Chapter 77: First Day as a Lab Intern

But now, the entire class had their eyes on Arlo, and the same could be said for Chris, Emrys, and the other strongest students in the class.

They knew very well that Vael was not weak, and his form was more than powerful enough to make them take him seriously, yet he had been defeated by Arlo, who had not even exhibited the slightest bit of seriousness throughout the fight.

They could only wonder what would happen if Arlo actually shifted into his Vorath form, which was known to be twice as strong as a Vorath’s normal form.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

The sound of an intense ringing echoed throughout the class, signaling the end of the period.

"Assignments. Section 1.2.3 of your Vorath Combat books. I expect you to have memorized its contents fully. You’ll be tested on it in the next class."

"Have a nice day..." Mrs. Lillith said as she headed out of the classroom, and immediately, every student jumped to their feet and began moving out as well.

"Let’s get going. You have to get your new books and cover up a lot of work, you know..."

Vael chipped in beside Arlo’s ear, dragging him up as they both headed outside.

"He seems quite strong. Who the hell is he?" Chris asked Emrys, who was sitting beside him, his eyes fixed on the door through which Arlo had just left.

"Who knows..." Emrys said with a shrug as he rose from his seat, stopping when he reached the exit.

"I heard quite a number of anomalies like him has been appearing recently..." Emrys said with furrowed eyebrows as Chris scoffed.

"Just fools using borrowed ancient Vorath powers. Is the great Emrys Alucard from the Alucard family, scared of trash who can only use borrowed power!?"

Chris asked in friendly mockery as he rose from his seat.He and Emrys then disappeared from the classroom.

__________________

"That’s all the books you need. Read the Cthulhu Academy book to Chapter Five, and you will have successfully memorized everything we were taught last week."

"Also, make sure you do the assignment given by Mrs. Lillith. You don’t want to skip it, or you’ll be busted in real time..."

Vael said to him as Arlo could now be seen carrying an extra bag on his shoulder, having just collected the necessary materials required for his classes.

"So, are you in a hurry to return to your dorm room, or do you have some time to play around a bit?"

"That’s the last class for the day, and we still have around six more hours before we need to go to bed. What do you say?"

Vael asked as Arlo furrowed his eyebrows before shaking his head.

"I’ll be leaving for the lab now," he said, causing Vael’s eyes to flash as he remembered that Arlo wasn’t a regular student but the intern of a professor.

Of course, he wouldn’t have time to waste playing around after his class sessions.

"Okay then. See you around." Vael said before branching off and quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Arlo heaved a sigh of relief.

[You Almost Fucked Up!]

The system notification panel appeared in front of his eyes as Arlo furrowed his eyebrows but continued on his way, moving away from the school exit and back toward Professor Igris’ lab.

’How?’

[I can’t believe you don’t know. But now I understand better. Your War Demon Art. Who taught you?] the system asked as Arlo raised an eyebrow.

"My dad. It’s like a generational art that every member of the royal family knows. Not exactly some special art like you’re making it sound..."

[You might have to stop using the art because sometimes, while using it, you occasionally zone out in the heat of battle...]

"Zone out?" Arlo asked, his eyebrows creasing.

[Yes. Like that gigantic crater you formed in the combat class.]

[If that thing had landed on Vael’s head, his skull would literally implode and the force of your kick would have continued down ripping his upper torso into tow clean halves!]

[He is only alive because you were able to quickly snap back due to my call.]

The system said, causing Arlo’s eyes to widen in shock and fear.

"Are you serious?"

[I have always been. So, I advise you to stop using the War Demon Art for now and focus on fighting with your mana control skills, at least when sparring with your normal classmates.]

"That...That would be difficult?"

Arlo asked, still not understanding why the system had suddenly forbidden him from using the only fighting style he had cultivated since childhood.

The War Demon Art had been instilled in him ever since he could understand what fighting meant and was said to be a self-defense technique known by every member of the royal family.

He had become so familiar with it that every reflexive movement and fighting stance he took was that of the War Demon style, almost like his muscles and bones had already memorized it through endless years of repetition.

Simply abandoning it or refusing to use it in a fight was close to impossible.

Except, of course, if he fought using only his mana.

But he had only just started learning mana manipulation barely a week ago. He could never hope to have defeated Vael with his mana balls alone.

[That’s final! When you should use it, I’ll inform you beforehand.]

The system said as Arlo’s eyebrows creased slightly before he eventually shrugged it off.

"I’ll try."

__________________

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

The sound of knocking on the wooden door echoed, followed by the order, "Come in."

The old yet spirited voice rang out as the doorknob turned, and a figure entered, none other than Arlo.

"Good day, Professor Igris..."

"Hmm, your leg has healed. How mystifying. My calculations indicated that it would take a week before those muscles healed up, so how did you do it?"

Professor Igris asked, not diverting his gaze from the chemical he was mixing, though Arlo’s spine couldn’t help but turn cold.

’Shit. I forgot my stick. And I definitely can’t tell him about my evolution. Am I screwed?’ Arlo thought.

"Ah, well, lucky for you, I was just in need of an assistant. On the seventh floor, a box of chemicals will be delivered. What do you say you help me bring them in, huh?" Professor Igris said.

Arlo immediately nodded, putting his bag on the lab table before quickly heading out of the room.

’Thank God he didn’t dwell on it much. Now to the seventh floor...’

Arlo thought as he quickly climbed down the stairs and soon arrived at the seventh floor, where a man wearing a lab coat stood beside three large kegs containing strange green serums.

"Hello! I’m Arlo, Professor Igris’ intern, and..." Arlo began, but the man’s eyes furrowed in slight disbelief before he nodded.

"Good for you then, huh? Wish I was in your shoes."

"Here, take these to him, and be very careful with them. They’re highly explosive," the man said, passing two large containers to Arlo, whose face changed as he noticed they were heavier than they appeared.

"If you accidentally drop one, just run as fast as you can and say your prayers along the way..."

[MUHAHAHAHAH!]

The system’s outburst of laughter at the man’s words caused Arlo’s eyebrows to drop slightly.

"Thank you for the kind advice, Mr..."

"Doctor. Doctor Adamus. Doctor Adamus Sentori," the man replied, seemingly prideful of his title.

"Goodbye then, Doctor Adamus. I hope to see you soon," Arlo said, quickly scurrying off with the serum containers.

"Ahh, what a handsome lad, with quite a good way of speaking too,"

Adamus said, looking in the direction Arlo had disappeared before turning back and leaving the scene.

___________________

"Here they are, Professor Igris," Arlo said as he entered the lab.

"Good work. Just put them there," Professor Igris said, pointing toward a small storage room in the lab where similar kegs were kept.

Arlo quickly did as instructed.

"Done, sir!"

"RIIING!"

"RIIIIING!"

Suddenly, the sound of ringing echoed through the lab as Arlo turned his attention toward the far table where the phone lay.

"I’m busy. Help me pick up my call," Professor Igris said, and Arlo walked over to the table and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Professor Igris..."

"Hello, sir. Professor Igris is indisposed at the moment, but you’re speaking to his intern right now," Arlo replied to the voice on the other end.

"What the!? Professor Igris assigned an intern!?" the voice yelled in surprise.

"Okay. That’s very good. We just want the professor to know we have the specimens ready and are currently on the fourth floor..."

"Okay, sir. I’ll get back to you soon," Arlo replied before ending the call and turning toward Professor Igris, who nodded at him, giving his permission.

Once more, Arlo left the lab and quickly made his way down to the fourth floor, where another box containing strange animal species he couldn’t recognize was waiting for him.

After arriving back at the lab, another call came in about another serum, and Arlo once again headed down to retrieve it.

More than six hours quickly passed with Arlo running up and down the stairs for one task after another.

When he finally returned to the lab, he was ordered to watch over a chemical potion, recording the exact time whenever it alternated between its different colors.

In the silence of the lab, observing potions, time quietly passed as Arlo remained engrossed in his task of observing the potion changes and recording their times.