"Lily, that wench stole Ryan right from under our noses."
"Doesn't she understand that commoners should keep their distance from nobility, especially members of prestigious families?" An indignant girl stomped her feet on the table, though the classroom was now empty.
With fair skin, a graceful build, blonde hair, brown eyes, and a golden blazer adorned with five silver stars indicating her status as a Rank 6 Martial Artist, the girl radiated an air of authority.
"But Miss, why do we need Ryan? We can secure the top spot this year if we work together." suggested another girl, adorned with five silver stars on her golden blazer. She had black hair, black eyes, and was undoubtedly beautiful, although the blonde girl surpassed her in that regard.
"Linda, you don't understand."
"My aunt has expressly instructed me to befriend Ryan. His grandfather was bestowed something exceptional by the emperor for his feats in the war, and Ryan now possesses it." The blonde girl's words dripped with frustration, yet she maintained her composure.
This blonde-haired girl was none other than Brenda Knight, the queen's niece and the second child of the Knight family.
"Which girl willingly surrenders herself to a man upon their first meeting? If she had taken a different approach, we might have had a chance," Linda remarked.
"That fool is now entangled with that commoner, blindly infatuated with her," Brenda furiously retorted.
"All because of that wench, we have no information about the thing that fatty possesses." Brenda was practically cursing under her breath. She then looked at Linda, a cunning thought crossing her mind, making Linda uneasy.
"It won't do. Letting someone of your caliber get close to that fool will only create more suspicions." Linda felt a twinge of gratitude for not being chosen to seduce Ryan.
"That idiot tops their class, but who is ranked second?" Brenda inquired.
"That would be Lily Flowers," Linda informed, sparking a furious reaction from Brenda, who cursed Lily for ruining her plans.
"Didn't you mention that a barbarian fought him equally in the test? Who is he?" Brenda asked about the past, hoping to find a way to manipulate Ryan.
"His name is Newt, Miss," Linda said, to which Brenda recoiled.
Brenda, who was furiously gnashing her teeth, almost slipped and sat at the table. She asked with trepidation, "Newt."
"Newt Salamander," Brenda nearly quivered in fear.
Linda, witnessing her usually composed Miss tremble, corrected her, saying, "No, Miss, it's Newt Lawson."
Brenda breathed a sigh of relief, fiercely cursing Ryan.
"What rank is he in their class?" Brenda questioned.
"He is ranked seventh, Miss," Linda politely replied.
"Arrange for Lawson to spar with Ryan, and ensure Ryan unleashes his powerful attack. In return, I will grant him whatever he desires," Brenda instructed Linda to convey this to Newt Lawson.
As Linda departed to relay the message to Newt, Brenda fixed her gaze upon the sky, lost in contemplation. "Childhood memories are the sweetest and most cherished. But Ryan, your actions that day created a haunting memory. How many have even forgotten his name? Many believe him to be dead, but I know he is alive. Someone who would almost kill a person over a prank—would he not seek vengeance for his murdered parents? Cultivators are a myth of the past, unseen in the last 500 years. His demise was said to be guaranteed by these such cultivators, but there's no trace of his body in the grave, nothing."
Having spoken these words, Brenda left the classroom, seemingly indifferent to everything around her.
In the academy, students are sorted into classes based on their martial artist ranks. The classes range from Class 1 to Class 10, with Class 9 and 10 being reserved for Rank 7 Martial Artists upon enrollment. Classes 8, 7, and 6 are designated for Rank 6 martial artists, while Classes 5, 4, and 3 are allocated to Rank 5 martial artists. Class 2 is specifically designated for Rank 4 Martial artists, and finally, Class 1 is reserved for those with a Rank 3 martial artist status.
"Ryan, you seem to have shed quite a bit of weight in these recent days."
"What's your secret?"
"I bet you're hitting the gym or something."
"Well, he is the top-ranked student in our class, so it's not surprising."
"And look at Lily, our second top student. They make such a great couple."
"Lily, that bracelet you're wearing is impressive; it doubles your attack power, right?"
"It's like a symbol of true love. Ryan's really stepping up his game."
The students exchanged compliments and playful banter, acknowledging Ryan's physical transformation and admiring the connection between him and Lily. They applauded his weight loss and generosity in gifting Lily a valuable artifact.
"It's not like that. Since we've formed a team, it's important to support each other," Ryan explained modestly to the students.
"Yeah, you're right—helping each other out," chimed in another student named Kith, playfully teasing Ryan. Kith held the fourth position among the top students in their class, Class 9.
Observing from the jungle, Newt couldn't help but notice Ryan's significant transformation. He had shed nearly half of his weight, prompting Newt's contemplation.
'Indeed, those intense encounters with her contributed to his weight loss. Engaging in such activities burns calories efficiently. However, who would engage in such activities multiple times a day for an entire month? A regular person might find it excessive, but for a martial artist, it's a different story. He is certainly making good use of his martial artist status,' thought Newt, his eyes briefly shifting towards Lily as he contemplated.
'One seems foolish, and the other appears even more foolish for falling prey to yet another fool,' Newt mused, observing Lily and Ryan, who, in his eyes, formed an interesting pair.