YM778.TV Chapter 3: Extra member
"I hope I don\'t run into Caleb and his minions like I did yesterday," Silas thought as he walked.
Arriving at the cafeteria, Silas joined the queue for food. The students were being served one by one by the academy staff until it was finally his turn.
The server, casting a disdainful glance at Silas, placed a single loaf of bread on his tray and poured a small amount of watery soup into a dish. He set it in front of Silas with a look of contempt.
Silas glanced at the sparse meal on his tray, then at the tray of the student served before him. That student had received five loaves of bread and a large bowl of soup, while Silas was given only one loaf and a small plate of soup.
"Excuse me, sir, but I think there might be a mistake," Silas said politely.
"Did I?" the server retorted with a scoff. "Do you really think I would serve a lowly student like you the same amount as the others? You\'re lucky to get even that much," he added dismissively.
Silas\'s heart sank at the server\'s words. Despite the humiliation, he had no choice but to accept the tray and walk to his seat at the far end of the cafeteria, away from the other students.
As he walked, Silas\'s gaze was fixed on the meager food, his expression one of profound sadness. It had been twenty-four hours since he last ate; his previous meal had been taken from him by Caleb and his followers. Now, his only sustenance for the day consisted of a single loaf of bread and a small amount of soup.
Suddenly, a loud slap echoed through the cafeteria as Silas\'s tray was knocked from his hands. The tray flew through the air and landed upside down on the floor, scattering its contents.
Silas\'s eyes widened in horror.
His only meal for the day lay in a ruined mess on the floor.
"No, no, no!" he cried, rushing to salvage at least the bread. But before he could reach it, a student stomped on the bread, crushing it beneath his boot.
Silas watched in despair as his last hope for a meal was destroyed.
"Oops, seems I accidentally stepped on your bread. My apologies," Caleb said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Silas\'s anger surged. Clenching his fists, he stood up and swung a punch towards Caleb\'s face. Silas was fully aware of the potential consequences of striking a powerful student like Caleb, but his rage overwhelmed his fear.
The punch connected solidly, sending Caleb stumbling backward. The students gasped collectively, astonished to see Silas, a known weakling, land a powerful hit on a Grade 3 user.
Caleb\'s expression darkened as he rubbed his cheek where Silas\'s fist had struck. "How dare you, Silas? How dare you lay your filthy hands on me!" Caleb roared, signaling his minions.
In an instant, two of Caleb\'s friends were at Silas\'s side, restraining him and preventing any movement. Despite Silas\'s attempts to free himself, their enhanced strength made it impossible.
Caleb clenched his right fist, now encased in a solid layer of ice, and approached Silas menacingly. "You should have known better than to attack me!" Caleb said as he swung his icy fist toward Silas\'s chest.
The impact shattered the ice and drove Silas backward. The force of the blow made Silas cough up blood.
Before Caleb could deliver another punch, the cafeteria doors burst open, and two teachers clad in sleek black mutant armor entered.
"I\'m not finished with you yet. You hear me? I\'m not finished!" Caleb spat before walking away. His minions released Silas, who collapsed to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth.
The teachers advanced to the front of the cafeteria. A male teacher with long brown hair and a muscular build cleared his throat to capture the students\' attention.
"Good morning, students," the teacher, David, said. "We have received instructions from Sir Benedict to select one student to accompany us on a specific raid. We are heading to the Mutant\'s Realm to search for an artifact. Since most of our staff are engaged in other missions, we are choosing one person from here to join our squad.
You will be compensated with tokens and mutant body parts after the raid. If you are interested, raise your hand now!"
Several hands shot up eagerly, each student eager to demonstrate their abilities and attract Sir Benedict\'s attention.
David scanned the raised hands before focusing on a particular student, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips after catching sight of a certain boy.
"You!"