Magnolia First Magic Academy.
After a two-day adjustment period, the Practical Combat Prep Classes officially kicked into high gear.
Under the strict guidance of their instructors, every class plunged into a brutal, grueling training regimen.
Everything was for the sake of the Practical Combat Exams in six months.
Banners reading “180 Days Until the Combat Exams!” were unanimously hung in the most conspicuous corners of every classroom.
Of course, the actual exams were still half a year away—a bit too distant for the students to fully panic over.
What was right in front of them, breathing down their necks, was the first monthly class ranking assessment.
This assessment didn’t just determine the honor and prestige of the instructors; it directly dictated the volume of cultivation resources their classes would receive for the following month.
Because of this, the competition between the prep classes spiraled into absolute madness.
What?
The class next door starts morning training at 8:00 AM?
Fine, we’re starting at 7:00 AM!
What?
The class next door holds after-school sessions?
Fine, we’re adding mandatory night studies!
What?
The class next door assigns homework after night studies?
Fine, we’re doing mandatory video-call workouts before bed!
What?
The class next door cut their lunch break down to thirty minutes?
Fine, we’re doing takeout only and completely canceling recess!
It was a complete, cutthroat arms race.
Every instructor was pulling out their most desperate, ruthless trump cards to squeeze every last drop of potential out of their students.
With eighteen prep classes in the year, the sheer level of toxic overwork was enough to drive a person insane!
However, amidst this academy-wide frenzy, one prep class stood out for being completely, utterly different.
Asher’s Class 18.
At 6:00 AM, while other classes were unlocking their doors for early training, Class 18’s door remained dead shut.
At 12:00 PM, while other classes were inhaling takeout at their desks, Class 18’s door remained dead shut.
At 8:00 PM, while other classes were sweating through night studies, Class 18’s door remained dead shut.
It was like this on the first day.
It was like this on the second day.
It was like this on the third day.
Every single day, the door stayed locked!
Within just a single week, the vast majority of the prep class instructors looked like absolute zombies, sporting heavy dark circles from the sheer stress.
Asher, on the other hand?
He looked practically radiant, his skin glowing with vitality as if he had just come back from a luxury vacation!
At first, because Class 18 was banished to a converted broom closet on the thirty-third floor, no one really noticed.
But such bizarre behavior couldn’t stay hidden forever.
The rumors quickly spread through the faculty like wildfire.
In every office and group chat across the academy, Asher was the main topic of conversation.
“You guys won’t believe this.
My dorm is on the same floor as Asher’s.
I went back to grab something around noon yesterday, and guess what?
He was just waking up to brush his teeth!”
“That’s nothing!
I specifically went up to the thirty-third floor to check.
The lights in Class 18 haven’t been turned on in days!
Even the cleaning lady didn’t know there was a classroom up there!”
“Look, I know he got stuck with three F-Class students, but he can’t just completely abandon his responsibilities!
This is a gross violation of professional ethics!
Besides, didn’t he make a massive 600,000 Jewel wager with Instructor Drake?!”
“Honestly, I kind of get it.
I heard the Heartfilia twins took a month-long leave of absence.
That leaves him with just Luna—an F-Class Enhancement mage.
He probably realized he has absolutely zero chance of winning the bet and decided to just give up and rot.”
“Yeah, speaking of Luna, I haven’t seen her in class either.
The rumors about her suffering a mental breakdown and binge-eating must be true.
She’s probably given up on the Combat Exams completely.”
“Man…
I actually thought Asher was hiding his strength.
When he jumped to Tier Three, Level Three, I thought he might genuinely have a plan to beat Drake.
Guess I gave him way too much credit~”
Though their specific words varied, everyone arrived at the exact same conclusion: Asher and Luna’s mental states had completely shattered.
When the monthly assessment rolled around, Asher was guaranteed to suffer a humiliating, crushing defeat!
Human nature dictates that people love gossip, and mages are no exception.
Fueled by Asher’s recent notoriety, his “bizarre” slacking quickly became the biggest joke on campus.
As the sun began to set, casting long orange shadows across the academy.
The Practical Combat Training Facility.
Inside an exclusive, Level Three Instructor private training room.
The room was the size of a massive lecture hall, packed with highly sensitive magic-testing instruments and racks of heavy weaponry.
Sitting squarely in the center of the room was a massive, dome-shaped metallic structure.
This was the First Magic Academy’s only Tier Three Gravity Room.
Even with the faculty’s fifty-percent discount, the hourly rate was so exorbitant that ordinary instructors couldn’t even dream of affording it.
Hiss…
Clunk!
With the heavy hiss of depressurizing air, the thick cabin doors slid open.
Diana stepped out, her athletic frame drenched in sweat.
A sharp, brilliant light flickered in her starry eyes, and the corners of her lips curled up into a rare, stunning smile.
‘My magic reserves have expanded again.
I can feel it…
I should be able to break into the Tier Four Transcendent Realm right around the time of the Combat Exams!’
Biting her lip in anticipation, Diana’s heart fluttered with excitement.
She was only twenty-six.
If she could become an S-Class Transcendent Mage at her age, her transfer to the prestigious Fiore First Magic University was virtually guaranteed!
‘It’s still early.
I can push myself for another hour.’
Pulling out her smartphone to check the time, Diana prepared to dive back into the gravity chamber.
But just as she unlocked the screen, a notification from the faculty group chat caught her eye.
She saw Asher’s name.
Without hesitating, she tapped it.
A few seconds later, her beautiful brows knit together into a tight, frustrated knot.
“Did you hear?
Asher isn’t even showing up to teach anymore.
He just hides in his dorm and sleeps all day.” “Yeah, apparently the door to Class 18 hasn’t opened since the second day of school.” “Trash will always be trash.
You can’t force mud to hold up a wall!”
Scrolling through the endless mockery, Diana couldn’t help but shake her head.
A deep, heavy wave of disappointment washed over her.
She couldn’t exactly explain why she felt so let down by him, but it stung.
After a long moment of silence, Diana cast one last glance at the Tier Three Gravity Room before grabbing her coat and turning away.
As she walked out of the facility, she dialed a number on her phone.
“Brother?
It’s Diana.
I’m going to be staying at the family estate starting today.
I’ll be personally tutoring Chloe and Claire every night.”
Hanging up the phone, Diana paused in the courtyard.
She looked off toward the direction of the faculty dormitories, her gaze turning cold and distant.
‘Asher…
this is the absolute last time I cover for you.’
Evening.
The vibrant orange hues of the sunset slowly faded into dusk.
Despite the late hour, the lights inside Class 1 burned blindingly bright.
Class 1 was situated on the absolute best, most accessible floor of the main building.
It was also the largest and most lavishly equipped classroom in the academy.
This was the elite prep class.
The handful of B-Class Awakeners in the entire second year were all concentrated in this single room.
But beyond the resources and the talented students, there was one major reason Class 1 was treated like royalty: their instructor was Loke.
The young master of the Loke Family, one of Magnolia’s Six Great Families.
“Uncle Lin, keep an eye on them.
Whoever fails to hit their quota today doesn’t get to go home!” Loke commanded casually over his shoulder.
He flopped down onto a plush, custom-installed luxury sofa in the corner of the room, immediately pulling out his smartphone to kill time.
“Understood, Young Master,” the gray-robed elder standing behind the sofa replied respectfully.
Uncle Lin smoothly stepped forward, effortlessly taking over the actual teaching duties while Loke lounged.
Judging by how naturally he assumed command, this was clearly a daily occurrence.
Loke was tall and reasonably handsome, but there was an undeniable arrogance and a slightly sinister edge to his features.
Sinking comfortably into the sofa, he scrolled through the faculty forums and quickly spotted the exploding rumors about Asher.
He casually skimmed a few posts before dismissing the screen, a sneer of pure disdain curling his lips.
“Heh.
He’s just an unrefined, bottom-feeding meathead.
Nothing more.”