chapter 98 annoying

As Ethan walked toward the college gates after two long hours of absolute nonsense, a voice shouted from behind.

"Ethan Vale!"

He paused, rolling his eyes before turning around.

A bald, middle-aged man with a permanent frown and a clipboard in his hands marched toward him. Behind him were two other professors, looking equally unimpressed.

Ethan sighed. Here we go again.

"Do you think college is a joke?" the bald man snapped. "You failed four subjects, and instead of retaking exams seriously, you've been roaming around like a vagabond!"

One of the professors, a thin man with glasses, shook his head in disappointment. "Ethan, this is your second year. Your grades are abysmal. Do you even care about your future?"

Ethan simply looked at them, expression blank.

"Do I care about my future?"

That question would have terrified his past self.

Back then, he believed these people. He feared them. He desperately tried to prove himself, signing up for extra classes, struggling through pointless assignments, and even joining Pink Solutions because he thought it would give him a stable career.

And what happened?

He became a corporate slave. A nobody. Another lamb for the slaughter.

But now?

Now, he was free.

Ethan took a deep breath, looked the bald man straight in the eyes, and smirked.

"Yeah, no. I don't care."

The entire faculty froze.

The bald man's veins bulged. "Y-You—What did you just say?!"

Ethan shrugged. "I said, I. Don't. Care."

The glasses professor pushed up his frames, shaking his head. "Ethan, do you realize what you're saying? Without a degree, you'll never find a good job. You'll be left behind while your peers move forward in life."

Ethan held back a laugh.

"Move forward in life? Yeah, right."

Half of his "peers" were already signing contracts for in-game slavery.

"You're throwing away your future, Ethan," the bald man seethed. "You'll regret this arrogance when you're struggling to make ends meet!"

Ethan tilted his head and smiled slightly, but he didn't answer.

Instead, he simply turned around and left, never once looking back.

The Campus Reactions – Unaware of Ethan's Secret

Ethan walked through the college corridors, his face calm and indifferent. Behind him, the whispers grew louder. No one had the slightest clue that he was already earning more than the faculty combined—all thanks to Eldoria.

Yet, to the students around him, he was just a failure who had given up on studies.

—

"He's just walking away like that?"

"Yeah. No arguments, no excuses—he just left. Maybe he's gonna drop out?"

"I mean, after failing four subjects, what did he expect? Dude's throwing his future away."

—

Some students scoffed.

"People like him are why unemployment rates are so high. No discipline, no ambition."

"Yeah. Bet he'll come crawling back next semester when he realizes life outside college isn't easy."

—

A few students who used to know Ethan personally seemed more conflicted.

"Strange. Ethan used to be pretty responsible. Always following the rules, never causing trouble…"

"Maybe he just gave up after failing?"

"Or maybe something happened? People don't change like that for no reason."

—

While most of the campus saw him as a lost cause, there were a few who were less quick to judge.

One student, leaning back in his chair with his phone in hand, smirked.

"Failing subjects doesn't mean failing in life. What if he's got something going on outside college?"

His friend rolled his eyes.

"Like what? You think he's secretly a millionaire? Get real."

The student chuckled but said nothing. If only they knew.

—

Among the Eldoria players in the college, a small group huddled together in the cafeteria.

"You guys hear about Ethan?"

"Yeah, apparently, he just walked out after getting scolded by the faculty."

"Ha! Classic. Another dropout."

But one of them frowned.

"Wait… Ethan Vale. That name sounds kinda familiar."

"You mean from Eldoria?"

"Nah, can't be. If he was playing Eldoria, we'd know. No way he's keeping that a secret."

"Yeah, true. A guy like him wouldn't survive five minutes in that game."

They laughed, completely unaware that the Ethan they just mocked was already leagues ahead of them in the world of Eldoria.

: Ethan Returns Home

Ethan walked into the apartment, tossing his bag onto the couch. The faint sound of rapid typing filled the air.

Stella was at the small dining table, surrounded by scattered documents and two open laptops. Her brows were furrowed, her fingers moving at an insane speed over the keyboard. She didn't even look up when she heard the door open—her focus was entirely on the screen.

A half-empty cup of coffee sat beside her, long gone cold. Papers filled with project details were stacked on the side, some even slipping onto the floor. The girl barely noticed.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. She was working her ass off.

—

After a moment, Stella finally turned her head. Seeing Ethan standing there casually, she blinked in surprise.

"You're back early?"

Ethan shrugged, stepping into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"Yeah."

Stella narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Ethan took a sip of water and leaned against the counter. His expression was indifferent, completely unfazed by her questioning.

"Just… I don't care."

Stella stared at him for a second, then sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Must be nice," she muttered, glancing back at her screen.

Ethan noticed the dark circles under her eyes. The stress was eating her up. But she didn't complain, didn't whine—she just kept working like a machine.

He sat on the couch, watching her as she continued typing, her eyes flicking between different documents.

She was struggling. But in her mind, this was normal.

Ethan's Thoughts: The Difference Between Sheep and Wolves

Ethan leaned back on the couch, watching Stella work herself to the bone. She hadn't even touched the food on the table. The only thing keeping her going was that cold cup of coffee. Her fingers moved across the keyboard like a blur, her eyes darting between two screens, comparing data, correcting errors, and preparing reports.

She had the game. Eldoria was installed on her laptop—he had seen it before. But she never had the time to play.

Life was different for sheep and wolves.

Ethan exhaled through his nose, staring at the ceiling. If I had stayed in college like a good student, I'd be in her position too. Stuck in a cycle—work, stress, eat cheap food, drink coffee to stay awake, and get yelled at by managers who saw employees as disposable.

He had seen it all before.

In his past life, white-collar workers like Stella laughed at players, saying games were a waste of time. But when Evolution 1 started in Eldoria, when the game world began merging with reality, those same people had begged for a chance to join guilds, offering to be errand boys just for a piece of the profit.

They had no choice. Because they were sheep.

Stella was smart, but she was still part of the system. She had no control. Even now, her manager was the one deciding her life.

Meanwhile, Ethan was a wolf.

He had power in Eldoria. He had gold, connections, and the knowledge of what was coming. Even now, his passive income was growing—potions, gold trading, information selling—all while Stella had to trade her time for a fixed salary.

He glanced at her again.

Even if she wanted to play, she couldn't afford the risk.

Because she had no safety net.

Because she was still part of the system that forced sheep to stay sheep.

Ethan smirked slightly. Not me.

He had already left that life behind.