A Wanderer's Lies - Chapter 84: Nen Vows

Jeez…no matter how many times it happens, I’m always surprised.

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“What?”

Isaac stood before the Golden Six as Amara was closest to him, pointing her finger as she snarled.

Isaac spoke in a monotone voice, cursing Harrison inwardly for summoning him be here at the most inconvenient time.

“What’s your aim with this battle? Fame? Are you sucking up to Vice Principal Harrison? Or did he offer you something to be his scapegoat?” Amara interrogated relentlessly.

‘Not bad, her guess is pretty accurate.’

Isaac thought. This was initially why he should have been fighting. Harrison did indeed offer him a fist art so he could save face.

Though, no one knew Isaac’s current motive. He simply carried the weight of everything that would happen in the future on his shoulders, preparing in the dark, all alone.

‘Well, maybe not alone. I have Merlin after all.’

“Well? Answer me.” Amara scoffed, watching Isaac’s nonchalant face simply staring at her with no emotion.

‘I’ve been feeling a little tense. Why not have some fun.’

“You guessed right. I’m a lowly livestock. I’m just doing this because Harrison promised me some goods.”

Isaac answered, causing Amara to pause for a second, soon grinding her teeth.

Cain could be seen trying to calm her down, but the more Isaac talked, and seeing the new smirk that crawled on his face, Amara ignored them.

Jett could only shake his head as everything Harrison had been saying was already happening.

All while Lucy minded her own business and Daniel seemed to have a lot on his mind, clicking his teeth and turning away upon seeing Amara interact with Isaac.

However, Ava silently watched as her usual expression of a smiling face started to look more and more like a mask as time went on.

“I knew it. Don’t you have any self respect? You’re being used as a pawn, a tool.”

Isaac shrugged.

“Well, as long as I get a roof over my head, some food and hey, if you manage to throw in warm water, I’ll do anything.”

Isaac was simply answering with whatever came to mind, tossing in a few words that he knew would aggravate Amara here and there.

Being a pawn was nothing new to him. He’d spent half his criminal life working for lowlives and gangs before he became skilled enough to be a solo crook.

Though, this was nothing like those times. He was the same weakling he was back there.

And it was true. Before Aurelius, there was a lot Isaac was willing to do for stable living conditions.

It was hard to find a good living place illegally and practically impossible legally.

“Tsk, thought so.”

Amara turned around after noticing she was simply speaking to a brick wall.

Nothing she said seemed as though it were being acknowledged, irritating her more.

Cain pulled her away, smiling and trying to calm her as the rest of the Golden Six followed.

Before they left, Cain turned back around, meeting Isaac’s eyes.

“I personally think you’ve got guts. Good luck!” Cain smiled brightly as he gave a thumbs up.

“Sorry, she’s…a very angry person.” Jett spoke to Isaac, trying his best to remedy the situation.

The Six left, walking together as Ava was unusually quiet.

‘Why is it that I find it unusually satisfying to not be on the other side of that Jerk’s rage bait.’

Ava let out a genuine smile.

***

“Get to the point, why have you brought us here?”

Daniel spoke in an annoyed tone as the Six stood in Cain’s room.

The room was fairly similar to Jett’s, the luxury being noticeable on first glance, but contrary to Jett’s room, the room they currently stood in was littered with miscellaneous items.

From absurdly heavy weights and training items, from simple clothes and glass flasks, it was clear Cain neglected the sanitation that was expected from a room of this calibre.

“Strange things have been happening in Aurelius these past few weeks. Including the figure. And was it me, or did anyone else feel uneasy last night?”

Silence descended the room as everyone looked at each other.

“Now that you mention it, I did feel something for a second close to our dorms, but it disappeared. I thought I was just imagining things.”

Amara commented, pressing her finger against her chin, seeming as though she calmed down from earlier.

“These things have happened too much for them to be a coincidence. We don’t even know what the intruder wanted. And this all started the day the excursion was announced.”

Cain, saying this, watched as everyone’s ears perked.

“That’s a bold statement with near to no evidence supporting it.” Lucy spoke her mind in her usual cold tone, not sugarcoating her words.

“Is that why you brought us here? To tell us about your conspiracy theories?” Daniel added, seeming more irritable than usual.

“Guys, lemme finish.” Cain held up his hands as he waved.

“I’ll admit, I’m still pondering about that part, but I can tell you one thing for sure.” Cain held up a single finger.

“Once. Before that night, I’d only used Masenko in one fight. That was against Jett.”

“Yet despite this, the intruder was able to anticipate my first Masenko against him, tossing a gas bomb at me to prevent it.”

After a few seconds, the realisation of Cain’s theory started to dawn on the others.

“Now that you mention it, there was something I noticed too.” Jett spoke with a calm and thoughtful demeanour.

Other than the intense situations, he was usually like this.

“One of my personal weaknesses for my martial art is grappling. I can defend or counter with my Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, just not very well yet. Meaning if I’m caught by surprise, I’d be in trouble.”

Jett remembered the Intruder’s suplex that hurt him.

“So what are you saying? The intruder has some sort of Grappling Art? Like…what was that verse called? Bako?” Amara asked, racking her brain.

There were countless verses and Inheritors could usually tell them apart because they had long experience or because they happened to research them due to interest.

In this case, Jett was the latter.

“Baki? No, I could tell the Intruder wasn’t using an Art. In terms of Martial Arts, from what I saw, I was better. He was simply able to…outwit me. But the thing is, no one should know I have that weakness.”

“Other than my personal training room and my private lesson with Grandpa, against Cain is also the only time I’ve used it publicly in Aurelius.”

As Jett said this, silence descended the room.

Even Daniel who’d been on edge, and Lucy who was usually distant, couldn’t help but pay attention as all of their heartbeats quickened.

Meanwhile, Ava’s eyes widened as a single thought loomed in her mind.

“So what are you trying to say?” Amara asked, wanting to verify if the thoughts she had were the same as the others.

“If we’re right, then the intruder was there on the day of my battle with Jett. And since it was only B-21 who were present…”

“Wait, before we make any assumptions, we need to remember there is no solid proof of this. Besides, the Academy grounds are filled with surveillance, it could simply have been someone else watching in.”

Lucy reasoned. She thought it foolish to rule out all possibilities just because one seemed slightly more plausible.

“You’re right. However, with what we’ve discovered, it’s highly likely that the intruder is someone in our class.”

Once again, silence descended the room.

‘No…’

Ava, like the others, presented a bewildered expression, however, for different reasons.

‘It can’t be…’

***

“Isaac!”

As a boy with amber eyes and messy hair walked through campus, silent as he seemed to be deep in thought, his name was called out as he turned his head, inwardly frowning and putting his guard up.

‘Relax, he won’t do anything on campus.’

Isaac reassured himself watching Xavier walk toward him.

“Professor Hall, what a pleasant surprise.” Isaac spoke in an innocent manner, seeing the professor in thick sunglasses, floral shirt, shorts and sandals.

“Yes, it is indeed. Shouldn’t you be in class?”

Isaac nodded.

“Yes, I was just on my way there.”

“Wonderful, we’ll walk together.” Xavier smiled as Isaac nodded.

They continued walking and quickly, the air started to become awkward as neither individual uttered a word.

“Isaac, do you know how I went blind?”

‘No, and I didn’t ask either.’

He thought this, but didn’t say it outloud.

Though he was confused by the sudden peculiar topic, he didn’t reject it. After all, anything might help him deduce Xavier’s true intentions.

“No, sir.” He answered simply as he watched Xavier hold up two fingers.

“There are two types of power in this world a human can attain. The slow and smooth kind and the fast and bumpy kind.”

“Nen is a perfect representation of this analogy. You see, Nen isn’t exactly a balanced PS. Though on the surface it may seem that way, there is a whole world of untapped potential people ignore.”

Isaac’s ears perked upon hearing this. Untapped potential? He wanted to know more.

Any sense of hostility he had disappeared as the only feeling he had was anticipation for the next words Xavier spoke.

“Emotions and Desire. These are two things that are known to heavily dictate one’s Nen. But there is a third that is highly disregarded. The power of give and take. Trade.”

‘Trade?’

Isaac didn’t utter a word. He wanted to know more. More information that could make him stronger.

“Have you ever heard of Nen Vows?”

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Next chapter title: I know it was you [Single chapter]

NNext chapter title: He’s Awakened! [Single chapter]

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Turns out University and writing a fan fic at the same time doesn’t blend well together.

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