Chapter 35 - The Monster

Afterward, Virena gave Joren something to eat. He rested after eating and went up again with Ness' help this time.

When Virena was about to volunteer herself to greet Joren, Ness stopped her.

"Wait, Joren, don't you have someone who could do this for you?"

"... someone?"

"Principal, I can endure it."

Virena said, touched that Ness acted for her.

"No, you'll do it if Joren can't find anyone."

"But Joren can't possibly have any friends, Principal."

'Virena's roasting me while being emotional. Has insulting me been integrated into her DNA?' Joren inwardly said to himself. While Virena and Ness were having some moments, he remembered someone who might do it for him.

"Ah, I know someone."

"Oh, who?"

Ness excitedly said while Virena was doubtful. It's not because she thinks that Joren is socially inept but he's in a class where everyone's a ghost. His only classmate that's not a ghost is a minotaur whom he just had a fight with. Other than that, his teacher, Jack doesn't seem like he would agree again after going through a night of suffering.

So who could Joren possibly go to?

"A zombie?"

Ness looked at Virena.

"Is there a zombie in school 1-3-5?"

"I... don't think so. Zombies are mostly within League 1-2."

Virena, as the secretary, does all the paperwork and has vague knowledge about the First Level's current state.

"What? But that guy is a zombie, his body is even all mangled up but I put it back on my own."

Listening to Joren's explanation, Virena finally understood who he was talking about.

"You're talking about the Monster."

"Yeah, I mean, he's a monster-"

"No, what I mean is, Frankenstein's Monster."

"..."

"Or who you usually call as Frankenstein even though Frankenstein is the doctor."

"Y-yeah, I know that. I was just shocked because I've heard of the Frankenstein before." Joren put his palm forward and massaged his face, "So, you're telling me that little dude was Frankenstein?"

"Yeah, he's only little now but he could go big by taking another corpse's body parts. The Monster is not the body but the soul within. Frankenstein made an immortal soul that permanently lives in the living realm. Therefore, once we kill the body, the soul is free to roam which is almost impossible to catch. That's why we placed the soul in a weak and mindless body."

Virena explained and it made sense for Joren why Frankenstein... the Monster, is in a shitty school. He's intended to be within a weak body with a low intelligence after all.

However, wasn't he learning?

Joren just shook his head and waved his hand to go meet this guy at school. He was excused from school since, of course, Ness is a principal.

Opening the door with a Bam* to class 1-3-5-6, Joren saw that it was actually empty. A room that he thought to be full of ghosts, there was nothing.

"Hm, that surprised me, Joren?"

A single figure then rose from one seat. With a bright smile, he looked at Joren.

"You," Joren pointed at him before calling out, "You're Frankenstein's Monster, right?"

At that exact moment, the Monster's smile was shuttered.

"H-h-how did you know?"

Before his eyes became fierce as he gripped his fists.

"Well, I heard from the Principal. Anyway, I'm here because I need help with something, are you free?"

Hearing Joren's words, the Monster's fists loosened before his fearsome face turned to confusion.

"What help?"

"I'm actually in the middle of training. Don't question the training but I just need you to sit on a chair and greet me. It's more taxing than it sounds but you'll just do that and repeat."

Joren didn't seem to notice anything strange as he explained casually.

"Ah? So... you're not here to do something else because you learned I'm Frankenstein's?"

He pointed at himself but Joren just shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, I mean it's cool you're Frankenstein's Monster. I didn't think I would meet you. Also, what's something else should I do?"

Joren proceeded to scratch his head in obliviousness. Meanwhile, the Monster clasped his hands as his jaw dropped along with a big smile.

"I'll help! I'll help!"

"Thanks! Treat it as doing me a favor, I'll repay it in the near future."

"No need! You already helped me last time, remember?"

"Hm, say that again after you experience what's it like to be in that position. I haven't been there but the people I know who did give up afterward."

"Sure! I'll do my best!"

Joren laughed at him before realizing something.

"Say... you speak really well now, I just noticed."

They were already walking through the hallway which was suspiciously quiet.

"It's because I'm gaining knowledge in this school. Also, call me Monstein. I was unable to umm... articulate that name until now."

"Monstein... that's a..."

"Yeah, kind of a spin-off. Everyone's been calling me either Frankenstein or the Monster so boom, Monstein."

"I see, Monstein, it's a cute name. I think it suits you."

Joren lightly laughed while Monstein smiled widely again.

"You really think it suits me!?"

"Yes, also, come on, can you run? We have people waiting for us."

"Sure! I'll follow you!"

A notification then popped up in front of Joren but he dismissed it, thinking that it was about his side mission of putting his hands in his pockets. He learned that if he put two hands in two pockets, the 50 hours becomes just 25 hours.

The math was wrong since it's not even a day since he last finished it but Joren hasn't had a whole night of sleep so he couldn't be blamed. A night without sleep is like a long long night for him.

Returning to the Principal's grounds, they saw the two again. Ness slightly moved behind Virena as she takes caution on the new guy. Monstein did the same as he sidestepped to hide behind Joren.

Virena and Joren looked like parents who coincidentally met at a park with their children being shy to each other. But not to mention the fact that Ness is more like a teenager than a child since she has that slight curve.

"That was fast."

Virena said while looking at Monstein.

"Yeah, we ran all the way here."

Joren replied. Towards this Virena shook her head.

"No, I thought it would take a while since the Monster shouldn't be able to communicate. Did you carry him?"

"Huh? But-"

Joren was about to say that Monstein can speak well enough, however, he felt a pull on his back. When he turned his head around, he saw that Monstein was shaking his head before he whispered-

"Don't tell them I can speak well..."

Ness and Virena clearly heard this. Their senses were extraordinary.

"Ugh..."

Meanwhile, Joren was placed into a dilemma. He wanted to be honest with Ness and Virena, at the same time, Monstein was going to help him. But thinking about it, Joren made a compromise.

"Well, I didn't carry him. Monstein, here's what you need to do."

Joren didn't lie but he didn't tell the truth either as he changed the topic. He thought that it would be harmless, what could be the consequences, right? He even forgot about it after a second he did it since it seemed so inconsequential.

Monstein nodded while Joren made him sit within.

"This is what you should say, 'Hello, Joren.', is that clear?"

Monstein raised a thumbs-up before Joren continued his training.

Bam*

"Hello... Joren..."

"Huh!?"

Joren stopped and looked at what's Monstein's reaction will be. Virena had been affected from the very start even though she lasted long. It was the same for Jack. Ness was just laughing her ass off to see that subtle irritation in the unicorn's face.

However, he noticed that Monstein only have a bright smile.

Joren saw this and was delighted. He repeated a few times but there was no change. Instead, it seemed that Monstein was having fun greeting him.

"Hello~ Joren, Joren."

"Huh!?"

He even hummed at it as he waved side to side.

While the two were doing their thing, Ness ordered Virena.

"Look at the school."

Virena immediately understood and turned into a shadow. She traveled fast and felt some hostility looking at her from behind. She turned to her original form to look back and even though the Principal's grounds were far away, she could feel a hostile stare.

Virena scoffed at this before continuing. Meanwhile, Joren who was in the middle didn't even notice anything.

A moment later, Jack finally arrived at school late.

"Joren is excused. I only have my stupid ghost students... although, on the plus side, Minos is gone. He's still being treated."

Saying Joren's name made Jack recall the traumatizing event but he was able to handle it. The moment he felt the bed last time, he slept like a log and wasn't able to wake up from the alarm he set up.

For a unicorn, he got slightly depressed and gloomy last night. However, as he entered the class, he saw...

"Where's everyone?"

He looked at the clock on the wall and it was synchronized with his wristwatch.

"Don't tell me..."

Jack then remembered the ghosts professors having boos appeared on their communication device...

".... they're boycotting my class!? Damn those ghosts!"