"Your Highness, how has your day been? You look exceptionally beautiful as always."
Another bootlicker.
"Your Highness, your control over mana is immaculate. To be able to untangle the mana strings this easily, you must be the greatest genius in the Academy."
Seriously? Another one!
"Your Highness, you've become Rank 2 already. As expected from the Princess of Astrea to achieve such a high rank just as the year started. Soon, you will claim the top spot."
I forced a smile, even as my jaw clenched. Calm down, Celeste. He's trying to compliment you, not remind you of your failure to claim Rank 1.
"Thank you for your kind words," I said, my tone polished but devoid of warmth. "I am merely fulfilling expectations."
The nuisances around me nodded eagerly, as if I had bestowed them with divine wisdom.
It was infuriating. Every word they said was a reminder of what I lacked. Mortis some unknown entity had claimed the top spot, making me second-best. It burned.
Focus, Celeste.
The lesson was underway, and Miss Lorne was making her rounds through the class. My sphere of tangled mana strings hovered in front of me, already half-completed. Untangling the threads was trivial, a mere extension of the control that my element granted me.
Although mortis wasn't here for me to compare with.
I glanced to my side, my eyes narrowing on him.
Kai Night.
Rank 42.
How?
How could someone like him achieve such a high rank?
His mana sphere was an utter disaster. Threads tangled and tightened with every clumsy attempt he made to control them. It was almost painful to watch.
"Ugh," he muttered under his breath, glaring at the glowing orb as if it had personally offended him.
I frowned, studying him carefully. His mana output was erratic, lacking even the most basic finesse. Every movement he made was inefficient, wasting energy on brute force when delicacy was needed.
Yet this was the same person who had defeated Garrick Ashforge with one calculated move.
It didn't make sense.
"You're struggling," Amani Khalid said from beside him, her golden eyes gleaming with faint amusement.
"No kidding," Kai replied, his voice laced with frustration.
Amani leaned closer, her movements fluid and confident. "Try focusing on one thread at a time. Guide it gently, like you're coaxing it into place."
I watched as Kai hesitated, then nodded, attempting to follow her advice. His progress was slow embarrassingly so but he managed to straighten one thread.
One.
I bit back a smirk. How could someone so hopeless at mana control be this strong?
He glanced up briefly, his gaze meeting mine. For a moment, I froze, caught off guard by the calmness in his eyes.
There was no embarrassment, no fear of judgment. Just quiet determination.
It was unsettling.
"Why are you so strong?" I thought, my lips pressing into a thin line.
Kai broke the eye contact first, returning his attention to his sphere. His struggle continued, each attempt slightly less clumsy than the last.
Miss Lorne passed by his desk, her sharp eyes lingering on his work.
"You've made… progress," she said, her tone neutral but edged with faint disapproval. "Barely. But it's progress nonetheless."
She moved on, offering a nod of approval to Amani, whose sphere was nearly complete.
"You're better than you think," Amani said to Kai, her voice light with amusement. "But don't let it go to your head. You're still terrible."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Kai muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I turned my focus back to my own sphere, but my thoughts lingered on him.
He was an enigma. Weak in areas where strength was expected. Strong in moments where others faltered.
"Perhaps," I mused silently, "he's more dangerous than he appears."
The threads in my sphere straightened fully, the glowing orb humming with perfection.
For now, I would watch and wait.
Kai pov
Now I understand why the novel skipped the first few classes cause.
I lay sprawled across the plush bed in my dorm room, staring up at the ceiling as frustration bubbled inside me.
Now I understood why the novel skipped most of the academy's early classes.
"This is literally a school," I muttered to myself, groaning.
A magical academy, sure, but still a school.
"I didn't just reincarnate into a magical fantasy world to go to school."
The entire day had been lectures and studying mana theory. While the mana sphere exercise was the most "hands-on" part of the day, it had still been frustrating and painfully slow.
Actually, scratch that. Miss Lorne was the best thing to happen today. But the mana sphere exercise came in second.
I let out a long sigh. "I'm so bored."
There were no major events, no dramatic confrontations, no sudden battles to the death just classes.
I rolled over, staring at the glowing runes embedded in the VR pod across the room.
What to do? I had plenty to study, especially given my subpar mana control, but I felt lethargic. Studying wasn't going to cut it right now.
My eyes narrowed on the VR pod.
"Maybe I should give that a try."
In the novel, this thing was a tool for students to train, duel, and gain combat experience. A few important characters even had significant turning points using it.
The thought of dueling others, testing my skills, and maybe earning some XP—er, experience—was tempting.
Plus, the system was anonymous. No one would know it was me.
More importantly, the VR system automatically integrated bonded living artifacts. That meant the mask would be usable.
"Alright," I said, pushing myself off the bed. "Let's see what this thing can do."
[Astral Nexus Connection: Initiated.]
The voice was smooth and mechanical.
[Welcome to the Astral Nexus]