The best classes are interesting, valuable, and kinda crazy. Those are no exception. ENJOY!
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Today was the DAY!
Jack woke up trembling in excitement.
Today really was the day! He’d finally get to pick his elective classes! As for the two weeks of straight-up Support 101 that usually led to it? Too bad he had missed them all!
Chuckling, he checked the time. 5:45 AM, so early that even the sun wasn’t up yet. This would do nicely. It was time to spam the hell out of Sharky with messages!
“Oh, little shark, Awaken!”
“Wake up, your destiny awaits!”
“Find the strength to open your eyes!”
“If you wake up now, I shall gift you a transcendent trash basket, one that would make a rabid raccoon wild with jealousy. I’m talking the best of the best of all trash!”
Sharky had asked him to return? Well, he was here now! Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long for an answer, Sharky replying after the fourth ding, just as he often did.
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.
“JACK, YOU’RE BACK?! THIS IS AMAZING! SHOULD I COME GET YOU RIGHT NOW?! AH, WAIT, MY ODYSSEY’S STILL IN THE SHOP, AND ALL THE VALOR CARS HAVE TRACKERS. MEET AT SCHOOL ASAP! AH, AND BEWARE OF SQUIRRELS!”
“NO SERIOUSLY, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! MIGRATING OR SOME SHIT!”
"STAY FAR AWAY FROM THEM! THEY'RE WAY TOO MISCHIEVOUS!"
“ANYWAY, SEE YOU SOON. CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!”
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See you soon? It always took Sharky an eternity to get ready. Then again, considering he'd speed up all the way to school, Jack couldn't afford to waste any more time.
It didn’t help that there was somewhere he NEEDED to stop by. Thus, he hurriedly got up, his footsteps echoing in the room, one separated into two sides by a measly curtain.
It disturbed a sleeping beauty…
“E-Eh? Ugh, it’s way too early for this.”
“Pfft— Rise and shine! Else, you won’t have time to get ready.”
"Ugh, getting ready's overr—mmmph... zzz..." She never finished her sentence. She was already slumbering again, something that made him smile.
This girl, it was rare to see her like this. She, who’d usually be jumping around super early, now sounded deader than a zombie, and there was no waking her anymore.
She clearly needed more rest after their midnight outing the day before.
“Alright, sleep well, Lilly. See you later.”
His voice turned soft, knowing she had tons of alarms ready in case something like this ever happened. He let her slumber, leaving her a note that read: SQUIRRELS!
It would suffice. With it, she’d be careful in case she Warped to school. After all, those little critters were so easy to splatter by mistake.
“Now, let’s eat, shall we?”
He expertly browsed his phone as he prepared himself the most scrumptious breakfast ever. Peanut butter, jelly, and ghost pepper. Oh, and he laddered it THICK!
The first bite sent his mouth ablaze with flavor.
Sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness.
It was PERFECT!
Yet, what was even more perfect was Legendary-U’s homepage, which he was now checking. Rising Super Stars? Cool, but what he wanted to see were classes. Ah, there they were!
They were as varied as one would expect. Stealth 101, Super Law, Villain Profiling, Elemental Quirks & You, Runic Magic for Dummies, and countless more.
The more he scrolled, the more classes there were. There was even the Super Outfit Design class that Sharky dreaded so much since it involved needles.
Yet, they all had the same mention…
[Availability Limited: Check with Admission]
[Availability Limited: Check with Admission]
[Availability Limited: Check with Admission]
…
There was never any “FULL!”
He couldn’t help but give a profound sigh.
“Let me guess, the availability depends on who’s asking. If it’s a student with an awesome Quirk, they may just make an exception and increase Class size.”
Still, all those classes rocked and would be useful given the right circumstances. He couldn't help but nod approvingly, knowing it made sense. After all, Super schools were held to high standards and scrutinized INCREDIBLY!
There was a reason there were only four on the Island! Yes, the entire Island ONLY had four:
— Hero Forge
— Legendary-U
— Apex Academy
— The Zenith Institute
…
He ate as he scrolled, picturing the possibilities.
And just like that, he finished preparing himself with a pep in his steps. A hot shower that sent blood flowing, the same low-key clothes he absolutely swore by, and the SV shoes.
However, he took out a huge black marker and blurred their logo.
Other youngsters would have shown up at school, proudly parading the guild gear, but he was different. He knew that wealth brought trouble and that only TRUE wealth brought safety.
“Ah, right, better bring a backpack for once, a big one…”
Grabbing the first one he saw, he briskly left the apartment. The morning was sweet, if it could even be called 'morning.' After all, the sun wasn't even up yet.
Still, that didn’t matter for the Island. It was ALIVE!
Cars circulated on the street, people flocked to the nearest station, and squirrels could be seen eagerly laughing at them, their eyes glowing red with mirth.
As Sharky had warned, there was a SHITLOAD of Squirrels!
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
….
They kept cackling.
‘Look at those silly humans and their work!’
Well, that was nothing new. The Island was absolutely infested with migratory squirrels and pigeons, the two species sometimes engaging in turf wars, leaving fur and feathers all over.
Even in a world of portals, Supers, and monsters, those two species had somehow remained the same harmless and lovable critters they had always been.
So lovable in fact, that there was even a bronze Squirrel statue in the nearest park.
< Peanut: May he Rest in Peace! >
< Peanut: He Died for Our Sins >
< Peanut: The Bestest Boy >
…
Because of this, no one minded the squirrels just running along as they went to work, and Jack was honestly the same— or that’s how it should have been.
A squirrel was scurrying under his legs when— CCHHIII?!! Jack suddenly felt something rumble from deep within his shadow as thousands of Ink Wolves awoke all at once.
They weren’t just HUNGRY! They were playfully so….
FOOD!? FOOD! FOOD!
FOOD!? FOOD! FOOD!
FOOD!? FOOD! FOOD!
….
They couldn’t wait to hunt this new prey. How would it taste compared to the goblins, orcs, and snacks? Somehow, just looking at it they knew it would be delicious.
Yet, just as they were about to erupt from his shadow— CLANG!
Jack pictured himself closing a massive mental door, disappointment and pain coming through their link as they all crashed on the “LOCKED” shadow.
Only then did he finally relax. Oof, that had been a close one! A little more and a bunch of Ink Wolves would have splashed an entire sea of civilians with their blood.
Would that be considered assault or vandalism?
Luckily, he had acted in time— not that the squirrel understood.
It hurriedly jumped backward in fright, its body arching and its tiny claws coming out. And for a brief instant, there was a mighty stand-off: human versus squirrel!
It was glaring at him as if he was its mortal enemy, every fiber of its fur on high alert! Actually, no, it was glaring at his shadow.
Cute Squirrel VS Amused Jack
Instinct VS Ink Wolf Scent
Paws VS Shadow
….
Jack slowly approached the Squirrel, the latter freezing as it sensed SOMETHING from the human. But just as it got ready to fight for its life…
“Don’t freak out, alright?— PET!”
Jack gently scratched it behind the ears.
Soft fur, little paws slowly coming down, and a blissful expression on its little face. For an instant, it even seemed to wonder whether it had imagined the terrifying aura.
Yet, the cute moment didn’t last long, Jack rising up and decisively leaving.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“Take care, little one, and stay away from Supers.”
He left, his thoughts quite preoccupied.
‘My Quirk WILL activate by itself if I let it, something that’s bound to screw me over. Good thing that Squirrel was there to remind me. Now, I better lock them all up!’
He focused his mind, accessing his shadow, and… CLANG! He blocked it with all he had. After all, their next stop was bound to interest them since it was full of cats!
And soon...
< Welcome to the Cat-girl Café! >
< Welcome to the Cat-girl Café! >
< Welcome to the Cat-girl Café! >
….
As he stilled before the sign, he felt strange, as if an eternity had passed.
The last time he had been here, he had been despairing and coping the best he could. Now, he was stopping by with one hell of a sentient power, one begging to be let out! It was CRAZY!
And as he pushed the doors, what awaited was not one but two Dryads!
Lilia, Lilia Bloom, sitting right next to her own advert.
In front of her was a laptop so full of flowers that it looked more like vegetation than technology, which didn’t stop her from frowning as she worked on it.
In fact, she was so focused that she didn’t even notice his presence, nor the Felaryn waitresses gasping in shock, and that didn't change as he peeked at what she was doing.
He directly froze as he saw the screen...
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!! JACK RESCUE PLAN !!
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
→ Crowdfund $$$
→ Reach out to CMC News
→ Set up a missing person tip line
→ Offer a monetary reward for finding him!
→ If funds are low, sell flowers and feet pics!
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The more he stared, the more baffled he became.
Did this mean she had guessed he had gone into a portal?! And now she wasn't just getting worried for his sake, but even organizing a search and rescue?! This Dryad, how thoughtfully foolish!
He couldn't help but sigh, both touched and amused as he sat beside her...
“This Jack Bright’s incredibly lucky to have you.”
“Lucky? He’s the furthest from lucky…”
She absentmindedly replied, so absorbed in her task that she didn’t even realize what was happening; that's how much she cared. At that moment, gratefulness washed over him. No, over THEM!
From deep within his shadow came approval...
She was helping their master!
She was helping their master!
She was helping their master!
...
Even now…
She could be seen sending a strongly worded letter to a dairy company for refusing to put his face on their milk cartons as they argued that he was an adult, not a child.
Well, that and the fact they had stopped that practice eons ago. Sadly, logical arguments wouldn't stop her...
“Tap! Tap! Tap! Dear Mister Caldwell—”
What followed was an incredible cocktail of threats: boycotting the man's company, turning his lawn into a rainforest, and even dumping soil all over his office.
Seeing this, Jack hurriedly held her hand before she could press send. At first, her beautiful brows furrowed in annoyance, but it all changed as she finally realized who he was.
“J-Jack?! You’re alive?! I mean, of course, you’re alive!— SLAM!”
She quickly closed the laptop, diving into a hug.
And as soon as her soft body glued itself to him, he was attacked by a floral scent that almost overwhelmed him. Yet he wasn't the worst off, Lilia gasping in confusion.
“Squirrel, something way darker, and then—”
“Wait, it can’t be?! You succeeded?!”
“Jack, that’s crazy!”
She was like a dog; all it took was a sniff, and she figured him out. Luckily, it was only possible because she was VERY used to him, and now she was absolutely glowing.
“That calls for a celebration!— Ah, but you have school, right? Damnit! Also, what’s with the bag? Wait, let me guess, you’ll hide me in and whisk me away?!”
Joking was her way of showing him that she was fine.
But with her mentioning his backpack, he was reminded of his initial reason for coming here, albeit he would have done it sooner had he known her worries.
He hurriedly explained his current issue…
“I need LOTS of food, any type works. You guys got any scraps you don’t need or something? Doesn’t matter if its almost expired, or even expired, I’m not picky!”
“Oh? What a thoughtful friend you are! For Sharky, right? Be right back!!” She didn’t wait for his answer, disappearing in the back with his bag.
Then, an earth-shattering ruckus later, she reappeared, her slender frame holding a backpack about to burst at the seams! He couldn’t help but gasp as he peeked inside.
Food, so much food! There was enough to feed Africa— or Aetherwild or whatever it was called nowadays, with a sturdy vine dropping it next to him with a heavy THUD.
“There you go. A whole week's worth of scraps!”
“Why do you even have— Never mind!”
“Have a great day, you got this!”
As if she were the perfect wife, she waved him goodbye as he realized he had totally saved a certain dairy executive’s house from getting bombarded with expired food.
And as he roamed the streets, people now looked at him strangely. First, there was the backpack that CLEARLY contained trash, but they even looked behind him in wonder.
He endured it all, reaching the nearest bus stop.
Yet, as soon as he showed up, many couldn’t stop giggling at his appearance, or rather at the curious tiny squirrel “not-so-sneakily” following him.
The thing looked absolutely silly as it hid behind metallic poles, lone trees, and garbage cans. Then it would peek its little head out, stare for three seconds, and hide back— or try!
From Jack's shadow...
FRIEND! FRIEND! FRIEND!
FRIEND! FRIEND! FRIEND!
FRIEND! FRIEND! FRIEND!
….
His wolves definitely saw it!
Back in the White Plane, they were copying it. They hid behind Ink Structures, slowly inching toward the portal, more than eager to play. After all, if not food, then friend, right?!
As for the bystanders back in the real world, they were as playful!
“Ah?! Young man, I’m afraid you’re being stalked!”
“Hehe, are you carrying nuts in your backpack?”
“Be careful, or you’ll die of cuteness!”
…
If only they knew.
The thought crossed his mind. He could simply go: “Wanna see something even cuter?” then summon Nightmarish Ink Wolves. It would be absolutely hilarious.
Yet, there was no time for that, the bus coming.
He entered, scanned his AMT card, and quickly took a couple of seats. Good thing it was pretty empty, not that many people heading to Legendary-U in public transport.
But as soon as the bus accelerated, surprised shrieks came from the ceiling, a certain squirrel hanging on to the emergency ceiling window with all its might.
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
"Chii-chii! Kek-kek-kek! Trrii-trrii!"
…
It sure was stubborn. Jack really had the funniest of stalkers.
As for the ride that followed, it was questionably uneventful. All he did was read the school’s elective courses list while a bus full of youngsters kept staring at him. From time to time, they'd hesitantly ask...
“Brother, is this your squirrel?”
“Nope.”
“Then whose is it?”
“No idea.”
“But it’s clearly following you!”
“Is it, now?”
“Hey, aren’t you that guy?!”
“What guy?”
“Stop playing dumb already!”
"I'm not playing, though? I'm reading..."
Jack simply shrugged it all off, even as the squirrel managed to sneak inside the bus, its furry body scuttling toward his shadow and curiously poking at it with tiny claws.
It drove the Ink Wolves INSANE!
Seeing this, Jack couldn't help but chuckle. This squirrel sure knew how to court death! Still chuckling, he grabbed it by its furry tail, the tiny creature struggling to free itself to no avail.
In fact, even as the commute ended, it was still hanging in mid-air.
With this, Jack had finally returned to Legendary-U…
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"Chii-chii!”
It was a cry of despair.
A certain Squirrel was regretting so damn much. Why had it followed the strange human?! He had seemed so friendly, but he had just shown his true colors: a cruel monster.
First, he had brought them straight to the underworld, a place he called “Maintenance Tunnel,” definitely the most terrifying thing it had ever seen! And then... DEATH!
Death was a ginormous acidic slime that wiggled with glee as it saw them, the poor squirrel shivering. It knew it was unquestionably screwed, its despair bottomless.
But just as it thought it was doomed, HE appeared.
A man with a kind and jiggly face. A man who seemed to be smiling so nicely from a distance. A man enthusiastically waving over? Perhaps the Squirrel had a chance!
It begged with all it had. If only the man could hear its tiny voice, he might take pity on it and save its tiny existence! It gave it its all. "Chii-chii! Chii-chii! Chii-chii!”
Perfect execution! It cheered as the man approached and—
SHARK TEETH! HE HAD SHARK TEETH!
SHARK TEETH! HE HAD SHARK TEETH!
SHARK TEETH! HE HAD SHARK TEETH!
….
A certain squirrel suddenly fainted.
As for Jack, he couldn’t help but shake his head helplessly. That was one scaredy-squirrel! Yet, he ignored it, refocusing on Sharky, who was swaggering over while calling out.
“Hehe, Jack, it’s us two against the world again!”
“Of course. I was just busy training. Did you think I’d abandon you or something?”
“No way! Still, what’s up with the squirrel? I said to BEWARE of them, not to kidnap one! Wait, are you planning to feed it to the Gelatinous Cube? Is that why we’re here?”
Jack didn’t even bother replying. He just shook his head, opened his backpack, and revealed the mountain of food it contained. Then he grabbed a stale bun and shoved it inside the creature.
As for what happened next…
“.... ..- -- .- -. --..-- / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -- . / -... .- -.-. -.- .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.-”
“--- ..-. / -.-. --- ..- .-. ... . / .. / -.. .. -.. -.-.-- / .. / .--. .-. --- -- .. ... . -.. --..-- / .- ..-. - . .-. / .- .-.. .-.. .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.-”
“- .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.- / ..-. --- --- -.. .-.-.- / ..-. --- --- -.. / .. ... / --. .-. . .- - -.-.-- / -- --- .-. . --..-- / --. .. ...- . / -- . / -- --- .-. . -.-.--”
Jack kicked while it wiggled, but the creature’s emotions transcended Morse code or any other language. It was something Sharky could relate to: HUNGER!
Stepping up, he, too, reached for the bag.
“Are those old coffee beans? Talk about cheap!”
They sure were. But as Sharky gave them to the creature, it happily engulfed his arm, licking the “food” clean, only to wiggle, begging for more, even for this crap!
Jack and Sharky quickly took turns...
They’d go one after the other as if parents feeding a child— a monstrous one. Yet, they quickly got to work on their main project, too, Sharky grabbing his cell phone.
His was the fancy kind with a projector on it.
He tinkered with it for a few minutes, and then the Academy's portal was soon projected straight onto the damp and cold wall, giving it a spooky atmosphere, especially with the acid slime nearby.
Yet, the content couldn't have been more exciting...
< Classes Available for First Years! >
< Classes Available for First Years! >
< Classes Available for First Years! >
….
Soon, tons of options were scrolling before their eyes. There were so many completely valid choices, but now they had to figure out the best ones FOR THEM!
Jack quickly led the talk...
“Okay, few rules. Classes open to Super and Support should be prioritized. It needs to be something that will serve us both in the future. And it can’t be doable at home easily.”
“Deal! Sounds good to me. Now, shall we get started? Yay or nay time!”
“Super Outfit Design? Nay here for sure!”
“Nay, totally! Next one…”
For the first few ones, it was unanimous, but it didn’t take long for them to disagree on MANY classes. In fact, the arguing was only beginning.
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“Hey Jack, what about Data Analysis? Hear me out; it's safe, and one can make LOTS of money as long as they’re good. Even for me, it could be a nice side gig.”
“Bitch please, you’re a Valor. Why would you ever need a side gig, denied!”
“What do you mean denied? What if my family falls!”
“Brother, if Valors fall, we’re all screwed!”
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“How about this one: Magical History? I heard the teacher’s amazing. It would be great for Support, and Valors LOVE their History. It would finally get Alfred off my back."
“Exactly, so that’s a no-go. Just ask him to teach you or something.”
"But he's so boring! And even he has things he doesn't know."
“It’s a first-year class. It won’t be that deep…”
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“Monstrous Cooking? Sounds powerful, but no way! That kind of cooking is only useful to people with strong physiques or weird Quirks like me. It would be a waste for you, Jack."
“Bah, what do you know? Check out my pecs! I’ve been training!”
“Wait, for real? Still, that doesn’t sound that—”
“Add it to the list! I’ve got a use for it.”
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“Marksmanship! It’s the safest option there is and can be quite potent.”
“Sharky, I love gun fu as much as the next guy, but no.”
“Oh? Are you sure? There’s bows, too.”
“I’ll pass. Ammo’s costly. ”
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“Hazardous Terrain Survival. Skip this one, right? Sounds like a pain.”
“We probably can. After all, it’s not like— SLAM!
It was at that very moment that something strange happened. The slime beside them suddenly stopped eating and slammed a jelly tentacle right at the wall, drawing a YES!
“Wait. Are you saying we should take this Class? But why?”
It never replied. It just kept slamming YES.
“Now I'm actually curious…”
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Just like that, they analyzed EVERY option, even the ones they didn’t initially want. As for the result, they had finally settled on a list of six classes that would fit their needs perfectly.
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1. Hazardous Terrain Survival — Slime Recommendation
2. Villain Profiling — Just Generally Great for Supers
3. Runic Magic — Jack’s Coup de Coeur
4. Magic Languages — Runes adjacent
5. Monstrous Cooking — Sharky's #1
6. Beast Rearing — FUN!
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A few of those Jack had to insist on.
Cooking and Rearing felt like they’d tie in perfectly with his wolves. Sure, they didn't need to eat and were already summoned as adults, but it would give him an edge.
Chances were there would be a “train your pet” section that he could adapt for his own needs. As for Sharky, he couldn't wait to train guard dogs. And just like that, they had decided.
The only thing that remained was to confirm it with admission, and they sure didn’t waste any time. It was now 7:37, and the classes wouldn’t start until 9, but the two lined up patiently.
As they did, a few students couldn't help but point at them with confusion in their eyes. They almost couldn’t believe Jack’s presence here.
“Wait, wasn’t this guy expelled?”
“Must have been fake news?”
“What’s with the Squirrel?”
Said squirrel was playing dead in Jack’s hands. At times, it would “sneakily” open its eyes so very slightly as it observed its surroundings, planning the greatest escape.
But before it could, it was Jack and Sharky’s turn, a staff member in his thirties politely greeting them. “What can I do for the both of you? Wait, let me guess. Class selection, right? Here!”
Before they could speak, he was handing them forms that shimmered in the light, with multiple options swimming across the paper like a school of fish.
Check!
Check!
Check!
…
They chose true and fast.
As soon as they were done, the man's eyes powerfully glowed as he checked their profile on his monitor. "Survival, Villain, and Cooking are all good and confirmed!" He paused for a second.
“For language, there’s a test. As for beast taming, sorry, but it requires a beast. Lastly, Runic Magic is totally full. Better luck next time!”He sounded so happy to give the bad news.
NOOO!! Runic magic was the only one Jack cared about! What was he supposed to do now?! But just as mocking laughs resounded around him, he suddenly regained his bearings.
“Fine, bring it on! Test, was it? Sign me up! As for the beast, this is mine!”
As he hoisted a confused squirrel above his head, even the admission worker couldn’t help but stare. Was this a joke? What kind of delusional idiot would use a squirrel to enroll in beast taming?!
And yet, as soon Jack did, a beam exploded out of the form!
[Ding! Successfully Joined Beast Rearing Class!]
[Congratulations on a Job Well Done!]
[May your beast Grow Strong!]
….
As it did, there was suddenly a commotion. Wait, one could join just like that?! And turns out, beast rearing was super popular, especially for the cute creatures!
“Out of my way. I’m going out to catch a squirrel!”
“Stop pushing; I’ll get one before you all!”
"I can't believe this actually works!"
….
It turned into a FRENZY!
It turned into a bigger frenzy moments later as Jack rushed out and used his own squirrel to catch more of them. His would bait its brethren into a trap, and then — SNATCH!
Soon, a strange scene appeared as countless students poured into Legendary-U. It was still early, but no one cared! They had all gotten wind of the best opportunity ever and wouldn't miss it!
In the middle of the lobby, a youngster was selling... SQUIRRELS?!
"Reserve your spot for Beast Taming! Now only 30 Credits!"
"Learn to raise the strongest beast— or the cutest!"
"For 30 Credits, you might just find love!"
Instant admission to a class with strict criteria? That was GREAT! Yet, a second later, Jack showed an even more devious smile. The Runic Class was full?
Oh, it wouldn’t be for long. He was just getting started…