The next morning, Cassandra awoke abruptly from her deep cultivation.As she surveyed her surroundings, she noticed the remnants of a campfire, and the sky was already a bright shade of blue.Alex opened his eyes and remarked, "You shouldn't be cultivating in the middle of the night and in the middle of nowhere!"Still feeling a bit dazed, Cassandra had never experienced such a deep cultivation session before.Her body brimmed with energy, and she felt remarkably light.Glancing around, she saw about ten Horned Boar carcasses lying nearby."You protected me through the night?" she asked, finally realizing how vulnerable she had been while deeply immersed in cultivation outdoors.She could have easily been in danger."You didn't give me much of a choice," Alex replied, standing up."We're going to be late for the institute, and I need to maintain my perfect attendance for my scholarship."He glanced wistfully at the carcasses. If only he had a space storage ring, he could take them wit
Alex's heart was already set on Sofie; Cassandra was only a faint shadow in his mind.Without much thought, he said, "Alright, I'll help you with the massage technique to treat your illness every three days. Follow my instructions, take those herbs, and you'll be fine.""Okay," Cassandra whispered, nodding silently."Show me the bruised area?" Alex asked.Cassandra's cheeks flushed as she pointed to the back of her foot. "Here."Alex looked down, his frown deepening as he saw the deep purple bruise on her silky white skin. "That's serious.""Luckily, it's on your foot, so it'll be easier to treat." He sat down and carefully grabbed Cassandra's leg. "I'll be done soon.""Alright," Cassandra said quietly, placing her foot on his leg.The warmth of her smooth skin under his hands made Alex's heart skip a beat. Her slender calves seemed even more delicate in this moment."Don't get the wrong idea," Alex said, meeting her eyes. "I'm only helping with your injury. The girl I like is Sofie.
When class started, Vlad cast a dejected glance at Sofie.Despite her high status, Sofie was warm and friendly with everyone—not just him.Vlad had always believed that Sofie should reserve her kindness solely for him, being the successor to a Duke.But she quickly bonded with many of the girls in class, even the commoners.Any boy who dared approach her, however, would inevitably find himself summoned by Vlad to the back of the institute for a little "chat."With an important test approaching in two months, both Vlad and Sofie were confident they'd advance to the junior Enhance Fighter class.Vlad glanced at Alex, sitting at the back of the room, and smirked."Bronze rank fighter in two months? If trash like you can pull that off, pigs might fly. Just wait—if I don't break your bones today, my name isn’t Vlad," he muttered, signaling to a few of his noble friends.When the institute's bell rang, signaling the end of class, Cassandra approached Alex’s table."Alex, you've helped me so
Alex believed that training with someone as talented as Cassandra could accelerate his progress. Without hesitation, he responded,"Sure. Let's exchange numbers."He pulled out a small device that looked like a smartphone, though it was merely a budget version, functional only within the city and nearby areas due to its dependence on the local tower network.Cassandra happily shared her number in front of everyone.Previously, some female students had approached her, asking, "Why do you get close to that loser? He's the bottom of the class. Why not hang around with us?"She simply ignored them, as she didn't care what others thought; she'd always been a lone wolf.She believed that those who mocked and looked down on Alex were ignorant.One day, they'd realize they were wrong.Only she knew his true talent.In the classroom, Sofie and Vlad were stunned.They couldn't believe what they were seeing."How is this happening?" Vlad muttered, his face darkening. "How could someone like Cas
Shenny was momentarily speechless.Since class began, Alex had been dozing off, yet he claimed to already know the material she was teaching—and even went so far as to try to teach them himself.Who would believe him?"I wonder if you even know the inscription pattern on the board," she sneered. "Why don't you enlighten us about it?"Alex glanced at the intricate design. "It's a low-grade fire inscription, barely a Bronze pattern," he said."It has 35 foundation rune patterns in its structure—weak. Good enough to warm a bed, perhaps. But the Bolton family thinks this is one of their ancestors' best creations, yet it's just a lie."The class erupted in laughter."He didn't hear a word!" a student guffawed. "Says the Scarlet Sunburst Pattern has 35 foundation rune patterns when Teacher Shenny just taught us it has 30!""Used to warm a bed?!" another laughed until tears streamed down his face.Sofie stifled a smile, but Vlad Bolton's face darkened.Alex had just insulted a Bronze pattern
Shenny clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Across the crowd, Vlad's glare burned into Alex, his eyes seething with hatred.Alex was openly tarnishing the Bolton family’s reputation.Noticing Shenny and Vlad’s hostile stares, Alex smirked inwardly.‘Typical of the Boltons,’ he thought. ‘When they couldn’t handle the truth, they pointed fingers. If they had nothing to hide, why fear being exposed?’“The truth does not change according to your ability to stomach it!” Alex said to shenny and, clearing his throat theatrically.“So, students,” he announced, slipping into a teacher’s tone.“Today, I’ll teach you how to create a Fireball Inscription, step by step. Follow carefully, and you’ll be able to launch a fireball.”The students’ eyes lit up with excitement.Elder Grey Robes, Edison, and Roberto exchanged shocked glances. It was unheard of—a new student teaching the craft of inscriptions, and a high-rank fireball one at that.Even they struggled with it!“Take
Alex’s sharp words sliced through the air, striking directly at the Bolton family's storied reputation, all while he maintained an innocent façade.Shenny and Vlad glared daggers at him, their faces taut as they struggled to contain their mounting fury.A ripple of murmurs spread through the assembled students."Wait, so the first house master of the Bolton family was like that?" one student whispered."I heard he was a gold-rank Enhance Fighter and a master of inscriptions," another replied."Supposedly the creator of the sixteen famous Bolton Flame inscriptions. Maybe it's all just talk.""Never thought the Scarlet Sunburst was copied from some ancient book," a third student mused."I've read about inscriptions," someone added. "If they come from ancient texts, the source should be mentioned—not claimed as original work."The whispers grew louder, each one chipping away at the Bolton family's integrity.Those who once admired their inscription mastery now questioned if the family ha
The gray-robed elder nodded thoughtfully. "Roberto, arrange a library clerk position for him.""Yes!" Roberto responded promptly.He knew of the elder's fondness for talented individuals.Despite Alex's lackluster innate ability, his profound knowledge—like being able to read the Book of the Fire God—made him exceptional.As a library clerk, Alex could delve deeper into such ancient texts.In Miracle City, most people prioritized cultivating their combat abilities.Few invested time in studying ancient books. The elder's arrangement also served to protect Alex.Working inside the school as part of the Institute, the Bolton family would find it harder to suppress him.But did Alex fear the Bolton family's suppression?In his past life, he might have cowered, but not now. He wouldn't swallow his grievances. He had a score to settle with the Boltons.Shenny glared at Alex with cold hatred. "I'll remember this!" she spat.Vindictive by nature and as his teacher, she had plenty of ways to