Chương 66: Reassessment

Ch 66 - Reassessment [New Status Effect Acquired: Definitely the Villain Aura] [You have a certain presence that makes people wonder what you're up to. You probably aren't doing anything suspicious. Probably.] Evan's lower eyelid twitched violently as he read the description. A villain aura? Didn't that basically mean everyone would automatically assume he was up to no good? This was bad. Really bad. What if it affected Reid too?

Wouldn't this only increase the chance of his brother suspecting that Evan was either a demon or an impostor pretending to be his little brother? Groaning, he clutched his head and barely stopped himself from swearing out loud. He blamed Yeon-ah for refusing to take the obvious path that could have made her a fortune as an Awakener, and her father even more for his absurd hatred of Awakeners. That father-and-daughter pair had become nothing but a constant headache.

Evan pulled up his status window, and sure enough, a new status effect had appeared. [Name: Evan Whitfield] [Age: 17 years old] [Status: Awakened] [Title: Transmigrator] [Status Effect: The Curse of ■■■■■■, Definitely the Villain Aura] [Skills:] [-Main Character Who?] [-You're Not Supposed to See This] [-Cry Later] [-That's Not How This Works] [Demonic Energy Essence: 80]"Aaaah! Why is life so unfair?!" Evan shouted. Several passersby turned to stare at him, but Evan paid them no mind.

He slumped onto the bench and stared at the darkening sky. Maybe giving up would be easier. He could walk to the nearest street, let a truck finish the job, and hope he got lucky enough to transmigrate again, preferably somewhere his own System wasn't actively trying to ruin his life. After all, if the System could dump an outrageous Quest like this on him, there was no telling what it had planned next. At this point, Evan wouldn't be surprised if it was filling out some kind of curse-themed bingo card.

He remained there wallowing in self-pity until his phone vibrated. It was a message from Reid. [Evan? Are you still out? Carmen said you went to Ms. Lim's place. Just a reminder to head back before it gets too dark.] Could he pretend he hadn't seen it? Probably not. If he failed to come back, Reid would only track him down, convinced that another incident had happened to his little brother.

With no other choice, Evan dragged himself back to the Outer Zone Security Post as though he were walking to his own execution. Once inside the residential wing, however, he stopped several doors away from their room and began pacing the hallway. He knew he had to get it over with, but he wasn't ready to find out how the new status effect would affect his brother. The closer he got to their door, the more his steps dragged.

"What are you doing?" Evan jolted and turned to find Carmen watching him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"Really?" Was that the curse already taking effect, or was Carmen simply being her usual annoyingly perceptive self?

"It's nothing," he said.

"I just failed to convince Yeon-ah to become an Artificer." Carmen sighed.

"I figured as much. Her father seems completely against her becoming an Awakener for some reason. Is that why you're so upset? You're not actually mad that she didn't listen to you, are you? I mean, she even turned down my offer after I practically threw money at her."

"I'm not," Evan lied.

"Then why do you look like someone just ran over your favorite shoes?"

"Evan?" Evan stiffened and slowly turned to see Reid walking toward him.

"Yeah?" Evan said.

"There you are. I was starting to worry. You shouldn't stay out running around at night, especially in the Outskirts. You remember how dangerous it can be. Oh, and I picked up some Greek food if you're hungry," Reid said. Evan blinked.

"I already ate at Yeon-ah's place. Her father runs a Korean restaurant, so I had dinner there."

"Is that so? Was she doing well? I heard about what happened to her agency and Stellaris."

"She seems to be handling it okay. She said she's planning to quit being an idol since her friends aren't continuing either." Evan watched for any change in Reid's expression, but his brother gave him nothing to work with.

"Apparently, the three of them are thinking about starting a NovaTube music channel instead."

"Really?" Carmen gasped.

"Then I need to contact her! We can collaborate!" Do you even upload music? Evan thought as Carmen hurried back to her room. Shaking his head, he turned back to Reid.

"Oh, and about the bracelet. She said she's still working on it, so it'll take a little longer." Reid smiled.

"That's fine. She can take her time. It's not like we're in a hurry." The two brothers returned to their room, where Evan picked at the snacks Reid had bought while his brother ate dinner. Evan's gaze kept drifting back to Reid, whose expression remained as calm and unperturbed as ever. Was the status effect really doing nothing? The System wouldn't go through the trouble of cursing him only for the effect to be completely pointless.

The Outer Zone Volunteer Program ended soon afterward, and everyone returned to the academy. At the first opportunity, Evan marched straight to Hiroto's room and grabbed him by the shoulders. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Tell me honestly. When you look at me... do I seem evil?" Evan asked.

"Huh?" Hiroto tilted his head.

"Just answer the question."

"Hmmm... no?"

"You're being honest, right? You're not just saying that to spare my feelings?"

"No. You don't look any different than usual." Evan scrutinized Hiroto's earnest, puppy-like expression for even the slightest hint of deception. Finding none, he reluctantly accepted the answer. So the villain aura hadn't affected Reid, Hiroto, or Carmen. Perhaps trust weakened its influence. Or maybe it only activated under certain conditions, waiting for the right opportunity to make Evan's life miserable.

"You're acting kind of strange," Hiroto said.

"Did something happen while you were in the Outskirts?"

"It's nothing." Evan waved the question away.

"Anyway, I heard you're getting reassessed soon."

"Probably in a few weeks," Hiroto replied.

"The specialist said my mana reserves have been steadily expanding, but the rate of growth has started to slow. They think it'll be time to determine whether my rank has changed." Evan nodded, satisfied. At last, he would find out whether all the trouble he'd gone through training his lackey had actually paid off.

"Would you mind coming with me?" Hiroto asked.

"Why?"

"Father said it's fine to have someone accompany me. It's just... I don't have the best memories of Assessment Centers." Right. He'd been branded an F-rank despite being the son of an S-rank Guild Master.

"Sure," Evan said.

"Just let me know when it is, and I'll go with you."

"Thanks!" Hiroto beamed. With no Quest hanging over his head, Evan's life returned to its usual rhythm, and he once again spent his days at the academy like an ordinary student. Well, as ordinary as life could be for someone saddled with a villain aura. Whenever his schedule allowed, he visited crowded areas and deliberately struck up conversations with strangers. It was hardly his idea of fun, but he needed to determine who the curse could influence. After enough encounters, a pattern emerged.

Definitely the Villain Aura mainly affected people who barely knew him. Random students sometimes gave him wary looks as he passed, yet instructors like Mehra and Brooks treated him no differently than before. A week slipped by between lectures and assignments until Sunday arrived. A black sedan picked them up that morning and drove them to the nearest Assessment Center. The facility dwarfed the one Evan had visited with Reid, occupying an entire high-rise complex that towered over the surrounding streets.

Its grand entrance bore the logo of the Awakened Affairs Bureau. People filed through the doors while groups of reporters crowded the entrance, microphones in hand as cameramen followed close behind. Judging by the intense media presence, Evan had little doubt they were here for Hiroto. Whatever the results, they were bound to make headlines. If Hiroto remained an F-rank, the coverage would likely be filled with mockery. If his rank increased, the reaction would be far more explosive.

The gate attendants were accustomed to the commotion and waved the car through the checkpoint before anyone could approach. Inside, the building opened into a spacious lobby where people waited beneath large digital displays showing appointment schedules and directing visitors toward the examination rooms.

"Your father isn't here?" Evan asked. Hiroto shook his head.

"Father's busy, but—""There you are, Hiroto!" Hiroto's mother approached with a warm smile. Reika followed behind her, her expression dark and strained, like she was desperately holding back a scowl.

"Mother," Hiroto greeted.

"You arrived at just the right time. You should be called in about fifteen minutes." Mrs. Konoe turned her attention to Evan.

"And you brought your friend along. It's good to see you again, Evan."

"It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Konoe." Her pleasant manner did little to ease Evan's wariness. After seeing the strained relationship between Hiroto and Reika, he couldn't help wondering whether their parents were partly responsible. Evan had never experienced anything resembling parental warmth, but he'd heard that parents were supposed to love their children without playing favorites. Then again, some demanded perfection and naturally favored whichever child came closest to meeting those expectations.

Staring at Mrs. Konoe's perfectly composed smile, Evan was reminded of a certain lunatic he'd met recently. The resemblance was unsettling enough to make him activate You're Not Supposed to See This and pull up her status window. [Name: Konoe Haruta] [Age: 48 years old] [Status: Awakened] [Title: -] At least she didn't appear to be a demonic arts practitioner. So did that mean she was just a terrible mother? They waited in the lobby until Hiroto's name was called, then headed into Room Four.

The process followed much the same format as Evan's and Reid's, beginning with questions from the specialist. This time, a middle-aged woman was handling the evaluation instead of the irritating balding man Evan had encountered.

"It's quite rare for someone to undergo a reassessment," the Assessment Specialist said.

"Most Awakeners keep the rank they receive during their initial assessment. There are cases where an evaluation shifts slightly during the licensing exam as an Awakener gains a better grasp of their abilities, but a full reassessment is far less common. In your case, Mr. Hiroto, the request was made because of your rapidly expanding mana reserve, which is rarer still."

"That's because..." Hiroto began. She raised a hand, stopping him.

"There's no need to explain. I've already been instructed not to ask about the reason behind it. I should warn you, though, that the reporters waiting outside won't be nearly as considerate. Now then, shall we begin?" Hiroto took his seat, and she began measuring his mana. Evan stood with Haruta and Reika while the examination continued. A few minutes later, the specialist's eyes widened at the results before she quickly hid her reaction.

"Alright," she said.

"Let's move on to the evaluation chamber." The group entered a large testing room, where the Assessment Specialist turned her attention to Hiroto.

"Let's see how much your ability has developed. I understand you possess a spatial ability?" Hiroto nodded.

"I can open a pocket space where I store things. At first, the portal was only about the size of a piece of candy."

"I assume your increased mana has allowed you to make it considerably larger. Let's see what you can do." Following her instructions, Hiroto demonstrated his ability, starting with objects small enough to hold in one hand before progressing to larger ones. By the end of the test, he had stored an entire mannequin inside his pocket space.

"Forgive me for bringing this up," she said, "but I watched the footage from your recent battles that has been circulating online. From what I saw, you're capable of storing living people and even making handheld objects disappear with a simple touch. Is that correct?"

"Yeah. If it's something small enough to fit in one hand, I can secretly store it without opening a visible portal. Bigger objects still need one, though. As for people, they can stay inside for a while, but I haven't tested the limits." Hiroto scratched his cheek.

"It's technically a separate space, so I don't know whether fresh oxygen is generated in there. Someone might eventually pass out or even suffocate."

"That's certainly an interesting question. Unfortunately, it's not something we can test today." She made a few notes.

"That should be enough. Let's head back to the main room." Back at her desk, Hiroto and Haruta sat across from the Assessment Specialist while Evan and Reika remained standing behind them.

"As always, I'd like to emphasize that this is only a preliminary assessment. We still need time to fully process and verify today's data," the Assessment Specialist explained.

"That said, I believe I can safely state that your provisional rank is... S-rank."