"I'm so bored..." One of the staff members complained, slumping against a tree.
"Me too. How much longer do we have to wait?" The other sighed.
"Yeah... Why can't someone just grab all the flags and be done with it? Waiting around is driving me nuts."
Step...
Step...
The forest was quiet except for their conversation until suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the trees.
They turned to see an extremely handsome man emerging from the shadows. His clothes were torn, stained with blood, and his sword had droplets of blood slowly descending its blade.
"Are you guys the ones in charge here?" The man asked, his voice calm despite his appearance.
"Yeah, we are. What's up? Did you give up?" One of the staff members inquired.
"No. I came here because I've got all the flags." He calmly replied.
"Ah, I see. You got all the flag—WHAT DID YOU JUST AY!?"
The staff members were stunned as the man raised his hands, revealing a collection of flags, each marked with a number.
Their smiles vanished instantly as they stared at him in disbelief.
"Can I go now?"
"Umm, yeah, sure..." One of the staff members stuttered.
As the man walked away, the staff members exchanged bewildered glances. They were about to discuss the situation when the man's voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Oh, by the way, all the other students are just ahead. They're injured, so you should go and get the healer." He called back casually.
Hearing his words, the staff were confused, but they decided to enter the examination area and walk for a few minutes.
"!!!"
Plop!
One of them dropped his sword at the sight before them, while the other's eyes widened in shock.
"I'll go get the healer!" The shocked staff member exclaimed, instantly leaving the forest.
Left alone, the remaining staff member took a deep breath, muttering to himself...
"That student really is... ruthless..."
In front of him lay a scene straight out of a nightmare.
More than sixty students sprawled across the forest floor, their bodies ravaged by deep wounds and soaked in blood.
Every surface—trees, grass, dirt—was smeared with blood.
However, the real shock only came when the staff member focused on certain students. Some bore gaping holes in their backs...
Drawing closer, he recognized two familiar faces among the injured: Leon, the Crown Prince, and Kennard, the son of a duke.
On the entrance exam, the staff member could see their confident and golden "aura", but now, it was shattered by the brutality of their wounds.
However, amidst all of this, he noticed a woman standing untouched, her body didn't have a single injury.
Yet, as he observed her closely, he saw her trembling violently, her eyes were completely empty as tears streamed down her face.
She gripped her clothes tightly as she looked forward, bluntly.
"What kind of demon is he?!" The staff loudly exclaimed, feeling a shiver crawl down his spine.
.
.
.
Reaching his dormitory, Matthew threw himself on the fluffy bed. He took out a small mirror he had gotten and looked at it.
In his reflection, a blood-red spade symbol could be seen deeply marked on his black eyes.
His black hair now had turned a bit more whiter than before, giving it a mesmerizing silver glow.
"Status..."
.
.
.
[Status Info]
Name: Matthew
Student Rank: 1000th
Age: 18
~~~Attributes~~~
Spades???: 14.99
Magic: 13.22 (2nd-Circle)
Physique: 9.21 [All the attributes have evolved into one due to the influence of "Spades???"]
Intelligence: 17.82
Charisma: 27.71
~~~Traits/Skills/Equipment~~~
Traits:
— [Fake Genius], [Swordmanship Intermediate], [Mana Genius]
Skills:
— [Desperation—Lv2]
Equipment:
— [Goddess Of Luck's Necklace (Rank: ???)], [Nameless Sword (Rank: F)]
[End]
.
.
.
"Uh...? Why isn't my status displaying "Nether"...?" Matthew asked himself. He looked particularly confused since his first mana circle's attribute is now Nether.
But, it strangely didn't appear on his status. Curiously, Matthew tried to use Nether, but, just as he expected, he couldn't actually summon its power.
Matthew felt like the Nether was being blocked by something...
However, what his mind was really focused on, was the status that now has been revealed to himself.
"Spades and three interrogation marks..." He murmured.
"Is it something from the novel? If so, I'll need to go to the library once again, I wouldn't want to let information like this slip away."
"Besides, the evaluation of the practical test it's only tomorrow. I'll obviously get an S grade, so I'll have time to study."
With that in mind, Matthew spent the rest of the day and night studying, and trying to find something related to "Spades".
The day of the evaluation came, and something that Matthew never expected it would happen, actually happened...
"For seriously injuring his fellow students, and despite getting all the flags, the student 'Matthew' will be expelled from Class A, and will be demoted to Class F."
"Along with that, even if the student 'Matthew', gets the right to enter Class A, or even, Class S, he will not be able to enter. As for the extra rewards from getting all the flags... that reward will be revoked and granted to the student 'Stacy Greenwood'."
"That's all." The male professor left the stadium where he gave his speech.
After the speech, the students started talking among themselves. Each one had a different opinion, but at least 99% of them favored the professor's decision.
Matthew clenched his fists tightly, however, by gritting his teeth he suppressed the killing intent that he wanted to come out.
He really didn't expect that to fucking happen. Although he didn't seriously injure them, there's no way that would make him get demoted or even lose the right to receive the rewards.
Originally, each year is divided into seven classes, Class A, B, C, D, E, F, and finally Class S.
The first six classes are based on the student's grade, and the only reason Matthew actually got onto Class A was because of his perfect grades on paper.
Because, if he talked about the predecessor's fighting ability, he would probably grade at Class E or F.
As for Class S, after exactly three months since the beginning of the school year, Class S will be formed.
And the benefits are extraordinary! The students will get much stronger training resources and even a personal penthouse for themselves.
Compared to the benefits of Class A, it's at least more than ten times better!
However, Matthew had been demoted to Class F, and now all of his previous benefits had been lost.
Now, he can't even enter Class A or S... and he can't get the treasure he wanted from the school's treasure house.
And that made him... a bit mad...
Now, for the first time in Matthew's lifetime...
He wanted to kill someone.
"Huff... Calm yourself down, Matthew." He whispered to himself.
His fists loosened up as he kept taking long and steady breaths.
'Now... since the rewards have been granted to Stacy... There are a few options... Leon, Kennard...'
'...I don't know. Maybe another male lead appeared and helped her... Thinking about it, there's a possibility that one of the teachers can be a male lead. Tsk, this will get troublesome if my hypothesis is correct.'
'Maybe... I'll need to talk with Lilian...' Matthew sighed inwardly.
After all, Lilian's position in the entire academy is very high. After all, she's probably the strongest ranker here.
Yet... Matthew really doesn't want to meet up with her. Just a week ago or so, he had made her stand on her knees after he broke the "string of fate". He can't imagine how mad she could be.
'Yep... Let's try not to meet with her.' He made up a decision.
With a faint sigh, he removed the 'A' emblem on his clothes and threw it on the ground.
Instantly, a new emblem, but this time an 'F' appeared on his clothes.
Seeing this, Matthew shrugged his shoulder and walked ahead. He could heal the murmurs of the students but didn't give a shit.
After all, what makes an academy life, an academy life, are probably the rumors all around the academy itself.
And, perhaps the drama. Who doesn't like seeing guys being rejected by girls? Or the opposite?
"M-Matthew...!" A faint charming voice spoke.
Hearing this v.e.r.y f.a.m.i.l.i.a.r voice, Matthew wanted to stab his eyes with his fingers.
'Why is this Female Protagonist so annoying!? Can't she simply go and enjoy her life with the fucking male leads?!' Matthew complained inwardly.
"What?" Matthew spoke with a faint sigh.
Stacy looked at Matthew for a while and replied.
"I'm really sorry that you got demoted!" She did a perfect ninety-degree bow in front of Matthew.
His eyes widened a bit but instantly got back to normal.
'Hah... This kind of demeanor really attracts men easily.'
"Stacy." Matthew said her name.
"Y-yeah?"
"Stop bothering me already. I don't want to have anything to do with you. I got demoted, yeah, and I know it isn't my fault. If the students were simply STRONGER that wouldn't happen." Matthew spoke with a faint teasing tone.
Sigh...
"As for the reason my rewards were revoked and I even got demoted directly to the worst Class... I'll find that myself. And let me warn you." Matthew approached Stacy.
Stacy, bewildered, took a step back.
Seeing this, Matthew simply grabbed her chin and made her look directly into his eyes.
"If I found out who did this, and it was one of your friends or... 'pursuers' don't expect me to be light to them. I'll make sure that same person will be unable to walk for more than an entire year."
"And if someone cures him or her, I'll make sure that they get crippled again if I get expelled from the academy itself." He coldly spoke.
"Ahh..." Stacy fell to the ground as she heard Matthew's cold words, her legs were trembling and her face retorted with an ounce of fear.
Seeing this, Matthew scoffed and simply left the hallway, leaving Stacy completely alone, trembling with fear...
Or... so did he thought.
At that moment, Stacy's trembling legs steadied, and her frightened expression morphed into a wide grin, her cheeks flushed crimson.
Placing her hands on her cheeks, she began to giggle, the sound taking on an eerie tone.
Slowly, Stacy's form shifted, transforming into another familiar figure—Lilian. She bit her lip, a shiver of pleasure running through her body.
"Ahhh~" She sighed contentedly.
Her hands made a strange symbol and suddenly, on her chin, a red paint appeared, but then, it suddenly turned into some kind of liquid that had a strong smell.
Lilian poured the liquid into a container bottle, then raised it to her nose and took a deep sniff.
"Ahhhhhhhh~~... So good..." She murmured to herself.
But why was she behaving this way?
You see, the "string of fate" intensifies emotions from one person to another.
But what happens when the string is severed, leaving only one person bound?
It means that the "love" from Lilian towards Matthew, would only be increased with...
Each...
Passing...
Second.
Slowly, but surely, Lilian, the proclaimed "Calamity Witch", the number 7th ranker... would be completely obsessed with Matthew.
Until the point that she in 999999 things she thought about, all things would be Matthew, and only him entirely.