Days had passed and the Practical Evaluation was already scheduled tommorow.

"Hey, have you heard? "

"What? "

"The Commoners have already arrived yesterday night, they’ll be participating on the Practical Evaluation" one of them said loudly, displeasure evident on the way they laughed together.

"So what, it’s not like they can catch up to us"

Zeres trudged his way quietly towards his Classroom when he heard the murmurs of the students across the hallway. ’It’s finally here’ he breathed a relief, if the commoners will be studying now, their attention on him will gradually diminish—hypocrisy, yes—he knows it very well; but he already had his own struggles, he doesn’t want to be involved in some noble brats scheme.

The sound of door creaking echoed inside the silent classroom, Zeres made his way in, then he head straight at the locker section at the back of the classroom. He took a couple of yellow parchments, and a quill and ink, then he sat at the nearest table.

Quill in hand, he started scribbling, the second semester was approaching, and he needed to prepare for the ’First Scenario.’ His goal wasn’t to save everyone, it was to prevent any named characters to die. The novel wasn’t yet completed so his knowledge was limited—and add the part where her sister rewrite it; there’s a chance he’s no different than a lost lamb.

He continued scribbling, before he stopped, glancing at the right side—he sighed. A figure was there sleeping soundly, her violet hair scrunched from how many times she’d move finding a comfortable posture, and a snoring sound kept drifting in the silent space.

’Well, Nothing’s new, Helize had always been a Sloth’ he shook his head then continued to scribble, while his mind drifted away because of the snoring sound pulling him away from concentration.

After some time, the door then creaked open as the students of Class A appeared one by one.

"What’s the subject this time? " Vairel asked, his gaze drifting at the schedule pasted on the wall.

[History of the Gifted]

"Well, that’s an interesting subject" Feilres said, already sitting down on his seat with books in hand.

_______

The door creaked open as every head turned towards the door, A woman with a long blue hair and eyes deep like sea entered, she wore a witch top hat and a dress with slit revealing her thighs.

"Greetings students, I am Yvette—a newly appointed professor"

"I was not able to give you lectures on the last week as I happen to submit my research paper on the tower—so I’ll cover the first topic for now" she said plainly, then she scribbled something on the board.

===The ranks of the Gifted===

=Low-Rank Gifted=

1. Initiate

2. Seeker

3. Occultist

=Middle-Rank Gifted=

4. Arcanist

5. Revenant

6. Eclipse

=High-Rank Gifted

7. Monarch

8. Exalted

Zeres turned his head sideways, all of them were listening, others even had their heads leaning forward. ’Makes sense, thorough information about Gifted and Forsaken is locked even for nobility.’

"The Gifted are not awakened, they are born—though it is still not proven by the scholars if it was a blessing from the gods." Professor Yvette turned, her blue eyes gleamed as her gaze drifted to each of them.

"Then, student Feilres, what is the cause of people being born as Gifted?" She asked, as everyone’s gaze was directed at Feilres.

"Based on the researchs done by our esteemed Scholars, It is attributed to Bloodline and Talent"

"Indeed" she nodded as she began scribbling again.

"However, the thing that separates A Low-Rank Gifted from a Middle-Rank Gifted is that the middle-rank gifted can see mana physically. "

’My sister really almost rewrite everything, the power system she had made before was just about Circles so I was kind of lost’ Zeres wanted to give her sister a beating for changing it that vastly compared to the one he’d read.

"Are there any Middle-rank Gifted among you? " professor Yvette asked, though her her gaze already told them she knew it.

Zeres hesitated for a moment, before he raised his hand alongside others, three of them were raising their hands.

"Impressive, I’ve heard of you three from the professors" she clapped lightly, then she clasped her hand behind her back "Hmm, how many Exalted does the Empire of Humans currently have? "

Zeres head leaned forward, that one was also important for him, he need to know whether there were also changes that happened or nothing.

"We have Seven, though only one is active" Feilres said while standing, his hands inside his pocket.

’Thankfully it’s still the same’ he breathed a sigh of relief before he leaned back.

"Very well" professor Yvette then continued scribbling back on the board, multiple chalks were hovering beside her, then she stopped briefly.

"The ranks of Forsaken can also be treated as equal to the Ranks of Gifted. An initiate-rank Gifted can be stronger or equal against a Wretched of the Forsaken. I’ll put it in here for better understanding" she said then the chalks beside her also began scribbling.

[Gifted = Forsaken]

• Initiate = Wretched

• Seeker = Hollow

• Occultist = Ghoul

• Arcanist = Ravager

• Revenant = Dreadspawn

• Eclipse = Abbysal

’Still the same, the Gifted are just the ones she changed I see’ Zeres nodded to himself, he could now grasp it quite clearly. Just then—a red translucent screen appeared before him.

___________

[Omniscience : 16.3% ]

___________

"Consider this as your baseline if you’re in Blightlands so you’ll know what can you handle and not" She said calmly, then the lecture continued quietly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Zeres stared at the red screen before him, he had never thought anything about that, but it seems it’s related to the truth about this world. ’Then, does that mean I know almost nothing about this world? The percentage itself is a statement for me.’

He felt his body turned cold, if that was true, then that means the knowledge he plan to use were all useless. ’Fucking life’ he stared at the yellow parchments before him, it all contained his plans—without an warning, he crumpled it ’This will be useless either way.’

"Then what is the process of strengthening the essence we Gifted have? "

"Absorption of our own affinty mana, purification and supplying it to all of our mana pathways" Saelyz answered, her voice still as plain as ever.

Professor Yvette smiled, then she continued "The mana pathways we all have are what attributes to what we call Constitution, it makes our body sync with our affinities, for example—your affinity is fire, then your mana pathways are filled with Fire Mana, it then turn into a constitution that made you resistant to flames. "

Minutes passed

"That’s all for today" Professor Yvette announced as she arranged the parchments on her table, then her gaze drifted on Zeres before she smiles gently "Hang in there student Zeres, I know the Practical Evaluation is tommorow."

Hearing her words, Zeres again remembered that he’s of commoner origin, and he’s one of the targets.

"Don’t worry about that, I’ll be his duel partner" Vairel stepped forward, his gaze intense as he passed Zeres, he whispered "I’ll have to test you tommorow" then he went out.

"What was that for? " Zeres shook his head before he also went out, it was break time.

_________

Zeres walked around the park quietly, on his hands was a bread that look close to a burger "I should probably start getting missions so my credits won’t be emptied" he mumbled as he took a bite.

Then he heard a whimper, following the sound from a far, he could already hear the sound of Heartbeats and the smell of fresh blood.

"Fuck, this feeling again" he ruffled his long white hair, he could feel something within him heated, it was urging him—urging him to drink the blood he had sensed.

Two man who looked like nobles stepped on the face of a bruised man dressed into plain clothes, one of his teeth was pulled out, some fingers dislocated and his face was swollen.

"Look at you, hoping you’ll get some chance here" one of the nobles with tousled hair scoffed.

"You’re not just clueless, you’re disgraceful, who told you to stare blatantly at Aeliz earlier?" The other one with a dark green hair spoke, his fist clenched as he delivered another punch.

"They’re already starting" he sighed as he leaned against a wall, the noble brats were already there bullying some poor commoner. But still, he was being tempted by the blood splattered on the ground.

His face twisted in disgust, he wasn’t doing that anymore—if he had to drink blood, it will be fresh "Well, whatever, it’s not my problem" he shrugged as he completely devoured the bread he’s holding then he walked away.

"I wish I had someone I can drink blood from" gulping, he threw the paper bag of the bread—thanks for the scene he saw earlier, now he was freaking craving some blood again.

"Should I tell Aeliz that his fans loved her so much? " he laughed at the idea, but his stomach churned as he felt an uncontrollable hunger.

"Fuck"