[BL] Challenge: 100 Baby in Fantasy World-Chapter 259: The Real Culprit

Mona stared back at him, confusion clouding her eyes. With her smaller frame and timid demeanor, she looked more like a bullied student than a suspect.

"Come with me," Gara said sharply, turning on his heel toward the back of the dorm tower.

After what had happened with Andine earlier, he had no intention of letting another story spread in public especially one he couldn’t control.

Mona followed without protest. Madha and Fian walked behind her, blocking the curious students who tried to tag along.

But the others weren’t giving up that easily. Though they didn’t dare defy the human young man with Giant Bloodline, they slipped back into the tower with a different plan, to find Miki.

As luck would have it, Miki was right there in the lobby, gossiping as usual.

"What?! Gara confronted Mona? Why?" The rat-boy nearly jumped from his seat when one of the students breathlessly told him the news.

"Gara told her to follow him behind the tower! Maybe Mona’s his next victim after Andine? Or maybe she likes Fian or Madha?" the student speculated wildly.

Miki shook his head fast. "No way. Something’s off. I’m going to find out what really happened."

The self-proclaimed gossip king bolted out of the tower.

...

Meanwhile, Gara, Mona, Madha, and Fian were already behind the dorm tower.

"So you’re still not going to admit you were the one who gave me the drug?" Gara asked again, voice steady but sharp.

"I never gave you anything," Mona replied with the same calm denial. Her expression looked painfully sincere, like someone wrongly accused.

Madha and Fian stood behind Gara, silent. Whatever the truth was, they trusted Gara.

"Where were you during the opening ceremony in the Great Hall?" Gara pressed. "You were the only Class S student who showed up late."

"I came late on purpose. I didn’t want to be in a crowd," Mona replied quickly.

Gara let out a quiet laugh. "So you’ve already prepared your alibi. Too bad. It won’t bury the facts."

He took a step closer. "Your sleeve cuffs— they still carry traces of the poison’s scent. And I saw you entering a back alley in the capital last week."

Madha’s eyes widened. "So Orman wasn’t lying when he said he saw Mona there."

That happened a week ago. If Mona had been planning this since then, did that mean every moment she’d spent with Gara this past week was fake?

Anger flickered across Madha’s face, mixed with disappointment. Mostly at himself, for letting his man stay close to a traitor.

"If you still won’t believe me," Gara said quietly, "we can go to Professor Ilyas right now and test the fabric of your sleeves."

This time, Mona’s composed expression faltered. She looked down at her cuffs. Nothing visible, but she knew alchemical residue could still be detected.

Especially with Gara, the Alchemy Genius, Professor Ilyas would gladly assist him.

"Why, Mona?" Gara’s tone softened, carrying a sting of hurt. "I never did anything to you. I thought after our training together, we could be friends."

Hearing that, hearing him talk like a victim, made something inside Mona snap. She couldn’t help but sneer.

That one expression was enough to shock the three young men standing before her.

In that moment, Mona finally showed them her true self.

With a cold, burning stare, Mona spat out,

"Gara, you said you’ve done nothing to me? You’re the most arrogant, self-righteous person here! You have people who defend you, you act humble just so everyone praises you even more!"

It hit Gara like a splash of icy water. Her words made no sense but because it was Mona saying them, they cut deeper than he expected.

’I knew it, Mona. I knew you hated me. I just never knew why. I kept wondering if you hated everyone or if it was just me... Hearing it straight from you, it’s honestly disappointing.’

Gara could see people’s affinity toward him, the invisible number floating above their heads.

Even when Andine had started keeping her distance, her number hadn’t dropped.

That was why Gara never suspected her, never realized rumors were already spreading between them. It was also why he believed Andine hadn’t been the one to slip them the drug.

But Mona—

Her number had been low from the very beginning.

And it only kept falling.

When she suddenly approached Gara a week ago, asking to train together, he’d thought maybe she was finally opening up.

Even though the heart icon above her head had already turned negative. Gara just thought she was a lonely girl, someone who’d lost herself after being bullied too long.

Maybe she just hated everyone.

But now that red –20 glowed like fire, burning away every last bit of hope he had.

"Because of you, Gara... because of you..." Mona’s teeth clenched so hard they chattered. Veins bulged along her temples as her eyes widened unnaturally.

She looked terrifying.

Madha and Fian instantly stepped in front of Gara, shielding him.

But Gara stood frozen, staring, still trapped in his own disappointment.

Mona’s fists trembled. "You already have Madha and Fian. Why did you have to take Professor Langga too?!"

Her scream was so loud it echoed off the tower walls, startling Miki who had just turned the corner, on his way to check on them.

He froze and ducked behind the wall instead, listening.

Mona had lost all sense of reason. Her voice shook as she poured everything out.

"Professor Langga treats all his students kindly, but he looks at you differently! And it’s because of how you act, Gara, playing hard to get, pretending you’re special!

Why can’t you just be like everyone else? Why do you make him give you extra attention, special training sessions?!

I asked him for private lessons too, but he said he was too busy! Because of you! You’ve taken all of his time. And now there are rumors about him because of you! You ruin everything, Gara!"

Her breakdown pulled Gara back to reality. He stood speechless, struggling to process what he was hearing.

"All this... just because of Professor Langga?" he murmured.

"Just because of him?!" Mona shrieked.

Then— she vanished.

In the next heartbeat, she appeared right behind Gara. But before her dagger could reach him, Fian’s Ghost Walk activated, his form blurring as he intercepted her strike.

Madha lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into Mona’s body and sending her flying toward the wall—

But before she hit it, her figure flickered and reappeared in her previous spot.

Her Rift Jump truly leveled up—

The one Gara had personally taught her.

But She was using it against him.

"I hate you so much, Gara," Mona hissed. Her voice trembled, not with fear, but with conviction.

"Professor Langga said that if I wanted to get stronger, I needed to work with you. But I refuse!"

Mona’s face flushed bright red with anger. "I already told him! I told him I hate you!"

The three men in front of her —and Miki, who was half-hiding behind them— let her vent.

’Maybe it’ll make her feel better,’ Gara thought silently.

Unfortunately, Mona’s next words did anything but that.

"He told me to do it! He told me to get close to you, Gara!"

"What—"

Mona didn’t let him finish. "He said the more I hate you, the closer I should be to you. Only then would I gain the strength to become stronger!"

Gara narrowed his eyes, half-hoping he’d misheard, as if focusing harder might fix what his ears refused to believe.

Mona let out a bitter laugh. "Because of Professor Langga. For him, I forced myself to put up with you. But he is a genius professor, after all. After getting close to you, I managed to ruin your friendship, use your name to do awful things, and even slip drugs into your drink."

Woosh—

Fian couldn’t hold back anymore. Using his Ghost Walk, he blurred forward and aimed an ice spike straight at the ghost girl’s chest.

Mona’s eyes widened. She barely slipped into her rift in time, disappearing from sight, yet a smear of blood glistened on Fian’s spike.

Gara, Madha, and Miki froze in shock at Fian’s sudden move.

"Fian," Gara called out sharply, ordering him to stand down before Mona reappeared and countered.

He understood why Fian was furious. Because of Mona, everything had spiraled into misunderstanding. And it involved Fian and Andine.

Fian had even dragged Andine earlier. There must’ve been guilt eating him alive.

Taking a deep breath, Gara forced himself to think clearly.

"Mona," he called out, voice steady. "If you really want to defeat me, do it the right way. Fight me fair and square."

He spoke even though Mona hadn’t revealed herself again. "Breaking my friendships or drugging me won’t make you stronger. Like you said, there are people who’ll always stand by me. So if you truly want to beat me, face me in a one-on-one fight."

For a while, there was silence.

Then Mona suddenly appeared a few steps away from Miki, startling the rat boy so badly he fell backward with a squeak.

But Mona didn’t even glance his way. "Don’t act so righteous, Gara. Who doesn’t know how amazing you are? Stop flaunting your Talent."

And just like that, Mona vanished again, leaving the four of them standing there, each lost in their own thoughts.

...