[Location: Student Dormitory Area - The Outskirts]
[Time: 11:30 AM]
While the Elite students (Class A and B) were escorted to the "Golden Towers"—luxury dorms with jacuzzis and private chefs—Ryan was given a crumpled map and told to walk.
"Building F. Located in the North Sector."
Ryan walked for twenty minutes. The beautiful manicured lawns of the Academy disappeared. The marble pathways turned into cracked concrete with weeds growing through them.
The air grew colder. The sky seemed darker here.
Finally, he reached his destination.
Dormitory Building F.
It looked like a haunted asylum from the 1900s. Vines covered the brick walls. Half the windows were boarded up. A crow cawed from the roof.
And directly behind the building was a massive, dark forest enclosed by a magical fence with signs reading: "DANGER: DUNGEON ZONE. DO NOT ENTER."
"Nice," Ryan muttered. "Ocean view? No. Monster view."
He walked into the lobby. There was no receptionist. Just a vending machine that was flickering and humming ominously.
He found his room on the ground floor.
Room 666.
"Of course," Ryan sighed. "The developers of this world really love clichés."
He grabbed the rusty doorknob. It fell off in his hand.
"Quality engineering."
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was surprisingly large, but stark. Two simple metal beds, two desks, and a single flickering lightbulb.
One side of the room was empty.
The other side... looked like a gym for giants.
There were dumbbells the size of watermelons scattered on the floor.
And in the middle of the room, doing pushups on one thumb, was a mountain of muscle.
The guy was at least 6-foot-5. His skin was a deep shade of crimson red. Two small, sharp horns poked out from his forehead, and his lower jaw had tusks jutting out.
A Half-Orc / Half-Demon Hybrid.
The creature stopped his workout. He slowly stood up. His shadow engulfed Ryan.
He smelled of raw meat and iron.
"Fresh meat?" the roommate grumbled. His voice sounded like rocks grinding together in a blender.
Ryan threw his backpack on the empty bed and sat down, testing the mattress. "Springs are broken. Typical."
He looked at the giant. "Hey. I'm Ryan. I take it you're the welcome committee?"
The giant frowned. His brow furrowed.
"I am Grog," he boomed. "Son of Warlord Thrall. I hate humans. Humans are weak. Squishy."
Grog stepped closer, cracking his knuckles. The sound was like gunshots.
"I don't want a roommate. Especially a weakling from Class F. You have 3 seconds to leave. Or I will fold you like a towel."
"1..." Grog started counting.
Ryan didn't move. He didn't look scared. He looked bored.
He pulled a can of soda from his bag and cracked it open. Psshh.
"2..." Grog's aura flared up. Red energy swirled around him. He raised a fist the size of a ham.
Ryan took a sip of soda.
[System Scan: Grog]
[Race: Half-Demon]
[Strength: 20 (Superhuman)]
[Intelligence: 3 (Toddler)]
[Weakness: Entomophobia (Fear of insects).]
Ryan choked on his soda. Fear of insects? A 300-pound demon scared of bugs?
The System really gave him the best cheat codes.
"2.5..." Grog growled, preparing to smash Ryan.
"Wait," Ryan said, holding up a hand. "Grog, right? You're big. You're strong. I respect that."
Grog paused. "You... respect Grog?"
"Yeah," Ryan nodded. "But before you smash me... you might want to deal with him."
Ryan pointed at the floor, right between Grog's bare feet.
"Who?" Grog looked down.
There was nothing there.
But Ryan quietly activated his [Butcher's Apron] equipment skill: Minor Hallucination.
It was a weak skill, usually useless in battle. But against someone with Intelligence: 3? It was a weapon of mass destruction.
Ryan projected a specific image into Grog's mind.
A Flying Cockroach.
Not just any cockroach. A mutant, glowing, hissing cockroach the size of a cat.
In Grog's eyes, the monster suddenly materialized on his foot. It wiggled its antennas and hissed.
"HISS!"
Grog's eyes—which were terrifying a second ago—suddenly filled with pure, unadulterated terror.
"AAAAHHH!"
The massive Half-Demon shrieked. It was a high-pitched scream that shattered the remaining glass in the window.
He jumped. He literally jumped into the air, flailing his arms.
"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! THE DEMON BUG!"
He crashed into the wall, knocking a hole in the plaster. He scrambled onto his bed, curling into a ball, shaking like a leaf.
"Kill it! Human! Kill it!"
Ryan stood up calmly. He walked over to the empty spot on the floor.
He stomped his foot.
Stomp.
"Die, beast," Ryan said dramatically.
He deactivated the hallucination.
"Okay, it's dead," Ryan said, wiping his shoe on the floor. "I crushed it. Nasty thing. Had huge teeth."
Grog peeked through his fingers. The monster was gone.
He looked at Ryan with awe.
This tiny human... he faced the beast without fear? He crushed it with one stomp?
[System Notification: Grog is intimidated. +50 Fear Points.]
[Relationship Updated: Grog thinks you are the 'Bug Slayer'.]
[Grog Loyalty: +20%]
Grog slowly climbed down from his bed. He looked at the floor, then at Ryan.
"You..." Grog swallowed hard. "You are... brave. Strong warrior."
"I try," Ryan said, sitting back down. "So, Grog. About the bed arrangement?"
"You take top bunk! You take bottom bunk! You take both!" Grog offered quickly. "Just... protect Grog from the bugs."
Ryan smiled.
"Deal. But first..." Ryan rubbed his fingers together. "I'm hungry. And the cafeteria is too far. Does a big warlord like you have any snacks?"
Grog immediately reached under his pillow and pulled out a massive bag of 'Dragon Jerky'.
"Take! Take all! Just don't let them come back!"
Ryan took the jerky. It was spicy and tough, but delicious.
He looked at his new roommate. A massive tank who would do anything he said as long as he kept the 'bugs' away.
"I think we're going to get along just fine," Ryan grinned.
Suddenly, the campus loudspeakers crackled to life.
"Attention all new students. Report to the Battle Arena immediately. The 'Freshman Orientation' is about to begin. Attendance is mandatory. Survival is optional."
Ryan stood up, grabbing his rusty crowbar.
"Let's go, Grog. It's time to meet our classmates."