The doorbell chimed at precisely 11:03 PM. I glanced up from the mountain of silk pillows on my king-sized bed, irritation flickering across my face.
"Enter."
The door creaked open to reveal a trembling maid with chestnut hair tied too tight. "G-Good evening, Master Crimson! I’m Masha, your personal attendant!" She thrust forward a silver tray bearing three items: a platinum wristwatch, folded black uniforms, and a blood-red "#1" badge.
I arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly does a ’personal attendant’ do?"
Masha’s cheeks flushed. "A-Appropriate services! Laundry, meals, message delivery—"
"So you’ll be washing my underwear then?" I smirked as she nearly dropped the tray. "Excellent. I hate doing laundry."
She fled before I could tease her further.
[System: You’re a special kind of terrible.]
[Me: I know.]
Next Morning - Class 1A
I arrived precisely ten minutes late. The guard who’d stopped me yesterday merely bowed.
"Good boy," I murmured, patting his helmet.
Before entering, I checked the rankings board:
1. Ashen Crimson (Me)
2. Nyx Voxx
3. Rin
4. Cecilia Thorne
5. Seraphina Loire
6. Liora Nowa
7. Noora Whitehound
8. Eren Whitehound
...
20. [Some NPC]
No Aurelia.
[System: She placed 21st. Barely made Class 1B.]
[Me: Weak.]
I kicked the door open.
Professor Vael adjusted his spectacles. "Problem #3, Mr. Crimson. Since you’re so... exceptional."
The blackboard displayed a Tier-4 runic array - a "Bastion Shield" even seniors struggled with.
I smirked.
Shadow Quill Technique Activated
My shadow morphed into an inky stylus. Where the original had:
3 Stabilizing Runes (Blue)
2 Mana Channels (Green)
I redrew it with:
5 Amplifier Nodes (Red)
1 Feedback Loop (Black)
The array pulsed crimson.
Vael paled. "STOP—"
BOOM.
The explosion vaporized only the blackboard, leaving the wall untouched behind it. Perfect energy redirection.
Silence.
I dusted off my hands. "Next question?"
That Evening
Masha delivered dinner while avoiding eye contact. My watch chimed:
[5 DAYS REMAINING: LIGHTNING TRIAL]
The "#1" badge gleamed on my nightstand.
They feared me.
Good.