Chapter 20 : Mica [ 1 ]

The mock battles came to an end, Anne retrieved her notebook and began jotting down every detail of each simulated fight. She meticulously scored every student's performance, except for Lo, who had been blacklisted on the first day of class.

"Okay, the mock battles have came to an end," a holographic panel suddenly appeared in front of every student. "The scores will now become your EP, which you may use as you see fit. You are now free to leave the class."

The students inside the room began chatting amongst themselves, comparing their scores with one another. Lo just shrugs his shoulders, as if he didn't care about the score.

'I'll be able to obtain more EP in other ways anyway,'

After leaving the training hall, Lo observed the busy flow of students rushing to their next classes, some running down the hallway, while others calmly walked down the stairs. The fight between Bryan and Lo had left him feeling quite hungry. He decided to head towards the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

As Lo descends down the stairs, he couldn't help but think about his upcoming class, 'Magic Theory,' The mere thought of it gave him a splitting headache, and he knew that he would struggle with the subject since he had no idea how to learn mana arts.

Despite having read bits and pieces of information about magic and the fundamentals of mana from the novel, he realized that the concepts were much more complex than he had anticipated. The idea of manipulating mana to cast mana arts seemed almost impossible for him to comprehend.

Lo lets out a heavy sigh, "Haah.. Looks like I'll be spending quite some time in the library to figure this out."

Making his way to the second floor of the academy, Lo pushed open the doors to the cafeteria and was greeted by a grandiose sight. he noticed the spacious room that was lined with an array of clean, gleaming white tables of varying lengths, perfectly aligned in symmetrical rows that seemed to stretch out endlessly.

The tabletops were fitted with modern touchscreens, providing a streamlined system for ordering meals. The walls were crafted from a translucent material, which allowed natural light to flood in, casting a warm, inviting glow over the bustling room.

Lo gazed around the area, as he noticed that the tables were filled with a diverse group of students, chatting amongst themselves in a lively atmosphere. Looking up, Lo was momentarily lost in awe at the ceiling's technological wonder, featuring an array of florescent tubes that could be programmed to create any pattern or color scheme imaginable. The sheer beauty of the space momentarily took his mind off his troubles

Looking up, Lo was momentarily lost in awe at the ceiling's technological wonder, featuring an array of florescent tubes that could be programmed to create any pattern or color scheme imaginable. The sheer beauty of the space momentarily took his mind off his troubles. As he stood there, he felt a sudden jolt as he was bumped into by a light blue haired girl.

Lo stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance. As he regained his footing, he took a moment to observe the girl who had bumped into him. She was stunningly beautiful, with a petite, curvy figure and her long hair styled into a ponytail. Her striking blue eyes seemed to hold an otherworldly beauty

As the girl frantically tried to gather up the books she had dropped, Lo couldn't help but feel captivated by her beauty. Without hesitation, he knelt down to help her, picking up a few stray books and placing them back in her arms.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaimed apologetically as she lowers her head.

"No need to apologize," Lo replied in a monotonous tone, "Are you alright?"

The girl nodded, her cheeks flushing in red and a small smile forming on her lips. "Yes, thank you for your help," she answered with a hint of gratitude in her voice. Lo couldn't help but notice the slight blush on her cheeks as she thanked him, and for a moment, he found himself lost in her stunning blue eyes.

A brief silence fell between them, each searching for something to say. The girl's smile slightly faltered as she averted her gaze, her shyness becoming more apparent.

"H-Hello, My name is Mica. No surname, just call me Mica." she greeted warmly as she extends her hand.

"Hi, I'm Lo," he replied as he struggled to find the right words. "I'm a freshman."

"It's nice to meet you, Lo," Mica muttered.

Lo could sense that she was a reserved and introverted person, much like himself. The two stood there for a moment, both feeling the awkwardness of the situation. he wanted to say something more, but he couldn't find the right words. Mica also seemed to be lost in thought, and Lo wondered what was going through her mind.

Finally, Lo broke the silence. "Are you here to grab some food?"

Mica's eye lit up as she continuously nods like a puppy.

Lo and Mica made their way to a small, cozy table tucked away in a corner of the bustling cafeteria. As they settled in, Lo's eyes scanned through the area, taking in the vibrant energy of the students around him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort in this bustling atmosphere, surrounded by the chatter and laughter of his fellow classmates.

Lo looked up from the bustling cafeteria, turning his attention back to Mica. "Is it always this lively here in the cafeteria?"

Mica's lips curved into a gentle smile, and her eyes lit up with warmth. "Indeed, It's usually like this at the start of the school year. Everyone's still excited and getting to know each other," she explained as her voice laced with a hint of fondness.

"That reminds me, but what is your rank currently?" Lo inquired.

Mica's voice overflowed with excitement and enthusiasm as she shared her current rank. "I'm in the Intermediate 2nd star rank right now, and soon going to be reaching Peak 2nd star rank!"