My Hermes System

Chapter 8: Silhouette of the Black Flame

The Academy for the Gifted and System Holders or System Academy for short. It was a place filled with hopes and dreams for the future generation of heroes, explorers, and world leaders.

They were established a thousand years ago, one in each of the countries that survived the Portal Calamity. One of those is NYSA, Newer York System Academy.

Once again, Evans was standing in front of the gates to the academy. But this time, no longer wearing rags and carrying a straw sack. Instead, he was wearing the uniform of the Academy and a bag provided by the Explorer's association. There really weren't any sizes for him, so he had to settle with the smallest uniform the academy had to offer. But even that was too big for him.

But he didn't mind. The uniform might as well be a cotton blanket to him. This was the most luxurious clothing that he has ever worn in his life… and he had been wearing it since yesterday.

If it wasn't for his childhood friend, Andrea, telling him that the clothes needed to be washed, he wouldn't have taken it off even once. He was, in a word, full of excitement.

He hasn't used his System again since it made him woozy the few times he had used it, he was hoping the academy could help him in that matter.

Andrea wanted to cut his hair since it was fully covering his right face, but he refused. He didn't want people to see the scar that was hidden in it.

The other students that were entering the Academy were looking at Evans as if he was a lost cat. Since he was garnering the attention of the students by standing in the middle, one of the academy guards approached him.

"Any problems, boy?", the guard said as he stood in front of Evans.

Evans' stupor quickly died down as his vision was blocked by the guard. He looked up, only to see the guard that pushed him the other day, looking at him with a curious expression.

...Was the guard… going to hit him with the hilt of his sword again?

"Hmm, are you a new student?"

But contrary to Evans' expectations, it would seem that the guard did not even recognize him. Instead, he just handed him a piece of paper, a map.

"Go directly to the freshmen's auditorium, the orientation is about to start", the guard said. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe a play of the Fates-- but Evans unlocking his System could not be any timelier, as today was the start of classes for freshmen for the year.

Evans could not help but squint his eyes towards the guard as he grabbed the map from him. The guard really didn't recognize him. He released a sigh of relief, perhaps it was better this way. This is all he could ask for, after all, a fresh start.

Hopefully, Gerald and his group of bullies will also not be able to recognize him, at least not for now since he still hasn't fully learned how to use his System.

"... Oh, t-thank you", Evans said to the guard before resolutely stepping inside the academy.

Now he only had one problem left-- where to go.

He couldn't read what was on the map and it also didn't help that the map was almost half his body.

Once again, he looked like a lost cat and the other students that passed by him could not help but giggle.

"Are you… also a freshman?"

After a few seconds of him trying to figure out the map and constantly failing, he heard a voice and felt a finger tap his shoulders from behind.