My Survival System In An Apocalyptic World

All Eyes On Him

Spade would have found it all suspicious if not for the boy's painful cries when walking alone with 'no one' around.

Every little step looked like he was walking on nails as tall as trees.

At times, he even heard the boy curse his ill fate for meeting him last night.

The boy also went on and on about wanting to walk straight someday too. He cursed and resented the heavens as if they were the ones who injured him.

This alone proved his actions last night were proficient.

It can only be seen that due to the boy's extraordinary endurance levels, he was able to pretend to be strong in front of others and swallow his pain quietly, probably not wanting others to further look down on him.

Heh.

Spade tapped his fingers on the balcony rails rhythmically, his eyes growing colder with disgust.

"He does have a high endurance level, but that's all there is to it. With his capabilities and lowly spirit score, he won't become anything else other than an underground worker, keeping this bloody stronghold running."

The boy's qualifications were the worst he had ever seen since he was born.

Trash doesn't even describe what he was. Yet, he still had the mouth to anger the masses.

Spade couldn't help wondering if the idiot had anything upstairs in that brain of his.

"Oh?"

The red-haired man who went by the name Red Fox, raised a brow at his good friend, watching him burn the boy's information.

"What about his parents?"

"Orphan." Spade blurted out. He was found on the streets of the orphanage with nothing except the cheapest and crudest clothes of all. Once he reached 10, he was sent out of the orphanage as per the rules. The boy has been living in a shabby place since then."

There was no free meal in this world.

After the age of 10, children must move out and find homes of their own.

Look!

To make it easy all they needed to do was go to the registration buildings and sign up for a home.

You can decide to live in the cheapest or most expensive place for the next 4~5 years.

However, there was a catch.

Should you fail to become an awakener by 14 or 15, all your monthly rent for the past years will be placed under your name as debt and a percentage taken off whatever salary you get till you pay it all off.

The most aching thing was the skyrocketed interest rate that kept people paying their precious rent for 20 years.

Perhaps because the boy knew how useless he was, he feared not love in an expensive or moderately priced place.

No way! He chose one of the buildings that were so wonky and thin, it was almost impossible to imagine people living there.

Yet, they did.

With such bad aptitude, Spade wasn't worried about the boy's parents.

They were probably some wretched people who threw their children away once they found the cost of living too much for them to bear.

Such cases occur more often than you think in this hell hole.

….

The corners of Red Fox's lips raised playfully.

It was hard to argue with facts.

The boy's talents were all too low, and he was already 15.

What are the odds he will be able to advance so quickly before the final examination in 1 week 6 days?

It would be a lie to say Red Fox didn't find the kid amusing.

If he had not attracted Spade's murderous intentions, Red Fox would've loved to pick up the boy and hire him as a dinner jester, someone who makes him laugh during his mealtime.

For ordinary people like the boy, that kind of job is a magical dream to them.

It was better than working in the underground factories till their miserable lives ended.

"Let's go," Spade grunted, taking one last look at Gray's fading silhouette before vanishing into thin air with Red Fox.

With how skilled the little guy was at making enemies, Spade won't have to move a finger to make Gray uncomfortable.

It was ironic that he was so confident and at ease to see Gray in pain, not knowing that all this time, Gray has been giving his hand performance, acting as though the entire world had dropped on his leg.

If Spade and Red Fox knew it was all an act, they would first be dumbfounded, before Spade in particular got angry for having been deceived by a little rat who was basically a no-body.

Talent! Talent! This guy needs an award with how much he could act while throwing his dignity as a man away and shamelessly grobellinhboknthe floor to that extent.

Again they ask… is such a person truly okay in the head? Well, those were questions they would definitely ask in the future once the cat was out of the bag.

As of now, Gray was still in the clearing, waltzing around in agonizing 'pain.'

Spade and Red Fox weren't the only ones watching Gray's earlier performance.

On the seats close to the windows, several people leave closer, attaching the show, wanting to know more about Gray.

They found him very entertaining. Of course, this was because he wasn't aiming his words and actions at them.

Who was this guy? Wait! Isn't he the famous school trash? The one who was weaker than a 9-year-old kid?

How can that be? What made him so bold all of a sudden?

Could it be because he knew his future as an underground worker, he decided to go full crazy and let everyone know his mind?

Alas…. Humans are so fickle.

The School Principal also rubbed his chin in amusement before closing his window and wondering how long such a person could stay alive.

Hey… he should do a teacher-gambling event to win some money on the poor guy's life right?

After all, he isn't useful to anyone now. So what's the harm in gambling on his life and making his existence somewhat useful to society?

[Gray]: "_"... Am I a joke to you?

[Everyone]: Yes.

[Gray]: (-x-)

–-----

In just one morning, the name Gray Ravenleaf, the famous Trash, had also resounded across the school.

What was even more ridiculous were the rumors spewing out now and then.

"I heard last week, he got his head dunked in the toilet so hard it broke the bowl. With how strong his head is, I'm afraid only a boulder would be able to crush it."

"You idiot! Look at how you're excited over old news. Trust me, today's news about the trash is so shocking that I almost thought I entered another school."

"That's right! I heard he kicked Teacher Kang in the nuts, causing him to get a boot in his ass. If you don't believe me, go to the front of the school and see the crater on the ground."

"What? I heard he wanted to ask the number one school beauty out but had his legs crippled instead."

"No way! I heard his legs got crippled because he tried pulling a fast one on the lunch lady who was coming into work this morning."

"Wait! That's not what I heard…heard lean in closer… I heard that a pretty lady outside the gates slapped his cheeks so hard he did a full knot artist in the jar and broke his legs before he could stabilize himself. True story!"

"_"