CHAPTER 40: THE GREAT ENCOUNTER

The next day rolled in like a wet sock slapped against a concrete wall.

Everyone in class looked about as alive as Lanz felt, which was to say, barely.

Morning lectures dragged on as usual, the fluorescent lights above flickering just enough to be annoying but not enough to warrant fixing, and at the center of the class stood Mr. Shigeno, still rocking the tired eyes of a man who hadn’t slept since the previous century.

"And that will be all. Any questions?" he asked flatly, as though daring anyone to speak and waste more oxygen than necessary.

Naturally, nobody said anything.

Not even the class suck-ups bothered to fake a nod.

Talia didn’t even f*cking move, well, she probably absorbed everything through osmosis halfway through the lecture and was already solving equations in her head that weren’t even part of the lesson.

Mr. Shigeno let out a breath. "Why do I even ask? Just remember to participate tomorrow. You may leave."

And like a switch had been flipped, the classroom instantly came to life, chairs screeched, bags zipped, and shoes stomped against the floor as students bolted for the hallway like prisoners hearing the cell doors open.

Lanz stayed seated, lazily jamming his notebook into his bag, trying not to fall asleep standing up.

But then came the voice.

"Mr. Kuroda, can I have a moment with you."

He glanced up to see Mr. Shigeno still at his desk, arms folded and expression unreadable, though the bags under his eyes were definitely spelling out something in Morse code.

"Sure," Lanz said, slinging the strap over his shoulder and slowly walking over, still trying to zip his bag shut.

"What is it, sir?" he asked once he reached the front.

Mr. Shigeno leaned back slightly in his chair. "As you already know, you’ve been locked out of the system, correct?"

The question wasn’t laced with pity. It wasn’t even a question, really, more of a formality.

"I’m well aware, sir," Lanz replied, keeping his voice neutral.

Professor nodded. "So, in replacement for not being able to attend the raid, I’ll give you assignments you can do at home. It’s not the same, I know... but it’s the best I can offer."

For a moment, Lanz just stood there, watching the his expression. Mr. Shigeno clearly wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type, but there was something behind those deadpan eyes that actually seemed... human. Regretful, even.

He didn’t like giving bad news, and it probably sucked more that the kid in front of him wasn’t even the type to throw a tantrum over it.

Lanz sighed through his nose, nodding once. "I’ll gladly accept it, sir."

"I’ll give it to you after your afternoon classes. Shouldn’t be too much."

"Thank you, sir. If that’ll be all, may I go now?" Lanz said, subtly pointing at the wall clock, which ticked with the smugness of a clock that knew it was winning.

"Oh! Yes, you may," Mr. Shigeno said, blinking as if surprised the conversation was over so fast.

Lanz gave him a polite nod and turned away, walking toward the door like he didn’t have a single petty bone in his body.

But right as he was about to step out, he heard it.

"Mr. Kuroda," Mr. Shigeno called softly. "Just know it’s not your fault."

Lanz turned his head slowly and smiled, the kind of smile that was both respectful and a little too sharp around the edges.

"I know, sir."

And then he walked out.

As soon as he was in the hallway, out of view, the polite mask dropped like a bag of bricks.

His lips curled into a full-blown, anime villain-level grin — both eyebrows practically skyrocketing toward his hairline. The internal laughter started rising, and so did the volume in his head.

"Enjoy your Tier 1 Gate raid," he muttered under his breath with all the theatrical venom of a Saturday morning cartoon villain. "Because I’m about to enjoy my Tier 2."

And inside his brain?

Let’s take a glance... ’HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—’

That’s enough of that bullsh*t.

***

Later that day, after his last class finally dragged itself to a slow and miserable death, Lanz dropped by Mr. Shigeno’s desk to pick up the promised assignments.

The man handed him a folder and Lanz gave his usual polite smile, stuffed the folder into his bag, and made his way toward the school gate with all the enthusiasm of a man heading to his own trial.

And that’s when he saw it.

Right in front of the main gate, standing with perfect dramatic timing, was a guy dressed in full black.

Like, full black.

Black trench coat, black pants, black shirt underneath, and probably black socks and black underwear too, like a certain someone...

Anyways, the guy looked like he just stepped out of a manhwa panel where color palettes were optional.

His posture was relaxed, but the way he stood made him look like the weather listened to him when he told it to stay gloomy.

But that’s the thing, it was a beautiful day outside, this idiot was just imagining things.

Lanz slowed down, eyes narrowing slightly as he took it all in.

’Who the hell is this Sung Jinwoo lookin’ ass?’ he thought bitterly, already jealous of the cool coat, the strong jawline, and the quiet confidence radiating off this dude like cologne made of mystery and unresolved aura. But unfortunately, there was no sharp chin. 😔

End of Chapter 40.

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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 13

EXP: 64 / 130

Next Reward: +10 Stat Points to a chosen stat

Global System Tracking: DISABLED

World Rank Association: UNLINKED

Stats:

STR: 10 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 5 | DEX: 5 | INT: 11 | WIS: 5

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Derived Stat — MANA: 55 / 55]

Skills:

[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]

[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]

[Blade Control Lv.1]

[Parry Timing Lv.1]

[Reflex Sync Lv.1] (Passive Skill)

[Combat Awareness Lv.2] (Passive Skill)

[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]

[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]

[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]

[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]

Equipment:

Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)

Goblin Dagger

Spiked Boar Tusk Shard

Lightweight Chest Padding

Boots of Basic Mobility

Fingerless Gloves (Basic)

Starter Cloak: Faded Black

Training Ring (+1 VIT)