Unable to read what the current Kanda Sorata was thinking, Aoyama Nanami, ever the diligent student, turned back toward the front with a trace of disappointment.
Sorata smiled faintly.
Then, under the teacher’s displeased gaze from the podium, he rested his head on his desk, closed his eyes, and appeared to fall asleep.
Yet while he seemed asleep on the outside, deep within his sea of consciousness, a Kryptonian gene chain composed of 3,600 law runes rotated slowly.
Around it, other chains of law-rune information continuously formed.
Each time one approached and attempted to merge with the Kryptonian gene chain, it exploded instantly and collapsed into nothingness.
Information chains filled the sky, appearing and vanishing in endless cycles.
Each chain represented the bloodline ability of a powerful being.
Sorata was deducing the second stage of the Superman bloodline, attempting to add elements that could counter magic-side creatures he might encounter in the future.
The dragon that had appeared that morning made him realize that although the hidden supernatural forces of this world were not particularly strong, they were unusually active.
The Kryptonian bloodline was powerful, but its weaknesses were obvious.
Kryptonite.
Excessive reliance on a yellow sun.
Extremely low resistance to magic and mystic powers.
Unless one evolved into a Silver Age or Golden Age Superman, these flaws would not disappear.
And there was no telling how long that evolution would take.
At the same time, Superman’s abilities were relatively singular.
Long-range attacks were limited to things like heat vision.
Compared to cultivation paths, immortal martial arts, or magic systems, it lacked diversity.
So when condensing the bloodline mark, Sorata had not chosen a complete Golden Age Superman template.
He condensed only the most basic Kryptonian gene.
First, he did not know whether something in this world could restrain Superman.
Second, he understood clearly that the Kryptonian bloodline alone was not enough to reach the peak of all worlds.
In his design, the basic Superman bloodline would serve as a foundation.
It would be divided into stages of purification and evolution.
With each stage, he would fuse in one Law grade level God-Fiend bloodline ability, eventually forging the strongest true bloodline body.
Of course, this was only a design.
Whether it would succeed was uncertain.
In his previous life, he had relied on the uniqueness of the Nightmare Space to rise to the peak of Gods and Fiends within mere decades.
But compared to ancient existences in other universes that had lived for millions of years, his foundation was shallow.
Failure had long been inevitable.
Now, with a second chance and no Nightmare Space pressing behind him, Sorata remained calm.
He had no urgency. The source of this chapter is g.com.
He would slowly make up for the tempering of time his soul lacked.
The tempering of time was not only about power.
It was also about understanding.
Even sitting in a classroom with a detached mindset, observing the atmosphere and the people around him, brought different insights.
“Fusion of the Abyssal Devil’s undying body failed. Fusion of the Void Dragon’s magic-null body failed. Fusion of the Light Celestial Race’s radiant body failed…”
“Is the exclusivity of Law grade level bloodlines really this strong?”
After testing more than thirty powerful bloodlines in succession and failing each time, Sorata finally stopped.
“Ha… so tired. Let’s sleep.”
His spiritual power nearly exhausted, fatigue swept over him.
From the outside, Kanda Sorata truly slept through the entire morning.
When the teacher left the classroom, Sorata yawned, lifted his head, stretched lazily, and walked out.
At the art classroom, he found Shiina sitting alone.
Around her, classmates gathered in small groups, eating bentos, chatting, and laughing.
In Sakura nation, atmosphere matters greatly, especially in school.
A transfer student who fails to blend in is easily excluded and treated as an outsider.
Shiina was beautiful and talented in painting.
She gave off a quiet, refined impression.
But she would not initiate conversation or attempt to make friends.
Naturally, she became subtly isolated.
Sorata walked up to her.
“I knew you were still here.”
“Also, didn’t I tell you this morning to wait for me at the cafeteria after class?”
“Forgot where the cafeteria is,” Shiina replied blankly.
“Who was the one confidently claiming yesterday that you remembered?” Sorata sighed.
After touring the campus yesterday, she had insisted she wouldn’t forget.
“Let’s go.”
Under the stunned gazes around them, the quiet, elegant girl followed him out.
Two male students could not hide their envy.
Many Sakura nation high schools lack cafeterias, but Suiko, affiliated with Suimei University of the Arts, had both student and faculty dining facilities.
The bread yesterday had not suited Sorata’s taste, so today he brought Shiina to try the cafeteria food.
“Two servings of fried pork cutlet. Fried tofu. Miso soup. Rice.”
“Sorata, I want this.”
“No.”
“Why?”
For many high school boys, admitting they had no money, especially in front of a beautiful girl and a crowd, would be embarrassing.
Sorata only looked at Shiina with mild irritation.
“In two days, you’ve eaten through my weekly allowance. This is all that’s left. After this meal, I still have to ask Chihiro-sensei for your living expenses.”
“This is lunch. No other choice.”
“Sorata is annoying.”
Having been taken care of her whole life, Shiina had no concept of money.
She puffed her cheeks slightly while following him with her tray.
“If you’re picky, then just say so. Why put it in my bowl?”
Sorata glanced at the extra vegetables that had appeared in his meal.
“Rita said, you can’t waste.”
After transferring everything she disliked into Sorata’s bowl, Shiina began eating contentedly.
“Wow… that’s the new transfer student from the art department, right? She’s so pretty.”
“Don’t stare. They both live in Sakurasou. Be careful of the Sakurasou Virus.”
Ignoring the wary looks, Sorata finished eating, escorted Shiina back to her classroom, then headed to the faculty office.
“Chihiro-sensei, did you forget something?”
“What?”
Sengoku Chihiro, who had just finished lunch and was leisurely sipping tea at her desk, looked up in confusion.
“Shiina’s living expenses. Yesterday morning, two baumkuchen. Lunch cost 1,600 yen. In the afternoon, she opened packages at the supermarket, so I had to compensate. Plus today’s lunch. Total: 5,100 yen. Please reimburse me.”
Sorata extended his hand.
Several teachers nearby, on break or reviewing documents, glanced over with interest at the sight of a student openly demanding money from a teacher.
“That can be discussed. By the way, Kanda-kun, it’s been two days since school started. Your career path form hasn’t been submitted.”
Chihiro nodded, smoothly shifting topics.
“The career path can be filled in anytime. Right now, we’re discussing Shiina’s living expenses. Don’t tell me you don’t have it.”
“She already ate through my allowance for the next few days. If there’s no money, I’ll have to hand her over to you. I can’t afford to raise her.”
Sorata did not follow her diversion.
“The career path is important. It concerns your future. You must think carefully.”
“Fine. I’ll think carefully. But right now, living expenses.”
Faced with Sorata’s persistence, and under the pressure of surrounding gazes, Chihiro reluctantly handed over all the cash she had on her, a little over 3,000 yen.
She said she would give him the rest tonight, as she hadn’t brought enough today.
Still, Sorata could not shake the faint sense that her tone carried a hint of perfunctoriness.
Had she used Shiina’s living expenses on herself?
Last night, she had returned with quite a few new cosmetics in her hands.