player POV-Chapter 55: Before the test 2

The next day, I tried as much as possible to stay calm, but it felt almost impossible.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on something else, my thoughts mercilessly returned to what had happened yesterday—to the money I had obtained, to that feeling of happiness that flooded me, something I couldn’t put into words.

My heart was beating strangely. I smiled faintly, then let out a low laugh I tried to suppress, raising my hand to cover my mouth so I wouldn’t laugh out loud. Still, that strange chuckle slipped out against my will.

"Hehqh..."

With every thought of the money, I felt a light sting of excitement in my stomach, as if my joy were seeping into every cell of my body.

Little by little, some of the students passing by began to glance at me in confusion, casting odd looks my way, whispering among themselves and laughing softly at my strange appearance and behavior.

I didn’t pay them any attention. Nothing mattered to me anymore except this feeling of joy and happiness.

For the first time since entering the academy, I felt happy without fear, without anxiety—nothing holding my joy back.

Just an overwhelming happiness filling my heart from within, making everything around me feel lighter, brighter...

"Hahaha..."

I burst out laughing—a laugh that even sounded a little frightening to me—as I spoke to myself in a low voice.

I remembered my mother’s words, how she always said I was a genius, and how I used to smile in disbelief back then.

But now... now I finally understood. Maybe she hadn’t been exaggerating at all. Maybe I really was a genius.

...

When I entered the classroom, I saw Darwin waving at me, a wide smile spread across his face, making his eyes sparkle as if he were carrying all the excitement in the world inside him.

Damn him... it looks like he’s back to his old self. I felt a slight prick of fear creeping into me.

Does that mean he’s going to start bothering me again? But that fear quickly faded, because my happiness was far too strong to let any negative feeling take control.

I smiled back at him and waved as well, trying to match his cheerfulness without losing control of my great mood that day.

He looked at me with obvious surprise, as if my reaction had been completely unexpected.

I didn’t pay it any mind and headed to my seat, sitting down beside him.

A brief silence followed, until Darwin broke it.

He looked straight at me, his broad smile never leaving his face, and said with an enthusiastic voice

"Wow... you’re different today from your usual self. Normally, you’d be trembling every time I waved at you. Does this mean we’ve become like brothers?"

The joy on his face was unmistakable as he spoke, like a happy child whose small wish had just come true, unconcerned with anything else around him.

My heart trembled slightly when I heard the word "brother," but I quickly regained my composure.

I looked at him and said in a cold voice

"Don’t call me your brother again... I have only one brother. Do you understand?"

After finishing my words, I turned my gaze forward, waiting for Rina to arrive.

I didn’t care much about the expression on my face—what he said had completely ruined my mood, and I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to call me their brother except Rain.

I didn’t wait long before Rina entered the classroom calmly.

She stopped at the podium and looked over the class, where a light commotion filled the room due to the students talking among themselves.

Tap... tap... tap...

She tapped the desk three times in a row, the sound sharp enough to cut through the noise.

All eyes immediately turned toward her, and silence fell over the room at once.

After a brief moment, Rina began to speak in a calm, steady voice that commanded attention without any hesitation or arrogance.

"Alright... the test will begin in two days. Therefore, each team is now allowed to engage with other teams at any time before the test day."

She paused briefly, lifting her hand slightly to draw more attention, then continued

"You may attack rival teams or target their members in any way you see fit before the test begins. However, there is one clear rule... killing is forbidden. You may use any means to put your opponent at a disadvantage, but do not kill anyone. If any of you violate this rule, you will be punished with immediate expulsion. Do you understand?"

She paused again to make sure everyone had absorbed her words, then added

"Also... there will be no classes for the next two days. Therefore, you are free to leave or prepare however you wish before the test begins."

She finished speaking with a calm smile, then left the classroom with the same quiet composure she had entered with, leaving her words echoing in everyone’s ears.

The atmosphere quickly filled with a subtle mix of excitement and tension, and the students began talking among themselves with clear enthusiasm.

As for me, I was completely different from them... Damn this academy. Why doesn’t a single day pass without something ruining my mood? Are they doing this on purpose to annoy me? If so, then they’ve succeeded, because they’ve made me extremely angry.

How am I supposed to sleep after all this, knowing someone could attack me at any moment while I’m asleep?

I sighed.

There was nothing I could do but sigh, as I asked myself: how did I ever come to like this game in the first place? It was a dangerous question circling in my mind, yet I couldn’t find any answer to it.

I sat in my seat, replaying everything that had happened to me since I arrived in this world—everything I had lived through and experienced so far. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

With every memory that returned, a faint sense of excitement crept into my chest; I had never imagined that I would live through experiences like these or do such things in my life.

For a moment, it felt comforting, as I imagined my life continuing this way, calm and stable.

But I quickly chased that thought out of my head, reminding myself not to forget my true goal behind everything I had done... returning to my brother, no matter the cost.

I clenched my fist tightly, As if I were reaffirming this resolve within myself once again.