So focused on their conversation and the gossip that had been thrown into the mix, the people in that group didn't notice the icy silence that fell over the classroom after that was said.
The girl smoothed her hair and lowered her voice, very pleased to be the center of attention.
"I thought I'd messed up when Oracle threw me as a common human rogue," she began, grimacing. "My dad even said he'd double my allowance if I got a rare race."
She let out a dramatic sigh and then smiled.
"But apparently, I was luckier than it seems. Rumor has it that there was a nasty fight at the Vance Group last night. Really nasty. Like... an argument about changing the heir."
Some were confused to hear these two separate pieces of news, but a quick-witted boy understood what she meant.
"But wasn't it announced by the Vance Group that Evelyn Vance's three children obtained Epic Classes or Races?" the boy asked intrigued.
Smiling, the girl nodded.
"Yes, but none of their Classes or Races were revealed, and apparently, not every Epic Race is that powerful..."
Hearing that, the eyes of the people in the group lit up.
"But how do you know that Isabella was the one who was unlucky in the Oracle's race selection?" A boy asked stupidly.
"Because SHE was the heir, genius. Why else would they consider replacing the heir if it weren't because she has a worse race than her siblings?" Another boy slapped the back of the head of the boy who asked the stupid question.
Suddenly, the classroom door opened with a slight noise from the air motor pulling the metal door, and all conversation ceased. The air seemed to have become thin.
When the noise came from the door, three students from the Lower Zone had already straightened their backs and lowered their heads again, in a pure survival reflex reaction.
Curious, Lohan raised his gaze slightly, just enough for his dry black bangs to cover his forehead, and saw a girl entering the room.
Her long hair fell in vivid red cascades, a shade that, although it did not look natural, did not appear to have been touched by any chemicals.
Her skin was pearly white, smooth and flawless, and her figure, although dressed in a seemingly simple, elegant white casual outfit, had a body so absurdly symmetrical that it looked like a human sculpture, polished and cold.
When she entered, her name came to Lohan's mind, accompanied by a weight that froze the air.
Isabella Vance.
Heiress to the Vance Group.
A group that not only ruled this planet... but also managed colonies on several others, had hundreds of its own satellites and hospitals that lived off their patents.
This family had a level of power that Lohan didn't even know existed in the other world.
And there was the heiress, entering his classroom with a cold and disinterested expression.
Despite showing scorn when talking about the gossip the girl had shared a few minutes ago, it was as if it had never happened. As soon as Isabella appeared, the atmosphere changed.
The group of people from the Upper Zone didn't think twice about getting up and sitting next to her, while students from the Lower Zone like Lohan knew they had no place near someone like her, so they just kept their heads down and waited for class to start.
Although they sat close to Isabella, no one spoke to her directly, they just tried to talk about interesting topics that might catch her attention enough for her to want to participate.
But based on the cold expression on her face, it was obvious that today she had no interest in any of these topics.
While Lohan was lost in thought looking at this strange dynamic, a boy didn't like the look he was giving in that direction, especially noticing the angle Lohan was looking at Isabella, and shouted.
"What are you looking at, trash? Look ahead."
The words hit him before Lohan realized who they were for, and in the next instant, he was already looking at the table with his chin down and his gaze fixed blankly, and he didn't even think about turning back.
Considering the difference in status, any student from the Upper Zone could say anything about someone from the Lower Zone to the college administration, and that student would be in trouble.
That's why those from the Lower Zone knew how to act... keeping their eyes on the ground and walking in short steps.
It wasn't education or respect, it was just survival instinct.
"What a shitty feeling..." Lohan muttered.
He had already lived trapped in a metal and tube carcass, reduced to the indignity of an invalid who couldn't move a simple glass. But while his body disintegrated, his mind improved.
Lohan had no mental weakness. He was a machine forged in stubbornness.
He devoured university curricula through a screen, earned a degree on his own merit from institutions that didn't even know his name, and argued in virtual debates with doctors who enjoyed good health and status.
Even with his life failing, his will never failed.
Bending down was one thing. Breaking... that was not.
But it wasn't as if he could react. Not there. Not now.
So he took a deep breath, let his body sink into the seat, and waited for calm to return.
Being in such a vulnerable situation, the only thing he could do was improve.
Using the only form of social climbing available to him to get out of this misery.
Elysium.
-xXx-
The class went by as usual, with the students from the Lower Zone being "invisible," and the teachers and students from the Upper Zone acting as if only they were there.
But the feeling was still interesting for Lohan.
It was fun to sit in a chair while writing down the content the teacher was explaining on an electronic device.
Even though he didn't see much use in learning Planetary Geography at that moment, the attention that even the students from the Upper Zone showed in this subject showed that it could really be useful.
What surprised Lohan was that during the lunch break, instead of the hunger he had to ignore every day, this time he hardly felt it.
There was still a remnant of hunger that he had felt since leaving home, but strangely, his hunger had hardly increased at all, even though it had been more than six hours since he had eaten.
'Could it be the feeling of novelty from experiencing a normal routine for the first time?
Sure, his hunger had increased slightly, but it was still not at the level where he needed to eat something urgently.
But there was a change.
Since he arrived at the bus stop to leave, his hunger began to grow slowly, to the point that when he arrived home two hours later, he finally felt that he needed to eat something.
'What's happening to me?'