The taxi stopped at one of the elite apartments and all eyes immediately turned to Ayu, who had just stepped out of the vehicle.
Some people around her looked confused, but some students just chuckled and looked down on Ayu.
Everyone there was well-dressed with all the latest fashion accessories, even the students who went to school there looked different. In addition to the school uniforms that students were required to wear, they also wore special jackets representing their schools.
This time, Ayu was greeted by students who also lived in the same apartment building as her.
As Ayu tried to ignore their stares, the students followed her into the apartment lobby, mocking her from behind with a barrage of rhetorical questions.
"Isn't this the barely rich girl?"
"Hahaha, look, her uniform looks shabby. She could tarnish the school's reputation."
"But wait a minute, where does she go to school? I don't see her school jacket."
"Oh yes, that's right, she doesn't go to school here. She goes to school in the commoners' district."
"Eh? She can live here but she can't go to school here? Why?"
"She's barely rich."
"Oh yes, that's right."
"Ahahahahaha..."
All those words made the blood rush to her head. Her hands were shaking. Ayu tried her best to hold back her anger so as not to cause a scene. She didn't respond to their words, she didn't even turn around to look at them.
"I feel sorry for her. I heard her uncle is a retired military void hunter."
"Her uncle should be aware of his stupidity and not—"
Ayu's patience ran out, followed by a sudden change in her eyes, her pupils slit vertically, the irises flooding with a flickering, purple light.
Ayu rotated her hips, ready to hit the students with all her might.
*Tap
Ayu's shoulder was suddenly held by someone's grip and her anger subsided a little, making her eyes return to normal human eyes before she could face the student.
A man in his 40s with a thin goatee and short hair. His clothes were neat, but his pants were cut on the right side. That was because the man's right leg was missing, replaced by a prosthetic leg.
The man's name was Adam Cyren, Ayu's uncle.
"You guys seem to be close. Are you guys Ayu's friends?" said the man with a friendly smile on his face.
The students fell silent and instead smiled thinly. "Good afternoon, sir, we were just joking around with Ayu. Excuse us."
The group of students walked past Ayu and the man who was Ayu's uncle. They didn't even feel guilty or try to hide their arrogant expressions.
"Uncle—"
The man's hand suddenly gripped Ayu's shoulder tightly, silencing the girl immediately.
As the group of students got on the elevator and left the two of them behind, Ayu's uncle finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"They were mocking you, uncle," said Ayu in an annoyed tone.
Adam just smiled and patted his niece on the head. "You're a good girl, Ayu. So don't dirty your hands by fighting them."
The girl was completely dissatisfied, her expression unchanged. But at least her hands were no longer shaking.
"Let's go home," said Adam, leading Ayu to the elevator.
The two were silent as they stood in the elevator, even as they waited for it to descend.
"Uncle, why don't we just move somewhere else?" said Ayu, breaking the silence in a low, sad voice.
Her uncle, the only other person in the elevator besides Ayu, could only sigh heavily. "I'm sorry, Ayu. But this is for your own good. There's less chance you'll be suspected of being a bloodborn if you stay in this complex."
"But, Uncle, they keep insulting you. They don't know how much you've done for them when you were still active as a void hunter," replied Ayu softly.
Adam just chuckled softly. "I guess that's how the world works. Most likely because they are the children of politicians or wealthy businessmen. They couldn't possibly know what ordinary people go through."
Ayu didn't reply, but her face remained sullen.
The elevator doors opened on the 5th floor, revealing a long hallway from far left to the far right.
The entire space before their eyes was Adam's residence. From end to end, it was his property.
The large room had only one entrance, an iron door located in front of the elevator.
The two of them headed toward the iron door.
The iron door could only be opened with a sensor code that scanned the face and fingerprints. Besides Adam and Ayu, no one else could enter the room.
The iron door opened sideways like a sliding door, revealing a slightly elongated empty hallway ahead. Right beside the door were shoe racks and umbrella stands.
Exactly one meter in front of the iron door was a wooden floor that was slightly higher than the iron floor they were standing on.
After both of them put their shoes on the shoe rack, they walked barefoot on the wooden floor.
At the end of the hallway, they turned right and were greeted by a large and spacious living room.
It was about 10 square meters with a ceiling 3 meters above the floor.
However, the living room looked minimalist. The sofa and table looked old, and there was almost no additional decoration. It was just a large room with basic furniture.
When Ayu stepped into the living room, Adam immediately tapped her shoulder.
"Ayu, why is your leg bandaged?" Adam asked casually, but it made Ayu jump a little where she stood.
Ayu tried to explain in a panicked, stammering voice. "It's, um, because I tripped during the evacuation and sprained my ankle. The teacher said I needed to—"
Adam just smiled. "Tripped?"
"I... Yes... I tripped."
"You weren't trying to hunt a void beast, were you?" asked Adam, still smiling.
Ayu turned her face away, not daring to look at her uncle. "I... Yes, I just tripped and—"
Adam kicked Ayu's bandaged leg, causing the girl to wince in pain as the bandage turned a dark red color from the blood seeping out when pressed.
"No! Uncle, I mean—" Ayu stepped back in panic while Adam unbuckled his belt.
"You hunt void beasts when there are void hunters who might suspect you?" asked Adam, still smiling but holding his belt like a whip.
"No! I went to the forest, so no one knows!" Ayu insisted.
"So, you admit that you hunt the void beasts?" asked Adam, stepping closer to the girl.
Ayu's eyes widened when she realized how stupid the words that had just come out of her mouth were. She covered her mouth with both hands, but unfortunately it was too late.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS?!" shouted Adam, preparing to punish Ayu.
"No, Uncle! I'm sorry!"
*Ptash! Ctash! Ctash!