S-Class Classroom

S-Class consisted of 30 students.

Even the weakest among them stood at Silver 1-Star.

The classroom buzzed with life in the absence of a teacher. Conversations overlapped, laughter echoed, chairs scraped lightly against the floor as a few students wandered about. Others remained seated, watching, waiting. The atmosphere was energetic—borderline chaotic.

Then—

The door opened.

A woman with crimson hair and black eyes stepped inside.

Silence fell instantly.

Students returned to their seats as if pulled by an invisible thread.

Her presence alone demanded order.

Elisa’s gaze swept across the room before she spoke, "Has everyone arrived?"

A student stood slightly. "Professor, Asher has not arrived."

A faint murmur passed through the class.

Almost everyone knew Asher—thanks to the incident during orientation. His absence was hard to miss.

Moments later, the door opened again.

Asher walked in.

Calm. Unbothered.

As he made his way toward the back—

"Why are you late?" Elisa’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and controlled.

Several students exchanged amused glances.

This should be interesting.

"I’m bad with directions. I got lost on the way," Asher replied, his tone steady, expression unchanged.

Elisa’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that the truth?"

"Yes."

She observed him closely.

No shift in breathing. No irregular heartbeat.

"...Very well. Be on time from now on."

With that, the tension dissolved.

Asher moved to the last bench and sat down quietly.

Elisa turned to the class.

"Good morning. I am Elisa, the professor in charge of S-Class. Today, we will focus on improving your mana control."

Her voice was calm, precise.

"Sit still. Close your eyes if needed. Visualize the flow of mana within your body—as a current, as light. The clearer your perception, the stronger your control."

"Now, imagine gathering that mana into a single point. A small orb resting in your palm. Begin large... then gradually compress it. Smaller. Denser. But never lose control."

She paused.

"Watch carefully."

Elisa raised her hand.

Mana gathered.

At first, it shimmered faintly—then condensed, shaping itself into a delicate form.

A sparrow.

It perched lightly upon her palm, its form stable, almost lifelike.

A moment later, she released it.

The sparrow dissolved into the air like mist.

"For today, you will replicate this," she said.

"Form a sparrow using your mana and maintain it for at least five minutes. You have one hour."

A quiet tension settled over the room.

Using mana internally—to strengthen the body—was one thing.

Manifesting it outside the body... controlling it... maintaining its form—

That was far more difficult.

Five minutes?

It sounded simple.

It wasn’t.

Still, under Elisa’s watchful gaze, no one dared hesitate.

They began.

Minutes passed.

Most struggled to even hold their forms for a single minute.

Twelve students crossed five minutes.

Then ten minutes.

Only four remained.

Rank 4 to Rank 1.

Leon Zevark.

Celestine Voltaris.

Aria Velmora.

Kevin Vermont—the youngest son of Duke Draven Vermont.

Even among them, strain began to show.

Time ticked forward.

Kevin was the first to falter.

15 minutes, 34 seconds.

His construct collapsed.

Leon followed.

20 minutes, 20 seconds.

Celestine held on slightly longer.

20 minutes, 40 seconds. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Then—

Only Aria remained.

Her expression didn’t change.

Her mana construct remained steady.

29 minutes, 30 seconds.

Only then did it finally disperse.

No one was surprised.

The Velmora family was renowned for their mastery over mind-related spells. Control was their strength.

Celestine stood composed, though a faint satisfaction lingered beneath her calm exterior—she had surpassed Leon.

Leon, on the other hand, remained indifferent.

As if none of it mattered.

Aria’s face was empty.

Kevin’s expression was no different.

"Those who failed—continue," Elisa instructed. "Clear your thoughts. Focus solely on control."

Then—

Her gaze shifted.

To the back.

To the only student who hadn’t even begun.

Asher.

He sat there casually.

Watching.

Drinking juice through a straw.

Yes—juice.

And technically... she couldn’t even punish him for it.

A few students stared at him, confusion evident on their faces.

This... is the one the Headmaster spoke about?

The one with the best mana control?

"Why have you not started yet, Asher?" Elisa asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

Asher didn’t even look bothered.

"I still have thirty minutes. Why rush?"

A few students blinked.

Elisa’s brow twitched faintly.

"When I said five minutes, I meant it as a minimum. I need to know your limits to guide you properly in future lessons."

Asher smiled faintly.

"You should have said that earlier."

A pause.

"I didn’t realize you were an idiot," Elisa replied flatly.

A few students stiffened.

But—

Asher laughed.

Light. Unbothered.

"Well, now you do. Keep that in mind next time."

Silence.

Who... reacts like that?

Ignoring them all, Asher finally moved.

Mana gathered.

Effortlessly.

No visible strain.

No focus.

No change in expression.

Time passed.

Thirty minutes.

And still—

The construct remained.

Perfect.

Stable.

Unwavering.

The real shock wasn’t the time.

It was him.

He wasn’t even concentrating.

He was still drinking juice.

Some students began to wonder—

Is that even juice?

But Elisa said nothing.

Which meant—

It wasn’t anything special.

"That’s enough," Elisa said at last.

Her gaze fixed on him.

"What is your limit?"

Asher tilted his head slightly.

"Maybe... around an hour."

Indifference.

As if it meant nothing.

A brief silence followed.

"Class dismissed," Elisa said. "Next session will be after one week. Until then, continue practicing your mana control."

She paused.

"And choose your additional subject. Submit your selection through the Academy app or visit the Admin Block. You have one week."

Without another word—

She turned and left.

The classroom remained quiet.

But only for a moment.

Because now—

Everyone was thinking the same thing.

That boy...

is not normal.