CH 81

An invisible sphere a few tens of meters in diameter formed around Zel. Time slowed down in all that the sphere occupied, with the deceleration happening at a much slower rate in the center than the edges. So slow that it seemed like time had stopped, with only Zel keeping his normal sense of time.

In actuality, this ability was merely just that. Making the perception of time much slower for those inside the skill's influence. Those outside it would not even be aware of this phenomenon happening as time would still flow normally in their eyes. But it was enough for Zel to deal out some light punishment.

The use of a time-related skill involves the use of time energy, something that can absorbed and stored by Zel's soul due to its affinity with the essence of 'Time'. If a person who doesn't have access to time energy tries to use a time-related skill, they'd have to use a type of energy that's equal in quality to time energy. Most of them use their life force as a substitute, a process that drains a few years of their lifespan if they don't know what they're doing.

But due to Zel's circumstances, he's able to skip all that and even learn how to maximize his absorption of time energy by materializing it. Time energy that he had condensed into materials that he calls 'Time Marbles'. Since his body can only keep a certain level of it at one time, it enables him to absorb more while keeping those he stored earlier for future use.

'I have fifteen seconds.'

Forming one this big would make it much harder to maintain the sphere. There is a correlation between the skill's range, duration and stability. If he was to use this against people with decent talent in mana, he'd need to use much more time energy to have this skill work on them.

The moment everything stood still, Zel got to work. He stood up from his seat and slapped the thighs of every bully standing. Everyone except for Jared who is someone that Zel doesn't want to touch, at least not yet. After doing so, he walked back to his seat and checked out the shrinking time marble. He still had a five more seconds to spare so he decided to take his time.

As he looked at his glowing ring, he looked forward to what other abilities he would get in the future. If he wasn't wrong about what he remembers, he has six more 'Legacies' to find. Time being just one of the seven that he was able to form way back when. Even before he had the power of foresight.

Apparently, sometime in his past lives, he had access to several laws of the universe. Laws that he used to create this dimension, making it possible to achieve his 'wish'. When he did create this dimension, those laws were used as a model. But now that his soul started to awaken, he is now able to take back these laws to improve himself. The power and knowledge he once had, his 'Legacy'.

As his soul had only started to promote to its old grade, he still had a lot of things he hadn't 'awakened', but he was sure of it. He wanted to do something, something important, but he just can't remember.

'Crack.'

The moment he sat back down, the time marble in his hands crack and crumbled into colorless dust. Then time started to move forward again. Other than himself, everyone else in the room had no idea that they Zel had even moved at all.

Immediately after he let time flow normally once again, Zel stood up. What happened next was a scene that no one in the room could forget.

"Thud."

All the boys who were standing before Zel's group suddenly kneeled on the floor. Their faces looked up at Zel as pain could be seen on their faces, veiling the confusion that was mixed in. For those who were looking from the outside, they looked like they got scared and fell on the ground when Zel stood up.

"I said, what do you think you're doing!?" Zel looked at these kids with fury in his eyes. He was also releasing a minute amount of mana to strike some oddness inside these boy's hearts. They would only feel a heaviness that they won't be able to explain, but Zel didn't know that there are a few of them that are well acquainted with this energy.

"Sniff. Sniff. I'm sorry... I'm sorry!" Ranton whose face was much more confused than the others, was dazed at what he was seeing. He felt like he was back at his family home and looking at his father's gloomy and disappointed eyes. Eyes that tore him apart.

"Please, don't hurt me!" Anthony felt like those eyes were staring daggers at him. His eyes were already tearing up as he raised his arms to protect his head. He didn't even try to stand back up, unlike his friends who tried to do so as soon as they fell.

"Ah! I apologize, please! I'm leaving!" What was much more baffling was Jared's reaction. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He wasn't even one of the people that Zel physically dealt with and yet, he still fell on his knees. He was much more aware of that energy than everyone else in their group. Much, much more aware.

"Huh?" Of course, Zel's friends were also bewildered at the situation. Watching on as the group of boys that tried to harass them scattered like the wind. They didn't even give a snarky reply as they did so, even apologizing as they left.

"That's weird, why did they all fall down like that?" Jed was just about to insult another bully when they just dispersed, just like that they left. What a weird set of bullies, they should have tried a little bit more so he can try another insult.

"They even apologized! Is Zel really that scary?" As Von was the one in the group who had the best view of Zel's outburst, he tried to recall his friend's earlier display. Honestly, he was also quite scared at that moment. Though he wasn't sure why, it really looked like Zel was fuming in anger. 

"Ha! Maybe Zel's wrath was much more than they could handle!" But as the one who was sitting at Zel's side, Carlo was aware of how much fear Zel had emitted beforehand. It was like a tremor hit his body when Zel emitted a trace amount of mana, he was so close to him after all.

"..." 

But Emilia was still just looking at Zel. Zel recognized that face, the face she makes when she wants to ask something. He had seen that face a lot in the years they've been together, frequently enough that he knows better than to ignore it. 

"What's the matter, Emilia?" Her eyes looked like they were hesitant, so Zel had to ask. Just in case she needed the go-ahead. But he wasn't expecting her answer.

"...Zel, am I your wife?" A flushed Emilia looked at the side while mouthing off her words. She tried to listen closely to Zel's thoughts. But even after a long while, she heard no reply. Not from his thoughts or his lips, so she had to look at his face for an answer.

Looks of awe filled the boys' faces as the impact of the bombshell that Emilia just spoke rendered them speechless. But none of their reactions could top Zel's gaping mouth.

"What's with the fighting? Are you kids alright?"

Jessica came just a little bit too late to the party as the bullies had already went off before she even had the chance to talk to them. Even though this made it seem strangely coincidental, she really did try to help. But all she got in response to her question was silence. With a bunch of kids looking weirdly at each other.

"Uhh... Hello?"