Cliff of Knife - Edge

Annie cast a stern look at the group before her and brought her palm down hard on the table.

"Enough! Cease this bickering. Those who don't wish to continue, get out of my sight."

The sharp rebuke instantly hushed the entire dean's office. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, too intimidated to utter a sound.

"Gunter, remain. The rest of you, clear out. I'll have Gunter inform you once a decision is made. Don't loiter around irritating me."

Seeing the dean's fury, the group bowed slightly and scurried out of the office, looking thoroughly discomfited.

Every year during the new student admission at Notting College, similar disputes arise. Each teacher vies for the opportunity to teach the classes filled with talented students. High - performing students bring rewards from the college, and if they excel in the reporting martial arts competition, the rewards are even more substantial.

This year, however, presented a unique situation. The argument wasn't solely about which classes would get the top - tier students. The new "spoiled - brats" class had emerged as a major headache for both the teachers and the dean.

Ever since the news of Ryan, the so - called "useless" student, being admitted to the college spread, those young masters with only the lowest - level talent were stirred into action, all demanding admission.

These young masters were a handful. Spoiled from childhood, they were lazy, gluttonous, and conniving, with few redeeming qualities. Even with the resources at their disposal, their lack of determination had left them in their current unimpressive state.

This led to the formation of the "spoiled - brats" class, the first of its kind in the college's history. The ages of the students in this class varied widely.

Noticing Gunter's silence, Annie took the initiative to inquire, "Tutor Gunter, what are your thoughts on this year's'spoiled - brats' class? Who would be an appropriate teacher for them?"

Gunter, as if having already formulated his response, replied without hesitation, "Dean, in my view, we could simply assign a recent graduate from our college who lacks the qualifications to enter a more prestigious institution. For those spoiled students, even a master - level instructor would be of little use. There's no point in squandering the college's valuable resources."

Annie shook her head in disagreement. "That won't do. Although the students in the'spoiled - brats' class may lack talent, they come from families with significant wealth and influence. Assigning an unsuitable teacher would not only damage the college's reputation but also risk incurring the wrath of their powerful backers. And let's not forget, they've all paid handsomely for their admission."

"So, what do you propose?" Gunter asked.

"Lots," Annie replied promptly.

Upon hearing the word "lots", Gunter was visibly taken aback. In all his years at the college, this was the first time such a method was being used to resolve an issue, and it was hard for him to hide his surprise.

Annie, unfazed by Gunter's reaction, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Hmph! If anyone volunteers, I'd be willing to offer attractive incentives. Since you're all so reluctant to compromise, luck will be the deciding factor."

As Gunter began organizing the lottery, Leah accompanied Ryan to the college. Ryan had been insistent on going to the classroom alone, leaving Leah with no alternative but to acquiesce.

From the moment he left home and committed to attending the college, Ryan had resolved to face whatever lay ahead on his own.

During the journey, Leah had informed Ryan that he'd be in the "spoiled - brats" class, attempting to prepare him mentally. However, when he pushed open the classroom door, the scene that greeted him was still a shock.

The classroom was in complete disarray, more like a bustling marketplace than a place of learning. Tables were haphazardly strewn about, occupied by boys and girls sitting atop them, with their feet casually propped on chairs. A corpulent figure was perched on the teacher's podium, looking down at the rest of the class while voraciously devouring food, emitting occasional disdainful grunts.

Spotting someone entering, the students glanced over instinctively. The commotion quieted briefly but quickly resumed, with no one paying much heed to the slender teenager.

Ryan furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly. As he was about to make his way to an empty corner to sit down, the overweight boy on the podium, his words slightly mumbled due to the food in his mouth, called out, "Hey, kid. What's your name? I don't recall seeing you around."

Ryan regarded the boy, hesitated for a moment, not eager to engage in an extended exchange, and replied, "I'm Ryan." His voice, though not loud, was clear enough for the boy to hear.

Upon hearing this, the fat boy spat out the food in his mouth, cleared his throat, and exclaimed, "Oh, so you're the renowned, once - in - a - century 'genius waste'? My apologies. In comparison, we're hardly worthy of being called 'waste'. I thought you'd be too scared to show up at the college."

The fat boy's voice carried throughout the classroom, drawing all eyes towards Ryan and himself.

Ryan glared at the boy, his fists clenching tightly as he prepared to charge forward.

The fat boy pushed himself off the podium, landing on the ground with a thud. Simultaneously, two tall boys and one short one positioned themselves behind him, making it clear they were there to back him up.

"Didn't think a waste like you had any backbone! Don't worry, boys. I can handle this runt myself," the fat boy reassured his companions.

"Kid, this ain't the place for a fight. If you've got the guts, meet me at the back mountain. If you're too chicken, you'll call me 'grandpa' every time you see me from now on. Hahaha," he taunted.

With that, the fat boy strode past Ryan without a second glance, leading his entourage towards the back mountain.

The back mountain of Notting College featured a cliff that, from a distance, appeared as if it had been precisely sliced by a knife, thus earning the name "Cliff of Knife - Edge". Its secluded location had made it a favored spot for students to settle personal scores. On the way to the college, Leah had briefed Ryan on the general layout of the campus, specifically warning him to come to her if any issues arose and to avoid going to the back mountain impulsively.

In his current state of anger, Ryan paid no heed to Leah's advice. He turned to follow the group, but a short - haired girl grabbed hold of his sleeve.

"Don't be stupid. If you go, you're just asking for a beating. That fat guy is Alex Lan from the Alex family. We all call him Alan. He's been a bully since he was a kid, and he's a real handful. He's older than us, and no one in this class wants to mess with him..."

Before she could finish, Ryan shrugged off her hand and took off after Alan.

The girl was left stunned. She hadn't expected the boy to dash off without waiting for her to finish. Watching his retreating figure, she muttered with a hint of annoyance, "These arrogant young masters are all so hot - headed. If it weren't for my sister asking me to keep an eye on you for Leah's sake, I wouldn't bother."

Despite her words, she was worried. After all, Alan and his gang outnumbered Ryan. She quickly left the classroom, but in a different direction, heading towards Leah.

Seeing the promise of a spectacle, the rest of the students made their way to the back mountain. In an instant, the once - noisy classroom was deserted.

Spotting Ryan approaching alone, Alan grinned widely. "Didn't think you'd actually have the nerve to show up, waste. Well, I'm not a bad guy. I just wanted to have a little chat with you. Some things are better said in private. Here's the deal. You stick with me, and I'll make sure no one messes with you. In return, you give me fifty gold coins a month. What do you say?"

"Fifty gold coins seems a bit steep, doesn't it?" Ryan retorted.

Alan's smile widened. "In that case, let's make it a hundred. You're the young master of House Stark. A thousand gold coins was nothing to you, so a hundred should be a breeze."

Ryan regarded Alan coldly and sneered, enunciating each word clearly. "Humph! Not... a... single... coin."

Alan's expression darkened. Few people had dared to defy him since he was a child, and the idea of a so - called "waste" like Ryan doing so was infuriating.

Alan advanced menacingly towards Ryan. "Once you feel my power, you'll be singing a different tune." With that, he swung a powerful punch at Ryan.

Ryan, having never been in a fight before, panicked as he saw the fist hurtling towards his face. Reacting on instinct, he ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow. Before he could regain his balance, Alan followed up with a swift kick aimed at his chest. With no way to evade, Ryan took the full force of the kick.

The impact sent Ryan flying backwards, leaving him dazed and in pain. He was shocked by the speed and strength of the seemingly sluggish fat boy.

Before he could fully recover, two of Alan's lackeys rushed over and grabbed him.

"Search him! See if he's got anything worth taking," Alan commanded.

After a moment, the shorter boy reported glumly, "Young Master Alan, this kid's broke. Not a single gold coin on him."

"That's strange. Even if he's not a typical spoiled brat, he's still a wealthy young master. How could he have no money?" Alan muttered, eyeing Ryan suspiciously.

He walked over to Ryan, determined to find something of value.

As Alan approached, Ryan, regaining some of his strength, struggled against his captors.

Just as Alan was about to land another blow, he noticed a glint of light from Ryan's chest. In the sunlight, a snow - flake - shaped pendant was visible.

Alan's eyes lit up. He snatched the pendant, feeling a cool sensation in his hand. Although he couldn't determine its value, he thought it looked pretty. "Even if I don't want it, I can give it away," he thought.

Ryan, seeing his precious pendant in Alan's hand, was consumed by rage. Since childhood, his mother had impressed upon him the importance of the pendant, a family heirloom he shared with his sister. He had always felt a special connection to it.

The moment the pendant was taken, a searing pain shot through Ryan's body, as if his very being was being torn apart. He let out a low growl of pain.

Alan, ignoring Ryan's distress, continued to mock him. "Figures a waste like you would wear something like this. Pathetic."

The pain became unbearable for Ryan. His blood seemed to boil, and an overwhelming power coursed through his body. Beads of sweat poured down his face.

Unable to contain this new - found power, Ryan let out a fierce roar, losing all sense of reason. All he could think about was retrieving his pendant and eliminating anyone in his way.