The next day, Milo discovered that the atmosphere in the classroom was a little strange the moment virtual-novel.net walked in. The students who were in intense conversations fell silent.
He walked over to his own seat, seemingly unaffected, and buried his head in a book. He was thinking that if virtual-novel.net couldn’t keep up with the lessons in class, virtual-novel.net would have to start learning from scratch. Therefore, Milo got Old Bane to purchase some 10th and 11th grade textbooks for virtual-novel.net yesterday so that virtual-novel.net could start self-studying today.
While virtual-novel.net was studying by himself, Milo had a hunch that his fellow classmates seemed to know that something was about to happen. However, all of them tacitly chose to keep it from him. And whatever that was going to happen was definitely not going to be in Milo’s favor.
There were four periods scheduled in the afternoon, one for Chinese, one for geography, one for mathematics, and one for physics. The Chinese class was still manageable, but Milo still couldn’t understand anything that was taught in math and physics.
Meanwhile, Milo felt the geography class was a little odd. He was startled to discover that what was being taught in the lessons were totally different from what virtual-novel.net knew. Moreover, the entire subject seemed to be very loosely strung together.
There wasn’t even a complete map to be found in the geography textbook, and the topics only touched on matters found in the vicinity of Stronghold 109, as well as some knowledge of economic geography.
Milo guessed that some of the global information in this stronghold might have been lost. Just like how the Skyfort Consortium would never share their topographical maps with the Panaqua Consortium, the other consortiums would maintain secrets from each other.
Milo was different from most students. A normal student would only seek to learn whatever knowledge was presented in the textbooks. But when Milo read them, virtual-novel.net would consider the geopolitics affecting the different consortiums.
Suddenly, Milo had a realization. He knew virtual-novel.net could no longer look at problems from the point of view of a normal student.
Milo inadvertently turned his head at this moment and saw Selena looking pale. It was as though virtual-novel.net were enduring some sort of pain while holding virtual-novel.net belly with virtual-novel.net left hand.
At this moment, the long-awaited palace finally spoke again.
Quest! Help out a classmate.
Milo was starting to find the voice from the palace to be very endearing. After all, the palace always gave virtual-novel.net a great gift whenever it spoke.
Milo pondered it for a moment before asking Selena, “Do you have a stomachache?”
Selena gave virtual-novel.net a look but did not say anything, as though it were taboo to speak with him.
Meanwhile, Milo was paying full attention to any possible reactions from the palace in his mind. As long as the quest wasn’t completed yet, virtual-novel.net wouldn’t give up asking.
“My fellow classmate, is it because you don’t have toilet paper? I have some over here,” Milo said. He was thinking that Selena had an upset stomach.
Selena could not help but roll virtual-novel.net eyes at him. “It’s not an upset stomach.”
“Oh…” This was beyond Milo’s understanding. “Then what’s the matter? Are you sick? Why don’t I send you to the hospital?”
“Stop asking!” Selena said impatiently, “What I have is incurable.”
Incurable?
Milo was stunned.
Is it that serious?
Honestly, Selena was starting to regret being so hostile towards Milo. He was showing so much concern to her, yet virtual-novel.net replied so harshly to him. As the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. They were ostracizing Milo due to his refugee status mainly because some of these ideas had been instilled in them by their parents or simply out of fear.
However, just as Selena was thinking of softening virtual-novel.net tone, virtual-novel.net suddenly saw Milo getting up to walk to the lectern.
It gradually quieted down in the classroom as everyone looked at Milo. They were all waiting to see what virtual-novel.net was up to.
Milo went up to the lectern and said to his classmates with a face full of grief, “Everyone, our classmate Selena has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I hope that since all of us are classmates, we can offer virtual-novel.net our support by donating some money.”
Selena was confused.
The students in the classroom were confused.
All of the students’ eyes landed on Selena as virtual-novel.net nearly broke down on the spot.
What terminal illness are you talking about?
It’s just my Aunt Flo visiting! Don’t you have any common sense?!
Of course, virtual-novel.net wasn’t exactly sure if Milo really did not know, or if virtual-novel.net was doing this on purpose.
At this moment, the voice in Milo’s mind palace said.
Quest complete! Awarded Perfect Skill Duplication Scroll!
Milo’s eyes lit up.
It was completed just like that?
And the reward was even a Perfect Skill Duplication Scroll?!
He really made a killing this time!
He could copy skills from so many people in this stronghold. For instance, Miriam and Lilian, both of them were supernatural beings with superpowers! No matter whose power virtual-novel.net learned, it would be well worth it!
But Milo did not really want to use this Perfect Skill Duplication Scroll on Miriam. On one hand, virtual-novel.net was much more interested in Lilian’s power to travel through shadows. With it, virtual-novel.net could easily take Donti and the others freely through the high walls of the stronghold.
In that way, virtual-novel.net would have the freedom of going in or out of the stronghold. This would be equivalent to virtual-novel.net gaining the initiative to do whatever virtual-novel.net wanted!
Moreover, it would be really powerful to have a power that allowed virtual-novel.net to cover distances in just one step when fighting battles. This would make enemies unprepared and defenseless.
Also, Milo did not want to use this Perfect Skill Duplication Scroll on Miriam because virtual-novel.net knew virtual-novel.net had many skills above master level, of which many were even nonsensical skills!
If virtual-novel.net randomly copied another skill like Nursery Rhymes Singing, Milo would have nowhere to cry.
He had discovered the previous time when learning Raphael’s power that if the other party did not have a master-level and above skill on them, the Skill Duplication Scroll would automatically choose to learn their superpowers instead. Therefore, from a risk-reward point of view, it was a better choice to learn from Lilian.
During the next class intermission, the incident that happened in Milo’s class spread to the class next door.
Milo saw Miriam standing in the hallway when virtual-novel.net went out for a breather. She was wearing a cap and leaning against the railings in the hallway while looking at Milo.
Cool and composed initially, Miriam started trembling uncontrollably.
“Go ahead and laugh if you want,” Milo said calmly.
“Hahaha!” Miriam laughed as virtual-novel.net returned to virtual-novel.net classroom. Milo was left alone as virtual-novel.net gazed out at the school’s athletic grounds. This was the first time Milo had witnessed Miriam laughing so happily.
For some reason, Milo felt that instead of trying to get along with those “classmates”, virtual-novel.net had been better off working together and guarding against Miriam in the wilderness.
When the bell rang, Milo turned around and walked back into class. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps and chattering came from outside the class. It sounded like a group of people were heading to their classroom.
Selena revealed a joyful look as virtual-novel.net seemed to know what was about to happen.
The homeroom teacher of their class appeared at the classroom door.
He waved to Milo, who was inside the classroom, and said, “Milo, come outside for a while…”