With Isha having been checked on, Ryuk felt no reason to remain in the hall, and he rose from his seat before moving out.
Alighting down the long stairs, he soon arrived at the main street and began walking down the streets when suddenly his eyes wandered to the side, finding nothing but a dark alleyway.
Ryuk looked at the alleyway with his dull eyes for a little over five seconds, before he took his gaze away and resumed walking with the same dull expression, soon finding his way out of the area.
---
"He ignored us, boss..." A voice suddenly rang out from the same dark alleyway that Ryuk had looked into, and within the shadowy depths were none other than a total of three fallen geniuses.
They were all fallen geniuses who had their eyes looking at the place where Ryuk had left from.
"In the end, he was just a coward who didn’t dare to take the challenge..." Another of the fallen geniuses said, short dark hair and eyes, as he scoffed in mockery, his arms folded across his chest.
Silence covered the area as the two fallen geniuses looked behind them, finding another fallen genius who currently had his back to the wall, his eyes looking down at his feet.
He also had long dark hair that reached down his shoulder, and slowly, he raised his face, revealing a fairly handsome face, with glowing silver eyes.
"I sensed not an ounce of fear from him. Just indifference and nonchalance," the genius said, as the two remaining fallen geniuses had their eyes locked on him.
"Could he be thinking...?" The shorter fallen genius asked as the reclining fallen genius, referred to as the boss, nodded.
"He thinks we’re not worth his time..."
"Tch, trashy humans with their ignorant pride," the short dark-haired fallen genius said, spitting to the side in disgust.
"Don’t worry. He won’t be feeling that way soon enough..."
"You have his entire movement schedule, right, Gori?" The boss asked the short-fallen genius who nodded his head.
"Yes, boss. Of course."
"Good, then we strike him tomorrow night after his training," the boss said, and in the next instant, the trio flashed from where they stood, before becoming one with the darkness, fading away as if they never existed there in the first place.
---
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
The sound of knocking echoed loudly through the long corridor that was as silent as a ghost. The figure resembled none other than Ryuk.
STEP STEP
Heavy stomping echoed in Ryuk’s hearing from outside the door before the feet came closer, stopping and asking, "Who’s there?"
"Ryuk..." Ryuk replied, and the door locks were struck before a head poked out through the door with sleepy eyes.
"Ryuk. Welcome back..." Quinn said, moving aside for him to enter before shutting the door completely.
"What happened to your clothes sleeve?" Quinn suddenly asked, noticing Ryuk’s torn clothing, and Ryuk shrugged helplessly before going into the bathroom.
The sound of water washing down soon filled the room.
With a loud yawn and sleepy eyes, Quinn climbed back into bed and buried himself in the mattress.
Ryuk finished up with his quick shower in a little more than five minutes and exited, donning the fluffy pyjamas he had taken from the store some time ago before also moving to his bed.
Silence covered the room for a while, before eventually, it was broken.
---
"Hey, Quinn?" Ryuk suddenly called out, and Quinn’s eyes immediately flashed open. He poked his head out from above, turning to look at Ryuk.
"Uh-huh?"
"If I may ask, how did you form your Apex Realm?"
Ryuk suddenly asked as Quinn raised an eyebrow before sighing and collapsing back into the bed.
"And here I thought you wanted to ask me how I managed to pass..."
’Tch, you squandered my chance to show off...’ Quinn added in his thoughts.
"Didn’t you just sit your ass down on a spot and wait for others to get eliminated first?" Ryuk said with a click of his tongue, as hot air puffed out of Quinn’s ears and nose.
"Of course not, you maniac! What do you call me for? I passed the test fair and square!!!" Quinn roared aloud, as Ryuk chuckled.
"Why so loud If you won it fair and square, then, nerdy paranoia..." he called out smugly.
"You!"
"Tch, I don’t want to talk to you anymore."
"What did you ask for again?" Quinn said, wanting to change the topic of the discussion.
"Your Apex Realm? How did you form it? What is an Apex Realm at all?" Ryuk asked once more.
He had been having problems with being able to move to the Realm of Ascendancy, a he knew he needed information about the Apex Realm before he could do so.
That’s when the thought had entered Ryuk’s head.
Why not just ask somebody who has already broken through the stage instead?
Wouldn’t they be the best person to explain to him about it...
And luckily, he had a nerdy paranoid friend who is capable of explaining very well as a roommate.
Why not just ask him instead and try to pick up as much information as possible?
"How to forge the Apex Realm, huh?" Quinn asked, with a bit of surprising perplexity in his voice.
"You’re trying to move to the Plane of Ascension, no?" He asked, as Ryuk gave a ’yes’ reply.
"Well, ascending simply means forging a realm that embodies your essence. Only then will you ascend..." Quinn said, before going silent, and Ryuk simply looked dumbly at the bed above him.
"Forge a realm that embodies your essence, and only then will you ascend?"
"How the f*ck am I supposed to learn anything from that?"
"Don’t worry, you’ll know when it’s time."
"The fact that you have no idea probably means you still aren’t worthy of reaching the stage."
"You know, only mighty geniuses, like me, who..."
"Forget it! Forget it! I’ve heard!" Ryuk said, not wanting to hear the endless bragging, as Quinn chuckled before diving deeper into his bed and soon snoring off.
’Let’s just hope my current abilities are enough to guarantee myself a spot. I don’t see myself reaching the Plane of Ascendancy anytime soon...’
’Definitely not in two days at least...’
------
A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos.