Before Cassia could respond, the guy with glasses next to her spoke up, sounding a bit annoyed. "Thank her, not me? You value your women more than your friends."

  The moment he finished, Cassia swung a punch at him. "Drayke, if you keep talking nonsense, I swear I'll knock you out! Axel and I are friends, and that's all there is to it." Drayke winced, holding his shoulder, his face turning a shade of blue.

  "Besides," Cassia continued, "I know your Force is only 82 points. If those lackeys had started fighting, you would’ve been the first one on the ground."

  Axel couldn’t help but smile at the playful bickering between Cassia and Drayke. His two closest friends. Cassia, his deskmate, was incredibly talented, and her family was rich, so she never lacked for raw stones. Yet, despite all that, no one seemed to know much about her background—no wonder Ryder was so intimidated by her.

  Drayke, on the other hand, sat behind him in class. He was full of gossip and always had the latest rumors. He might be a bit of a know-it-all, but he was one of the few people Axel considered a true friend.

  "Friendship? Do you think I didn’t notice the huge bag you gave Axel?" Drayke teased, retreating behind Axel as Cassia glared at him.

  "A big bag?" Cassia waved her hand dismissively. "It’s just some scraps of raw stones."

  "Scraps? Please. You barely used half of them! If you’re going to throw them out, just give them to me. I could still make good use of them," Drayke said, clearly envious of Axel’s good fortune.

  "Alright, alright, enough talk. We’ve still got that test today," Cassia said, clearly eager to change the subject. Though she had given Axel some good raw stones, she didn’t want to keep discussing it. The three of them quickly walked toward the classroom.

  ......

  "Master Ryder, I didn't handle this situation well," she said, her voice filled with self-reproach. "I didn’t expect a waste from the slums to be so hard to deal with."

  "It’s fine," Ryder said casually, chewing gum and sounding completely unbothered. "He’s just a loser who doesn’t know his place. When he realizes he can’t awaken, no matter how hard he tries, he’ll come crawling to me."

  Vale nodded, agreeing with Ryder’s assessment. Most people’s Force growth was only about 50 points after three years. Only true geniuses could hit 70 or 80, breaking through the minimum threshold for awaken in. It was not just about resources—talent and hard work played a huge role. Axel was one of those people who thought his Force was low just because he didn’t have enough raw stones. She had seen it a hundred times before.

  She felt a sense of relief when she saw that Ryder didn’t blame her. In her mind, Axel was just a self-righteous waste, was bound to stay in a completely different world from hers.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Along the way, Drayke couldn’t stop asking Axel for more details about his encounter with the infected.

  "Nothing really happened. It was mostly luck. The monster was already seriously injured when I showed up. I only fired a few shots." Axel shrugged.

  Drayke clapped his hands together, grinning. "See? I told you it was just luck!"

  Cassia rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to engage.

  Turns out, Drayke had already told the whole class his theory shortly after the report came out. It seemed, he was right.

  "But seriously, you’re brave. If it were me, I’d have stayed home," Drayke said, his grin widening. "But you were lucky. With so many fine raw stones, even if you sell them, you’d make a fortune."

  As Axel entered the classroom, he noticed that many of his classmates had already returned. After three years, not many people were still familiar with him. Most of them glanced at Axel with a mix of envy and curiosity. After reading the report, their attention had immediately shifted to the raw stones he had received from the Law Enforcement Bureau.

  As for the whole “killing the infected” thing? Most of their opinions were just like Drayke’s—a matter of luck or chance.

  In this era, hope was a rare commodity, especially in the slum districts where the infected often roamed, sowing panic among the people. These areas, despite their poverty, were densely populated, and the residents were responsible for the city’s basic labor. As such, the authorities couldn’t afford to ignore them. Setting an example, like Axel's, was meant to show that the infected weren't as terrifying as people thought.

  A few familiar faces came over to speak to Axel, but most kept their distance. The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and in walked a middle-aged, slightly overweight man. He cleared his throat before addressing the room.

  "Ahem. What time is it, and you're still chatting away? You all should be more focused!" The man’s voice carried a gruffness, but his eyes lacked real reproach.

  There were less than 20 days left until the awakening ceremony, meaning that his time with these students was coming to a close.

  "First things first—welcome back, Axel! As everyone knows, Axel cooperated with the law enforcement team to take down a real infected, which has brought honor... to me... I mean, to our class."

  The homeroom teacher, Mr. Grey, flashed a grin. It wasn’t just a boost to Axel’s reputation—it had helped Mr. Grey gain some recognition too.

  "Alright, now listen up. In a bit, the school will organize the final Force test before the awakening. I’ve got two announcements to make."

  "First, anyone who scores over 90 in this test will be eligible for special training over the next ten days."

  Everyone already knew about this—it was essentially an opportunity to bring the best students from the whole grade together for intensive training. The instructor for the class was an awakener, making it a sought-after opportunity. But the catch was that only the very top students could get in.

  "Storm and Cassia were the only ones to break 90 in the last test. For the rest of you, I hope you’ll surprise me. The bonuses for this year depend on you guys!" Mr. Grey said with a joking tone.

  The class glanced over at a quiet figure sitting off to the side, his bangs covering his eyes and his posture stiff and upright. His expression was emotionless, this was Storm, the top student.

  As Mr. Grey spoke, many of the students in the room couldn't help but look a bit ashamed of themselves.

  Mr. Grey had done more than just teach. He had helped all of his students—unlike other teachers who only focused on the top performers, Mr. Grey had given attention to everyone. Still, for most of them, it had all been in vain. Despite the extra effort, their grades had never improved enough.

  "Alright, and here’s the second big announcement!" Mr. Grey’s tone shifted, becoming more serious.