As the mid-term exams approached, the atmosphere in the css grew palpably tense.

  Under the encouragement of their homeroom teacher, Emmanuel, many students had shifted into "exam mode," determined to achieve solid results in the upcoming tests.

  The pressure was especially intense following the previous month's exam, where the entire css had seen a noticeable dip in performance. This sparked a desire among many underperforming students to redeem themselves and prove their worth in the midterms.

  Dematero, for example, was a perfect embodiment of this. His motivations had shifted. No longer driven by childish reasons, he now sought to set a positive example for others and earn the respect of his teachers and parents—particurly in the field of writing.

  This newfound focus stemmed from the lessons he had learned through his "rebirth." Having come to terms with the world around him, he was no longer the rebellious teen he once was.

  In a school where academic success was the only measure of value, failure in exams meant exclusion from any extracurricur activities and, ultimately, a sense of isotion.

  For Dematero, this harsh reality frustrated him. With a more mature outlook, he now longed to break free from the rigid confines of this merit-based system.

  Adding to the tension was the mandatory parents' meeting held after midterms each semester at Thessaloniki First High School. The meeting was a standard event, but in certain cases—like subject differentiation, university entrance exam prep, or filling out university applications—the school would hold additional meetings to discuss students’ academic progress and next steps.

  Given the frequency of these meetings, the pressure surrounding the midterms was particurly intense. Poor performance was something no student wanted to face, as it would be dispyed publicly, and any failure would surely be scrutinised.

  Thessaloniki had a brutal, no-nonsense approach to academics. The ranking list was posted at the school gate for everyone to see. Parents of high-achieving students proudly admired their children's names on the list, while parents of struggling students would gnce at the rankings in haste, clearly embarrassed by their child’s position.

  Each css meeting also involved detailed ranking sheets, where parents were shown their child's grades and overall standing.

  The reality of this competitive environment was relentless, and for students who couldn't handle the pressure, the path forward was clear: either succeed or be left behind.

  However, Css 3 was different. Known for their strong mental fortitude, this css was often filled with moments of lightheartedness and bance, mixing hard work with moments of fun. The result? Most students adapted well to the high school environment, with only one student, Kenny, transferring to another css after cshing with the group.

  Currently, with the addition of Matthew Tan, Css 3 maintained a strong roster of fifty-six students, each working hard to maintain their pce.

  Interestingly, the unsung heroes of Css 3 were the students with connections, whose academic performance was far from stelr. They could afford to underperform without facing too much fallout, as long as they stayed in the css.

  In contrast, students in the experimental csses—Css 1 and Css 2—began to buckle under the pressure. Several students, previously high performers in their old schools, found themselves struggling to keep up with the intense pace at Thessaloniki. Some dropped out, unable to handle the competition, while others were simply crushed by their newfound inability to rise above the crowd.

  Such students had been the "big fish in a small pond," thriving in less competitive environments. But in Thessaloniki, they quickly became demoralised by the rigorous competition, leading to a dramatic fall from grace.

  Some parents, sadly, failed to recognise their child's limitations and pushed them to continue in an environment where they couldn’t succeed. As a result, many of these students found their confidence shattered and their self-esteem damaged.

  Css 2 had already lost three students—two transferred to other csses, and one left the school altogether. The reason was simple: the homeroom teacher, Eirini La Konstantinou, a strict mathematics instructor, managed the css with an iron grip. Her pressure was too much for many students to handle.

  In comparison, Emmanuel, the homeroom teacher of Css 3, had a simir approach, but the css was composed of students with strong connections. Emmanuel knew when to ease up, especially when dealing with the "Four Great Terrorists," a group of unruly students, including Matthew and Hera.

  Even Dublin, the director of Political and Educational Affairs and leader of the "Four Great Terrorists," struggled to control the more "legendary" students. Emmanuel had learned the art of ignoring their antics, allowing them to csh with one another as long as they didn’t disrupt the serious students.

  As for the less capable students sitting in the back row, they received the consequences of their own inaction. If they wanted to escape their assigned seats near the chaos, they knew what they had to do: study harder.

  The upcoming midterm exams were, therefore, an opportunity for them to improve their positions.

  Unlike those dreading the reckoning at the parents' meeting, Xanthia was unfazed by the whole situation. Whether she did well or poorly, she had come to accept that there would be no one to attend the meeting on her behalf.

  Her mother, El La Fielso, had passed away some time ago, and Xanthia had grown accustomed to attending meetings alone.

  Some students envied her for the freedom this gave her, free from parental pressure. Others pitied her for the ck of support she faced.

  For most students, performing well in exams meant receiving praise and rewards from their parents. Top-performing students were always admired, both by their peers and their families. But such students often faced jealousy from retives, who compared their own children to these high achievers.

  Among the students who had been critical of Xanthia’s success in the st exam, there were those who still doubted her ability. They believed her high marks had been the result of luck, not skill, and they expected her to fail the midterms. After all, she was known for not being particurly serious about her studies. Many thought her frequent attendance at extra mathematics lessons was a waste of time.

  In their eyes, Xanthia cked the focus and discipline of a top schor. Her carefree attitude was bound to result in failure when the exams came around.

  By the end of the day, it became clear: relying on quick wit could help someone ace a single exam, but maintaining consistent high performance over time was a much greater challenge.

  Hannah, who had ranked thirteenth in the css st time, was determined to outdo herself this time and surpass the seemingly carefree Xanthia.

  She had a theory about Xanthia's success. Hannah suspected that Xanthia had been spending a lot of time building connections with Dionysius, perhaps even indulging in some flirtations or pyful interactions.

  Though not an official retionship, this kind of ambiguous interaction before love fully blossomed had a far greater influence on academic performance than an actual romance. The emotional back-and-forth was draining in a way that a clear-cut retionship never could be.

  Anyone who had experienced such a period of ambiguity knew how mentally exhausting it could be. And if Xanthia was distracted by these interactions, then surely her grades would suffer.

  Hannah clung to this thought as her opportunity to overtake Xanthia.

  To fuel her determination, she filled her mind with positive affirmations, almost convincing herself of her own reasoning.

  Meanwhile, the top students from other csses weren’t as invested in Hannah’s thoughts. They merely suspected that Xanthia’s grades would likely fluctuate. If anyone was capable of beating her, it would surely be Luciel, the studious student sitting right in front of Xanthia.

  Luciel had always been seen as the epitome of discipline, focus, and hard work—someone who made the most of every moment. Even though she was the css's "beauty," Luciel didn’t allow her appearance to distract her from her studies. She didn’t care about fashion or anything unreted to learning.

  In fact, Luciel was regarded by everyone as the ideal role model. Anyone who could study with the same diligence and focus as she did was bound to succeed, regardless of their natural talent.

  After all, the college entrance exams weren’t about being the smartest, but about who could stay the most disciplined, diligent, and obedient.

  Discipline, diligence, and a love for learning were forms of talent in themselves—and Luciel possessed them in abundance.

  Yet, some of the top students in the css were puzzled by Luciel's close friendship with Xanthia. The two were practically opposites—Luciel was focused and diligent, while Xanthia appeared carefree and distracted. Didn’t Luciel worry about being influenced by Xanthia’s attitude?

  They didn’t understand that Luciel’s progress wasn’t purely due to her own hard work. She had Xanthia to help her, too.

  The two often studied together, sharing their knowledge and pushing each other to improve. Xanthia had a unique talent for expining difficult concepts in a simple and accessible way.

  After all, Xanthia had participated in math competitions and had mastered many challenging problems that would stump others. Were there problems more difficult than those in competition?

  Through her training, Xanthia had grown considerably as a "study expert," and she was now on the verge of reaching the next stage. However, she wasn’t particurly concerned with the progression. What intrigued her more was the potential transformation that would come with attaining the next level: becoming an “all-around academic ace.”

  Currently, Xanthia’s abilities were still a bit unbanced.

  She excelled in the sciences, where her "keen mind" boosted her comprehension, and her Wisdom Root attribute helped her breeze through complex problems. Gone were the days of careless mistakes; now, she effortlessly understood even the most intricate concepts.

  Her “study expert” attribute was dependable, making her good at handling simple questions with ease. In the future, basic science problems would be a breeze for her.

  However, she struggled with the humanities. Despite her sharp intellect, the “keen mind” trait made reading comprehension more challenging than expected. It also didn’t contribute much to essay writing. While she could handle fixed-answer questions with ease, crafting an essay was a different story.

  This became a problem, especially in the Latin exam, where the majority of points came from reading comprehension and essays. The essay portion in particur held significant weight in this parallel world.

  In the st monthly test, Xanthia had opted for a basic argumentative essay to ensure a stable score. However, this approach limited her ability to score higher.

  If she wanted to improve in Latin, particurly in writing, she’d need to figure out how to bridge the gap. After all, everyone knew that the final rankings were determined by a mix of subjects, and the humanities were what separated the top students.

  The difficulty of the science exams worked to Xanthia’s advantage. Her high comprehension allowed her to tackle even the toughest problems, and once she found the right approach, the solutions came naturally.

  But if the science exams became easier and Xanthia couldn’t make up the difference in the humanities, her position in the rankings could become more precarious.

  Still, Xanthia was confident her overall score would remain stable. She had no doubt that her special abilities would be enough to ensure she maintained her position in the css rankings.

  It was this confidence that allowed Xanthia to remain unruffled as the midterm exams loomed. The tests were scheduled to begin next Thursday and would st for three days, but Xanthia felt no sense of urgency.

  While other students scrambled to review during study periods, Xanthia remained rexed. She knew that the material was thoroughly ingrained in her mind.

  Learning high school material was like levelling up a skill. Once she had mastered it, it stayed mastered. She didn’t need to waste time on reviews.

  To others, however, this approach appeared as if she were "scking off." How could she not be studying seriously with the exams just days away?

  Xanthia’s ability to learn efficiently, grasping concepts in a single go, made her seem like a cheat. She was already looking forward to the next phase of her high school years.

  Why?

  Because, according to the school’s usual practice, most of the content was taught during the first two years, and the final year was mostly dedicated to review and practice.

  While others boured over endless revision and practice questions, Xanthia could completely disregard studying and focus on having fun. Just the thought of this made her feel incredibly content.

  And so, on a Sunday morning study period, while others buried themselves in textbooks preparing for the midterms, Xanthia was quietly accumuting happy points in her own way.

  As the bell rang for the st css of the morning, Luciel, eager as always, stood up and grabbed Xanthia’s hand, pulling her towards the school gate where their parents were waiting.

  Luciel was certain that once her parents saw Xanthia, they would instantly like her—after all, Xanthia was her closest friend in high school...