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"…"
Zach Darnell, Leon Graves, and Noah Chen all fell into silence.
None of them dared to speak.
They just sat at the table, quietly observing Lucas and the beautiful girl who had just approached—Alexis Lane. The two of them were now chatting like they already knew each other well.
"Lucas, what class are you in?" Alexis asked casually. She seemed completely unfazed by the stares and whispers from the surrounding tables. She had long grown used to this sort of attention. "Maybe we're even in the same class."
Whoa. A high school classmate? There's definitely something here.
The other three boys didn't say anything, but they were dying to know more. They shoveled food into their mouths absentmindedly, their souls consumed by curiosity.
"I'm in Class 1 of the Damage Department. What about you?" Lucas replied calmly, not trying to act mysterious at all.
Kyoto University divided its new students into three major departments based on their combat class type—Defense, Damage (or Output), and Support. Each department was then broken into several classes of about fifty students, randomly assigned.
The Damage Department was by far the largest. Since most teams required at least two or three high-output members, the system naturally favored more students in that path. The distribution matched the usual five-person combat team formation pretty well—balanced, efficient, and by design.
So, Lucas landing in Class 1 was purely random—but fitting, given his assassin class.
"Oh?" Alexis's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. Her voice cooled a little, but she nodded. "Looks like we'll be classmates again."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
She sat down at an empty table not far from theirs. Though surrounded by dozens of people, no one dared sit near her. Even the nearby girls subtly avoided her space. She radiated a kind of cold elegance, like a queen who didn't need followers.
This wasn't new for Alexis. Back in high school, her aloof personality made her stand apart. She wasn't mean, but she didn't make friends easily either. Her cold demeanor and stunning looks often caused other girls to avoid her—whether from jealousy or intimidation.
Lucas understood that part of her personality very well. It wasn't arrogance. It was just... how she was.
Still, the moment she walked away, the silence at Lucas's table broke.
"Lucas—no, Brother Lucas! You really are my brother now!" Zach leaned in, whispering excitedly, his voice trembling with admiration. "You were classmates with her and didn't say anything? That's cold!"
"Yeah! You've been holding out on us!" Leon added, eyes wide and voice full of energy.
Even Noah, usually the quietest of them all, gave Lucas a reproachful look—though it barely had any heat to it.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Come on, how is that my fault? No one asked!"
He took another bite of food, unfazed by the storm of questions heading his way.
But the others were relentless.
"Tell us the truth, man! What's your relationship with her?" Zach leaned across the table, lowering his voice into something serious. "You two close?"
"Wait—is she your girlfriend?!" Leon blurted.
Even Noah was staring at him now, eyes unblinking, waiting for an answer.
Lucas chuckled and waved them off. "Not even close! She was the campus goddess back at our high school. Every guy wanted a shot with her. I was one of them."
Zach nodded in agreement. "Honestly? If she's not the school beauty now, I'll eat my shoes."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "So... did you ever try to chase her?"
Lucas put down his spoon dramatically and sighed. "Of course I did. I tried. And failed. You think it's easy? That girl has turned down more confessions than I can count."
"I respect that," Noah muttered quietly, nodding like a monk contemplating a tragic romance.
Lucas shrugged. "Honestly? I gave up. She's too far out of reach. I've realized someone sweet and soft is more my type anyway. Chasing someone who barely talks to anyone? Not worth it."
Zach, Leon, and Noah all reached out and patted Lucas's arm in sympathy. Their eyes no longer glowed with envy but with heartfelt understanding.
Even a guy like Lucas, good-looking, confident, and powerful, hadn't been able to get through to Alexis.
"Let's just eat, huh?" Zach said quickly, worried they'd stirred up bad memories. They buried themselves in their food, not wanting to push the topic further.
Lucas smiled faintly, amused by how seriously they were taking this. He didn't need their pity—it really wasn't that deep. But as they chatted away, none of them noticed that at the nearby table, Alexis briefly paused as she picked up a piece of food. A subtle twitch in her hand. A moment of stillness.
Then, she went back to eating like nothing happened.
---
After the meal, the four roommates grabbed their drinks and decided to take a walk around campus. They needed to get familiar with the grounds, and more importantly, appreciate the sights—both natural and human.
"Dude, check out that tree! So tall... I mean straight!"
"Is that fruit supposed to be that big and... round?"
"Bro, this place is paradise."
Kyoto University wasn't just prestigious—it was breathtaking. The layout was like something from a movie. Elegant buildings, peaceful gardens, shaded benches under giant trees, and the occasional flutter of cherry blossom petals.
For the boys, it was a place full of possibilities and potential... and very distracting views.
A few hours passed. They walked through the sports fields, training zones, alchemy gardens, library halls, and even peeked at some department buildings.
Finally, they made their way back to the dorms, having explored enough for one day.
They collapsed onto their beds, chatting more openly now. The earlier tension had completely vanished.
It was then that Lucas learned something unexpected.
The quietest guy among them—Noah—was actually the strongest.
Zach and Leon had A-level talent and had just scraped by the Level 16 entry requirement.
But Noah? He was S-Level talent. And already Level 17.
"Wha—WHAT?!"
Zach and Leon's jaws dropped.
"Lucas… Boss Lucas!" Zach cried dramatically. "We've been worshipping the wrong guy!"
But the real surprise came when they turned back to Lucas.
They already knew he was skilled, but once they learned he was an S-Level talent with a hidden combat profession and already Level 20, they nearly passed out.
"Wait… So that means... you already completed your class transition?!"
Lucas nodded nonchalantly, but the others were too stunned to speak.
"Oh my god!" Zach practically fell to the floor. "Boss Lucas, please adopt me! I swear I'll be a loyal little brother!"
"You're… one of the two special Transcendent-Level freshmen that Kyoto University recruited early, aren't you?" Zach asked, suddenly remembering something he read.
"Transcendent-Level?" Leon asked, confused.
"Yeah," Zach replied with a nod. "I read it somewhere. There's supposed to be one SS-Level and one S-Level hidden class prodigy among the incoming freshmen this year. Kyoto University recruited them early—without entrance exams!"
Zach turned back to Lucas, eyes shining. "I didn't realize I was sleeping in the same room as a legend."
Lucas gave a small smile, brushing off the praise. "Relax, man. We're roommates, not minions."
But he couldn't lie—he was very interested in that rumored SS-Level student. It was the first time he'd heard of another recruit like that.
Who could it be?
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