It seed the pressure I’d been applying through consistent victories and demonstrated superiority wasn’t sitting well with the protagonist. Kyle usually maintained his composed, heroic deanor with everyone - but those he felt genuinely threatened by received this kind of juvenile provocation instead.
Trying to antagonize by flaunting possession of sothing I had voluntarily discarded was... funny, actually. The old Adrian had been obsessed with Seraphina, making a fool of himself through transparent pursuit. Whilst I had broken that engagent without hesitation and never looked back.
Kyle was attempting psychological warfare using ammunition that had lost all its power the mont I’d awakened and transford. He was fighting a version of that no longer existed, which ant his tactics were fundantally flawed from the start.
The tension between us was clearly escalating beyond simple academic rivalry. Kyle recognized as a genuine threat to his position and narrative, and this crude display was his opening move in what would likely beco increasingly direct confrontation.
But if he thought taking my discarded ex-fiancée to a hotel would sohow shake my composure or cloud my judgnt, he had severely miscalculated who he was dealing with.
I had Transcendent beasts to hunt, businesses to manage, and approaching doom to prepare for. Kyle’s performances barely registered as distractions worth acknowledging.
The next day arrived with my usual morning routine, though I felt noticeably stronger after the previous night’s extensive soul power absorption. Classes proceeded normally until Instructor Sylvia’s afternoon session, where I noticed an unusually large stack of papers on her desk.
The examination results had arrived.
Sylvia waited for everyone to settle before addressing the class with an expression that mixed approval with mild surprise.
"I’ve reviewed your written examination results, and I must say you’ve all perford surprisingly well. It’s quite shocking, actually, given that this was a comprehensive surprise test covering extensive material."
She paused for effect, scanning the room before delivering the most important news.
"First, I’m pleased to announce that everyone in this class has passed the examination. This ans that when the end of the month approaches, you will all be receiving your standard monthly allocation of 100,000 points."
The classroom erupted in excited murmurs and relieved expressions. Even students who had been worried about their performance relaxed visibly at the confirmation that they’d t minimum standards.
Elen’s face lit up with obvious relief and satisfaction. Given her family’s financial struggles, that monthly point allocation was crucial for both her developnt and her ability to support her father.
Sylvia raised her hand for silence before continuing. "Additionally, the top three perforrs will receive bonus rewards of 10,000 points each for their exceptional rankings."
The atmosphere shifted imdiately to competitive tension as everyone wondered who had claid the top positions.
"In third place," Sylvia announced, "we have Marcus Ironhold."
The result was t with understanding nods - Marcus was known for his approach and solid academic foundation. His Ironhold family emphasized comprehensive education alongside combat training.
Marcus accepted the recognition with his characteristic calm composure, showing neither excessive pride nor false modesty.
"In second place," Sylvia continued, "Adrian Blackwood."
I maintained a neutral expression as several classmates glanced my way with mixed reactions. So looked unsurprised given my recent combat achievents, while others seed to reassess their understanding of my capabilities. Being a monster in combat was one thing, but excelling in theory demonstrated well-rounded developnt.
Sylvia paused deliberately before announcing the final ranking, building anticipation.
"And in first place... Elen Brightwater."
The classroom fell into shocked silence.
Everyone turned to stare at Elen, whose face showed genuine surprise mixed with pride. She clearly hadn’t expected to claim the top position, especially against competitors like myself and Marcus.
The shock was understandable. While Elen was respected for her alchemy knowledge and water manipulation abilities during the examination, most students had underestimated her academic capabilities. She’d maintained a relatively low profile compared to the more prominent combat-focused students, like myself, emt and Marcus.
But the results spoke clearly - she had outperford both and Marcus on comprehensive theoretical knowledge, demonstrating mastery that exceeded even the strongest combat specialists in our class.
"It seems we’ve all been underestimating certain people," one student muttered loud enough to be heard.
"Elen’s not just good at alchemy," another whispered. "She’s our class’s scholar."
I caught Elen’s eye and offered a subtle nod of acknowledgnt. Her academic excellence was well-deserved, and honestly, if I hadn’t been copying her answers during portions of the exam, my score would have been noticeably lower.
The irony wasn’t lost on - I’d used her superior knowledge to secure second place, while she’d earned first through pure capability.
After class ended, Emt approached while Elen and I were walking together discussing the examination results.
What surprised more was that instead of ignoring Elen as he usually did, he spoke two simple words.
"Well done."
A smile ford on my face at the unexpected gesture. For Emt, who rarely acknowledged anyone beyond combat challenges, offering congratulations was practically effusive praise.
Elen, who had grown accustod to his aloof behaviour, looked genuinely shocked by the recognition. She recovered quickly and responded with sincere warmth.
"Thank you. You did well too, Emt."
Emt nodded in acknowledgnt before turning his attention to with his typical directness.
"Spar."
I nodded without hesitation. "Let’s go."
The sparring session proceeded as usual, drawing substantial crowds of spectators eager to watch two of the Elite class’s strongest students test themselves against each other. Emt fought with his usual aggressive intensity, though I noticed he was incorporating more defensive techniques - perhaps learning from his loss against Seraphina.
The match ended without clear victor, both of us calling it off after so ti.
Afterward, I walked with Elen toward the training facility section to book our respective practice rooms. Surprisingly, Emt joined us rather than departing imdiately as he typically would.
The three of us approached the booking station together - an unusual trio that drew curious glances from other students.
Reviews
All reviews (0)