Chapter 9 - As High As The Heaven

<We're back to the real world.>

Joren didn't say a word and leaned forward as he rested his elbows in his thighs. His hands were clasped together.

"Is that the feeling of getting high?"

<No, that's the feeling of tripping.>

Joren frowned.

"What's the difference?"

<Getting high means getting high, tripping means getting high.>

"What's the difference?"

Joren repeated as if he was stuck in a time loop.

<Getting high means chilling with great motivation while tripping means seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not supposed to happen.>

"So... Gangsta Heaven is not real?" Joren was getting confused. It was as if he hit the bong.

<No, I just corrected your phrasing. Gangsta God's so gangsta, he made a world that makes his successor thought he was trippin'. Pretty mad.>

"..." Joren began to contemplate his life.

But there was one thing he was certain about.

'I don't like to become Gangsta God.'

He then shook his head.

'What am I thinking, why am I contemplating this?'

The fish saw Joren and found something strange. It then muttered but still went into Joren's mind.

[Gangsta God's so gangsta just visiting him without even seeing him made Joren high. Also, his face is relaxing, he's like a different person.]

Joren didn't know what's happening. He just knows that he is happy and carefree.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Joren, it's me, Scarlett."

Seeing that there was no response, Scarlet pushed the doorbell which was never been pushed in this neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Joren was relaxedly laying down on the couch while staring at the ceiling.

"What is the meaning of life?"

"Is our existence only limited to this?"

"Why are men's balls just hanging if they're so important?"

Ding*

Joren's contemplation was interrupted when a doorbell rang.

<Joren, go out and deal with that blonde chick first. If I remember correctly, she would test you.>

The fish's voice directly entered Joren's head which made him stand up and get to the door.

Opening it, he saw many men in black waiting for him while Scarlett Fross stood in front of them.

"What kept you- wait! Who are you!?" Scarlett stepped backward when she saw a different face instead of the scary and glaring one.

"Hiiii~ Miss Scarlett..." Joren raised his eyebrows, squinted his eyes, and bit his lower lips.

Scarlett frowned and looked at the house number.

House 12.

She was sure that only Joren has the keys there. Furthermore, looking at him, he had the same outfit. The only difference is everything else and his reddened eyes. With the help of the setting "sun" his eyes reddening was not that noticeable.

"I forgot that he's an Abnormal..." she massaged her temples and went on with her agenda.

"Before the day ends, we would like to test your strength and intelligence. For the first test, you will choose any of these men to fight with. Don't worry, they have varying levels of strength. For the second test, will answer an intelligence quotient test. You have a quarter an hour to choose your opponent and prepare yourself. You can start now."

Joren didn't follow at all but knew that he just had to choose.

Scarlett then explained the levels of each opponent. What they are capable of and what weapon they can use. Starting from the left, he has below average strength while the furthest on the right had immense strength of splitting mountains and crossing the pacific ocean in one go. He can also use any weapon he deemed necessary, making him the toughest and strongest.

"Him! I choose him!"

Joren pointed his finger that surprised Scarlett.

"A-are you sure!?"

Even the men were shocked and looked at each other.

"Yes, I am sure!" Joren made a determined face.

"... okay, it's your choice. I believe I already explained their strength so... if you think he's your opponent, okay..." Scarlett made a worried face.

'What happened to Joren? No one had ever chosen that man to battle before. No one in history.'

Joren chose the man on the very end. No, not to the right but to the left. It was the skinny man who can only use his fist. But even if he used a gun, he doesn't know how to aim.

The skinny man walked forward. Although he was obedient, he was sweating, and his legs shaking.

'Why did I get picked?! I was only here for formality and variety! I'm not supposed to be picked! Even the weakest Abnormal, challenged third to the strongest even if he was beaten!'

Joren made a serious face.

'Strange... why is the... skinny man the strongest...? But maybe he's a monster... there are so many legends out there... maybe he's one of them...'

Initially, he wanted to impress Scarlett as he remembered she like the strong. However, he chose wrong because he was stoned and he didn't think he was wrong because he was stoned.

Scarlett knew how strong Joren is. She was defeated herself without any fight. She was prepared to save the skinny man from dying.

Unceremoniously, the two faced one another.

"Start" Scarlett said, ready to act.

The skinny man took a step back in fright as Joren walked to him before running.

In Joren's head, he would run then dropped his pants to activate his Sagging Pants skill. Once he got close, he would swing his fist at a rate that would blast a boulder into smithereens!

That was the initial plan...

When Joren began to ran, he dropped his pants, showing his blue boxer shorts.

[Agility: 62 -> 02

Strength: 57 -> 88

Toughness: 76 -> 107]

Many gasped, including Scarlett.

Joren swung his fist and forward he went. He saw the skinny guy in front of him but when his fist made contact, he felt nothing.

'What...? I underestimated this monster...'

Joren, with his full force, went forward and with just 2 Agility, he couldn't move well. When he hit nothing, he just continues going front until down and plop*

Swoosh*

The wind blew strongly due to his punch hitting nothing but air.

"..."

With the skinny man the only one standing and Joren didn't move, Scarlett had no choice but to end the match.

"That's enough."

She frowned and looked at Joren.

'Is he a true full-fledged idiot? Why did he drop his pants midway? This battle is supposed to test not only your strength but all other factors during a battle. Even if one is strong if they can't even use it in a fight, it's useless... I lose to this guy?'

Scarlett was about to give him the benefit of a doubt, however, she received no complaints from the start nor before the battle. With so many witnesses, she cannot change the results.

She had no choice but to put down on the records.

"Losing to the weakest man and dealing no damage to his opponent. For the first time ever, zero points on Strenght."

Joren didn't know what happened after that. He just closed his eyes and when he woke up he just saw the fish staring at him.

"Huh?"

<Goodmornig, Joren.>

Joren was creeped out but he subconsciously returned the greeting due to a habit.

"Goodmorning to you too."

He sat up and found himself on the bed.

<Indeed, also, a mail has arrived. I think it's the result of your tests yesterday.>

"Oh... okay..."

Joren stood up and went to the front door before he stopped and looked at the fish with sunglasses. He stiffly looked with his face terrified.

"Tests?"

<Yes, tests. That blonde chick tested you in both strength and intelligence, do you not remember?>

Joren's body trembled.

"I... I remember! That wasn't a dream!? But everything was strange. The ground is melting. Then I was brought to a different world then... then..."

<You really have a gangster in you. You tripped so hard.>

"No..."

Joren didn't know if he could trust his memories but he could somehow remember doing something idiotic... extremely idiotic.

<Why don't you look at the results? Maybe getting high opened up your potential and got you on the top spot,>

Clinging onto his last hope, Joren opened the mail and took the letter out. The sun had yet to rise. Only the cold wind and light from the lightbulb accompanied him.

Slowly, he pulled the letter and then he saw an obvious number.

"1st?" Joren was confused.

<Will you look at that? That's the future Gangsta God for you. Getting first without him knowing what happened.>

However, Joren had a bad feeling about it and just went for it, pulling the letter all the way.

"1st from the very bottom of the bottom...?"

Then, there was an explanation at the bottom of the ranking placement.

[There are more than a trillion monsters out there. To avoid confusion, the ranking will start at the very bottom if you're that bad. But if you have a good result, the ranking will start at the very top.]

<Will you look at that? That's the future Gangsta God for you. Flunking a test so bad he got back to first place.>

On the left side of the letter, there was a paragraph.

[Welcome to the Myth Academy, Joren Vierei. You are placed at Class 10, the lowest class at the lowest league of the lowest level. There is a card accompanying this letter. Use it at the gate and you will be brought to that building directly.]

After that, there was the class schedule.

[The class starts at 7:00 AM, please avoid tardiness.]

"Learning the alphabet? Learning how to count? Learning how to eat properly!?" Joren was getting more shocked by every subject he has in his class.

After reading all the contents, Joren heard a knock. Opening it, he saw Scarlett in front.

"Joren... did you already receive your letter?"

"... yes"

"Can you read it? I... I'm here to read it for you and explain what it means." Scarlett showed a worried and pitied expression.

Joren suddenly wanted to cry.

"I... I can read it."

"You..." seeing that Joren was back to normal, Scarlett asked, "What happened yesterday?"

Joren just shook his head in defeat.

"I have no idea."