Chapter 70: Apology

The next day, Adam made his way to the Microbiology Department, his sports car left behind.

Dressed in the academy’s recommended attire of a blue-black leather protective jacket with a zipper, Adam looked sharp and imposing.

Strapped to his back was a backpack with a few essentials for himself. In truth, however, it was for show.

Adam arrived at the department to see several people gathered about. Three vans were neatly packed in a convoy, ready to carry everyone to their destination.

"You’re here."

Miss Xin, who had been giving instructions to one of the technicians, noticed Adam and gestured for him to come closer.

"Good morning, Miss Xin." Adam greeted her as he came to stand before the woman. "Is this everyone?"

Adam counted five people, excluding Miss Xin and himself. There were three technicians and two senior students. He waved at them and then looked at the woman.

"The security team will be arriving shortly... Ah, there they are." Before her words landed, a security van arrived on the scene.

Five men stepped out of the van, all geared up and ready to move.

"But there’s still one more person who asked to join. I think she’s an acquaintance of yours." Miss Xin added.

"She is?" Adam tore his gaze away from the security team, his brows raised. He wasn’t sure if he knew who that person was.

"It’s Riley."

"Ah."

Adam let out a sigh as the image of that girl flashed through his mind. He had forgotten she was like him—a fourth-class type student.

"Miss Xin?"

Just then, one of the men who would be serving as their security approached. The man wore a standard security outfit with a blade strapped to his back and a pistol at his waist. Standing at an impressive 1.85m, he looked imposing, his presence domineering.

Adam could feel the power radiating off the man in waves. He had a light brown skin tone and a cleanly shaved head.

’He’s strong.’

The man glanced at Adam from the corner of his eye before turning to focus on Miss Xin.

"Mr Jackson, right?" Miss Xin asked as she extended a hand for a handshake.

"Please, call me Jack." The man replied in a deep voice, taking the offered hand. "I believe we’re all set for departure?"

Jack checked his wrist and then looked around.

"Almost."

Right on cue, a cab arrived, and Riley stepped out, wearing a similar outfit to what the rest of the students wore. The silver-haired girl looked around, paused for a moment, and then approached.

"Hello, Miss Xin." Riley greeted, glancing at the man before focusing on Adam.

"Adam."

"Riley."

The two only acknowledged each other for the sake of courtesy.

"We’re all here now, Jack." Miss Xin said with a stiff smile.

Jack looked at Adam and Riley for a moment and then looked away. Whatever troubles they had going on were none of his concern.

"We hit the road in five," Jack said as he went to direct his men.

"Let’s get in the vans." Miss Xin directed as she led the way to the lined-up vans.

Everything they needed for their field study was already packed and loaded. Miss Xin would ride in the first van with the head of security and one technician.

The second technician would drive with Adam, Riley and one security personnel, while the third technician would drive with the two senior students and one security personnel. The rest of the security would follow in the van they came with.

Soon, the convoy was on the road.

Their destination was a small urban town a few dozen kilometres away from Academic City.

In the driver’s seat of the van Adam rode in was the technician, a young man with dark blue hair called Michael Stryder. The passenger side was taken by their assigned security personnel.

A short introduction revealed the name of their assigned guard.

"Call me Davis," the young man said.

Adam and Riley sat together in one row in the back, the silence between them heavy and uncomfortable. Adam mostly focused on his phone or looked outside when he got bored.

Michael could feel the tension from the back. After an hour or so, they were out of the city. The technician had been paying attention to the back, calmly observing how Adam and Riley behaved.

The two looked miserable, like someone had forced them to share a space they didn’t want to.

"Geez. Will you two take it down a peg? I can feel the awkwardness from here." Michael pointed out, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked as he glanced at the back of the driver’s seat.

For most of the ride, he had turned his attention outside, his chin on his left hand and leg crossed over the other.

"Really, Adam?" Michael snickered. "Even Davis here can feel the tension between you two. Have you guys not resolved that little conflict you had during your admission trials?"

Adam glanced at Riley from the corner of his eye, noticing the girl sitting with her arms crossed and one leg over the other. Her attention was on the passing scenery through her window.

"I’m not the one with extreme ideals about survival." Adam retorted, looking away.

"Wow... I never pegged you for the resentful type, Adam." Michael chuckled behind the wheel.

"Yeah, well. Somebody has to stand their ground against unreasonable philosophies."

Riley finally turned her head, calmly staring at Adam. She knew she had gone overboard during the survival trial. But she had her reasons. Not that it mattered in the end.

The very reason she had gone after him at that time had cost her the second trial.

Looking at the boy now, she realised she had vastly underestimated him. Adam was a true genius in every sense of the word. His intelligence was frightening, to say the least.

Riley was not delusional enough to think otherwise.

Then there was also his combat prowess. His strength and speed were the highest she had seen in a newly awakened human embarking on the path of evolution.

Adam was the entire package.

Had she known what she knew now, perhaps she would have made a different choice. Making an enemy out of him would take her nowhere. That did not mean she had given up on surpassing him, though. It just meant she had a chance to change things.

"I-I’m sorry." She whispered.

"What?"

Adam was sure he heard wrong. A proud elite like her apologising was something he least expected. Then again, Riley was different from a lot of them.

"I’m sorry for what I did during the Survival Trial." The girl said, louder this time, holding Adam’s gaze. "You’re right. I was unreasonable back then."

"..."

Adam stared at the silver-haired girl, lost for words. The two held each other’s gaze for a while before Riley looked away, feeling self-conscious.

’She’s actually being sincere.’ Adam realised, truly surprised.

"Aww... What do you say, Adam?" Michael chipped in with a grin. "You can’t keep the lovely Riley waiting, right?"

Adam did not immediately reply. He didn’t actually have a deep grudge against the girl, so he had no reason to refuse the girl’s apology. That would make him pettier than he already was.

"Apology accepted," he muttered.

"Now that’s more like it!" Michael cheered.