"Is this even real?"

"It can't be, right?"

​​

"I was suspicious when someone said that there was a stage 9, but hell, this is just absurd! This is stage 20 we are talking about! Is that even a thing?"

"Hey, isn't there a more pressing question here? Just who are these top rankers?"

"I've seen Jenna, but the other two don't seem to have used their real names."

"Yeah, there's definitely no one by those names here or I would have already gotten some first-hand information."

"These people reached such a stage with around the same number and even lower number of deaths when compared to the other people in top 5. Do you think they could have cheated?"

While everyone was conversing freely on their own seats, causing a loud commotion, the largely statured man stood shocked at the podium.

His eyes shook as he looked at the displayed screen.

After doing some double checks on the system while the others spoke, he was finally certain that there was no mistake here.

'Those two have already surpassed the threshold by a long shot... what a group of monsters.'

Master Sungcha had already set the threshold for passing and someone else was already going to be holding him accountable for that. There was no running away from it anymore, unless all three of the top candidates rejected his offer, after all, to humor that old pal of his, he had set the threshold at stage 9.

Even so, he hadn't expected someone to actually reach that mark.

He had previously thought this to be a win-win situation, seeing finally shrug his old friend's constantly nagging about him not having an heir to his everything. And even if he did indeed find someone that met his requirements, that would still be a win for him.

However, now that he had found three people who met his requirements, he was doubting whether he had set them too low.

It would be quite embarrassing when his friend found out about this, and he was sure that that time was going to be arriving pretty soon.

William's information network was truly scary.

Though he loved this friend of his, William wasn't the type to say 'I told you so', which only made it worse for him, because he didn't need anyone to tell him that his buddy William was right.

He was always right.

'I should avoid meeting with William for the time being.'

"Everyone can settle down now. I will be talking to the people ranked third through first. Those three can stay in the lecture room after class. If there are any questions, ask now or forever hold your peace, if not, then I will be handing the class back to Professor Salamander."

Two eager hands shot up, while the others on the sidelines just watched curiously.

Master Sungcha, who hadn't really wanted to answer any questions, still patiently pointed out one of the students, the one who had first risen her hand.

"Master Suncha, I don't mean to question your capabilities or judgment, but how do know that these three people did not cheat on their assessment?"

Contrary to the girl's eager hand, her tone was not as steady.

Everyone's gaze shifted from that girl to Jenna, who at the same time gave the girl who asked the question a glare when she noticed this girl's ill intent.

It was a perfectly normal question to ask, after all, this girl sounded as if she didn't know any better, which no one really did, but the way she phrased it directly pushed any and all possible blame to the top 3, with two of them being anonymous leaving only her for others to direct their intense gazes at.

"It's quite simple."

"All the people who attempted to cheat have their names and data in red, as for these three, well they don't."

Master Sungcha dropped such a big bomb on everyone with no prior notice.

He said it in such a straightforward manner that the people who indeed had tried hacking their way through the game yet failed didn't even have the time to blush.

Another uproar ensued and the other person who seemed to have had a question also lowered their hand as if to say that they had the same doubt.

Master Sungcha didn't make the mistake of accommodating these students any longer as he passed the stage directly to Professor Salamander.

"Silence everyone, I know that you are all excited and have a lot to say, but the class must go on. There will be a quiz next week on the following content and I don't plan on allowing for a review class just because you are all texting each other underneath your desks, not feeling like paying attention."

"If you are going to do that, then I'll assure you that your phones will not be the only ones in danger of slipping through the cracks of your hands. Your grades will likely go down with it."

It was at this time, a voice at the back of the lecture room could be heard.

"Professor! It's not underneath our table, it's in the textbooks that we pretend to be reading."

While he laughed, all the other students who had been looking at their thick textbooks gave him a glare.

Professor Salamander was not one to coddle his students and so the ones who would like to be on their phones doing something else could very well do so.

With his years of experience, he could tell at a glance whether or not a student was paying attention, but he wouldn't comment.

When students came to him for help on the content in the future, he would take this information into account.

Besides all this, the class seemed to have gone smoothly enough as the others shut up after being threatened with missed content.

Though most didn't worry too much about their grade, if they were truly that bad, they would still run risks of expulsion.

Then again, not many could truly concentrate when there was so much more big news looming over their heads.

All of the people who had to leave after class were trying their best to go through the exit last so that they could get a glimpse of who stayed behind, but it was all for not as Professor Salamander saw right through them and started herding them like a dog did and so the students could only move orderly like sheep.

They couldn't even catch a glimpse of the second placer, much less the first.

Many thought about confirming with the process of elimination, but then they realized that they didn't know their fellow classmates well enough to do that and since all of the people who cared had tried staying behind to check, they also weren't sure of who had left first.

In the end, the room was left with just Theodore, Kayden, and Jenna.

"So, it was you two. Quite unexpected. If I may say." Jenna expressed her thoughts out loud.

"Though I believed that that one was a good student, to me you looked like a delinquent or something." Jenna pointed at Kayden before moving her gaze onto Theodore when she spoke.

"How so?" Theodore asked with his head resting on his desk on top of his folded arms.

He didn't seem offended in the least.

"You know, whenever I glance around, I see you either sleeping or dozing off with that book standing up on your desk as if that would cover for the fact that you aren't paying attention. I've only ever seen middle schoolers do that you know? And they always get in trouble, but it seems like this professor of ours doesn't care too much."

Jenna looked at Theodore curiously, tilting her head as she observed this stunning man, who she had believed to be just that. A handsome face.

It seems like her first judgment was off, and by quite a bit too.

Jenna was someone who had to work hard to get to where she was today, believing that talent had to be supported by hard work. She had just never met someone like Theodore until today.

"Well, that sounds about right. It does seem like I'm a lazy bum." Theodore nodded in agreement.

Jenna didn't even have time to be stunned or to retort as Master Sungcha made his way in the lecture room once again.

"Come on then, gather up around here."

The three of them made their way to the front of the room under Master Sungcha's dissecting gaze.

Both Kayden and Theodore didn't mind it too much, but Jenna looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Very well then, seeing as I had set the limit to 2 disciples and there are now three of you here, I will allow of the first placer and the second placer to choose whether they will accept my offer first."

Though he said this, Master Sungcha didn't really expect them to reject.

"Master Sungcha, seeing as we have reached this point, won't you tell us what it is you specialize in?"

Jenna was the first to ask.

Master Sungcha nodded contemplatively.

"Ah yes, that's right. I can't quite tell if you guys already have an inkling or not, but it should be rather clear from the later stages of the game I made."

"Clear that I study in the fields of Artificial Intelligence."

"Well then, what do you say?" Master Sungcha asked offhandedly.

It wasn't long before someone started to talk. Jenna clearly didn't have any say in this current situation, as for the other two...

"Sadly, I'll have to reject this offer." Kayden shook his head.