Mr. Wang stood on the podium, his tone carrying the weight of finality as his gaze swept over the class.
"You've all awakened your talents now," he said, his voice firm yet filled with expectation. "From here on out, these last two months will depend entirely on your own effort. Everything you've learned over the years—your knowledge, your training—it's time to pour all of that into the Land of Divine Punishment. Push yourselves. Level up. Build your strength. The college entrance exam is your one shot, and you need to be ready."
The room fell quiet, every student hanging on his words. For once, even the chatter about levels and gear had ceased, replaced by a rare solemnity.
Then Mr. Wang's expression shifted into something a little brighter, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That said… I won't waste your time with lectures today. I have an announcement that you'll want to hear."
He clasped his hands behind his back, pacing slowly before turning to face the room again. "I'm sure you've all heard about the Demon-Slayer by now, haven't you?"
A ripple of excitement passed through the class instantly. Of course, they'd heard. How could they not? Demon-Slayer, the newest SSS-ranked awakened talent, had taken the entire human world by storm overnight. A once-in-a-century prodigy, a beacon of hope for humanity's rise from decline.
Mr. Wang's voice swelled with pride. "With the birth of Demon-Slayer, our people see the dawn of revival. A future where we no longer bow our heads in fear. In celebration of this, the school board held an emergency meeting last night and decided to provide a special benefit for all of you."
The class erupted into a wave of excitement.
"What kind of benefit?!"
"Don't keep us hanging, teacher!"
Mr. Wang chuckled. "In a few days, the principal has arranged for some of the top talents currently attending Imperial Capital Academy to visit this school and give you direct guidance. On top of that, the school will spare no expense to host a large-scale Land of Divine Punishment live combat training event for you."
Gasps of disbelief echoed through the classroom. This kind of opportunity was unheard of—a chance to learn from real geniuses, people who had already paved the way to greatness.
Mr. Wang's eyes softened. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Having these prodigies share their experience with you is worth more than years of hard work on your own. Don't squander it. Make the most of this gift the school is giving you."
After a pause, his gaze drifted toward the back row. "Tang Xia, step outside with me for a moment."
Noah glanced over, nudging his drowsy desk mate awake. Tang Xia blinked blearily, quickly tugging at the wrinkles in her uniform and smoothing her hair under the weight of several curious stares. She shot Noah a helpless look before following Mr. Wang out the door.
They stopped at a quiet corner of the hallway. Mr. Wang turned, his expression kind yet serious as he looked at the girl fidgeting under his gaze.
"Tang Xia," he began gently, "starting tomorrow, you won't be part of Class Three anymore."
She froze mid-step, her ponytail swaying in the breeze from the open window. Sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by wide-eyed panic. "Mr. Wang… did I do something wrong? Are you expelling me?"
He chuckled warmly. "What are you thinking, child? No one's expelling you. We're transferring you to the Rocket Class."
"Rocket Class?" she echoed, still bewildered.
Mr. Wang explained patiently, "This year, to ensure that students with B-ranked talents and above can achieve their maximum potential before the exams, the school is creating a special class. A dedicated team with extra resources, top instructors, and the best environment to help you push for top scores. With your B-ranked Fire affinity, ranked third highest in the entire school, you naturally qualify."
A hint of pride lit up Tang Xia's face, but it quickly dimmed as another thought struck her. Her gaze sharpened. "What about Noah? Is he coming too?"
"Noah?" Mr. Wang frowned. "I'm afraid not."
Her jaw tightened. "But he's S-ranked, the top awakening in school. How can he not go?"
Mr. Wang sighed, choosing his words carefully. "Tang Xia… he is an S-ranked useless talent. A rare but non-combat type. Sending him to Rocket Class would be a waste of resources."
"A waste?" Her hands clenched into fists, heat flaring in her eyes. "If Noah isn't allowed in, then I'm not going either!"
"Now, don't say things you'll regret!" Mr. Wang's voice rose slightly, shocked by her outburst. "Do you understand what you're throwing away? Your future depends on this decision!"
"So what?" she snapped, standing her ground.
He stared at her, stunned for a moment, before trying again with desperation creeping into his tone. "Tang Xia, Rocket Class could increase your chances of getting into a first-tier university by twenty percent. Do you know how valuable that is? Think carefully!"
"I have thought about it," she said firmly, biting her lip. "If an S-ranked can't go, then I don't deserve to either."
"You—!" Mr. Wang was speechless.
"Unless you have something else to tell me, I'd like to return to class now." She bowed politely, turned on her heel, and left him standing there, shaking his head in exasperation.
Back at their desks, Noah barely looked up from his notes on the auction house system. "What was that about? Old Wang is trying to give you a pep talk?"
Tang Xia fiddled with her hair, avoiding his gaze. "Eh, just the usual—study hard, make Class Three proud, that kind of thing."
A flicker of light appeared in Noah's vision.
[Eyes of the Gods: She's lying. Guess why?]
He blinked, glancing at her suspiciously. "Xia… are you hiding something from me?"
"Pfft, me? Please." She tried to laugh it off, but her voice wavered. "Your bro here has nothing to hide."
Another line popped up in his interface.
[Answer Revealed: One minute ago, your desk mate turned down Rocket Class because of you. Feeling touched yet?]
Noah froze, staring at her. "Because of me?"
She pretended to be fascinated by her desk, twirling a pen like her life depended on it.
Noah's lips curved into a crooked smile. "Xia…"
"Hm?"
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "If that idiot Jacob comes sniffing around again, just drop my name. That'll make him back off."
She snorted. "Your name? And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"What, you don't think it carries weight? How about Demon-Slayer, then?"
"You? Demon-Slayer?" She burst out laughing. "Please, you couldn't slay a fly."
Noah shrugged, grinning. "You'd be surprised."
She grew serious for a moment. "Noah, really… stay out of this. If Jacob decides to make you a target, you'll have more problems than you can handle. It's bad enough already—I don't want you ruining your shot at college because of me."
He leaned back casually, smirking. "Relax. It's just college. I could get in with my eyes closed."
"Yeah, right," she muttered, unconvinced.
As the glow from their Link Crystals began to brighten, signaling the opening of the Land of Divine Punishment, Tang Xia hesitated, looking at him once more. "You're sure you don't want me to help you level up? We could party up, make things faster."
Noah grinned wickedly. "What's this, Xia? Got a crush on me or something? Why do you keep offering?"
Her face flushed crimson, creeping all the way to her ears. "Wha—No! I just don't want my desk mate flunking out of college, that's all! Don't read into it!"
His grin widened as he dropped his gaze to her smooth, pale legs under the desk, then murmured teasingly, "Tell you what. Since we're such good buddies, let me touch your thigh and I'll consider letting you power-level me."
Tang Xia shot up from her seat, fists clenched, face blazing red. "NOAH, YOU PERV! GET LOST!"
Noah chuckled to himself as he pressed his hand to his Link Crystal, vanishing into the game alone.
"Traveler," a soft, ethereal voice greeted him as the majestic star-gate of the Land of Divine Punishment materialized before his eyes. "Are you ready to step through and face the unknown?"
But this time, Noah didn't rush in. His gaze lifted toward the radiant figure floating above the divine hall—the Goddess of Dawn, wrapped in shimmering light. Her flowing white hair cascaded like a river of silk, her delicate yet commanding form clad in a gown spun from pure divine power. The deep valley of her chest was half-veiled, a glimpse of forbidden beauty that radiated untouchable holiness.
Anyone else would have knelt in reverence. But Noah, his mind spinning with possibility, felt a reckless thought take hold.
He had SSS-ranked [Divine Shackles]—a talent that could bind even gods, forcing a contract upon them.
His lips curled into a dangerous smirk as the idea burned in his mind.
What if… I shackle the goddess herself?