Elective Classes (3)

( Akash POV )

"Well, I'm finally here."

I step into the classroom.

It's the Magic class—or rather, not the main Magic class. This one is one of the electives called "Inner Magic." It's kind of where they teach you to awaken your own unique magic.

In my life, I never needed such training. The Queen of Darkness unleashed it for me in an instant.

But this time, I can't afford to wait around for my encounter with the Queen of Darkness.

So, I've decided to take matters into my own hands—and for that, I need some guidance.

"Alright, everyone, find your seats," the teacher's voice breaks the silence.

Following his instruction, I walk over to one of the desks and take a seat.

Moments later, the other students in the class settle into their seats as well.

"Now that everyone is seated, let's begin the lesson," the teacher announces.

The young man places his palms flat on the desk and, with a friendly smile, says:

"Since theory lessons can be rather dull, I'd prefer to teach you all through practical exercises instead."

He scans the room briefly, his gaze moving across each of the students, and continues:

"To start things off, we're going to divide everyone into pairs. The aim is to balance the power between the groups."

Then, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small sphere.

After placing it on the desk, a large hologram appears at the front of the class.

"Alright, you'll be paired according to what's displayed on this chart. So, find your assigned partner now and sit together."

Spotting my name on the chart isn't hard—it's right at the top. And next to it is the name of my partner...

I glance around, searching for my partner, when my eyes land on a girl with short white hair.

"There she is."

My partner's name is "Reina Rey," with an initial potential of 9.

I think the groups were arranged so that the combined potential of each pair adds up to 10.

Well, that's a fair way to divide us.

I walk toward Reina with calm steps, offering her a gentle smile as I say:

"Hello, Miss Rey. I believe we're partners."

Reina hesitates for a moment, analyzing the situation. Her gaze shifts to my outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it, she responds with a clearly artificial smile and says:

"Umm... nice to meet you."

I didn't expect her to refuse a handshake, but it's not a big deal.

( Tobias' POV )

Slowly, I open my eyes.

"Hah, what's going on? What's all this noise about?"

A middle-aged woman with short hair, her face tense and her voice trembling with anger, says to me:

"Mr. Miller, I am teaching here."

Ah, she just wanted to say that. I rest my face back on the desk and reply in a soft, somewhat sleepy tone:

"Well, you don't need to tell me you're teaching. Now, please don't disturb my precious nap."

_"This damn kid..."_ she mutters under her breath, her voice shaking.

"That's it... right now... get out of my class!"

The woman wanted to say something but realized continuing the argument was pointless.

"Tobias Miller, I hope you do well in the midterm exams." She said this with a crooked smile.

Ugh... I can't understand what's going on in teachers' minds. There's still plenty of time until the midterms—after all, the academy has only been open for a few days.

These past few days have been so dull. I need a little more time to stay calm, and then I can start focusing on my real tasks.

×××

Elsewhere in the academy, in one of the underground labs...

"This damage looks like it was caused by a bullet, but it's strange that I couldn't find any bullets." The woman spoke in a barely audible voice as she examined the girl's corpse.

"Well, maybe it was magic," the man said, taking a drag from his cigarette.

The woman sighed and spoke in a tone of disappointment.

"If that were the case, we could trace the energy residue. But the strange thing is, I couldn't find any trace of energy."

The smell of the cigarette reached the woman, causing her eyebrows to furrow. Trying to control her anger, she said:

"Liam! I told you not to smoke in my workspace!"

quickly snatched his cigarette, and threw it to the ground.

"You're such a boring woman," Liam said, his tone dripping with irritation, as he walked with deliberate steps toward the elevator—the exit from the lab.

"Don't worry, I'll find the killer for you myself."

As Liam headed toward the elevator, he waved goodbye over his shoulder and said with confidence:

"I count on you... Liam."

The young woman, staring at the empty space where Liam had been, whispered softly: