A seat

There was an awkward silence in the classroom as the unusual boy stood at the entrance. His dark green eyes didn't quite match his brown skin, which appeared grayish due to malnutrition, and his small stature was noticeably different from the other boys in the class. One could say he was the shortest in his class.

The teacher stared at him for a few more seconds and noticed the blue badge on his chest. She smiled.

"Lieutenant Zain, welcome to Class C-1. My name is Teacher Rina, and I of the Rank A class."

Zain was speechless as he continued standing at the door, staring at her.

"Teacher Rina... Please, call me Zain. You have it all wrong—I am no lieutenant. I've just come to learn here."

Teacher Rina looked at him with a surprised expression.

"But how can that be, Zain? The color of your badge is clearly that of an actual, military-issued badge," she said, gesturing toward the students in the classroom as if to make her point.

"All these students have badges, but theirs are white—issued by the academy to help students adjust to the life of a Ranker. Your badge, however, is the real one issued to actual C-Ranks."

Rina glanced at her wristwatch before smiling at Zain.

"Well then, Zain, please introduce yourself to the class and find a seat."

Zain nodded and walked toward the board, standing at the front of the room. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Those seated near the board could be heard whispering.

"He looks strange," one girl in the front row said.

"Yes, indeed," another girl responded.

Zain cleared his throat.

"Hey, people. My name is Zain, and I am a child of Xenos. I look forward to learning with you all," he said nonchalantly.

His words greatly annoyed most of the students in the class, who began murmuring in dissatisfaction.

"Settle down, students. Zain, you may take your seat," Teacher Rina said firmly.

Zain chose to sit at the far end of the class next to the window. Everyone stared at him as he walked to his desk, most with dissatisfied expressions on their faces.

A handsome young man with golden-brown skin and curly black hair raised his hand.

Teacher Rina noticed him. "Yes, Chris, what's your question?"

Chris lowered his hand and asked, "Teacher Rina, how can a child of Xenos be allowed to attend class with us? And how is it even possible that one is alive?"

The entire class erupted into murmurs of agreement. Teacher Rina sighed.

"To answer your first question, Zain is a special case. As you might have realized, I don't like bringing up people's backgrounds, but one thing you should know is that Zain earned his right to attend the academy."

"How?" one of the boys demanded.

Teacher Rina answered, "He killed a B-Ranked monster with his bare hands."

"Surely that's a lie..." Chris said, stepping forward.

"Enough with the questions. Now, it's almost time for lessons to begin," Teacher Rina said firmly, cutting the discussion short.

Zain sat at his desk, staring out of the window. The once brightly lit Academy City now seemed strangely peaceful and calm here on the academy grounds.

The bear wasn't even that strong, yet they're all making such a fuss about it, he thought to himself.

Teacher Rina began calling out the names of all the students in the classroom, including Zain's. She also announced their ages, though the girls were visibly unhappy about this part. To everyone's surprise, Zain was the youngest in the class at just twelve years old, while the others ranged from fourteen to sixteen.

Zain had also learned a lot about the class's power dynamics. It was clear who held power and influence and who didn't. Among those who held the most sway, the group known as "The Pentagon" was the most influential, or so Zain concluded from his keen observation. Their spokesperson, Chris, was the fifth member of the Pentagon. Chris was incredibly handsome, with short black hair and golden-brown skin that seemed to radiate vitality. He had an athletic build, which he often showed off by moving around confidently.

"Alright, class, today's lesson will be held in the Wilderness District. Gear up and meet your instructors there," Teacher Rina announced.

The students began filing out of the classroom.

"Wait a moment, Zain. I'll direct you to the Wilderness," Teacher Rina said with a warm smile, flustering him.

One of the students, a boy named Eden, gave a dark side glance at Teacher Rina before walking away.

End of Chapter 8