14 Our Monster (1/2)

”I don't have time for this bullshit…”

That was what Cynthia wanted to say, but managed to keep in her mind.

She couldn't afford to let her cover slip now, not when she has successfully become a recruit of P.A.I.N.

[All of this was probably set up by that idiot.] Cynthia mentally grumbled to herself as she casted a sideways glance to the idle crimson marines who just stood by at their posts, as if there was nothing wrong.

This golden-haired idiot in front of her was creating a commotion and yet what are they are doing?

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing but watch the situation unfold in silence.

There was no doubt that at this very moment, their helmets were sending their visuals as a live feed to a certain blue and green planet in the Solar System.

Cynthia had to try her very best to keep her innocent appearance as she thought of the person who was most likely responsible for this whole ordeal.

She was not unfamiliar with the eccentric director of P.A.I.N., either fortunately or unfortunately she even personally interacted with the man in her past life.

[I know that you're watching me 'Allen.' Do you want a performance? Is that it? Fine I'll give you a damned majestic performance.]

Soon a plan quickly formulated in her head, sure it may be a little rough around the edges but it was better than nothing.

With that innocent smile that Cynthia perfected, she spoke to the man.

”Erm… Excuse me Mr..?”

”Mocxe, Zackary Mocxe. You would do well to remember that name.

Zackery kept that obnoxiously prideful smile on his face as he boasted. In fact, Cynthia felt that it may have grown wider.

But ultimately, Cynthia knew that she could do nothing but let him ramble on, at least for the time being.

”For that name belongs to a powerful psionic with a psionic level of 4317! Yes that's right, 4317! Such a feat is only achievable by D-class psionics who only make up-”

”8% of all total psionics.”

Sensing the right moment to interrupt, Cynthia decisively cut into Zackary's self-absorbed monologue.

”Well look what we have here. It would seem that you know your stuff at least…”

For a short moment, Zackery paused to lean over and put his face at Cynthia's level, placing that obnoxious smile in front of her as he did so.

When he continued speaking, his voice became colder and more threatening.

”But don't you dare attempt to upstage me in front of everyone here.”

Zackary's prideful sneer warped into a contemptuous smile as he spoke, it would seen that Cynthia really bruised his ego. Fortunately, enough, this is exactly what Cynthia wanted.

”If you do, I will warn you that there will indeed be conseq-”

”You aren't that special.”

Of course, Zackary was less than pleased with her response to say the least. His contemptuous smile regressed into a hateful frown while anger and fury clearly burned in his hazel-coloured eyes.

With that hateful expression, Zackary slowly pronounced his next few words.

”What. Did. You. Say?”

It was at this moment that Cynthia has realised the commotion that both she and Zackary had collectively created.

Other than the clearing made around the two of them that was three meters wide in radius, she also realised that the number of eyes watching has multiplied to a number larger than the original amount of people in the cafeteria.

There were even more crimson marines at the scene, but like the others, they remained passive the moment the saw the people involved in the incident.

This only confirmed Cynthia's theory that this entire ordeal was actually an absurd scenario conceived by and set up by Allen.

What a pain.

However, these details were unimportant at the moment.

What mattered was dealing with this idiot in front of her.

She can deal with Allen and his clowns some time in the future.

After all, they were also part of that long list of traitors who absolutely needed to die.

While still pretending to be that naive and oblivious child, Cynthia 'innocently' answered Zackary's question.

”I said that you aren't that special.”

When Zackary heard Cynthia's response, his hateful expression only intensified.

Nevertheless, Cynthia continued to keep up the act as she explained herself, the fury burning in Zackary's eyes heating up as she did so.

”There are still hundreds of thousands of D-class psionics like yourself, not forgetting to mention the thousands more people ranked in a class above you.”

At this point, Zackary's appearance has completely devolved to that of a beast, his hunched back as he bent down combined with the fact that he was now baring his teeth and furiously gnashing them together made him look like some large downtrodden golden hyena.

Despite his now savage appearance which completely contrasted his previous prideful appearance that stood tall, Cynthia wasn't affected in the slightest.

As with most things, she has seen worse in her previous life, this breakdown was nothing to what she witnessed and even did herself.

As such, Cynthia was able to maintain her act of that oblivious idiot girl who couldn't control her mouth.

Unlike before when Zackary pronounced his words clearly, this time he forced his words through his teeth, only exaggerating his already beastly appearance.

”How dare you… How da-”

”And one of those thousands more people is me.”

This time, Zackary's expression froze entirely in response to Cynthia's third interruption, apparently he was caught of guard by this revelation.

However, he wasn't the only one taken aback by her response, the eyes of the bystanders watching widened as well when they heard her proclamation, some people even staggering backwards in shock.

The only people who appeared to have remained unperturbed and stood completely unmoved were the crimson marines whose helmets obscured their faces.

On the other hand, Cynthia only tilted her head and answered in a nonchalant manner.