Hearing Teacher Lette’s words, Yan Yi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Guess so.”

For a split second, Liette’s expression brightened slightly. She declared outright,

“No need to visit the assessment zone. I’ll rate you myself.”

With that, she scribbled “Class F” on the sheet.

*Perfect. No matter how bizarre you are, you can’t cause trouble with mana this weak. This year’s teaching will finally be pleasant.*

Liette’s heart swelled with relief—yet she forgot one crucial fact: even low-tier mages couldn’t cast Class C spells, let alone Yan Yi, who’d never used magic at all.

Watching his teacher’s mood swing again, Yan Yi swiftly retreated, backing all the way to his seat.

The early assessments for all thirty students were now complete, taking considerable time.

“That’s all for the morning. Remember to finish the tests this afternoon. Regular classes start tomorrow.”

Liette announced dismissal, thoroughly pleased with her class. Two Class C students—one nearly Class B—and most importantly, the most likely troublemaker rated Class F. Her teaching career suddenly seemed bathed in Light.

The moment Liette stepped out the classroom door, Luris whipped her head toward Yan Yi’s seat. Only emptiness greeted her.

“Huh? Luris, what’s wrong? Why stare that way?”

A pink-haired girl approached, puzzled by Luris’s frown.

“Nothing. Let’s get lunch. We’ll do the tests together this afternoon.”

“Sure—but can you eat elegantly for once?”

The girl chuckled. Luris puffed out her chest, unfazed.

“We’re here now. As long as I’m not rude, what’s the harm?”

“Ah… heh.”

The girl sighed but smiled along as they left the classroom.

…

Yan Yi had slipped out the window the moment Liette’s gaze lost him. Now, he lay atop the castle roof, gazing at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

“Should’ve done this at noon. Lying on this rounded dome is a bit uncomfortable, but watching these clouds… it helps.”

*It’s been so long.* Yan Yi sighed inwardly. He’d grown used to it.

Drowsiness washed over him. Slowly, he closed his eyes, surrendering to a peaceful nap.

…

Back in her office, Liette happily drafted lesson plans. Student ratings rarely deviated much from her preliminary assessments. Teaching pace and content would be tailored accordingly.

After hours of work, she stretched. *Good thing it’s past one and I’m alone. Otherwise, the male teachers would be staring again.*

“Hmm… Yan Yi is the real headache.”

She genuinely didn’t know how to handle a Class F. Most humans reached Class E by fifteen. Frankly, she’d never seen a Class F human at Central Academy.

Checking the time, she decided to grab lunch. Locking her office, she headed out, still pondering how to teach him. *Can’t just abandon him… but with mana this weak, most lessons won’t suit him.*

“Ugh. This year’s going to kill me.”

Then she brightened. *At least it’s just teaching difficulty! A challenge is good for a teacher!* As long as he didn’t cause *other* kinds of trouble—like blowing up classrooms, vanishing for a week straight, or constantly snacking in class only to bolt when his treats ran out…

“Well, Yan Yi can only pick locks. Even if he sneaks into the headmaster’s office, no real harm done. Right, right.”

Just as this thought crossed her mind, she reached the entrance steps. A sharp *whoosh* cut the air. A shadow flashed a meter before her. **BOOM—!** Dust erupted. Pebbles grazed her hair. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone, stopping at her feet.

Mechanically, Liette lowered her gaze through the settling dust. In the crater lay Yan Yi, hands behind his head, eyes wide open with sleepy confusion—*Where… am I? What happened?*

Her lips twitched. Her face darkened. In a tone dripping with dread, she asked,

“Yan Yi?”

Hearing her voice, he turned. Seeing her expression, he instinctively replied,

“Yeah? What is it, Teacher? Coming up to nap on the roof too?”

The words hung in the air. Yan Yi froze. Liette froze.

*I—I—I rolled off a rounded roof?!*

*The ground’s tough, but others won’t see it that way! I still have red dye—can I fake blood? Wait… damn it, I didn’t bring any!*

He did have leftover dye, but he’d changed into the sturdy school uniform today. *Keys are probably…*

Liette glanced up at the tiny tower peak, then back at Yan Yi. She was almost numb to instant karma—she’d been proven wrong before.

But—

*Oh my god! FIFTY METERS! Aren’t you Class F in mana?!*

Sensing Liette’s rising fury, Yan Yi broke into a cold sweat. No excuses came to mind.

He sprang up in one fluid motion and bolted.

“STOP!”

A barrage of fireballs and minor spells shot after him—controlled, but terrifying in number.

Yan Yi glanced back. Spells rained like hail. No more hiding. He accelerated, vanishing in a blink.

Teacher Lette’s rampage sent tremors through passing freshmen, chilled veterans to the bone, and even fellow teachers gave her a wide berth. Past experience screamed: *Too dangerous.*

…

Yan Yi sprinted blindly until forest surrounded him. He blinked.

“Should I just turn back?”

He weighed the odds of finding his way. Too risky. Leaping to a treetop, he scanned the horizon.

“There. Buildings.”

Four seven-story towers stood around a six-story castle-like structure at the center.

He landed near the complex. People streamed in and out of the towers—many not in uniforms.

Heading toward the central building, Yan Yi felt dozens of eyes flick over him… then linger. The three giant characters above the entrance made him sigh. *The library? I thought this was some restricted zone.*

The library held no legendary spellbooks, so students rarely visited. Only those studying arrays, runes, or obscure topics came here.

*Good. I know where this is.* He’d seen it on the map. *Ran farther than I thought.*

He didn’t enter. *Without a high rating, most books are off-limits anyway.* Keeping a low profile, he set off toward the teaching district.

The lingering gazes withdrew. Inside the library’s first-floor admin room, a young man with dark blue hair and matching eyes behind glasses watched him go. He radiated gentle approachability.

“Even I can’t sense his mana… Quite the interesting kid.”

He returned to his book as if nothing had happened.

…

“Tch. Thought he’d follow.”

Yan Yi muttered under his breath. He’d felt that bespectacled youth’s gaze cutting through the others. *If the rest were mice, his was a tiger’s—utterly different caliber.*

He’d expected pursuit, questions. *Guess I overestimated myself.*

“Hmph. Just that level.”

Yan Yi stopped dawdling. In a blur, he vanished before bystanders could register his movement.