The bell rang just moments after Freeman's words. As Abel walked toward his next class, he halted, noticing a crowd gathered.
'So this happens now,' he thought, squeezing his way through the crowd.
At the center stood Brandon and Leon, tension thick between them. Brandon held up his phone, his expression filled with disdain.
"I sent you a rank duel. Don't run off with your tail between your legs now. Accept it and prove why you deserve the first place spot," he said, his voice laced with confidence.
The surrounding students watched eagerly, waiting for Leon's response. To their surprise, he burst into laughter.
"Hah! So this whole spectacle is because you're mad that I'm ranked first? Don't stress yourself, I didn't even want the position. You can have it," Leon said, effortlessly humiliating Brandon who schemed this to force him into accepting the duel.
Brandon clenched his fists, about to lash out, but stopped himself. The large crowd and the academy's strict rules against fighting outside of official duels forced him to restrain his temper.
"No," Brandon said, regaining his composure. "I want the first place spot to be earned, not handed over because you're afraid of losing."
Leon scoffed. "You think you deserve it? Rankings aren't given without proper evaluation. The academy deemed me stronger than you. But whatever, you made this choice, not me. Pick a time and I'll be there, and I'll show you exactly why I'm ranked first."
As he turned to walk past Brandon, Leon placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, whispering, "And I don't care if you're the son of a Supreme, I'll teach you the manners your parents never bothered to."
Brandon's face twisted with rage, his hand twitching toward a strike. But before he could react, a loud voice shattered the moment.
"Why are you all standing around? Get to class!" a security guard barked.
The crowd scattered instantly, students hurrying to avoid trouble. Brandon remained, his gaze locked on Leon as he walked away.
For the first time in his life, Brandon had been humiliated and by a nobody at that. His veins bulged with suppressed rage until a soft, mocking voice pulled him back.
"Little brother, how sad," Scarlett said, clicking her tongue playfully.
"You let someone get under your skin that easily? He toyed with you," she teased, her smile both beautiful and unsettling. "The least you can do is win the duel. If you lose, your image—the one you've worked so hard to build will be shattered."
Brandon said nothing and simply walked away. Scarlett watched him for a moment before turning her gaze toward a nearby wall, eyes narrowing.
Behind that wall, Abel held his breath. 'That was close,' he thought. He hadn't expected her to sense him, but luckily, she hadn't seen him.
This scene was a turning point in the novel. It solidified Leon's spot as the top ranked student and, at the same time, placed him in the crosshairs of future characters.
Abel's next class was Rune Training. Despite the power and utility of runes, they were notoriously difficult to master, requiring immense patience and study. Over the years, the skill had become rare, as younger generations found it tedious and uninspiring, rather spending their times mastering their artifact.
As a result, Rune Training had only a handful of students, an outcome that played perfectly into Abel's plans. He would automatically be placed in the same class as the person he was trying to recruit.
By the time he arrived, the class had already started. His delay, caused by watching the altercation between Brandon and Leon, had not gone unnoticed.
"Abel Black, may I ask why you're late?" a soft yet firm voice called out.
Abel turned to meet the gaze of Celia, the instructor. With her light blue hair neatly wrapped in a bun, glasses perched on her nose, and piercing blue eyes, she carried herself with authority.
She was one of the few remaining Grand Rune Crafters and she took immense pride in it.
The fact that Abel had arrived late to a class that so few students chose was, to her, a slight offense. But since it was the first day, she wasn't entirely unforgiving.
"I got distracted by an argument between two students. I'm sorry," Abel said, hoping his sincerity would lessen the penalty.
Celia sighed but nodded. "At least you aren't too late. I'll only deduct one point from your grade. Take a seat."
Abel exhaled in relief. Losing a single point was manageable, he could earn it back.
Scanning the room, he noted that only 18 students were present. The classroom itself resembled an advanced laboratory, with cutting edge technology seamlessly integrated into its design.
At the front of the room sat the person Abel chose the class for, Selena, Celia's daughter.
She looked like a younger version of her mother.
Long, light blue hair cascading past her waist, front bangs gently parted framing her face, two thin braids starting at both her temples, wrapping around her head and joining together at the back.
She had another larger braid gathering the remaining of her hair at the back. Her bright blue eyes were framed by delicate glasses, giving her the appearance of a intelligent person.
The seat next to her was open. This was his chance.
Abel had planned for this moment, even imagined the entire process hundreds of times, enter the class, sit beside her, and begin working his way into her good graces. But now that the time had come… he froze.
Despite his pep talk with Valerie, socializing still didn't come naturally to him. Instead of sitting next to Selena, he opted for the desk beside hers, hoping she would take notice of his struggle and with her kind nature, she would interact with him first.
Celia, meanwhile, had begun the lesson. "Now that the class is here, let's begin our discussion."
She looked around, her eyes sharp. "Can someone explain what runes are?"
Nearly every student raised their hand—except Abel.
Celia ignored the raised hands and, much to his shock, called on him directly.
"Abel, can you explain it to the class?"
He inwardly panicked. 'Why pick me when I didn't even raise my hand?'
He knew Celia was trying to encourage participation and help him regain the lost point but the truth was, he knew nothing about rune crafting.
The novel had only ever given a surface level explanation of runes, as they were already widely infused into objects. He never bothered to memorize it. Who knew he would be kidnapped and thrown into the damn novel.
"I'm new to rune crafting," Abel admitted. "I chose this class to learn it since it seems cool. So I wouldn't be able to explain something I have no clue about."
To his surprise, Celia beamed. "Finally! It's refreshing to see a student who doesn't come from a rune crafting family take genuine interest in the subject!"
Abel blinked. 'She really is obsessed with runes…'
Celia turned to her daughter. "Selena, would you mind explaining runes to Abel?"
Selena nodded, though a faint blush dusted her cheeks as she stammered, "O-Of course, Mo— I mean, Celia."
Clearing her throat, she quickly regained her composure. "Runes are ancient symbols that enhance, modify, or empower objects, beings, and environments, making them more efficient or powerful. In short, runes exist to make life easier."
Her tone had shifted to a serious, scholarly type. In that moment, she seemed like an entirely different person.