Eric glanced at the hole in the wall of his house. He knew he'd have to figure out a way to make money soon.
Right now, he didn't have the strength to go against Buck.
And as much as Eric hated to admit it, Buck had a point. With exams approaching and even with his tenfold critical ability, much of his training still required money.
A plan began to form in Eric's mind. "I have an idea, but I'll need to wait until after school to visit the Magic Guild."
...
At School
After the announcement of the end of the semester courses yesterday, the atmosphere became quite relaxed. Although students still had to come to school, there were no more classes, and it was entirely up to the students to study on their own.
As Eric walked into the classroom, he saw that most of his classmates were chatting idly.
"This year, our class has produced two Magic users, Lilith and the class president, breaking the previous records! That guy Lester is definitely going to be thrilled." A boy with blue-dyed hair was chatting away.
Sitting across from him was a girl with fiery red hair, Lilith.
She was reading a thick book while half-listening. "Stop flattering me. Being a Magic user is exhausting, alright? Haven't you noticed how it's just me and the class president staying up late every single night to study and practice?"
"Oh, how amazing it would be to become a Low-level Magic user." Lilith sighed. She had only managed to learn two D-rank spells so far.
Her goal was to learn a third spell before the semester ended, but the third one was proving to be incredibly difficult.
Still, Magic talent was exceptionally rare. The struggles of a "genius" like her were enviable to most.
At that moment, Eric walked into the room.
The blue-haired boy glanced up and immediately began to stir the pot. "Who says only you two stay up late studying Magic? What about our other shining star—our resident genius, Eric?"
The other boys burst into laughter. "Eric, how's it going? Have you ascended to Grand Mage status yet?"
Eric ignored them completely, as though he hadn't heard a word.
Most of his classmates were training to become Physical Cultivation Practitioners, largely because it was much more straightforward and didn't require as much innate talent.
Magic users, on the other hand, relied heavily on comprehension and aptitude.
Physical Cultivation Practitioners only needed to commit to intense physical training, supplement their diets with various nutrients, and they could generally become Low-level Physical Cultivation Practitioners.
However, how far they could go depended on their physique and natural gifts.
The blue-haired boy who had led the mockery earlier stepped forward, clearly displeased by Eric's lack of response. "Eric, did you not hear me talking to you?"
This was Kevin, the top-performing Physical Cultivation Practitioner in the class and the self-proclaimed "boss." He considered Eric an anomaly.
Kevin often went out of his way to pick on Eric, though Eric usually ignored him. It wasn't just because Eric didn't want to engage—he knew he wasn't in a position to fight back either.
Kevin's status as the leader of the Physical Cultivation Practitioner students wasn't solely due to his talent. It had a lot more to do with money.
Rumor had it that Kevin's father had purchased him one of the latest experimental potions from a cutting-edge lab. The potion supposedly boosted his physical strength by a significant margin.
With wealth and strength, it was no surprise Kevin had secured his dominant position.
Yet Eric remained utterly unimpressed by Kevin's aggressive behavior.
"High schoolers playing at being bullies? How juvenile can you get?" Eric thought coldly. He was labeled an outcast simply because of his diligence and dedication.
So what if his aptitude for cultivation was poor? He had never bothered anyone.
"Get out of my way." Eric finally lifted his head, locking eyes with Kevin as he enunciated each word.
Kevin's expression instantly darkened, utterly shocked by the retort.
Eric had never spoken back to him before. In fact, his meekness was precisely why Kevin and his gang had singled him out for entertainment.
But today, Eric dared to meet his gaze and speak to him in this way?
"What did you just say?" Kevin's face twitched in disbelief.
"I said—Move. Out. Of. My. Way!" Eric repeated, his tone cold and unyielding.
To Eric, someone like Kevin deserved no courtesy.
For too long, Eric's weakness had forced him to retreat. But now, with newfound resolve, he was done bowing to this band of schoolyard bullies.
If Kevin insisted on provoking him, then he had no one to blame but himself.
Kevin's face turned an angry shade of crimson as Eric's words landed. He began rolling up his sleeves. "You're going to pay for that." he snarled.
Behind him, Kevin's gang started rising to their feet, their eyes fixed on Eric. They were all students training to become Physical Cultivation Practitioners.
The tension in the classroom soared, thick enough to cut with a knife.
The other students stared in shock, wide-eyed at the unfolding confrontation.
At the front of the class, Lilith idly twirled a lock of her fiery red hair around her finger, watching the scene with disinterest. "Just because of Eric, does he really dare to speak disrespectfully to Kevin?"
Kevin cracked his knuckles, the sharp popping sounds cutting through the air as his face twisted into a menacing grin. "I'll make you regret your attitude just now, Eric. You'll spend the rest of your life repenting for this."
He was tall and powerfully built, his broad shoulders and muscular frame barely contained by his loose T-shirt. Even his posture radiated raw power. A tattoo of a wolf's head adorned his shoulder, amplifying his dangerous aura. Standing half a head taller than Eric, Kevin loomed over him like a predator sizing up its prey.
Even the other students, just watching from behind, could feel the weight of Kevin's fury. The sheer intimidation he exuded was suffocating.
But Eric didn't flinch. Without a word, he calmly raised his hand—and slapped Kevin across the face.
"Smack!"
The crisp sound echoed through the classroom.
For a moment, everyone froze. Eyes widened in shock, jaws dropping. The frail, timid Eric, the guy who never dared to fight back, had just slapped Kevin—the class bully.
Lilith, who had been watching the commotion for entertainment, covered her mouth with her hand, her expression a mix of disbelief and astonishment.
"You… you hit me?" Kevin said, his voice low and dangerous. A bright red handprint bloomed on his cheek as he stood there in stunned silence for a split second. Then, his face twisted into a chilling smile.
With a sudden shove, Kevin sent Eric flying backward. Eric skidded five or six meters across the floor before landing hard on his backside.
Pain shot through Eric's body like fire. Even though Kevin had merely shoved him, it felt like being hit by a truck. The physical strength of a trained Physical Cultivation Practitioner was no joke.
But Eric gritted his teeth and forced himself up. He wasn't completely defenseless anymore.
He had just learned a new Magic technique. If he timed it right, even his simple Water Sphere Technique would pack enough punch to break Kevin's bones.
Kevin, however, was like a raging beast, his face contorted with fury. He advanced step by step, his heavy footsteps reverberating through the classroom. Along the way, he casually slammed his fists into the desks in his path, shattering them into splinters.
"Eric, I'm going to make you regret ever being born." he snarled, his voice dripping with venom.
Behind him, Kevin's gang grinned, clearly anticipating the show.
Just as Kevin closed the distance, a sharp, commanding voice rang out.
"Kevin, stop it! The teacher is about to arrive!" Kevin turned around and saw a pretty girl standing up from her seat.
She warned him coldly, "If you don't stop, Mr. Lester will punish you."
Eric also noticed her; she was the class monitor, Alicia. She had exquisitely delicate features, and her skin was as fair as snow, smooth and flawless.
Even in the standard high school uniform, her graceful demeanor and impressive figure were undeniable.
At that moment, Alicia was glaring at Kevin with an icy stare, resembling a queen looking down from her throne.
Surprisingly, her words had an effect. Whether it was Kevin's fear of Mr. Lester or simply out of respect for the class monitor, he actually relented and let Eric go.
Eric suspected it was probably Mr. Lester's intimidation at play. After all, he held the power to determine students' graduation.
But in any case, the class monitor had come to his aid.
Still, he couldn't deny that Alicia had helped him out of a tough spot.
Kevin shot Eric a murderous glare. "After school, I'll be waiting for you at the gate. You're not getting away, I promise you that!"
With that, he stormed back to his seat, fuming.
Eric picked himself up off the ground and returned to his desk. Alicia sat right in front of him, her graceful figure forming an arresting silhouette.
She was the object of admiration for most of the boys in the class. However, very few dared to approach her. Rumor had it that her family background was extraordinary, which made many hesitate to get too close.
"Thanks for stepping in, class president." Eric said. It was only natural to express gratitude when someone helped him.
Alicia turned her head, her cold expression unreadable. "If you've got any extraordinary beings friends, or maybe an older sibling, you should call them right now. Otherwise, after school, you're as good as dead."