The next day, every hallway at Liberty High was buzzing.
Rumors moved faster than spirit birds.
"Did you hear? Class V challenged two upper classes at once—on record."
"Zhou—sorry, Instructor Moore—filed it himself."
"They're not even certified! They're… they're rejects!"
By lunch, it was no longer a rumor.
It was written in glowing red letters on the campus-wide announcement board:
> [COMBAT NOTICE]
Class V vs Class C & D
Time: Sunset. Location: North Arena.
Observers welcome. Medical teams notified.
Inside the Class V classroom—if you could call the abandoned supply hall that—chaos reigned.
Carlos was doing push-ups with a boulder on his back.
Zeke was wrapping his arms in electric tape like it gave bonus stats.
Ember painted flames on her cheeks like warpaint.
Ethan stood at the front, arms crossed, watching.
He didn't speak.
Until Lira finally asked, "Why two classes?"
Ethan smiled.
"Because three might've made the teachers panic."
Carlos laughed. "You're insane."
"No," Ethan replied. "I'm efficient."
[System Alert]
Narrative Disruption Level: 46%
Initiating Passive Skill: 'Scene Stealer'
You now draw 30% more attention during public events.
Bonus: +10% to Fear Index growth.
He clicked it closed.
Then another box opened.
[Story Branch Activated: Trial by Fire]
Survive a 2v1 class raid with underdogs.
Bonus Rewards: Skill Evolution, System Expansion, ???
Ethan's smirk sharpened.
It was working.
Evening – North Arena
The sky burned orange. The stands were full.
Students. Teachers. Even outsiders with VIP badges.
And there, in the center pit—
Class C and Class D lined up in pristine formation. Their captains wore matching cloaks, engraved weapons in hand. They looked like the cover of a cultivation handbook.
Then came the chaos.
Class V walked in like a circus that mugged a dojo.
Carlos bare-chested, covered in war paint.
Zeke holding a fishing rod for no reason.
Ember dragging a steel chain wrapped in fire.
Lira in all black, eyes glowing faint silver.
And Ethan?
He walked in last, sipping spirit cola.
He didn't even bring a weapon.
The crowd whispered as Ethan took his place in the center, surrounded by his so-called students.
A senior student from Class C sneered. "What's this? A comedy act?"
Ember blew a kiss. It caught fire midair.
Zeke tossed his fishing rod aside. "Wrong tool. Might need a shovel instead."
Carlos cracked his knuckles. "Let's give 'em trauma."
A signal flare burst above the arena.
The duel had begun.
The captains of Class C and D lunged forward, casting synchronized spells—blades of wind and waves of sand rushing like a tidal wave.
Ethan raised a hand lazily.
"Formation B. You know, the one I didn't teach."
Class V scattered like chaos incarnate.
Carlos intercepted the sand wave—he didn't block it. He dove into it, let it engulf him, then burst out through it, punching a Class D striker mid-spell.
Zeke ducked behind enemy lines, using his rubber-like limbs to trip three opponents at once. He even stole one guy's boots.
Ember spun into the fray, her chain whirling like a comet, flames licking the ground, not caring who they hit.
Lira?
She didn't move.
She just raised one finger—and a dome of silence dropped over two Class C casters. Their mouths moved. No spells came out.
The audience gasped.
Whispers turned to stunned silence.
Even the headmaster sat forward in his seat.
"They're actually… working together?"
[System Alert]
You are now being livestreamed to 12,304 internal viewers.
Scene Stealer bonus triggered: +25% Reputation Growth Rate
Fear Index: 48% → 52%
[Class V Bond Level: +1]
Group Trait Unlocked: Chaotic Synergy
Effect: Unpredictable tactics receive random stat bonus during team fights.
Brandon, watching from the crowd, clenched his fist.
"That guy's dangerous…"
Then someone beside him murmured:
"No… he's inevitable."
Back on the field, Ethan walked toward the stunned captain of Class D.
The man raised his weapon, trembling.
"You're... you're not even fighting."
"I'm teaching," Ethan said. "Lesson two: Never underestimate people with nothing to lose."
The captain swung.
Ethan stepped aside.
Lightly slapped the back of his neck.
The man crumpled like wet paper.
The system dinged again.
[Trial by Fire: SUCCESS]
Rewards Unlocked:
Skill: "Tactical Mockery"
Item: Instructor's Whistle (Legendary – summons fear)
???: Data packet uploading…
Ethan turned to his squad, who were now standing amid the smoking ruins of Class C and D's pride.
"You're not students anymore," he said.
"You're my monsters."
As the arena reset and the defeated classes were carried off by medics, Ethan climbed the arena stairs alone.
The crowd didn't cheer.
They stared.
Half in awe.
Half in fear.
Even the system's voice felt... hesitant.
[Alert: Multiple instructors have flagged your team for "Rule Violation Review."]
[Penalty Risk: Class Suspension, Expulsion, or "Special Evaluation."]
Ethan laughed.
"Let them try."
Behind him, Lira looked up at the sky, then whispered so only she could hear:
"They're watching now."
Elsewhere, in a hidden chamber beneath the school, a crystal orb lit up.
An elder in crimson robes studied Ethan's image with a grim face.
"So… the Villain Seed has activated."
Another figure behind him asked, "Do we neutralize him?"
"No," the elder replied. "We prepare for war."
Back in Class V HQ, Ethan walked in and dropped a scroll onto the table.
It unfurled on its own, shimmering with red sigils.
Carlos leaned over. "What is that?"
Ethan looked at them one by one, eyes calm.
"The next step," he said.
"Advanced combat licenses."
Zeke blinked. "Wait, you mean—"
"Yes." Ethan grinned.
"We're going pro."