Chapter 22: Record Broken, the Mature Principal Takes Notice

The six-pointed star array flashed with violet light, and five figures appeared within the magic circle.

In the center stood a silver-haired woman, elegant and noble, her demeanor reserved but brimming with youthful vitality.

Behind her were young men and women in their prime, their exuberance less restrained than hers.

“Thanks to Princess Violet's command, we cleared the dungeon at such a remarkable speed.”

“Her Highness Violet dealt the most damage to the boss among us. Without you, we’d have been stuck for much longer.”

Compliments flowed as the four companions looked at the white-silk-clad princess with admiration and respect.

Violet, however, remained composed, neither arrogant nor smug.

Everything was progressing exactly as she had anticipated.

If

As teams began to emerge from the teleportation circle, some celebrated while others appeared dejected.

Violet stood calmly to the side, unconcerned with the difficulties or timing of others.

She was confident that no one could surpass her.

The second test scores were based on three factors: dungeon difficulty, clearing speed, and contribution.

Clearing Hell difficulty in four and a half minutes—while not unprecedented—was an exceptional feat.

Soon, the results for the new students began to be announced, starting from the lowest scores.

At first, it was a long list of failed attempts, each assigned a score based on performance.

Then came those who cleared the dungeon at easy difficulty, followed by those at hard, and finally, Hell difficulty.

By the time the twelfth rank was reached, it was already a team that had cleared Legendary difficulty.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Violet remained indifferent, waiting quietly.

“Second place: Violet. Cleared Legendary difficulty in 4 minutes 30.67 seconds.”

The announcement was calm, but the words struck Violet like a thunderclap.

Second place?

Impossible!

If she was second, then who was first? Could someone actually be faster?

Even her teammates, who had been singing her praises moments ago, fell silent.

The majority of the freshmen waiting for the results were also stunned.

What was going on?

Why wasn’t the princess in first place? Wasn’t she supposed to be the top of their year?

Could someone really have stolen her thunder?

Violet, who had been confident she would take first place, hadn’t bothered to look at the announcement on the synchronized screen.

Now, however, she had to know.

Finally, she looked up.

Almost as soon as her gaze landed on the screen, the line above her name caught her attention.

“First place: Shia. Cleared time: 59 seconds.”

Violet’s pupils contracted in disbelief.

She had thought the gap between her and the first place would be minuscule. After all, her team was composed of the top freshmen and had the most optimal lineup.

But she wasn’t just beaten; she was utterly surpassed—by a huge margin!

Clearing in under a minute?

Was that even humanly possible?

The final boss of Legendary difficulty was a demon grand duke, the pinnacle of demonkind’s power.

Violet stared at the name on the screen, her mind blank as the announcement echoed in her ears.

Clearing Legendary difficulty was already a monumental feat, one achieved only by the most outstanding individuals across the academy’s history.

But not only had this person cleared it—they did so in 59 seconds!

What kind of achievement was this?

The previous record was one and a half minutes, set by the Twilight Empress when she co-founded Seven Shields Academy.

For everyone else, clearing it in under five minutes was enough to make history.

But this person had shattered the record—not by a mere second but by a staggering thirty seconds!

The crowd erupted into astonished murmurs.

This was not just a success; it was an earth-shattering display of talent.

Everyone was asking the same question: Who was Shia?

What was their identity?

This was the undisputed No. 1 among the freshmen!

In the first test, Shia had been so laid-back that no one paid attention to them.

Now, however, everyone was in shock.

Instead of a familiar name surpassing Violet, it was someone they had never even heard of.

All eyes turned to the screen, curious to see the individual’s image, which would be displayed alongside the rankings.

The black-haired boy who appeared was breathtakingly handsome, his refined and gentle aura accompanied by a faint, easy smile.

It was him!

Violet stared at the screen, stunned. It was the boy she had noticed yesterday.

All eyes turned from the screen to their surroundings, and the girl nearest to Shia let out an excited squeal.

Her scream set off a chain reaction.

The entire crowd surged toward Shia, surrounding him in the center.

By outperforming Violet in the qualifications, Shia naturally replaced her as the new idol among the girls.

Who could resist a talented and handsome young man?

---

Meanwhile, atop the academy’s iconic and tallest structure, the Divine Grace Clocktower…

In a grand, luxurious office, a mature black-haired beauty reclined on a leather sofa.

Her exquisite features were framed by a perfect oval face, with soft lips and a delicate nose. Long lashes veiled her crimson eyes.

She lounged languidly, her head propped on one hand. Her voluptuous figure pressed into the sofa, her deep neckline revealing an enticing cleavage.

Her slender waist and slightly soft belly added to her allure, while her long legs, clad in tight black stockings, exuded sensuality.

The entire aura she radiated was one of decadent seduction, capable of captivating anyone who saw her.

She had received news of the freshmen’s results before they even appeared on the screen.

The highest record had been shattered?

Her crimson eyes opened, their captivating gaze seemingly piercing into one’s soul.

Surprise flickered in those ruby orbs.

Clearing Hell difficulty in under a minute?

The demon grand duke defeated so swiftly?

A hint of amusement replaced the surprise in her gaze.

The mature beauty sat upright, her ample chest heaving with the motion. Even while seated, she couldn’t see her toes due to her figure.

She rose and walked to the window, gazing toward the freshman arena, a peculiar light gleaming in her eyes.

It seemed someone warranted her personal attention.