April 5, 2018.

Saturday.

A small town in Ohio, USA. Senior Year, Classroom 4.

Eric Parker spent half an hour confirming one thing: this wasn't a dream, and they definitely weren't filming a movie—seriously, what kind of movie could de-age all his classmates? That would be some kind of magic!

Once he accepted the reality that he had been reincarnated, Eric felt a brief moment of unease, but it quickly gave way to calm acceptance.

As a young person in the 21st century, who hasn't fantasized about being reincarnated?

Even if he hadn't experienced it himself, there were tons of stories like this online. Just from reading them, it was clear—this was the ultimate tool for a nobody to turn into a somebody!

Besides, he didn't have money or a girlfriend. Being reincarnated gave him more years to live—no matter how you look at it, it was a good deal.

Finally, the school bell rang. The teacher, who was both familiar and a bit distant to him now, lingered for a few more minutes before reluctantly leaving the classroom. Eric barely caught the teacher's parting words.

"Knight Academy registration starts next week. Anyone interested, get ready."

Eric didn't pay much attention. He thought he must have misheard it as "Liberal Arts" registration. College entrance exam registrations were usually handled by the school in advance, so there was no need for a special reminder.

But here's the thing: their Class 4 was a Science track class. What did Liberal Arts have to do with them?

Still, since he had been reincarnated, Eric didn't bother with these trivial matters.

At this moment, Eric's mind was filled with thoughts of how to surpass Bill Gates and overtake Elon Musk.

Even though it was already 2018, if someone reincarnated doesn't do something unexpected, can they even call themselves reincarnated?

Or maybe he should switch careers and go into politics instead?

Eric was lost in his grandiose thoughts, completely uninterested in chit-chatting with his classmates.

These kids—how could they even begin to imagine the grand goals he had in mind? From today onwards, they were no longer people from the same world!

While Eric was planning his future, Joe Johnson, the boy sitting in front of him, suddenly turned around and asked, "Eric, Chris, are you guys signing up?"

Eric had a distinct impression of Joe, not because Joe was particularly handsome.

It was at the class reunion shortly after graduation when Joe showed up with a full beard—Eric almost mistook him for someone's dad.

Ever since then, Eric could never forget this "Beard" classmate—his look was just too memorable.

Lost in thought, Eric didn't respond immediately.

Eric's desk mate, Chris Smith, who, along with him, was often jokingly referred to as "The Average Duo" by their classmates, shook his head and said, "I'm not signing up. It's a waste of money. Just the registration alone costs ten grand, and there's no way I'll pass. That kind of money could almost cover a year's worth of college tuition and living expenses."

Joe sighed, "True, but it still feels like a missed opportunity. If we don't at least try, we might regret it for the rest of our lives."

Joe's desk mate, another boy whose name was a bit fuzzy in Eric's memory, also turned around and joined the conversation, his face gloomy. "This is our only shot at making it big, but it's out of our reach."

The three of them sighed in unison, leaving Eric completely confused.

Signing up?

Did the teacher just talk about registering for "Liberal Arts"?

The registration fee is ten thousand dollars?

This was 2018, and if he remembered correctly, the average home price in this small town was around $400 per square foot. Why would an exam cost that much?

Were these guys mistaken?

Or were they being scammed?

Just as Eric was about to ask, Chris beat him to it. Adjusting his glasses, Chris said firmly, "Even if we don't get into Knight Academy, passing the Liberal Arts exam doesn't mean we'll be nobodies for life! There are still Knight training programs out there. Once we graduate and start earning money, we can continue our training. We might not be as good as the Knight Academy students, but at least we still have a shot!"

Joe's desk mate also chimed in excitedly, "Exactly! If we get into a top Liberal Arts college, we can still make decent money after graduation!"

"I still want to give it a shot…" Joe hesitated. His family was fairly well-off, and he was in good physical shape. It would be hard to live with himself if he didn't at least try.

Chris and his desk mate didn't discourage Joe. Even though the odds were slim, the opportunity was right in front of them, and some people just couldn't let it go.

Even though they were all still young, they understood that if they stopped Joe from trying now, and he missed his chance, they might make an enemy for life.

After Eric's side of the room quieted down, a crew-cut boy at the next table, with his face flushed with excitement, could barely contain himself. He said, "Joe, Chris, did you guys catch the news last night?"

Joe and Chris shook their heads. With the college entrance exams coming up, their parents were keeping a close eye on them, so they didn't have time to surf the web.

Seeing the confusion on their faces, Eric and another boy were just as puzzled. The crew-cut boy laughed and said, "You guys missed out big time! There was a huge news story last night! Do you know? Master Malcolm has broken through to the Eighth Rank! Master Malcolm isn't even 40 years old yet, and he's already the top Knight among the younger generation. Yesterday, Griffin Holdings officially challenged Tim, the veteran Eighth Rank Knight and President of Amazon's North American division!"

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"Master Malcolm broke through to the Eighth Rank? Didn't he just reach the Seventh Rank a few years ago?"

"I can't believe it!"

"Jack, tell us, was it a public challenge or a private duel?"

"A battle between Eighth Rank Knights… I wish I could watch it, but we don't even have the right to be spectators…"

The seniors, with graduation approaching, didn't have much time for the internet, so although the news had already caused a sensation, not many in the class knew about it yet.

The crew-cut boy, whose name was Jack, had spoken loudly. Before Eric and the others could react, the nearby students who overheard him were already buzzing with excitement.

Jack, now basking in the attention, was grinning widely as he continued, "It's true! Master Malcolm really broke through! Who would've thought he'd reach the Eighth Rank so soon? When the challenge was issued, the whole world was shocked! If Master Malcolm defeats Tim, Griffin Holdings will make a major push into North America and become one of the top corporations here! In a few years, once Master Malcolm reaches the Ninth Rank, Griffin Holdings could become one of the world's dominant corporations!"

"Oh my God, that's so fast—an Eighth Rank Grandmaster!"

"Has the Grandmaster Rankings been updated? Master Malcolm might break into the top 30!"

"No way, he'll definitely make it into the top 20."

"Come on, he just broke through. He's not getting into the top 20 that fast, unless he beats Tim—then maybe."

By now, the students were all abuzz, their faces filled with excitement, admiration, and eagerness.

Even the girls were not left out.

The only exception in the entire class was Eric.

Eric, whose mind was now a complete mess, was left utterly bewildered, his face blank.

What was going on?

He understood the words they were saying; he knew every term, but why did it make no sense when they were strung together?

Who was Master Malcolm?

He knew about Griffin Holdings, of course—by 2018, Griffin Holdings was already a giant in the finance industry.

And he definitely knew about Amazon—who didn't?

But what was Jack talking about? Griffin and Amazon in competition?

But why… why did it all feel so out of place?

Eric's throat felt dry again, his lips parched. This script… something was definitely off!

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