“Haha, Senpai, you’ve lost miserably this time!”

  Pixie couldn’t contain her glee.

  Not only had she won Eirik over, but her magical power was also advancing at an astonishing pace. With Eirik serving as her natural amplifier, progress was nearly instantaneous. There was no time for leisurely study; whether she liked it or not, she was flying through her lessons.

  “This feeling... it’s absolutely exhilarating!” Pixie thought to herself, her pulse quickening with excitement.

  Just as she basked in the euphoric rush, a strange notification flickered at the corner of her vision.

  “So that’s how Elvynna from the last two timelines managed to learn magic so quickly, even reaching Savant rank and surpassing me, her teacher—it was all thanks to that boy Eirik...”

  — Selene Ravenscroft

  Ravenscroft?

  Both Pixie and Elvynna froze.

  Selene Ravenscroft was one of the Academy’s senior instructors—a strikingly beautiful, mature woman whose presence commanded attention. But how was she speaking here?

  They squinted at the unfamiliar notification, noticing a label above it: [World Channel].

  “The World Channel? What’s that?”

  They hadn’t seen such a feature before. Was it something new? And how could Selene be speaking through it?

  Curiosity piqued, Pixie and Elvynna tinkered with the interface for a moment and soon figured it out. It was as simple as opening the chatbox, thinking about what they wanted to say, and the message would send automatically.

  “This is kind of fun!” Pixie’s eyes lit up. “It’s like telepathy, but... for everyone?”

  She felt like she’d just found a new toy.

  “So it’s not just us and Junior Sister stuck in this simulation—Instructor Selene’s in here too?” Elvynna mused aloud. “Maybe there are others as well…”

  “Indeed,” came Selene’s reply, her words appearing quickly.

  “I was pulled into this simulation out of nowhere as well! One timeline, I was killed by a demonic tree, and in another, the Crimson Frost Duke finished me off. It’s been infuriating!”

  Selene’s complaints flowed freely.

  “But I have a proposition. If you two hand Eirik over to me, I could easily deal with the demon tree. With my skill and experience, it wouldn’t take long to crush it—and I’d ensure your safety for years to come.”

  “You old hag! Dream on!”

  Pixie’s voice dripped with fury as she cursed under her breath. She had fought tooth and nail to win Eirik from Senpai—how could she let someone like Selene snatch him away now?

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  In her frustration, Pixie accidentally opened the chatbox... and her thoughts spilled out into the World Channel.

  "You old hag, dream on!"

  A stunned silence fell. Pixie’s heart dropped. She had been known as the sweet and obedient student at the Academy, but now her private thoughts were laid bare for all to see.

  “Oh? So, Pixie, you dare insult your teacher?”

  Selene’s cold chuckle echoed through the chat.

  “Who would’ve thought? Little Pixie, always the sweet and obedient student—turns out you’ve got quite the wild side, hmm? Just wait until we get back to the Academy. I’ll make sure you regret this.”

  Pixie groaned inwardly. Selene held significant sway at the Academy, and crossing her was never a wise move.

  Meanwhile, Elvynna was grinning ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying Pixie’s misfortune.

  “Hah! Serves you right, you little bitch,” she thought, her heart swelling with satisfaction.

  Still, her amusement was tinged with unease. Could it be that Selene had taken an interest in Eirik as well?

  “No way... That can’t be it,” Elvynna reassured herself.

  She’d heard that Selene had once been married, though her husband had passed away two years ago. As a widow and instructor, surely she wouldn’t stoop to the same shamelessness as Pixie.

  Just then, another hesitant message popped up in the World Channel.

  "This simulation is so confusing... Can someone explain how it works?"

  The message was signed Liora Nightshade.

  “Who the heck is that?” Pixie muttered, scratching her head. She couldn’t remember ever hearing that name before.

  Elvynna shook her head.

  “I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere... but I just can’t place it.”

  Selene’s purple-tinted text appeared again, her tone oozing smugness.

  “Honestly, you two are hopeless. Liora is one of our students—she just prefers to keep to herself. I can’t believe you don’t even recognize her.”

  “Ohhh! I remember now! She’s the one who always hides in the corner during lectures, wearing that plain white dress.”

  Pixie finally pieced it together.

  “So, another Academy student?” Elvynna mused. “Is everyone in this simulation connected to the Academy?”

  After some more conversation, they learned that Liora had been part of the simulation from the beginning. However, she had died early in the previous two runs without achieving much. Now, seeing the activity in the World Channel, she’d decided to speak up.

  “If no one else is joining, we should start strategizing,” Selene suggested, her tone turning serious.

  “Strategizing? About what?” Pixie blinked in confusion.

  “Isn’t it obvious? We need to figure out the best way to survive the demonic tree and defeat the Crimson Frost Duke!”

  Pixie laughed dismissively.

  “With Eirik in my hands, those two are as good as dead! What’s the point of strategizing when we’ve already got the winning hand?”

  Selene let out a sharp sigh. “If you’re not going to contribute, then just be quiet!”

  Pixie huffed in frustration but decided to ignore the World Channel altogether. Instead, she focused on spending time with Eirik, diving deeper into their magical training sessions.

  Years passed in the blink of an eye—five or six, to be exact—and Pixie’s strength soared.

  She had reached Practitioner Lv5, something she could only dream of in the past.

  “Five years to hit Lv5... Incredible!” Pixie could hardly contain her excitement.

  Her progress was so rapid it felt as though magic itself was smiling upon her.

  But just as she was reveling in her newfound power, a system notification popped up, freezing her in place.

  【Your bond with Eirik has deepened, and your magical practice has grown more intensive. As a result... you are now pregnant.】

  “Wait... What?!”