114: Chapter 114 Onboarding

Well!

Let's head to the dormitory first!

Sean stood by the car, looking at the Gothic building.

The afternoon sun shone on the spires, and the colored windows reflected the light.

He picked up his travel bag and walked inside.

The door was made of wood, very thick, and made a dull sound when pushed open.

The hall was very high, with a ceiling of four or five meters, and a huge chandelier hung above; the crystals reflected the light in the sun.

The floor was marble, black and white, arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

The walls were covered in oil paintings depicting people dressed in clothes from different eras, with serious expressions, as if watching everyone who walked in.

Sean sensed around, but there was nothing special.

Walking through the hall, he came to a corridor.

The corridor was long, with doors on both sides, each numbered.

Hanging on the walls were group photos of students, group photos of teachers, and some old black-and-white photographs showing what the building looked like when it was first completed.

Sean went up to the second floor and found the Literature Department office.

The door was unlocked; he pushed it open, and the lights were on.

The office was small, with a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf.

On the table were a few textbooks, a key, and a note.

The note read: "Faculty Building, 3rd Floor, 302."

Sean picked up the key, left the office, and went up to the third floor.

The corridor was quieter, with faculty dormitories on both sides, doors closed. He found 302, opened the door, and walked in.

The room was small, with a bed, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe.

The window was open, and the afternoon breeze blew in, carrying the scent of pine and earth.

Sean put his travel bag on the bed, walked to the window, and looked at the campus outside.

The lawn, the stone statues, the woods in the distance, and that black iron gate.

Very quiet, very peaceful.

But he knew that the children living in this school were not ordinary; none of them were people to be trifled with!

He was going to teach them literature tomorrow.

Sean drew the curtains and turned around to unpack.

The door was open...

Wait!

Didn't he close the door?

Sean narrowed his eyes, and his [Supernatural Perception] activated immediately!

He immediately felt someone standing in the corridor.

It must be said that ever since he merged with the skill, it was as if Sean had X-ray vision.

He walked over, stood at the doorway, and looked out.

A teenager was standing in the corridor, wearing the Nevermore Academy uniform.

A dark suit jacket, a gray vest underneath, the tie crooked, and the top button of his shirt undone.

He looked to be sixteen or seventeen, not short, but his posture was a bit hunched, as if he habitually wanted to hide himself.

His skin was olive-toned, his features regular, and his dark brown eyes were fixed on Sean, a hint of nervousness in his gaze.

He was wearing a dark beanie, with all his hair tucked inside.

But Sean saw what was peeking out from under the brim...

A few tiny, emerald-green snakes poked their heads out from under the brim, flicking their tongues and hissing.

Sean knew exactly who this was at a glance!

Ajax, the Gorgon!

A character from the TV series "Wednesday", a student at Nevermore Academy.

Sean looked at him, and he looked at Sean.

The two stared at each other across the threshold, neither speaking.

Those little snakes slithered around under Ajax's brim; some poked their heads out to sniff the air, some retracted, and some stared straight at Sean with golden, slit pupils.

Ajax's hands were in his pockets, his shoulders slightly hunched, and he looked very nervous, like an animal ready to bolt at any moment.

"Are you the new teacher?"

Ajax spoke; his voice was a bit muffled, with the huskiness typical of an adolescent boy.

Sean leaned against the doorframe: "Sean Black, the new literature teacher."

Ajax nodded: "Oh."

He didn't leave, standing there as if he had something more to say but couldn't get it out.

His gaze shifted from Sean's face to his hands, then back to his face.

The little snakes were also watching Sean, their golden slit pupils unblinking.

"Is something the matter?" Sean asked.

Ajax opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He scratched the back of his head, his fingers touching the snakes under the brim, which let out a faint hissing sound.

"Uh—nothing, I was just passing by." He said, pointing to the end of the corridor, "I live at that end. 305."

"Hmm... No teacher has ever lived on this floor before, so I was a bit curious."

"What is your superpower?"

Sean was stunned for a moment.

Superpower?

Indeed, everyone in this school could be said to have their own superpower.

Vampires, werewolves, sirens, Gorgons—they were born extraordinary.

In their eyes, a new teacher living on the third floor of the faculty building, on the same floor as a student, was abnormal in itself.

They wanted to know what was special about him.

Perhaps Ajax had been sent to find out, or perhaps he was just curious himself.

However—there was no need to explain his own superpowers in detail to a student, so Sean smiled: "I'm an ordinary person, I don't have any superpowers. I'm just here to teach everyone standard literature classes."

Ajax's eyes widened.

The little snakes also poked their heads out from under the brim, their golden slit pupils full of confusion.

He stared at Sean, as if judging whether he was joking.

"An ordinary person?" Ajax's voice rose a little, "An ordinary person coming to teach at Nevermore?"

Sean shrugged: "Why not? Standard literature classes don't require superpowers. Reading poetry, writing essays, analyzing novels—these are things ordinary people can do too."

Ajax opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He scratched the back of his head, and the little snakes hissed a few times from being scratched.

The look in his eyes when he looked at Sean changed; it was disbelief.

It was like looking at a madman, or perhaps—a weirdo.

Ajax asked: "Aren't you afraid of us?"

Sean looked at him: "Afraid of what?"

Ajax pointed to his hat.

The little snakes poked their heads out from under the brim, flicking their tongues and swaying in front of Sean, as if showing themselves off.

Sean looked at them, and they looked at Sean.

Golden slit pupils, emerald-green scales, long slender bodies gently writhing under his gaze.

Sean reached out and slowly moved closer to one of them.

The snake froze for a moment, then retracted.

The other snakes followed suit, retracting and hiding inside the brim, only their tiny heads visible, watching Sean warily.

"Afraid of you?"

Sean withdrew his hand and said steadily: "No."

Ajax watched Sean's actions with some surprise, saying in disbelief: "You're really weird."

Sean smiled: "Many people say that."

Ajax stood there for a while longer.

He seemed like he still wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded.

"Then get some rest."

He turned and walked deeper into the corridor.

After walking two steps, he stopped again, looked back at Sean, and added a form of address: "Professor Black—"