"It should be here…still no?!"
Wang Jin exclaimed in exasperation as he cursed at his luck. He had been running through the Academy's halls for the past half hour.
And while he did wake up extra early to make sure he wasn't late, the latter would most definitely happen if he kept this up.
There were still dozens of students roaming the hallways, so it meant that there was still a bit of time before the bell would ring.
No one had any expressions of panic. Instead, casual chatter and laughter filled the walls of the Academy.
"I should ask for directions. Now, who looks like they know a thing or two about this place?"
Wang Jin scanned the area. He made sure to keep his eyes peeled for any cadets that seemed more confident than the usual student body.
Amidst the crowded sea of heads, Wang Jin's eyes spotted a rather familiar face.
She looked oddly similar to that hero who was always showed on TV. In fact, she was basically what Cendria Macador would be if she was younger.
She had the same midnight-colored shade of hair as she did, and her facial features were no different from the No.1 Hero.
This girl was talking to two other female students. They seemed to be deeply absorbed in what they were talking about.
"...there…new…around. I…a…toy."
Wang Jin couldn't make out much of what she was saying due to the annoying background noise that was all the other cadets.
"Meh. She looks pretty knowledgeable, so I'll ask her."
After pushing his way through the endlessly expanding crowd, Wang Jin eventually reached the girl.
However, by accident, he had placed his hand on the girl's shoulder.
Instantly, he felt himself being pulled towards her. He lost his footing, and felt as if his body was being made to move against his will.
From there, it was all a blur. By the time Wang Jin came to, he saw himself directly on top of the girl.
And to make matters worse, the position they were in was… sexual.
"AH! Assault, assault!" The girl screamed frantically.
"Wha… what the hell are you talking about?" Still in a daze, Wang Jin pulled his hand back and tried to place it on his head, perhaps to massage his temples.
However, instead of heading directly towards him, Wang Jin's hand moved the opposite way. This time, it rested on a particularly… mound-y spot of her body.
The situation had just turned for the worst. While the first action could've been passed off as an accident, the second one couldn't. It made the scene all the more… intentional, even if it wasn't.
Why? The first cry of help had alerted basically all the cadets present. Now, they all turned towards the scene, where they saw Wang Jin spread out on top of the girl.
"Help, help! This man is assaulting me!" The girl continued to scream.
However, Wang Jin could see it in her eyes. She was faking it, hard.
"I didn't do shit, what the hel–" Hurriedly, Wang Jin pulled his hand away.
However, the damage had already been done. Even if it wasn't intentional, it sure looked like it.
"Liar! He's lying!"
Then, as if on cue, the two other girls she was speaking to earlier joined in on accusing him.
""She's right! We saw it!""
"Shit, it's like they were waiting. What the hell." Wang Jin cursed inwardly.
"I need to clear my name." Wang Jin hastily got off the girl. He shouted, "I didn't do it! Something pulled me!"
However, nothing could save him from what had already transpired.
"Oofk!" Wang Jin choked, as someone grabbed his collar from behind and started pulling him into the crowd.
It was strong. It felt like he was being dragged by the strongest person ever. He couldn't do much against their sturdy grip.
As he was dragged through the crowd of students, Wang Jin lamented at the sight. From his view, everyone was staring at him with eyes of disgust.
Those same eyes held immense bloodlust, almost suffocating Wang Jin under the pressure.
"...why are you all looking at me like that? I didn't do it…" Wang Jin wanted to say this, but he could do nothing better than murmur incomprehensible words.
But he had no time to wallow in his self pity. The seemingly impenetrable wall of students spread out, creating an opening.
Whoosh. With no resistance whatsoever, Wang Jin's body was thrown towards the other side of the hallway.
As he raised his head, Wang Jin caught sight of the many deceitful and malice-filled smiles of the students.
Amidst pure expressions of disgust, there were some who looked like they were in on it. This made Wang Jin furious.
However, he most likely wouldn't be able to clear himself if so many people were to falsely testify against him.
"So it's that guy, huh? Looks like the Queen has claimed another toy." One student whispered.
"I heard becoming the Queen's plaything is like hell. I sure feel bad for him." Another replied.
"Yeah, but let's hope this one lasts longer. I don't want the Queen to replace him too quickly…"
Even as he listened to the conversations that ensued, Wang Jin continued to grit his teeth in frustration.
Suddenly, he felt his hair being pulled. Like a toy that had run out of batteries, he was helplessly lifted up, until he finally saw the face of the person who dragged him.
"Listen here… peasant. I don't care if you're an honor student or not. As far as I'm concerned, the real King of this school is me. And if you want to walk away alive, it's best you stay away from me."
White short hair on the side similar to the northern snow, gray eyes, white polo shirt tucked inside his brown cotton pants, all hidden under his Academy uniform. Each of his fingers were fitted with a diamond ring.
"And if you dare touch Lilian again, I swear I'll fucking rip you apart."
With those last few words, the man threw Wang Jin to the ground. Scoffing, he continued on his way, eventually disappearing in the crowd.
"Goddamnit." Wang Jin cursed.
"Hey. You look bad."
Wang Jin turned around, thinking it was another one of that man's goons.
A man of dark color entered his view. He was around 6 feet tall. He wore a thick sports jacket over his uniform, and his hair, dyed a mix between blue and black, was braided in a ponytail.
"Denzel." The man introduced himself, offering Wang Jin a handshake, which the latter refused with a grunt.
"Quick word of advice: Stay away from Liam. He hates people who are of a lower socioeconomic class, like yourself. And he has the power to back up his tenacity. It'd do you best to steer clear of his girlfriend, too. Lilian is known for being extremely cruel."
"Hmm, but who am I that you have to listen to me? But I'd heed my advice if I were you." The man waved as he walked, disappearing into the crowd despite his tall figure.
With a 'tch', Wang Jin wiped his slightly dirtied chin, and picked himself up. Choosing a direction, he continued walking, hoping to finally reach his class.
***
"Wake up, buddy. Miss Shiloh's already here."
Wang Jin was shaken awake after he heard someone calling to him. Looking upwards, he noticed it was Denzel. The guy had sat beside him and took the opportunity to snicker at Wang Jin, who had decided to take a short rest while waiting for the teacher.
Uncaring that his seatmate was the same person who gave him advice earlier, Wang Jin turned to the door. The figure of a mature woman entered, prompting most of the class' male students to turn their attention to her.
Her clothes fit the image of a teacher quite well. A buttoned shirt and a blouse, black pants and leather shoes were enough to give off the impression of a person with a very strong work ethic.
A few piercings in her nose and ears made her stand out much more than it should've, and the cross-shaped golden earrings she wore shook with every step she took.
The teacher in question was called Shiloh Calliope. And she was well known among her peers for being particularly studious and diligent, like an honor student.
Even Wang Jin was stunned by her beauty for a short moment.
"Entranced by her charms? That's what happens to every boy that sees her." Denzel smirked.
"Shut it, Daniel." Wang Jin replied sarcastically.
"My name is Denzel." The former corrected him.
"I know, that's what I said."
*thump*
Somehow, a pile of books had magically appeared on the desk in the front of the class.
With a quick slam, Shiloh brought everyone's attention to her.
"Good morning, class. My name is Shiloh Calliope, and I will be your homeroom teacher, as well as your teacher for Theoretical Magics. Welcome to Class 1-B, and I hope you all have a wonderful time learning during your time here in the Academy."
"Now, I have around fifty or so books here. These books contain all the theoretical work we will be going through for this year. When you hear your name called out, I want you to head to the front of the class and pick it up. The person who is then called after you will be your partner for the next three years we are together. Is that clear?"
"Um, Miss Shiloh?" One student raised his hand.
"Yes?"
"What are the partners for?"
"Good question! You see, most of the practical work we assign our students to complete is very difficult to accomplish alone. This is so that you can learn to work together. No matter how strong you are, you will always find your battles easier if you have a companion with you. Did that answer your question?"
"I see, thank you! The student nodded, and sat back down.
"Then, if there are no more questions, I will now be calling out the names. These are all randomly arranged, so please don't complain to me if you end up with a partner you dislike."
After this, Shiloh began calling out the names of the class' students.
There were varying degrees of reactions. Some were happy to be matched with someone they knew, others were frustrated and demanded Miss Shiloh to change them (they got sent away with a smile), and some simply had no reaction, like Donna, who was matched up with some random cadet.
"Oof. I wanted to be with her." Wang Jin sighed, bummed that he wasn't going to be partners with Donna.
Counting out Donna from the list of students in Class 1-B, Wang Jin practically knew no one else. So whoever he was going to be partnered with wouldn't be ecstatic.
"Then… team number 17, Wang Jin and Lilian Macador. Oh my." Shiloh's mouth went wide with surprise.
This day would soon go on to rank very highly in Wang Jin's list of horrible days.
***
Class had ended. After the small incident that was Lilian cursing at Wang Jin and the machine for pairing the two of them, Shiloh decided to let the class out early.
Now, Wang Jin was walking through the Academy halls. There was still around half an hour before the next class started, so he decided that he would head to the cafeteria to eat.
"But damn, isn't it oddly quiet?"
Wang Jin looked around. There was no one in the hallways. Not even a single soul. It was as if everyone had mysteriously disappeared.
*whoosh*
Suddenly, Wang Jin felt a shift in the air behind him. Gathering the wind into his legs, he leapt over the large boulder that was aimed at him gracefully.
That was merely a distraction for what was to come next, however. A burst of fire shot out from his sides, almost burning his clothes.
With a simple backstep, he was able to dodge it.
"Who's attacking me? I don't recall doing anything to warrant someone holding a grudge."
But what Wang Jin didn't know was that this attack wasn't because of a grudge.
Somehow, a wave of water managed to get by his senses undetected. By the time Wang Jin had noticed it, the figure of that girl appeared, and unleashed a powerful kick to his chest.
This sent Wang Jin flying, until his back ended up crashing against a locker.
Still energetic enough to fight, he tried to get up.
Unfortunately for Wang Jin, two spears manifested themselves directly around his neck.
He couldn't see them, but two people had been hiding in preparation for this exact moment. It was a planned attack.
"I thought you'd put up more of a fight." The voice of Lilian rang throughout the halls.
Wang Jin's face turned distorted. He remembered the humiliation he had suffered from the student body when he was falsely accused.
'Come to think of it, what happened? Didn't the teachers hear of the incident?' He thought.
"You must be thinking about how you were still allowed to enter class? With my power, I was able to silence every single one of the students present there."
"And if you dare go against my word… I can have a certain video released throughout the whole school… how would your face look if the teachers were to see it?"
Wang Jin kept calm. This level of anger, although big, couldn't even be compared to the hatred he felt for Kruos. And yet, he was still able to control the latter.
"No reaction? You're no use to me if you act like that." Creating a small knife from water, Lilian shoved the tip of its blade into Wang Jin's leg, and blood poured out.
"Grng…" Wang Jin grit his teeth.
"Just to be clear, even if we were chosen to be partners, that doesn't mean I will be helping you. Everything that the school assigns us will be handled by you."
"And what makes you think I'll follow your whims, crazy bitch?" Wang Jin retorted with a grin.
"Oh, I know you won't. But I have evidence here that will make you want to." Lilian brought out a small USB and began playing with it in front of Wang Jin's eyes.
"You bitch."
"Just remember. I control your life in my hands. If you don't follow my orders, I will make sure to ruin you."
"Why are you doing this…?" Wang Jin asked.
"Why…? Why? Hmm… I guess, because it's fun! Haha!"