"Xerox ….Xeroxxxx!"
"Huh?"
I blinked my eyes open to find Professor Layla Costine standing right in front of me.
She was smiling, but the smile carried a menacing aura that sent chills down my spine.
I realized, a little too late, that I had dozed off after attendance was taken.
"You must be pretty confident to sleep in my class,"
she said with a calm but firm tone.
"Come to my office after class."
With that, she turned and left, leaving the rest of us to get back to whatever we were doing.
The lesson began, and Professor Mema started her usual lecture about the history of Pathogos and the conflicts between humans and other species.
It was dull.
So dull that I nearly dozed off again.
But unlike Professor Costine, Professor Mema didn't care if students paid attention, so the lecture dragged on without interruptions.
When the class ended in the afternoon, I sighed heavily.
What a blunder, sleeping in front of Professor Costine of all people.
I packed up my things and made my way to her office.
Knock, knock.
came her voice from inside.
Her office was neat and tidy.
The furniture was perfectly arranged, and the shelves were crammed with books and papers, but in an oddly organized way.
Professor Costine was sitting at her desk, reading a book.
She set it down when I entered.
"Good afternoon, Professor,"
I said hesitantly.
She looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"Because I fell asleep in class,"
I admitted, scratching the back of my head.
"I apologize for that."
"It's good that you recognize your mistake, but that's not why I called you here,"
she said, her tone softening slightly.
"Did you hear what I said to the class this morning?"
"Uh… about that…"
I trailed off, realizing I had no idea what she was talking about.
Professor Costine sighed.
"I announced that the midterm exams are in a month."
"Oh…"
"And,"
she continued,
"I know Professor Lance has been giving you a hard time. He's been pushing to be the referee for the duels, even though referees are supposed to be selected randomly. I suspect he's targeting you because he doesn't like students without powerful connections surpassing his own."
She paused and shook her head in frustration.
"Aerox, I can understand—he's a star student. But you? I don't see why he's so fixated on you."
(Pretty sure it's because of you.)
"Anyway,"
she said, waving away the thought,
"If you can place in the top 10 for the midterms, the school will start taking you more seriously. That will make it harder for him to bother you again."
"Top 10, huh,"
I muttered.
It made sense.
If I performed well, Professor Lance wouldn't have much ammunition against me, especially with the trouble he'd already caused in that duel.
Even his connections wouldn't save him if he crossed the line again.
It wouldn't be easy, though.
The competition was fierce.
But with my recent progress, maybe… just maybe, I could pull it off.
Top 3 might even be within reach if I went all out.
"I'll give it my best shot,"
I said finally.
"Whether I make it or not depends on my ability."
Professor Costine studied me carefully….
I shifted uncomfortably but held my ground.
"Good,"
she said simply.
"That's all I wanted to discuss. You're dismissed."
I nodded and left the office full of determination.
Time to show them what I was capable of.
If I directly said I'd get into the Top 10, it would sound like I was confident in my strength.
I didn't want anyone to figure out how strong I actually was.
Still, Professor Costine already knew about the MistShade Training Ground incident and the duel.
Back then, I was only Rank-2.
She probably thought I was still hiding my abilities, which was partially true.
The other reason I avoided making bold claims was that I wasn't completely sure I could succeed.
In terms of power, I had a decent shot at making it into the Top 10.
However, the theory portion of the exams could be a problem.
Both parts were equally important, and I didn't want to embarrass myself by failing after making a big promise.
Professor Costine gave me a knowing smile.
"Good. I'll expect a strong result from you,"
she said.
"Yes, Professor," I replied.
As I turned to leave, the door suddenly opened.
"Professor Costine, I brought you some flo—"
It was Professor Lance.
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me.
His expression quickly shifted from surprise to anger.
The bouquet of flowers in his hands dropped to the floor.
"You! What are you doing here alone with Costine?"
he demanded.
"Huh?"
I tilted my head, confused.
"What am I doing? I'm a student and she's my teacher. Of course, I'd meet her sometimes."
And what's with the flowers? It's still class time.
Not that I'm one to talk.
"Professor Lance,"
Costine said sharply.
Her voice carried an edge of disdain.
"How dare you enter without my permission?"
Lance ignored her and kept glaring at me.
I stared back without flinching.
(Does he think I'll back down?)
"Hmph!"
Suddenly, his mana surged, pressing against me like a heavy weight.
His Rank-7 aura was overwhelming.
Compared to him, my Rank-2 power felt like nothing.
The pressure increased, making my legs tremble, but I refused to kneel.
Costine stood up, her expression cold as she raised a shield around me.
Then, she released her own aura, which was far stronger than Lance's.
His pressure vanished immediately.
"Professor Lance, what do you think you're doing? Do you really believe the school will ignore you attacking a student?"
she said.
"Hmph. I was just teaching him a lesson. Don't take it so seriously,"
he replied with a dismissive wave.
"Teaching a lesson? You're shameless. Get out of my office. Now."
"Now, now. Don't be so angry,"
Lance said, raising his hands as if to calm her.
"I won't do it again. Anyway, I came here for a reason."
"I don't have time for your nonsense. Say what you need to and leave,"
Costine snapped.
"I want you to be my partner for Sophia's birthday party. You don't have anyone to go with, right?"
"I decline,"
Costine said firmly.
"I already have a partner."
Lance smirked.
"Oh? Don't lie. Everyone knows you don't have any close male friends."
(Or maybe that's because you've scared them all away.)
"I'm not lying,"
Costine said with a calm expression.
"I already have a partner."
"Prove it,"
Lance challenged.
"If you really have a partner, bring him here."
"I don't owe you any proof,"
she replied.
"He'll be at the party."
"Haaaaa..."
Lance chuckled.
"Alright, let's make a bet. If you show up with a partner, I'll stop bothering you. But if you don't, you'll have to go out with me."