The Ancient Genes

The sky had turned dark and the stars were out accompanying the moon.

Max parted ways with Kevin carrying a heavy heart. He had really underestimated his appetite. Kevin had almost eaten a week's worth of food for Max.

Max wondered if the Zen house were finding it profitable to nurture him.

It took a while before Max finally reached his apartment. It seems that Lisa was still here as Max could feel a few powerful presence around.

This was a bit problematic if he had to meet Lisa outside of the Academy. Max thought about it before finally coming to a decision.

He then entered stealth before entering his own house as a thief.

…

Max entered through the window into his own room and threw his bag on the bed. He then spread his senses out and found Lisa on the couch while Aria seemed to be just beside the door walking towards her room.

Max raised his hand and the towel on the hanger flew towards him. "Time to get fresh…"

Max opened the door and turned his head towards Aria who was walking towards her room beside when his eyes widened.

Aria stood there with her hairs wet, droplets of water were still sliding down her soft skin and smooth curves while she used the towel to rub her head instead of wrapping it around.

"Hmmn?.." Aria suddenly paused as her eyes met with Max.

"..."

There was a silence before a scream escaped Aria's mouth.

"Aaahhhh!!!-"

Max immediately moved and placed his hand on her mouth afraid that the guard outside might get alerted by it.

Aria tried to back down but Max further pushed ahead and both of them fell down to the floor with a thud.

Aria was on the ground and Max on top of her still holding her mouth while being on one of his knees.

"Sshh!" Max put his finger on his lips and asked her to calm down. "Do you want to alert the guard outside?"

"Y-You!! This is the second time today!!!" Aria's face had turned red, Max could tell it was 70% pure anger and 30% anger which had been out of the embarrassment she felt.

"Calm down...it isn't my fault to begin with. How in the heck would I know that you would be roaming out here naked without any clothes on." Max said as he changed his script half away. Initially, he was planning to say that he had already seen half of it, so there wasn't a reason to be that angry. But his instincts had saved him from the disaster.

"Y-You!! What are you doing to her?!!" 

Max raised his head hearing Lisa's scream and saw a flying kick coming towards him.

Max immediately backed off and dodged her kick.

"Are you fine Aria? He didn't do anything right?" Lisa asked her before glaring at Max. "It seems I had misjudged you…"

Max sighed as he looked at her, "This is your problem. You are always too early to judge."

She had this rude personality, Max felt that it was mostly unconscious due to past events. But it still didn't change the fact that she was rude and that coupled with the fact that she was too early to judge, she had become a clear fool.

….

Within a few minutes, everything was clear. 

They sat in the hall with cups of coffees, clearing their misunderstanding.

The girls had returned a while ago as Lisa had dragged Aria along to have some fun. After returning, Aria seemed to have gone to get fresh while Lisa stayed downstairs in the hall.

Without Max there, Aria was pretty relaxed with her guard down. Not to mention, she would hear the sound when the door unlocked and Lisa was there in the hall acting as her guard.

But, Max had avoided the main door and entered his room through the window which had led to the series of events.

"You should have told me so to begin with…" Lisa said with a smile as she sat opposite to Max while Aria beside her continued to give him a threatening glare.

"Sigh, don't tell about him living here to others, Lisa. I know that they will definitely keep it a secret if I ask. But I don't want them to worry…" Aria said with a sigh, she had been planning to say it all along but didn't find any private space with her.

"Don't worry, I won't. Besides, this guy is indeed a source of worry….just look at him causing all the ruckus in Academy." Lisa said before turning her head towards Max, "And you, I was there besides Janet as well. Couldn't you be a lot more gentle while talking to girls?"

"I will keep that in mind…" Max said calmly.

Aria looked at the scene feeling a bit odd. It seemed that they were a bit on friendlier terms. But that shouldn't be possible, now would it?

"Do you guys know each other?" Aria couldn't help but ask. 

"Yeah, I kicked his ass in Arcane after he fondled Elly in public.."

"Pfft!"

Max immediately sprayed out all the coffee out of his mouth. Luckily, he had turned his head in time managing to save himself from any further trouble.

"Fondled?" 

Max looked at Aria who was looking at him with a disgusted look in her eyes.

"Wait! It's a misunderstanding!! It was an accident." Max tried to protect his reputation, but it didn't seem to be working. He glared at Lisa, who could act as a witness, but the girl just ignored him. 

"Well then, I am living…." Lisa got up to leave ignoring Max's pleas. She was indeed a nasty one.

"I am going back to my room as well…" Aria got up as well.

"It was really an accident…" Max sighed feeling helpless.

"You don't need to explain it to me…" Aria went up the stairs leaving those words behind.

'I am not explaining but just protecting my reputation…' Max mumbled inwardly when he suddenly turned his head and said, "Wait!"

Lisa who had just gotten to the door flinched as she looked at Max, 'Did I take it too far?' 

"Meet me early in the morning in the Academy for training…" Max said as he looked at her.

"Huh? Training?" Lisa asked in confusion.

"Don't tell me you are slacking off?" Max asked with a frown.

"Training!! Yes, of course, I am not slacking not all…." Lisa shook her head while feeling upset inwardly. Tomorrow was a holiday. She already had made plans on going shopping with the girls but now it seems that the pain wouldn't allow her to do so.

"Good then…" Max replied as he turned around to leave.

"But why in the morning and in the Academy?" Lisa asked in hesitation.

"I can't possibly meet you out with your bodyguard around. So, we meet in the Academy. " Max said before continuing, "That guard is a nuisance, I will teach you stealth. It will allow you to ditch him in times of need, only after you master the initial stages though."

The guards usually kept a long distance from Lisa. Max knew that with mastery of the initial stages, it would be difficult but not impossible to ditch them in a crowded area with that much distance.

Lisa nodded before leaving.

…

Max went upstairs planning to take a bath which he couldn't take earlier.

"Hmmn?" Max noticed Aria standing there.

"I heard that you are going to fight with Victor?" She suddenly asked.

Max nodded in surprise, how many people were trying to warn him. He was curious about one thing whether it was for Victor himself or the noble house standing behind him.

"If even Lisa beat you, there is no chance for you to win against him. Don't waste your energy..." She said as she turned to leave.

"And what if I can win?" Max asked, she had given her the most reasonable warning while the others had just assumed him to be weak. Not to mention, it only came after she found that he was beaten up by Lisa.

Max had observed the people and the look in their eyes. Whether it was conscious or unconscious was another thing, they all had the same face while looking at him, a face which said 'A commoner can't defeat a Noble.'

"Well, it is unlikely to happen but even if you can win, you should still give up. Going against a noble house, won't bring anything good to you…" Aria left with those words.

….

Aria locked her door and her brows creased as a question emerged in her mind. She couldn't understand one thing. If Max was weaker than Lisa, there was no way that she would always feel powerless when Max grabbed her.

The event from a while ago and the one last night.

Suddenly, Aria remembered that her mom was rumbling about something similar to this when she was training with her sword back at home. Her mother liked to talk a lot, alas her daughter was a training maniac just like her brother.

Aria took her phone and dialed her mom planning to ask if she knew there was some kind of weakness within their bloodline or if there was some secret technique of subduing.

The phone rang for a while before finally getting connected…

"Aria, you finally remembered mom. Where are you dear? I heard you fought with your dad?" A worried voice came over from the other side.

"Don't worry mom, I am fine. Besides, I made a deal with Dad. So, it's fine now."

They talked for a while before Aria finally brought up the topic.

"Oh...that...Ah! Those were the days. When your father held me in his arms, I felt all my strength leaving and becoming powerless. After that, your father di-"

Before her mother's passionate voice could continue any further, Aria interrupted her, "Mom!!! What are you saying to your daughter!! I am hanging…"

Aria hung up the phone and threw it on the bed. Her cheeks were getting hot, the more she thought about it. "That's not possible…"

The girl didn't even consider the possibility that she wasn't losing power but it was just that Max had overpowered her.

….

"The Express car will be arriving at the capital within the next 28 hours."

The announcement rang informing the passengers.

A guy sat in the front seat, with deep red hair. There was a gloomy aura around him which was scaring the passengers beside.