him.
Valerius carried the same presence as the vampire hunters who once chased his kind across entire kingdoms. The same people who hunted vampires like monsters and burned their castles to the ground.
Qhuin’s instincts screamed at him to stay careful. Valerius stopped only a few steps away from Lina before speaking calmly.
"Student Marcus," he said, "the academy barrier recorded no illegal artifact usage during the match."
Marcus gritted his teeth. "But Professor—"
"Your eagle submitted on its own."
Marcus immediately fell silent, the humiliation on his face only worsened as more whispers spread through the crowd.
Qhuin almost laughed.
’A noble losing to a rabbit in front of the entire academy?’
That embarrassment would follow Marcus for years, Valerius finally shifted his attention toward Lina.
"Student Lina," he said calmly, "where exactly did you contract this beast?"
Lina stiffened instantly. Qhuin felt her arms tighten around him nervously.
"I-I found him near the woods outside my village, Professor," Lina answered nervously. "He was injured when I found him, so I helped him recover and formed a contract."
Qhuin remained completely still in her arms, technically, she was telling the truth.
She truly believed he was just a strange mutated rabbit.
Valerius stepped closer, as the pressure around him became even heavier.
"Let me see him," he said.
Every instinct inside Qhuin wanted to bite the hunter’s hand, the urge he had was so strong that his tiny rabbit teeth almost showed.
’This man was dangerous’
If Qhuin still possessed even a fraction of his former power, Valerius would already be bleeding.
Unfortunately, his current Strength stat remained an embarrassing one, if he were to attack now would only get himself crushed instantly.
So instead, Qhuin forced himself to act harmlessly the moment Valerius lifted him by the scruff of his neck, his paws dangled weakly in the air, and his nose twitched rapidly.
One of his ears flopped sideways while he blinked slowly with wide crimson eyes. Qhuin even started grooming one paw halfway through the inspection, licking it before rubbing it across his face like a completely brainless pet rabbit.
He did anything to look harmless for now.
Inside his vision, a red warning screen suddenly appeared.
[Warning: High-Tier Detection Skill Activated]
[Masking Sub-Routine Active]
[Deploying False Mana Signature...]
Valerius’s golden eyes glowed faintly while examining him carefully, as several seconds passed.
Qhuin stayed perfectly calm.
Then suddenly—
Thump.
His back leg kicked against the air again, and he froze internally.
’Not now!’ he screamed in his mind
Valerius raised one eyebrow slightly while Lina looked embarrassed. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"S-Snowy gets nervous around strangers..." she explained quickly.
Qhuin wanted to disappear from existence, after another moment, the glow in Valerius’s eyes slowly faded.
"A minor mental mutation," he said calmly. "Rare, but not impossible."
Qhuin relaxed slightly.
The system had hidden him.
Valerius lowered him back into Lina’s arms before turning toward the judges.
"Student Lina Woods," he announced, "you will be reassigned to Class A effective immediately."
The courtyard exploded into chaos.
"What?!"
"Class A?!"
"She got promoted because of a rabbit?!"
Marcus looked like he was about to faint from rage. Meanwhile, Lina simply stared at Valerius in complete shock.
"C-Class A...?" she repeated weakly.
Valerius gave a small nod. "Your beast possesses unusual abilities. The academy will continue observing its growth."
Qhuin buried his face into Lina’s uniform while pretending to act shy, but internally, however, he was smiling.
Class A meant he would mean stronger students, stronger beasts, and more importantly far better blood.
