August Intruder- Chapter 218- Gifted Population (Patreon)

The new girl’s words made Pelumi smile a little. Having spent a lot of time with Pelumi, Melmarc could differentiate between her different smiles. This smile was one of embarrassment. So he decided the statement was one she had made once upon a time.

Smiling, Pelumi had turned away from him. It forced Melmarc to move his head so that he could look at her, meet her gaze once again.

“God’s not dead?” he asked.

She did her best to compose herself, shaking off her embarrassment, quite poorly at that. Once she was done, she looked at him with a sheepish smile.

“Just something I said in the [Invoker] class some about a month ago,” she said.

Melmarc’s brain did a quick mental calculation. A month ago he was still unconscious. The portals had also appeared a little over a month ago.

The new girl snorted, then walked over to Melmarc and offered him a handshake. “Hi, you’re Melmarc, I’m Martha.”

Melmarc shook her hand. “You can call me Marc.”

He could feel the slight attention that he was paying her. The attention marked her as a Gifted with the [Invoker] class.

“I’m in the same class with you, but I also attend the special [Invoker] classes with Pelumi,” she said, confirming his assumptions as she released his hand.

Melmarc nodded as she spoke. “So, what’s this about God?”

“Pelumi has been down for a very long time, since you disappeared into a portal in the middle of the class,” she said, Pelumi hanging her head in embarrassment. “The [Invoker]s have also been feeling like something was off since the portals but she’s been especially down. When our instructor asked us to describe our feelings, she said that it felt like God was dead.”

Melmarc couldn’t help but smile. He looked at Pelumi. “Like God was dead.”

“I was reading a novel during that period,” she said very quickly, defensive. “I was feeling overly dramatic because of it. You know how my novels get me.”

Dissonant.

Melmarc did his best not to chuckle, even as Ark gave her a knowing glance that she pointedly ignored.

“What’s the novel you were reading?” he asked, happy to tease her.

She frowned at him. “How am I supposed to know which novel I was reading on that specific day over a month ago?”

Melmarc shrugged. “I guess that’s fair.”

As if his words heralded the end of this specific line of conversation, Patience walked up to stand right next to him. “So, what’s up with your injuries?” she asked.

Melmarc looked up at her. Then he looked at the three girls once more. In his honest opinion, the three of them were an odd bunch to see together. Pelumi and Martha was a group he could understand, with them being in the same [Invoker] classes. But Patience… she was a bit of an odd one out. She didn’t have much in the way of friends since she sort of liked to keep to herself and had an energy that tended to keep people away.

She was also not so put together and obedient like Pelumi.

“I swear to God, Marc, you look like you’re plotting an escape,” Patience frowned. “Why?”

“It’s one of his many thinking faces,” Pelumi offered. “Penny for your thought?”

Melmarc pointed at the three of them. “How did this happen?”

“We bonded over our love for breaking school rules,” Patience answered flatly.

Dissonant.

Melmarc cocked a brow at her to let her know that he was aware of her words being a lie. She saw the look on his face and shrugged. She had also been obviously sarcastic.

“Alright,” she grumbled. “We ran into each other while attempting to break school rules.”

Melmarc waited for a moment. Then he turned flabbergasted eyes on Pelumi, shocked. “You were trying to break school rules?” She was always so obedient and very close to the perfect student. “How?”

Patience’s hand cut through the air, covering the distance between him and her. Melmarc’s senses sharpened, growing instantly alert. He tilted his head to the side absently; attention still focused on Pelumi. Patience’s blow missed.

From the edge of his vision he caught Patience looking down at her hand in confusion while Pelumi let out a sigh.

“It happened when you disappeared,” she said, looking as if she was not happy that he was disappointed in her, which was odd because he wasn’t. “The school set up an early curfew and said no one should leave their room.”

Martha placed a supportive hand on Pelumi’s shoulder. “So Lulu over here snuck out of the room to go get the one person that is notorious for being a rule breaker.”

“Hey!” Patience complained, taking her attention from her hand. “Don’t make me out to be some kind of delinquent.”

Martha snorted. “Then why did she catch right in the act of also doing exactly what she wanted you to help her do?”

Patience frowned but didn’t have a comeback.

This is very interesting, Melmarc thought, watching Patience look away from Martha as if chastised. It was almost like when he chastised Ark.

Looking at Ark, the expression he found on his brother’s face confirmed that this entire situation was not new. Ark met his attention and nodded, confirming it.

It brought a slight smile to Melmarc’s lips. Patience had finally made friends, actual friends, not acquaintances. For some reason, he was happy for her.

Momentarily ignoring his happiness for Patience, he looked at the three girls. “So what were you trying to do by breaking the rules?”

Martha raised her hand. “I have a summoned who can detect residues of portals, and I feel like she might be able to open a portal if she can detect residues of it.”

Melmarc paused. “Hold up.”

Martha smiled a little. “You were right, Lu. He is smart.”

Melmarc ignored the comment. “Please don’t tell me you guys were trying to sneak into the classrooms and try to reopen the portal that sucked me in.”

“We weren’t trying to sneak into the classroom to reopen the portal that sucked you in,” Patience said without missing a beat.

Melmarc looked up at her. There was no dissonance, but there was something. It was just his natural human instinct detecting that something was wrong, maybe it was in the way she’d said it as if she had found a loophole to exploit.

His eyes narrowed at her. “Patience.”

“Oh please,” she rolled her eyes at him. “You’re not my older brother. And I’m serious, we didn’t try to sneak into the classroom to reopen the portal that sucked you in.”

Ark laughed.

Melmarc sighed. “Why do you keep on repeating the exact same phrase?”

“Because we didn’t try to do it,” Patience argued.

“You didn’t try to do it because…”

“Because they did it,” Ark answered before anyone else.

Melmarc groaned and looked at Pelumi. “You guys actually opened the portal?” He would be lying if he said he wasn’t as impressed as he was horrified.

“Well… we got to the class,” Pelumi answered. “But we didn’t get to reopen the portal.”

Melmarc looked at Martha pointedly. “Why?”

Pelumi blinked, confused by the fact that she wasn’t being the one asked.

Martha looked confused for a moment, as if she had suddenly been put in the spotlight and didn’t know what to do about it.

Melmrac didn’t shift his focus from her. “I’m listening.”

He had focused on her now for a specific reason. He was trying something out. If he had a new default setting of wanting to listen to those with the [Invoker] class as the [August Intruder], maybe they had a new default setting of wanting to talk when they knew that he was listening.

Martha’s confusion slipped very slowly, leaving her face. It was replaced by a touch of worry. “We didn’t try my summon because when we got there, you returned to the class in a puddle of your own blood,” she answered very slowly.

Judging by how she’d spoken, Melmarc could tell that something was bothering her as she’d answered. He wondered if it was the instinct to answer, if for her it had come out of nowhere. If it had, then he had a new thing to deal with, which was not abusing the power, since while it looked like it might go both ways, he was the only one aware of it.

Patience laughed at Martha. “I guess you aren’t as strict as you like to behave.” She folded her arms over her chest victoriously. “Crumbling under the weight of the Lockwood brothers.”

Martha gave her a scathing look that did nothing at all. Patience wasn’t even moved by it. Ignoring the both of them, Pelumi returned her attention to Melmarc. I tried to get to Ark like you asked but I couldn’t tell him on time.

Melmarc nodded very carefully. Ark had already told him about everything that had happened, how he and Spitfire had crossed portals and how Pelumi had caught them.

To Pelumi, he replied, “Ark can be quite… elusive with Spitfire.”

He really hoped she read it in his words that he knew what had happened and that it was nothing out of the ordinary even though it was something out of the ordinary.

The look in her eyes told him that she heard exactly what he was trying to say. It also told him that she was still confused by it and still needed to know more.

“Uhm,” Martha raised her hand to draw everyone’s attention. “What about the assignments?”

Ark intentionally behaved as if he did not hear her.

Patience, however, scoffed. “Please, Fallen High would be stupid to expect him to submit assignments that he was hospitalized during. How exactly is he supposed to answer them?”

“I’m just saying,” Martha shrugged. “This is a very prestigious high school. Who knows how they operate?”

“I spoke to Mrs. Meni,” Pelumi said easily. “I was asking about collating the assignments and if Marc will get some period of grace after waking up since the assignments constitute our final assessments.”

“And?” Patience pressed.

“She said he’ll get a special type of assignment if he wakes up,” she answered, somehow seeming very angry about Mrs. Meni’s use of the word if.

Melmarc thought about it for a moment. “What if I want to do the assignment?”

“It’s due in five days, Marc,” Patience said as if he was being overly ambitious. “You can’t learn one month of work in five days and submit the assignment.”

Ark snorted. “You’d be surprised what feats Mel can achieve when it comes to his books.”

“Oh yeah,” Patience challenged. “What about you? What’s the verdict on your class assignments?”

“Who said I have any?”

“Everyone has. And I know a few second years that have talked about them. You have assignments, too.”

Ark shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll get some kind of grace or something. I was hospitalized too.”

“Ha!” Patience barked a sarcastic laugh. “You and I both know you could’ve been cleared to return to class weeks ago.”

I guess I’m not the only one who figured it out, Melmarc thought.

“Maybe we can get an extension on his grace,” Martha offered. “Even if he was cleared, I’m sure the teachers would understand him wanting to be here for Marc. He’s his brother, after all.”

“Point of correction,” Ark said, interrupting their conversation. “I wasn’t cleared in any way.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Patience argued.

It led into another exchange of words, as they argued about the semantics of him being healthy versus him being cleared. Patience argued that Ark should get detention for pretending to still be injured just so that he can avoid classes. Martha came to his defense like an overpaid lawyer, claiming compassionate exemption since a brother was supposed to be their brother’s keeper.

Melmarc listened to all of it with a warm tingle in his heart. He knew that Ark made friends very easily, but right now it looked like they were beginning to have an actual friend group together. Patience and Martha just seemed so comfortable with Ark. He liked it.

Then Pelumi’s eyes settled on the deck of cards on a side table and they lit up. “Is that the game of Whot I brought you guys?” she asked, enthusiastic.

Melmarc opened his eyes to answer when the doors to the infirmary opened and a group of students strolled in. Even though he had called them a group, there were only two boys and one girl. Melmarc did not recognize them.

“Ark of the covenant!” one of the boys hailed from the door. “How’s it going?”

“Just talking to the gods, Chris,” Ark answered, gesturing to the girls. “What’s happening? I thought y’all were coming tomorrow.”

The name Chris made Pelumi press her lips into a thin line. It was not necessarily discomfort. Melmarc read it as more of having to talk to someone that she wasn’t really interested in talking to.

That’s new.

From what he could remember, Pelumi didn’t have anybody she was never in the mood to talk to. She didn’t go around talking to people, but she didn’t shy away from being talked to.

“Mabel missed you,” Chris answered Ark easily. “And with you being dethroned, it’s kind of bothering her. She couldn’t wait to complain.”

Ark cocked a brow at that, and Melmarc was suddenly very curious to know what was going on as they got to them.

Ark began pointing them out immediately. “Chris, Ahmed, and Mabel,” he said to Melmarc. “Guys, the one and only, ruler and protector of the world,” he pointed at Melmarc with both hands. “Melmarc Lockwood. Bow and touch your heads to the ground.”

Chris actually did it, dropping to his knees and putting his forehead on the ground. “May your reign be eternal, oh great Melmarc Lockwood, great Lockwood of Lockwoods.”

Ahmed and Mabel laughed while Mabel nudged Chris’ leg with her own. Chris got up laughing, casually dusting the knees of his pants.

He walked up to Melmarc and dapped him up in an overenthusiastic handshake that Melmarc didn’t mind.

“You’re finally up,” he said with a tone of happiness. “How are your injuries?”

Melmarc shrugged. “Still healing. But they are a lot better than when I woke up. Thanks.”

“No,” Mabel said, joining them. “Thank you for waking up. You were a bit touch and go for a while there. Ark was worried out of his mind.”

“Says the girl that was busy admiring my younger brother’s chests every time she came,” Ark said.

“He’s got a nice chest,” Mabel returned. “I’m not ashamed to say I admired something beautiful. Shoot me.”

Ahmed walked over to the other side of Melmarc’s bed. He smiled at Melmarc. “They can be overwhelming sometimes, but you’ll get used to them… or you won’t.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter.”

Ahmed looked like the calm member of the group.

“Hold up,” Ark bellowed, drawing everyone’s attention. “What do you mean dethroned? There’s another [Demon Lord] in the class?” He looked at Melmarc with a touch of worry. “How?”

Martha stepped back, as if staggered by a blow. “Your class is… is…” she blinked, unable to complete the sentence.

Melmarc looked at Pelumi who looked a little saddened. “She’s a devout catholic,” she said.

So were they, but that didn’t matter.

Ark gave her a smile. “I’ve got the [Demon Lord] class,” he said as if it was some normal class before looking at Chris. “Chris, spill.”

“There can only be one [Demon Lord], you ass,” Chris chuckled. “We’re talking about new transfer student.”

“Oh,” Patience said. “We have that, too.”

Melmarc looked at her. He was very certain it was not about late admissions. Ark looked intrigued for a moment before something clicked. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

“Wait, that thing on the news was true?” he asked.

Melmarc blinked. “What thing?”

“There’s been a spike in Gifted,” Mabel answered. She had her blond hair tied up in a casual ponytail. “The Federal government claims that in the last month there has been an appearance of at least twenty percent more than the whole of last year.”

That’s a lot, Melmarc thought. Uncle Dorthna had been right, the number of Gifted was going to increase. The question was why.

“How many did you guys get?” Chris asked Pelumi.

Pelumi looked at Martha. “How many did we get?”

“Thirteen new students,” Martha answered. “And if I’m not mistaken, they made it sound like we were supposed to expect another group before the end of the term.”

There was a moment of silence after her answer. Melmarc could tell the silence was created because Chris was waiting for Pelumi to ask him how many they got. Ark was also enjoying the silence, as if he had seen it coming.

Melmarc’s brows furrowed as he tried to understand what exactly was happening. Chris looked hopeful. Very hopeful. He really wanted her to ask him.

But why?

Melmarc couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It was almost as if…

He doesn’t want her to ask him, he realized. He’s just looking for an excuse for her to talk to talk to him.

Did Chris like Pelumi?

“How many did you guys get?” Melmarc asked Chris.

The boy deflated a little but still answered. “Twenty-one.”

Ark let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot. Where are they going to put them?”

“There’s more than enough space in our classroom and more than enough empty rooms to convert into classes,” Mabel said with a shrug. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Portals reappearing, a mass spike in the Gifted. Melmarc didn’t like what it implied, not one bit.

It seemed from what he’d learnt from Uncle Dorthna, the apocalypse was coming sooner than he had thought.

Conversations continued without disruption. Melmarc listened but rarely spoke. Chris continued to find a way to make Pelumi talk to him in as many natural ways as possible. Judging by how Pelumi avoided it, answering him only once in a while, it was incredulous to think that there was anyone present who did not know that Chris liked her as well as the fact that she was aware of it.

They spoke of the Hunter Association program that was in motion to being established in the country and how it would likely change a few things. Apparently, some scientists were theorizing that the extended stay of the monsters from the Chaos Runs that were still running rampant in the world was affecting the ambient mana and forcing people into becoming Gifted. The sooner the monsters were wiped out, the better for the stabilization of the world’s Gifted.

The information tore the opinions of the masses in two. On one hand there was a group that opposed the speedy annihilation of the monsters for the sake of equality. Their continued existence gave almost everybody a chance to be Gifted, therefore establishing an equal world where all were Gifted. On the other hand, there were those that were against it. The rising number of Gifted would lead to the Gifted populace becoming the majority. Such a thing was only a starting point to the oppression of the non-Gifted.

“There was even a protest last week,” Mabel said.

Chris looked at her. “Where?”

“New York.”

“You’re joking,” Patience said. “How didn’t it make the news?”

“Can’t be true,” Martha added. “Probably just propaganda posting on the net.”

Ahmed was shaking his head. “Nope. If Mabel says there was, trust me, there was. She doesn’t deal with the regular internet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Martha asked.

“Just that she’s in a group.”

“Like Delano,” Ark explained to Melmarc.

“Oh,” Melmarc muttered.

Pelumi looked at him. “I’m confused.”

“She has ways into the dark web.”

Mabel folded her arms, her chest puffing out in pride. “All that matters is that my sources are legit.”

“Then how come we didn’t hear about a protest in New York?” Martha challenged.

“Because a group of Gifted attacked the protest declaring themselves members of some group called the Bright Flame, standing for the protection of the Gifted.”

Melmarc and Ark looked at each other.

Bright Flame. It was the name of the group the [Pyromancer] that had tried to blow up their plane to Tatelat belonged to.

“My sources,” Mabel continued, “claim that the government is viewing it as a terrorist attack but to prevent mass death on the side of the non-Gifted, they are suppressing all media coverage on the matter.” She paused, suddenly solemn. “It’s actually a bit of a shitshow out there.”

Melmarc could only imagine.

Martha looked down and away. “My mom said some people lynched a Gifted just last week in Utah. I thought she was just being dramatic.”

“About a lynching?” Ahmed asked, surprised.

Martha shook her head. “About the reason for the lynching. My mom can sometimes see drama where there isn’t. She claimed it was non-Gifted hunting down a Gifted for being a Gifted.”

Melmarc looked at Ark. Was this what the world wanted to become? Segregation of some kind between Gifted and non-Gifted and non-Gifted had always existed but it had never been this bad before. Was the growth in Gifted population that worrying?

“That’s just…” Melmarc’s words trailed off as his interface popped up in front of him.

He stared at it, eyes wide.

“Marc,” Pelumi said, her hand reaching for his own. “Is everything alright?”

Everything was just peachy.

[Dear August Intruder, you are in need of an assistant in protecting your world. Kindly pick from the array of Existential Beings available to you.]

[Kindly select one of the races below]

[Nenits]

[Telpods]

[Void Beasts]

[Amphots]

[Tolaps]

[Jelvoys]

[Serverts]

It looked like the time had come.