"Good morning, everyone," said a man with long black hair that brushed his shoulders, a smile on his face as he darted his gaze across the room of children.
"Morning, Mr. Gibert."
Striding right behind the teacher was a young man with deep black hair and eyes. Behind him was a girl wearing a long, flowing robe, with fiery red hair that cascaded all the way down to her waist, making her appearance stand out all the more. Everyone in the room locked eyes with her.
Shen chuckled upon hearing the kids' response and seeing their unified gaze toward the girl. 'I truly didn't want to come here. But in order to undo the seal…' Before he could finish his thoughts, the teacher began introducing them.
Or at least, that's what he thought…
Placing a couple of books on the table near the corner of the classroom, Teacher Gibert looked at the two newcomers and said with a smile, "Why don't you two introduce yourselves to everyone here?"
The red-haired girl nodded her head, stepped forward, and was about to speak when an arm grabbed her waist and pushed her to the side.
"I'll go first, no need to be nervous." With a smile, Shen took her spot and casually said, "I'm Shen."
Gulp…
Although Shen's brief introduction could hardly count as one, all the students' thoughts weren't fixated on those half-assed words. Instead, they were focused on the fact that the kid in front of them had just dared to grab that girl by the waist and push her aside without even sparing her a glance.
Looking at the embarrassed girl, her face entirely red, everyone in the room felt pity for the young man.
"Doesn't he know who that girl is? How can someone be so ignorant in this day and age?" Shaking his head, one of the people in the front row looked at Shen with pity.
"Ignorance is truly bliss."
"Everyone, quiet down." Hearing the hushed discussions starting to go out of control, Gibert quickly shut them down before looking at the red-haired girl. "Your turn now."
As he said that, he couldn't help but cast a glance at Shen, who took two steps back. 'He'll most likely have a hard time in the coming weeks until the final test.'
The girl nodded slightly, bowed her head toward the teacher, calmed herself, and spoke in a rather gentle voice. "I'm Anna Dragonslayer. I hope we can get along, help each other grow stronger, and become the pioneers of humanity's path toward greatness."
Hiss…
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air upon hearing her words, yet none of them were surprised.
"Truly a descendant of that family, always thinking toward greatness."
If anyone else had said those words, the class would have burst into laughter. But since it was Anna who spoke, everyone could only accept them as they were. After all, her words were exactly what every descendant of that family was raised to believe.
In the following minute, the two newcomers sat at the new double-seated desk prepared for them, and the class began. Teacher Gibert made sure no one commented further on Anna's words as he quickly suppressed the murmurs and started speaking.
"There are fewer than 177 days left before the college entrance exams, and all of you should already know what securing a good academy can offer you in return, right?"
"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison.
"As you know, some of you with strong backgrounds have already awakened and caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg regarding your paths." As he said this, Gibert looked at Anna, his expression warming for a split second before turning serious as he scanned the room once more.
"The rest of you, on the other hand, your training is what truly matters. It may allow you to escape the pathetic fate of becoming a berserker. You all know that to become a berserker, your blood qi and strength must fall under certain requirements. If they exceed those limits...your chances of obtaining better paths increase greatly."
"You understand this, right?"
Hearing the professor's words, especially the emphasis in his final sentence, everyone tensed and replied once again.
"Yes, sir!"
Gibert was about to continue when a voice broke the silence, taking everyone by surprise.
"May I know what a berserker is?" Shen asked, raising his hand with a curious gaze. 'Berserker? Why does that sound like cultivation for some odd reason?'
Shen knew it might not be related, since berserkers usually referred to warriors, but he still wanted to be sure.
Sitting beside him, Anna cast a murderous glance at Shen, her heart burning with rage. 'You dared to grab my waist and yet don't even know what a berserker is?'
Until now, Anna had believed Shen came from a powerful background like hers, but his question could only mean one thing.
He had no background at all.
'Is this girl alright? How can a seventeen-year-old think about killing so easily?' Shen ignored Anna's gaze and focused on the teacher instead.
Gibert was about to dismiss the question, but recalling Shen's situation, he briefly explained the basics.
So that's how it is. A hint of disgust flashed through Shen's eyes as he listened. 'Laughable. If that's the case, then the risk might not be as serious as I initially thought.'
The risk Shen referred to was nothing more than revealing a bit of his so-called talent and strength. He knew that the tallest tree would always be the first to be struck by the wind, but he needed resources to remove the seal as quickly as possible.
To gain resources, one needed strength and connections.To gain both, one needed to display talent.
Such a path carried risks. Competing for resources meant clashing with others, and that inevitably brought danger.
'Disgusting and primitive… but this might actually be the fastest way to fight for resources.'
With that thought, Shen made his decision and finalized his next plan.