(Arin's POV)
The reflection in the large dorm room mirror showed a figure I barely recognized as myself.
A blond-haired young man with sharp blue eyes stared back. He was no longer wearing the rough gray tunic typical of Class C students, which usually smelled of sweat and training dust.
Instead, the young man's body was clad in a pristine white suit made of expensive imported silk. Gold lines were neatly embroidered on the collar and sleeves, forming a lion pattern symbolizing the Academy's pride and elitism. The buttons were made of real pearls, shimmering softly under the morning sunlight penetrating the window.
Class B Uniform. A status symbol I had just earned with blood.
I touched the smooth fabric on my chest hesitantly. It felt... very strange. Too soft and too clean for my skin.
Beneath this expensive cloth lay a body full of self-surgery scars, muscles unnaturally densified by monster serum, and bones that had been crushed repeatedly and forcibly reconnected.
"A wolf in sheep's clothing," I mumbled to the reflection in the mirror, adjusting the collar that felt choking. "Or perhaps... more accurately called a butcher wearing prince's clothes."
It felt ridiculous. These clothes were designed for those with soft hands only used to holding quills or magic staffs. Not for hands used to holding bloody scalpels or squeezing enemy hearts until they burst. I felt like a master imposter infiltrating a royal ball.
"Arin? Are you inside?"
A soft knock on the door shattered my daydream instantly.
"Come in, Erika. The door is unlocked," I answered while adjusting the badge on my chest.
The door opened slowly. Erika stepped in hesitantly.
She was also wearing her new uniform. A white skirt with neat pleats, a silk blouse, and an elegant short cape with gold stripes. Her black hair, usually tied haphazardly, now flowed neatly, framing her sweet face. She looked beautiful. So beautiful that it made this cramped and gloomy dorm room feel brighter.
However, her eyes still implied remnants of physical trauma from the forest fight. There was a slight delay when she looked at me, as if visual signals from her eyes needed a fraction of a second longer to reach the brain and be processed.
"Wow..." Erika blinked slowly, her eyes scanning my appearance from top to bottom. "You look... (two-second pause)... very handsome today. Like a real noble."
I smiled thinly, picking up the centrifuge sketch I had been observing on the table, then folding it and putting it into the bottom drawer for safekeeping. Dreams of the factory had to be postponed for a moment. Today, the battlefield was the classroom.
"Just clothes, Erika. The contents remain the same butcher," I replied while picking up my leather bag. "How about you? Are you ready to enter the lion's den?"
Erika nodded, this time her reaction slightly faster than usual. She gripped her new magic staff very tightly until her knuckles turned white.
"Ready," she answered firmly. "As long as you are there with me."
The journey to the Academy Main Building felt very different today.
Usually, when I walked in the gray uniform, students would move aside in disgust or stare with condescending pity. But today, this white uniform changed everything.
Class C students passing us bowed respectfully; some even whispered in admiration as we passed.
"That is Arin... who defeated Gordon's Team alone."
"He really moved up a class..."
"Crazy, he looks different now. Like a different person."
On the other hand, Class A students we passed stared with a mixture of envy and wariness. News of my duel against Gordon and the incident in the forest had spread widely, although details were disguised by the academy. To them, I was a dangerous anomaly who somehow managed to crawl up from the gutter.
We arrived in front of large double doors made of sturdy black Oak. The gold plaque above it read in bold letters: CLASS B-1.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, then pushed the door open.
The atmosphere inside the classroom, previously noisy with morning conversation, instantly died completely.
Dozens of pairs of eyes immediately focused on the two of us. This room was far more luxurious than Class C. The floor was covered with thick red carpet that muffled footsteps. The desks were made of beautifully carved mahogany, arranged in tiers like a small amphitheater so all students could see the blackboard clearly. Large windows let sunlight flood the room warmly.
However, the atmosphere inside felt freezing cold.
In the middle row, I saw Gordon Kyle. His nose was still thickly bandaged, a remnant "gift" from my fist in the last semester exam. He stared at me with pure burning hatred, his hands clenching tightly on the table until they trembled. Beside him, Gareth and other Karl Benzzi lackeys gave equally hostile stares.
Almost all strategic seats were taken. There were only two empty seats in the very back row, in a rather dark and secluded corner.
I signaled Erika to follow me. "Let's go, back there."
We walked up the carpeted stairs toward the empty seats.
However, our steps were blocked halfway.
A thin student with a sly face, Gaston, stretched his legs long into the aisle, deliberately blocking the way. He was pretending to be busy filing his nails, as if not seeing us coming.
"Oops," said Gaston with an annoying affected tone as I stopped right in front of him. He looked up slowly, grinning cynically. "Sorry, Mr. 'Hero'. This path is exclusively for pure-blooded nobles. The smell of forest and trash is forbidden here. Maybe you can go through the window? Or the sewer?"
Some students around chuckled, though their laughter sounded nervous. They were testing the waters. Finding out if my fangs were still sharp in their territory.
Erika behind me squeezed her robe, her face starting to turn red with anger. She was about to raise her staff.
I stopped her with a hand gesture. I did not return his insult with words, let alone anger. I stared flatly at Gaston's legs blocking the way. His shiny leather shoes looked expensive, but their position was wrong.
Without saying a word, I activated the muscles in my right hand. Not Aura, just pure physical strength resulting from exploding serum mutation.
I bent down slightly, gripping the leg of the chair Gaston sat on firmly.
"What are you doi—"
Gaston didn't have time to finish his protest sentence.
With one strong and quick jerk, I pulled the chair to the side forcibly.
SCREECH!
The movement was so fast and powerful that Gaston lost his balance completely. His body was flung onto the carpeted floor with a humiliating thud. His nail file flew who knows where.
"Ouch!" Gaston groaned in pain, his face beet red with shame. He looked up quickly, ready to curse with all profanities.
"Are you crazy?! What do you want, huh?!"
But his words stuck in his throat when he saw my gaze. Cold and flat. Without the slightest emotion. The gaze of someone accustomed to dissecting monsters far more terrifying and dangerous than this spoiled brat.
"Sorry," I said calmly, while tidying the chair back to its original position, as if nothing had happened. "Your legs were blocking me and the way in this aisle. I just helped tidy them up."
I stepped past him just like that, followed by Erika who suppressed a small laugh behind her hand.
The class went silent again. No one dared to laugh anymore. They had just been reminded of one important fact: My uniform might be clean white and elegant, but my way of solving problems was still as rough as on the streets.
We sat in the back row. Gaston got up grumbling, not daring to retaliate physically out of fear, and returned to his seat with a face bowed in shame.
With that, a small dominance had been successfully established on the first day.
BANG!
The classroom door slammed open roughly, breaking the silence that had just formed.
A woman walked in with an intimidation aura that made the room temperature drop five degrees instantly. She wore a tight black instructor robe, her hair in a tight bun without a single strand loose, and her eyes as sharp as a venomous snake seeking prey.
Instructor Adnia.
The woman who accused me of cheating in court. The woman who tried to expel me and Erika by all cunning means. And now, fate determined her as our Homeroom Teacher.
Fate indeed had a bad and cruel sense of humor.
Adnia walked quickly to the podium, slamming the attendance book down with a loud thud. Her eyes swept the entire class with an assessing gaze, then stopped right on my face. The corner of her lips twitched, holding back deep disgust and hatred.
"Welcome to Semester Two," her voice was sharp, echoing throughout the room. "I see there are some... dirty stains or unwanted new faces who managed to sneak in here."
She did not name names directly, but everyone knew who she meant.
"Listen closely," continued Adnia, pacing back and forth in front of the class with firm steps. "Class B standards are different from the trash bin you used to live in. Here, we mold future elite leaders. I will not tolerate mistakes, stupidity, or mere luck. Because there is 'trash' who moved up via back channels and connections, I will raise the passing standard of this class threefold starting today."
Erika looked down deeply, her shoulders trembling. She felt the sarcasm was directed at her. I touched Erika's hand under the table, giving her a little strength and calm.
"To start this beautiful day," Adnia smiled crookedly, a smile that did not reach her eyes. She picked up a piece of chalk. "Let's see if your brains have rusted over the winter break."
She turned to the large blackboard behind her. Her hand moved fast and aggressively, writing a series of complex and long magic formulas.
Circles, runes, mana variables, and elemental constants mixed into a confusing unity.
[Problem: Calculate Mana Efficiency (η) in Type-4 Defense Matrix if environmental variable (E) is extreme blizzard and desired output (P) is 500 units, taking into account circuit degradation per second (t) in sub-zero conditions.]
Adnia turned around, dusting off her hands until white dust flew.
"This is the basis of intermediate defense theory. Who can solve it in five minutes?"
The class was totally silent. Some smart students like Gordon frowned, scribbling on their papers frantically, but looked confused. That was an advanced formula usually taught in the second or third year. Adnia deliberately gave an impossible problem to test mental strength.
Adnia's eyes immediately sought easy prey. And of course, her eyes locked onto me.
"Arin," she called with a sweet tone that was venomous. "Why don't you come to the front? I heard you have a unique 'theory' about magic that impressed the Headmistress. Show us how a genius without mana solves an equation this complex."
She wanted to humiliate me. That woman wanted to prove in front of everyone that I was academically stupid and did not deserve to be here.
"Me?" I asked, standing slowly from the chair.
"Yes, you. Who else is trash here? Or do you want to give up now and admit your brain is as empty as your mana core?"
I walked down the carpeted stairs, my steps relaxed and calm.
"Very well, Instructor. Let's see if your logic is as strong as your hatred," I muttered softly as I passed her.
I stood in front of that giant blackboard. Adnia stepped aside, crossing her arms with a smile of victory. She was sure I wouldn't understand those rune symbols.
I stared at the problem intently.
Indeed, if using a conventional magic approach, this problem was very complex and abstract. You had to calculate ice element resonance with matrix structure, which required intuitive feeling for mana.
But... magic in this world, basically, was just another form of energy. And energy obeyed absolute laws of physics and mathematics.
This was not about mystical magic. This was about thermodynamics and advanced calculus.
I took the chalk from Adnia's hand politely.
"Excuse me," I said.
I did not draw magic circles, but wrote numbers and mathematical symbols.
I changed Rune variables into mathematical constants. Defense Matrix equals Closed System. Blizzard equals External Temperature Drop (ΔT). Degradation equals Entropy.
My hand moved fast. Chalk clashed with the blackboard, creating a fast and precise tap-tap-tap rhythm.
Students began to whisper in confusion.
"What is he writing?"
"Those aren't runes..."
"Are those numbers? Why so many numbers and weird symbols?"
I ignored them. My brain worked in full analysis mode, just like when I dissected monster bodies in the lab. Looking for patterns, looking for logic, and breaking them.
Five minutes later, I finished. The blackboard was full of rows of complex yet elegant and structured mathematical equations.
At the very bottom, I wrote the final result with two underlines.
η = 34.5%
I turned around, looking at Adnia.
The instructor's face was deathly pale. Her eyes looked at the blackboard, then looked at me, then back to the blackboard in disbelief. She tried to find a mistake, tried to find even the smallest gap to insult me.
But she couldn't find one.
"The answer is correct, isn't it?" I asked politely, yet pressingly.
Adnia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She knew it was correct. The number was accurate to the last decimal.
"But..." I continued, taking red chalk from the teacher's desk. "There is one fatal error in your problem, Instructor."
I circled the beginning part of the formula written by Adnia with red chalk.
"The constant you used for 'Circuit Degradation' is zero point zero five. That is a number from a ten-year-old textbook that is obsolete," I explained, my voice echoing in the silent class. "The latest Magic Research Journal published last month at the Central Mage Tower states that type-4 circuit degradation is actually influenced by air humidity. In a blizzard, the number drops to zero point zero three."
I crossed out Adnia's number and replaced it with the correct number.
"So, if we use current and accurate data, the actual efficiency is 42%. You are teaching expired theory to future elites, Instructor."
I put the chalk back on the table. Chalk dust stuck to my fingers; I patted them gently.
"My advice, maybe you should visit the 3rd Floor library more often and read the latest journals rather than being busy dealing with students you hate."
Silence, quiet, and still.
Adnia's jaw hardened until veins were visible. Her face changed from pale to deep red due to anger and overwhelming shame. Humiliated by a "mana-less" student in her own field of expertise, on the first day, in front of the entire elite class.
"Sit down..." hissed Adnia, her voice trembling holding back an explosion of emotion. "Return to your seat, Arin! Now!"
I bowed slightly, giving an ironic salute, then walked back up. As I passed other students' desks, their gazes changed drastically. No longer disparaging stares. It was a stare of fear, admiration, and respect.
Erika looked at me with sparkling eyes when I sat back beside her.
"You were so cool!" she whispered enthusiastically. "You made her face look like a boiled crab!"
"Just basic math," I answered while smiling thinly. "She forgot to update her knowledge."
The lesson continued with a torturous awkward atmosphere. Adnia taught with an angry tone, snapping at anyone who asked questions. She dared not look in my direction again for the rest of the lesson.
When the recess bell rang loudly, Erika and I immediately packed our things, intending to leave as quickly as possible before Adnia found a silly excuse to punish us.
However, as we stepped into the crowded hallway, a group of students suddenly blocked our way.
I reflexively tensed, my hand moving slightly toward the hidden pocket where I kept my folding scalpel. Were these Gordon's lackeys wanting revenge?
There were five people. Three boys and two girls, all from the noble class.
But, instead of putting on fierce and threatening faces, they looked... nervous?
The student standing at the very front stepped forward hesitantly. He had brownish-blonde hair, his face slightly freckled, and his skin looked very pink like new skin just grown post-burn.
Tom Garius. Rust plague patient zero.
I relaxed my posture, pulling my hand from my pocket. "Tom? What is it? Is your skin itchy again? Or are there side effects?"
Tom shook his head quickly. He looked at his friends, giving a code, then the five of them did something that silenced the entire hallway in shock.
They bowed deeply to me. Full ninety degrees. Respect usually only given to great teachers or the royal family.
"Thank you, Arin!" said Tom loudly, his voice echoing in the hallway.
His friends followed in unison. "Thank you!"
Erika gaped in surprise. Other passing students stopped, watching this strange scene with open mouths. Nobles bowing to a commoner?
Tom straightened his body. His eyes were glassy holding back emotion.
"Without your medicine... and without your courage against the instructor back then..." Tom swallowed, his voice trembling emotionally. "We would all be iron statues in the morgue now. You saved our lives, Arin."
I was silent for a moment, feeling awkward with this open and sincere gratitude.
"I only did my duty as a future healer, Tom. Glad to see you healthy and not rusty anymore," I answered humbly.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Gaston and some Karl faction students staring at this event from a distance with sour faces. Their faces were pale and full of envy. Class B solidarity began to crack. Arin the "Trash" now had loyal supporters among the middle nobles.
Tom stepped forward, feeling his coat pocket and taking out a thick envelope with a red wax seal bearing the Golden Swan emblem.
"Words alone are not enough to repay the favor," said Tom, handing the envelope to me with both hands. "My father, Baron Garius, wants to convey his gratitude personally later. But before that, allow us, the plague survivors, to treat you. Of course, Miss Erika is also invited."
I received the envelope. The paper was thick, high quality, and smelled of expensive perfume.
"What is this?" I asked while weighing the envelope.
"Dinner invitation for today," Tom smiled widely, sincerely. "At The Golden Swan."
Erika's eyes widened until they nearly popped out. "The Golden Swan?! The most luxurious restaurant in the capital?! Where one plate of salad costs my father's monthly salary?!"
Tom nodded proudly. "Yes. We have rented a VVIP private room. We want to host you both properly. Please do not refuse. This is the Garius Noble way of repaying a debt."
I held the invitation. Its texture was real. This was not a trap, but social validation. Validation that my power was not only in the laboratory or on the battlefield, but starting to spread to the social and political realm of the academy.
I looked at Tom, then glanced at Gaston and Adnia who were still standing at the classroom doorway, watching all this with faces of disbelief.
I smiled satisfied.
"Very well, Tom. We accept your invitation with pleasure. I won't refuse free good food."
Tom cheered softly. "Great! A shuttle carriage will wait at your dorm at seven tonight! Don't be late!"
Tom and his friends bowed once more respectfully, then left with bright and relieved faces.
Erika and I stood in the crowded hallway, holding the golden invitation like holding a winning ticket.
"Arin..." whispered Erika, pulling my sleeve enthusiastically. "We are going to eat well tonight! Real meat! Not hard cafeteria bread!"
"Yes, Erika," I answered, putting the invitation into my coat pocket. "We will eat well and celebrate."
I stared at Adnia's back as she turned to leave with footsteps stomping angrily because her plan failed completely.
This semester had just begun, and I had already won the first round decisively.