Chapter 93| The Biggest Coincidence Since I Transmigrated

Chapter 93: Chapter 93| The Biggest Coincidence Since I Transmigrated

The system surfaced.

『 The host seems to have forgotten about Nyx Hale. B-rank. Kinetic Force. Already identified as primary third slot candidate. The system notes the pink skirt may have caused some interference in the decision making process. 』

’I haven’t forgotten Nyx,’ Zane thought.

『 The host’s thought process for the past three minutes suggests otherwise. 』

’I’m just gathering information,’ Zane thought. ’Multiple options. Smart acquisition strategy.’

『 The system accepts this explanation. 』

’Good,’ Zane thought.

『 The system does not fully believe it though. 』

’Shush system,’ Zane thought.

『 The host is free to do as he wishes. The system is simply here to provide assistance and reviews. All acquisition decisions remain with the host. The system will not interfere. 』

’Good,’ Zane thought.

『 The system will however continue to note when the pink skirt appears to be influencing strategic decisions. 』

’I said shush,’ Zane thought.

『 Noted. Shushing. 』

He turned slightly toward Maren.

"Your friend," he said quietly. "The one from the dormitory gate that time."

Maren looked at him.

"What about her," she said.

"I just wanted to know her name." he said.

Maren looked at him for a long moment with the calculating stillness doing its thing.

"Why?." she asked. Staring at his face with questionable focus.

"Saw her in the cafeteria today," Zane said. "Looked familiar. Couldn’t place the name."

She held his gaze.

’Please don’t ask me any more questions’. Zane thought in a straight expressionless face.

"Nil," Maren said.

Zane stared at her.

’Wait,’ he thought. ’Did she just say Nil?’

He looked at Maren.

She was looking back at him with the calculating stillness.

"That’s her name?" he said.

"That’s her name," Maren confirmed. "Nil Valkyrie. Why do you look surprised."

’Because the system has been calling the unidentified fourth candidate nil this whole time,’ he thought. ’And her actual name is Nil.’

He looked at the ceiling internally.

’That’s either the biggest coincidence since I transmigrated,’ he thought. ’Or the system knew exactly who it was labeling and just never told me.’

Then the system surfaced immediately.

『 NIL VALKYRIE — POTENTIAL BOND CANDIDATE IDENTIFIED 』

『 Nil Valkyrie — B-rank — Emperor’s Touch 』

『 Initial familiarity: 2% — Stranger tier 』

『 Bond depth: locked pending formal bond 』

Zane looked at the notification.

’So every female I encounter is a potential candidate now,’ he thought.

The system surfaced.

『 Negative. The system calculates potential bond candidacy through specific parameters measured against the host. Not every female the host encounters qualifies. 』

’I’d like to know those parameters,’ Zane thought.

『 That information is undisclosed. 』

’Of course it is,’ Zane thought.

『 The system notes your predictable response. 』

’And the system notes my predictable frustration,’ Zane thought.

He looked at Maren beside him still waiting for him to explain why he looked surprised at hearing a name.

"Nothing," he said. "Just thought I’d heard a familiar name before somewhere."

She looked at him for one more second.

"I hope you don’t have bad thoughts about her," she said.

"None at all," Zane said. "Not when I already know the cutest hero on the planet."

Maren looked at him.

"And who’s that?." she asked.

"You obviously," Zane replied.

She hit his elbow from her seat.

"Ouch," Zane muttered in minimal pain.

"Stop flattering me," she said. And went back to her notes.

He looked at his elbow.

Then forward.

The system surfaced.

『 Maren — Familiarity +3% 』

『 Current: 87% — Genuinely Close tier 』

『 System Note: Elbow hit with warmth detected. The system considers this meaningful data. 』

’I noticed,’ Zane thought.

’The elbow still hurts though,’ he thought.

Zane then recalled the previous notification.

’Nil,’ he thought. ’That’s actually her name.’

The system surfaced.

『 System Note: Nil Valkyrie confirmed as fourth potential bond candidate. The system notes you have now identified four potential candidates. 』

『 Maren Cass — 87% — Genuinely Close tier — Bond target confirmed 』

『 Sera Dunne — 29% — Stranger tier 』

『 Nyx Hale — 11% — Stranger tier 』

『 Nil Valkyrie — 2% — Stranger tier 』

『 Nil — Unidentified candidate 5 — data pending 』

Zane stared at the last line.

’Hmm,’ he thought. ’There’s still a fifth one.’

The system surfaced.

『 The host still has the potential to grow. The system notes four confirmed candidates does not mean four is the limit. 』

’So there’s still someone out there I haven’t identified,’ Zane thought.

『 Correct. The system will flag when proximity and parameters align. 』

’Looking forward to it,’ Zane thought.

’All four,’ Zane thought. ’Maren. Sera. Nyx. Nil.’

’And somehow they’re all connected to each other in ways I didn’t plan,’ he thought.

『 The system finds the host’s social web elegantly structured. 』

’Of course you do,’ Zane thought.

『 Because it is. 』

Vael’s session resumed.

Zane looked at the front of the room.

’Nil,’ he thought. ’Emperor’s Touch. Pink skirt, he couldn’t still get that sight out of his head. Focus, she’s Maren’s friend for god’s sake.’ He placed his hands on his face.

’Fourth potential candidate confirmed by the system,’ he thought.’I’ll just love to see how that goes’.

He went back to taking notes.

The afternoon session ended at 4:30 PM.

Students filing out. The corridor picking up with the end of day energy.

By 4:35 PM Maren had already said goodbye. It was brief, efficient, the specific exit energy of someone who had somewhere to be and wasn’t going to elaborate on where. She picked up her bag mid-conversation, gave him a quick wave and was gone.

He watched her go.

’Rushing somewhere,’ he thought. ’Nil maybe. Or her lunch arrangement person. Or something else entirely that exists in the parts of her life he still hadn’t been in.’

He picked up his bag and headed straight to the dormitory.

_ _

Zane arrived at Room 714 at exactly 8:45 PM.

Torre had actually gone back to his own room for once. The specific Monday evening miracle of everyone being where they were supposed to be.

Just Zane and Dex.

Dex was at his desk. Laptop open. Not watching anything particularly. Just staring at the screen with the specific energy of someone who had opened something and stopped watching it twenty minutes ago.

Gerald wheezed.