Chapter 131: The Academic Society

"Thank you, Vanessa."

Adam said as he stepped out of the vehicle. There was no point in returning to the dormitory when he had made earlier plans to step out for a quick bite.

"You’re welcome, Mr Highstein."

The lady nodded and drove off shortly.

Throughout the drive, he had been going over what the Principal had said, and the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that the Principal was intentional with his words.

The man was someone who had no qualms about throwing him to the sharks should he outlive his usefulness to him. And the most shocking part of it all was that he could not read the man.

Not once had his emotions given any hint of ulterior motives. The man was as calm as a ripple-less surface.

’Hah... There’s no use overthinking it.’

Adam closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, focusing on the diner across the street. He crossed and entered, his presence naturally drawing several gazes his way.

With his Cellular Regeneration skill, he had long healed his broken nose, though a bit of dirt remained on his face.

"I’ll take this and this." Adam pointed to what he’d have and passed the menu to the young man who looked at him like he was some celebrity.

"Right...right away, Adam!"

Adam shook his head and sat back, staring out the glass window. Thinking back to his meeting with the Principal, he recognised the looks he received from Lenora.

For some reason, and at some point he wasn’t aware of, the captain had developed feelings for him. It was strange to even think about.

Lenora was almost two years older than he was. ’Where did that loudmouthed and unreasonably confident girl go?’

Adam was not ready for a relationship, especially when the girl came from such a background. He wasn’t shy to admit he had never had a crush on anyone before.

God knew he had seen his fair share of beautiful girls, but none of them had ever stirred any kind of emotion from him. Moreover, his situation would not allow him to casually find a girl to date.

"Your meal, Adam."

Adam snapped out of his thoughts when the server returned with his meal.

"Ah, thanks."

With a quick scan of the food, he dug in, casually savouring the delicacy. This had become a routine, as he could not risk getting drugged or poisoned, not when he stepped out with his real appearance.

Halfway through the food, someone casually slid into the chair opposite him. Adam lifted his head and frowned, not recognising the girl.

The girl was a student of the academy, her red shirt giving away her class type. She had crimson red hair and eyes, and it went without saying, she was a looker.

"Hey, Adam."

The girl rested her chin in her hands as she stared dreamily at him. Her eyes sparkled with interest and with a hint of mischief.

"Who are you?" he asked flatly.

"Hehe. I’m Suzanne Foster." The girl introduced herself with a soft giggle. "You’re one hard guy to find, you know that?"

"I’m busy right now," Adam said and returned to his food.

"I can see that." The girl muttered, not bothering to take the hint. "Here."

She slid a card across the table, prompting Adam to look. He quickly read what was on it and frowned. "What’s this supposed to mean?"

He met the crimson eyes of the girl.

"It’s nothing fancy. Just an invitation to join our club. The Academic Society." The girl answered smoothly.

"I’m not interested in joining a cult. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meal to finish."

"The Academic Society is not a cult, Adam. It’s a gathering of this city’s most elite young awakeners. It’s a place where we share ideas, resources and network. No one will look at you differently there."

Adam looked at her again, carefully looking at her. The girl tried to hide it, but she was anxious as she spoke, like she needed to make sure she won him over. It gave him all the wrong signals.

Even if it hadn’t, he had no interest in joining some secret society. He had more important things to deal with. Playing elitist hardly had a place in his mind.

"My answer is no," Adam said through clenched teeth, pushed the rest of his food away and stood up. "Find someone else to recruit."

Just as he was about to go to the counter, the girl anxiously grabbed his hand. "Please, wait!"

Adam paused and lowered his gaze toward the hand the girl had grabbed. He looked up and noticed the fear in her eyes.

"At least pass by," she said, passing the card to him. "Please."

The look of fear in her eyes was genuine, like she would be in trouble should she fail to recruit him. Adam narrowed his eyes, knowing the girl’s emotions were real.

Sadly for her...

"Find someone else." Adam pulled his hand free and continued his way.

The last time he played good Samaritan, he was framed. Real or not, he was not going to be forced into anything. He quickly paid his bill and left the diner, annoyed at being interrupted.

Evening was already drawing near, and he needed to find a way to convince the organisers of Battle Clash to give him about a week off.

Adam let out a resigned sigh, hailed a ride and returned to the dormitory.

’If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that groups like them don’t give up easily.’ He thought silently. ’They’ll definitely try something.’

But he wasn’t really bothered. With his diverse and ever-growing skill tree, he could become nearly impossible to find.

Adam paid his fare and stepped out of the car. He walked the rest of the way to the dormitory, thoughts of Battle Clash returning to him.

In order to convince them, he would need to give something worthwhile. After all, he wasn’t an established star or anything of the sort.

’I guess it’s time to put my tech and math skills to the test.’