Descending Into A Novel-Chapter 95:Group Project

What is one thing that every student dreads?

Group projects.

Correction, what is one thing every good student dreads? Because the less then ideal students could not care less about any project or assignment at all.

But for the top students, the hard workers, the diligent ones who put all their effort into their studies. Group projects were the worst.

"I’ve split you all into roughly equal groups. Once you find your group, I’ll begin explaining the group projects."

Benjamin clutched his head, their teacher’s first sentence already made him worry. He didn’t want to be paired up with some lazy bastards who did nothing but push the workload onto him!

He could already see one person nearly burst into tears when Arthur approached them. Arthur may have been a smart student, but he was also the worst damn group mate to have at the same time!

At least that meant he was out of the roster now, surely his group couldn’t be any worse?

He checked his group number, 15.

Raising his voice a little, he started searching for the rest of his group mates. Relief flooding through his body with each member that he found. Maybe this group project wouldn’t be so bad after all. So far, he had gotten decent members.

He frowned, seeing they only had four members in total when they should have had five.

Looking around, every other group already had five members. There was only one other individual with their head on the table, fast asleep despite all the commotion in the class.

’No way.’

Benjamin felt as if he had been injected with liquid hope.

Literally everyone in their year knew him. The one with a potential score above 100. Breaking the record to form their core by ten months. An unprecedented genius that would likely never appear ever again. He was also pretty well known for his good looks, but his talent stood out more.

The guy may have skipped class often, missing out the last seven months and not even handing in most of the work. But the few times he did. He always managed a perfect score on every assignment he did turn in.

He approached the sleeping genius, careful not to disturb him too much. Rapping his knuckles on the table.

"Ellen... five more minutes..."

"...are you in group 15?"

His eyes snapped open, body immediately straightened as he realized he didn’t recognize that voice.

"What?"

"Your group, are you in group 15?"

Benjamin flashed the slip with the group number on it. Mentally praying to every single deity he knew.

"Huh? Oh. Seems like I’m in group 15 yeah. Are you my group mate?"

What a jackpot! To think he had managed to get this guy in his group! He was confirmed to get a perfect score now!

Raymond frowned slightly as he stared at his group mate. He felt like he knew this guy, he had memorized his appearance...

Ah. Raymond recognized him now.

He raised his hand, "Teacher. Can I swap groups?"

Benjamin instantly panicked, "Wait! Why do you want to swap groups?"

"I remember you. You once mentioned how you would try to approach my master and hope she would fall for you."

"?? When did I..."

Benjamin suddenly recalled he did in fact say such a thing. All the way back during the entrance exam, when they were measuring the potential scores for everyone.

He hastily tried to defend himself.

"Wait! There was so many others, and it was so long ago! I never actually acted on what I said!"

"True, but I also remember you said ’Miss please step on me!’."

"..."

In the end, Raymond got his request fulfilled. Joining Ellen’s group 14 instead of his supposed group 15.

She pursed her lips slightly upon hearing the entire situation from Raymond.

How come you only remember you’re my shadow at this moment?

Seriously, the whole year you don’t even attend class with me most of the time. You don’t even accompany me most of the time and you don’t even act devoted towards me.

Truly an amazing selective memory, this guy was cherry picking on when to pull out the ’shadow’ card whenever it benefited him.

Well, at least they were in the same group now. Plus, she couldn’t help but admit that hearing Raymond defend her had greatly pleased her as well.

She glanced upward at the ceiling. Wondering whether this was really the same Raymond, or Rayleigh.

"Whatever, our group project is to make a presentation on how mana influences the surroundings. Think you can do it?"

"Are you seriously doubting me right now?"

"Just checking."

Raymond had been learning magic back when his fellow classmates were still swimming around in their parents, heck. He had been studying magic while his classmates parents were still in their grandparents!

"Wait, do we even get points for this?"

"No."

"Does it count for our midterms or finals?"

"No."

"Wait, then why are you acting so serious about this. We don’t even need to do it?"

Their three other group mates all let out several gasps of despair, something Raymond ignored.

"You don’t need to do it. I need to."

"Yeah but I don’t need to?"

As the two continued their exchange, the three group mates expressions flickered back and forth between hope and despair. One second they were flying high. The next, they were buried deep in the ground.

"Raymond. Don’t make me use that."

"...fine."

In the end, Ellen. Unable to tolerate it anymore, ended up laying down an ultimatum for Raymond. It was either you do it or not do it and suffer the consequences.

If that wasn’t enough. She lay down an extra trap for him, something she knew he would never say no to.

"I’ll treat you to ice cream if we get a perfect score."

Raymond made more then enough points to get himself ice cream whenever he wanted. But getting to spend Ellen’s points made it taste better. Because everything tastes better when you know someone else paid for it for you.

It’s not like Raymond wasn’t a hardworking person(okay maybe he was quite lazy) but Ellen felt she knew him quite well.

He wasn’t lazy—though he definitely was. Lazy wasn’t the most suitable term. Unmotivated or uninterested suited him more. He just didn’t care enough about most things, which was why you had to accurately balance between the stick and the carrot. In this case, the stick was her using her authority and the carrot was ice cream.

The quickest way to a man’s heart was through his stomach after all!

...

...why did it sound like she was trying to seduce him...

Ellen erased that thought out of her head, choosing to instead focus on the more important things. With her shadow now fully motivated. She was basically guaranteed to get a perfect score on this group project now.

***

Raymond took a deep breath, steeling his nerves before opening the door. A small jingle ringing throughout the cozy cafe as he walked through.

The quiet, indistinct chatter. The occasional clinking of ceramic cups. Soft jazz playing in the background. All of these sounds seemed to disappear as Raymond walked in. Several eyes immediately latching onto him.

"...hi?"

Liam nearly dropped a cup of still streaming coffee onto someone. His jaw hanging wide open.

"Raymond! We haven’t seen you in so long!"

"Yeah, I was stuck in a crappy mission. Mind making me a cup?"

He took a seat at the counter while he waited for Liam to make his drink, next to Lily. Spotting her with a pen in her hand furiously scribbling away at something.

Unable to hold back his curiosity,he asked her. "What’s that?"

"Just some magic that I’ve been struggling to learn."

He took a look, seeing it was only magic at the level for those who had only just formed a core.

"You’ve formed your core already?"

"Not yet. But I’m confident in forming some sort of plant-attunement. All my sisters and my mom have a plant-attunement after all."

"I see. By the way, you calculated this part wrong, and you shouldn’t make the lines too thin. The thicker it is, the less resistance the mana faces. But if it’s too thick then the amount of mana required increases"

Magic at this level was light work for him. But for Lily, who was still struggling. It might as well have been equivalent to climbing an entire mountain using only her arms.

But still, he knew that most wouldn’t have yet formed a core at this age. But was it really that slow?

The entire group had already formed their cores, making them F-ranks. Not just that, they were already nearing the first level—close to becoming E-ranks.

While a potential score wasn’t a hard evaluation of an individual’s talent. The entire group had still managed to break the record for fastest core formed(Raymond broke it by a whole ten months! ).

Resources, hard work, talent. The entire group was like the sun covering up the stars. They shine so brightly that what would usually be considered a genius before would only be considered above average in front of them.

Raymond couldn’t help but pity individuals like Lily. He wondered whether he would be able to reach his current level without the system. He likely could, but it would have taken much much longer. His journey also wouldn’t have been as smooth sailing. But he probably still could, he was already recognized as a genius in magic before after all.

Well, potential was nothing if it was never realized. But unfortunately for the group, not only did they have the potential. They also were forced to realize their talent in real life-or-death battles.