Danny woke up, in a familiar area: A dorm room. For a second, he thought it was all just a very long nightmare. He wanted to laugh, but it hurt just to breath. It felt like dirty water was flowing through his veins.
'Poison,' Danny knew. It was the result of eating a Monster. He only had himself to blame. And, well, maybe Ronny. But Danny threw away those thoughts, trying to figure out where he was.
For some reason, just the ceiling reminded him of a dorm room. It was dirty, with the faint imprints of thrown drinks, splattered food, and the clicking sound that could only come from a bad mouse.
"Aargh!" a voice yelled. Danny could barely tilt his head far enough to see a kid, around the same age as him, looking at a computer screen. The kid's hair made him flinch, which sent a shiver of pain throughout his body. Curly, short black hair, with a neck that seemed to stretch like a Giraffe's.
Soon enough, he was yelling obscenities at the screen for such a long time that the Sun had moved.
After he was finished, he started grumbling to himself. He moved to the bunk bed that Danny was sleeping on, but stopped. "You're awake!" he laughed. "Good news! Very good news! I suppose I'll introduce myself to you. I am someone destined to be King of this world, someday! Arthur Tretti, the Immortal!"
Instantly, Danny cringed. He had remembered the name, plus his arrogant way of moving, speaking, and gesturing, was almost exactly what he imagined them to be. But they were even more. And he wasn't even lying, not really. He would be King, for around a day. Then, the main character found out a way to trap him, as he was actually Immortal. He wouldn't die if his brain or heart was stabbed, crushed, beaten, etc.
"But don't you worry, friend. You won't be able to become Immortal, like me," he said, coming unreasonably close. Danny did not like his eyes that one would see on a fanatic. He was completely crazy, in the later stages of the Novel. "It was a stupid thing of you. You know, eating a Monster corpse. Thankfully, I could barely keep you alive, using some very rare ingredients."
He slowed down, seemingly bashful, as he continued, "So, um, when you recover, you don't mind hooking- introducing me to one of your sister's, right?"
Danny felt like he was getting dumber, just listening to him speak. So, with a lot of effort, he tried speaking, only to release just a gasp of air.
"What did you say?" Arthur moved even closer to Danny.
"Shut... up..." Just with those two words, Danny fainted.
The next week, according to Arthur's incessant rambling, was him healing Danny through strange medicine that he always shied away from. He had been out for a week, before he woke up, according to Arthur.
Stolen novel; please report.
"I wasn't even sure that you were going to survive," Arthur said, slack jawed. Danny also thought the same thing, but here he was, standing. With the help of a cane, though.
"It's not that surprising," Danny replied. That was true. It wasn't too rare to survive poison, but from what he had eaten, it was much worse. "Now, can I have a tour of the Academy?" He didn't want to go around, completely lost.
"This Immortal would help you, but, uh..." He didn't finish his words. Danny sighed, already expecting this. Arthur didn't know the place, at all. "Anyway, there should be an instructor coming around to check on you. So, ask them."
Arthur then sat down on the only swivel chair, turning around to the PC screen. He started playing a game that Danny didn't know.
Danny sat down on a chair, one that didn't turn, and watched him play the game.
Only 10 minutes later, Danny spoke up. "You're trash," he said. That was the only thing he could say about his skill level.
"No, I'm not," Arthur responded, turning back. "It's just everyone is better!" He began throwing a tantrum that Danny barely paid any attention to. "They must have more free time to practise!"
"But you don't leave the room," Danny shot back. It was true; whenever Danny woke up, Arthur was playing that same game. And every time, he suffered a loss.
"Well-" Just as he tried to defend himself, there was a knock on the door.
"Student Arthur Tretti, open the door," a voice came, sounding completely serious.
"Yes, sir~" he called back, grumbling. He stood up, walked over to the door, and partly opened the door. It was just far enough that Danny couldn't see the man through it, and the same could be said for the man.
"Is The Emperor's First Son, Student August Reginald awake?" the same voice asked, sounding very impatient. Arthur nodded. The body of a huge man appeared, nearly hitting his shoulders on the doorway, and his head into the frame. "Good, you can move. Follow."
Danny looked at Arthur, who seemed to carry just a hint of suspicion, and said, "No. Tell me who you are, first." Danny stayed seated, trying to make himself more imposing. It didn't work, as the man's lips curved upward.
"Excuse my manners," he said, bowing a little. "I am the Head Servant to the Emperor, and he has ordered for your presence. Is that good enough for you?"
Danny shook his head. "I said tell me who you are, not what you are. If you're not planning to do that, then screw off." Danny couldn't stop himself from flipping the man the bird. He could see Arthur trying to contain a laugh. "Also, I'm in the Academy. So long as I'm here, you can't take me by force, unless you are the Emperor. Which you, I might add, are not."
"I shall tell His Majesty what you just said." He glanced at Danny's face, though there was no change.
"Good. Tell him all of our conversation. Every single word." Danny waved him away, but the man sent a shock wave of air out. It nearly pushed Danny off of the chair, but it flung Arthur into the wall.
Then, with a 'Hmph,' he left, closing the door behind him.
"Why'd you say that?" Arthur asked, after standing up. "Weren't you afraid?" Danny saw Arthur twist his neck so that it sat correctly, though it was much weirder than he thought it would be.
"If he touched me, he would've been the bravest person on this continent." After all, it was death to harm The Emperor's family. Even if it was the worst one. "Now, do you know his name?"
"Nope," Arthur said, shaking his head.
After waiting for just a bit more, another knock came from the door. The door opened, with a frail looking man peeping his head in.
"Ah, Arthur," he said. They seemed friendly, as the man waved.
"Hello, Instructor Leo," Arthur responded. Danny felt himself instantly relax at the name, as he was the most peaceful Instructor on campus. From the MC's view, anyway.
"Excuse me," he said, letting himself in. Leo wasn't very tall, nor was he muscly, or even confident in how he moved. Just as he was described. He seemed like he would fall from a light push. Danny, however, knew his strength didn't come from strength.