Ultimate Soldier

Chapter 03

In class 3-A, three guys were seen bullying Hendrick. They were throwing crumpled paper balls from beside the teacher's desk, targeting Hendrick who was sitting in the back row. Whoever managed to hit Hendrick's head more times before the teacher came would be the winner and get a treat from the losers.

As they swung their arms, they showed happy expressions. To them, it was a joke. Unfortunately for Hendrick, who often received such treatment, it was annoying. What could he do? Hendrick was too afraid to fight back. Every time he looked directly into the bullies eyes, his courage crumbled. Moreover, his family background was ordinary. No backing, no one cared.

"Too bad, losers! I've gotten more than ten headshots already. Get ready cause I'm gonna drain your wallets today," Davin said. The guy whose hair puffed up like cotton candy smiled widely. He was one of the guys who had shown displeasure when Gerald introduced himself yesterday. He was also the one who blocked Gerald's path with his leg.

"Don't get too cocky. I'm just starting to get serious!" Arland, the exotic-skinned guy, retorted. He showed a competitive look in his eyes. Beside him was also Austin, who didn't want to lose either.

"Shut up, both of you. You guys are treating me today!" Austin tightened his grip on the paper balls and aimed seriously at Hendrick's head. He swung his arm with calculation, confident that his throw this time would hit Hendrick's head without missing.

Just as the paper balls flew quickly towards Hendrick—and were about to hit his face, Gerald's hand suddenly flashed across, catching the paper balls with a precise grip.

"Shit! What the hell are you doing?" Austin asked, his voice echoing slightly in the classroom.

The students there immediately stopped their activities for a moment. They hadn't cared about the bullying all this time, but when Gerald stopped it, they seemed to find something interesting to watch.

"Hey, new kid? Get outta there! You're ruining our fun," Davin chimed in, frowning.

Gerald lifted his face, showing a cold glint in his eyes towards the three guys. He truly showed his dominance, making the three guys feel the pressure as if they were staring at a ruthless mafia boss.

Austin muttered, "What's with that look?"

"Stop it," Gerald said.

That one word instantly forced them to stop without realizing it. Usually they were stubborn, especially in front of new students. Now, they were like mice caught in the gaze of a wild cat. Annoyed, yet submissive.

Gerald then turned his attention to the broom that was in the corner of the room. He picked up the broom and said, "Class is starting soon. Do you want Miss Lily to see this mess?"

Devin sighed in annoyance. He turned to Austin and Arland, giving them a look. The three of them then walked over to Gerald and began cleaning up the crumpled paper balls they had scattered.

While throwing away the trash, Devin grumbled, muttering softly, "Damn new kid! He looks like a nerd, but why is his aura so dominating?"

"You feel it too?" Arland asked.

"Tch! What a loser. What's so scary about him? He's just playing tricks. I didn't like the sight of him from the start."

Devin processed Austin's words. "Tricks? Are there people like that?"

"Who cares?" Austin retorted. "Just take him to the hangout after school. I'm sure after giving him a lesson, he won't be able to act tough in front of us anymore."

Arland smirked, as if agreeing with Austin's suggestion.

"Are you okay?" Gerald asked, sitting in his chair. His eyes stared intently at Hendrick's expression, which looked distressed.

"I'm fine," Hendrick replied, assuring him.

"Do they do this often?"

"Huh?"

"Do they often bully their classmates?"

"Uh..." Hendrick paused. "Sorry for getting you involved."

"It's okay," he replied.

As Gerald glanced out the window, Hendrick stared at Gerald for a long time. Because he was often bullied, his self-confidence was almost gone. No friends, sitting alone in the back row. Now, Gerald's appearance seemed like a new hope for him.

"So this is what school conflicts are like?" Gerald muttered, looking at the blue cloudy sky. "Not much different from when he was in the camp."

"Hey, you're Gerald, right?"

At the same time, a woman with a ponytail came to Gerald's desk.

"What's up?"

"I'm Alexa. Can you help me take out the trash?"

Gerald paused for a moment, as if processing Alexa's words. He thought that since he wasn't familiar enough with this school yet, it might be better if he helped Alexa.

"Sure," Gerald replied, then got up from his seat.

A few moments later, they arrived at the general waste disposal area. Initially, Gerald thought Alexa just wanted to ask for his help. It turned out that the girl had hidden intentions. Emma and Axel's gang had gathered there, holding Lucy hostage.

"Gerald, no! Get out of here!" Lucy shouted.

Gerald was shocked and frowned in annoyance. How could he not be? At that moment, Lucy stood with a look of despair. Her hair was being yanked by Axel, a slightly muscular guy. On the left and right sides stood Emma and her gang, along with Axel's gang members, including Celv, Juno, and Ben.

"I'm sorry, Gerald. I didn't mean to—"

"Get lost!"

Before Alexa could finish her sentence, Gerald's voice, which sounded calm but full of hatred, instantly made her lower her head in silence. Not wanting to get involved any further, she quickly left.

"So this is the new kid you were talking about? What a weakling! How could you guys lose to a nerd like him?!" Axel snapped, glaring at his gang members.

"Come on, Axel. We just weren't paying attention that time," Ben argued.

"What are you waiting for? Beat him up!"

Axel's order was immediately followed by his gang members. This time there were two additional members, Carl and Dillon. Each of them had decent fighting abilities. Unfortunately, in Gerald's eyes, they were just a bunch of trash that could be easily trampled on.

"Gerald! What are you doing? Get out of here!" Lucy shouted once again.

Lucy's worried expression made Gerald's heart ache even more. His eyes sharpened, his fists clenched.