The classroom was quiet except for the faint hum of Emilia’s voice as she went over the leftover parts of the previous class on mana theory. My head felt heavy, and I yawned, trying to shake off the drowsiness that clung to me like a second skin.
The reason for my current state of exhaustion was sitting right next to me. Reed, as usual, had gone completely wild last night, dragging me around and ranting about all sorts of anime, manhwa, and random stuff.
At first, it was fun. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a good story now and then? But I got carried away. I might not be a full-blown Chunni like Reed, but I do love a good novel, and before I knew it, I was so absorbed that I lost track of time. By the time I realized what was happening, it was already morning, and I had no choice but to drag myself to class with barely any sleep.
Reed, on the other hand, looked fresh as ever. Somehow, he was sitting there playing a shooting game on his tablet like he didn’t need sleep at all. Meanwhile, I was struggling to stay conscious.
Emilia’s voice continued to drift through the room, but I couldn’t focus. My thoughts wandered as I fought to keep my eyes open.
I needed something to wake me up, something to keep my mind from slipping away completely. I started thinking about the things I needed to do.
Money.
That was the first thing that came to mind. My bank account was dangerously low, and if I wanted to stick to my plan of using guns, I’d need a lot more than I currently had. I’d also have to find someone skilled enough to craft custom guns and bullets for me.
And then there was training. My spectral eyes still needed work if I wanted to use them properly, and that wasn’t going to be easy. On top of all that, the game club had some kind of event coming up, and I couldn’t afford to slack off there either.
"Lukas, are you listening?"
Emilia’s sharp voice snapped me back to reality. I straightened up, trying to look like I had been paying attention the whole time.
"Lukas, stand up!"
I scrambled to my feet, trying to appear composed even though my legs felt like jelly. Suddenly, I could feel the weight of every gaze in the room on me.
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My eyes shifted to the side, and what I saw nearly made me stumble. Reed, who had been glued to his game just moments ago, was now scribbling notes like a model student.
What the hell was going on?
I could hear faint whispers around me. Ashton, sitting up front, glanced at me with a confused look. Roderick was murmuring something to the person next to him. And then there was Freya. She gave me a quick, disdainful glance before snorting as if to say, You totally deserve this.
Emilia walked toward me, her sharp gaze making my spine stiffen. She crossed her arms, her tone icy as she asked, "Where were you looking when I was teaching?"
"I...I..." I stammered, unable to come up with a proper excuse.
"I wasn’t paying attention, right?" Emilia cut me off, her lips curving into a faint smirk as she adjusted her glasses.
Pfft!
The sound of stifled laughter erupted around me. I could even hear someone mutter, "As expected from the last ranker" while others chuckled under their breaths.
"Silence!" Emilia’s voice cracked through the room like a whip, making everyone shrink in their seats.
I internally groaned. Why was I so unlucky in her class? This was the third time she’d caught me in an embarrassing situation.
"You don’t pay attention in class. You come late, don’t study, don’t try to do the work, and rank at the bottom. So why are you here?" Her words carried a mixture of annoyance and genuine disappointment.
"Sorry, miss, but I disagree," I said, trying to salvage my pride. Thinking quickly, I added, "I’m just tired because I was awake all night to finish the assignment."
The moment the word "assignment" left my mouth, the room went dead silent. Many gasped in shock and bewilderment.
I swear I could even hear someone’s sweat drop hitting the desk.
A grin spread across my face.
Hmm, serve you right for laughing at me earlier.
Emilia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "I had forgotten about that. Thanks for reminding me. But can you do it?"
"Of course, I can," I replied confidently, puffing out my chest slightly.
She snapped her fingers, and a thin thread of mana materialized in front of me. I instinctively grabbed it, trying not to show my surprise.
"Then show me," she said with a calm but challenging tone.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on the thread, channeling my mana carefully. Slowly, I traced the thread’s entire length, making sure not to let the mana scatter.
"Good," Emilia nodded, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes. "Now, can you trace an entire ball of thread?"
"I might not be able to," I admitted honestly, lowering my gaze.
"Hmm. Focus more on class. Practicing is good, but make sure to get proper rest," she said, her voice softening slightly.
"Yes, ma’am," I replied, nodding earnestly.
Then, Emilia turned to the rest of the class, her expression shifting into a mischievous smile that sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
"Now, everyone line up and let me see your progress," she said, her voice laced with authority.
Groans and protests erupted around me. I caught bits of grumbling like, "Seriously, Lukas?" and "Why does she always pick on us after him?"
A few students even shot me dirty looks, one or two flipping me off from behind their books.
I shrugged it off. Just because a dog barks doesn’t mean you should bark back, I thought with a smirk, standing tall as the chaos unfolded around me.