Victor stood before the ornate mirror in his large, fully lit room, adjusting the collar of his clothes. Today marked his return to Shadowridge Academy after an unanticipated absence of two weeks—his first time going to the Academy after being transmigrated. He cut short his break as he got his memories back.

The mirror reflected a young man with determined eyes, masking the uncertainty that lingered within him. His fingers trembled slightly as he straightened his collar, the fabric feeling unfamiliar and stiff. Memories of his past life flickered through his mind, revising aunty details to the grandeur surrounding him now.

A sigh escaped his lips. With a blank core, he had no chance to advance and gain high levels of magical powers. All the students were at least one level above him. Maybe he could search for some clues with his new perspective from the previous world.

— — — — — — —

Today marked his return to after an unanticipated absence of two weeks—

Victor stepped out of the carriage, his eyes widening as they took in the sight before him. The massive wrought-iron gates of Shadowridge Academy loomed ahead, intricately decorated with swirling patterns and gleaming in the midday sun. He felt a surge of anticipation.

To his left, a colossal tree dominated the landscape. The Tree of Spirits. Thick trunk, the bark a rough but natural brown, textured with deep grooves and ridges that seemed to tell about its history. The tree's canopy stretched wide, casting a vast shadow over half the academy grounds. Its leaves were the largest he had seen in both of his lives, each one nearly six feet in length, and they came in three distinct colors: deep emerald green, a bright lime green, and a mystical shade of silver.

His first magical tree. The leaves rustled gently in the breeze, their unique forms catching the light in a mesmerizing dance. Victor marveled at the sheer size of the tree, its branches stretching out like protective arms over the academy. Despite their enormous size, the leaves had a delicate quality to them, the veins visible and detailed as if crafted by an artist's hand. Damn, big enough to shoulder the sky…

Turning his gaze to the right, Victor's eyes were drawn to the majestic buildings of Shadowridge Academy. The main building stood proudly, its architecture a blend of old-world grandeur and modern elegance. Tall spires reached towards the sky, their peaks adorned with pennants that fluttered in the wind. The stone façade was a rich, warm hue, intricately carved with mana symbols.

Either the people around like to make intricate buildings or maybe it was the world building aesthetics.

Taking in the sights, he stared at the numerous people coming and going, the rowdy and cacophonous laughter. As he observed the clusters of students around him, Victor noticed the numerous curious glances directed his way.

With his enhanced senses, courtesy of his mana, he easily picked up snippets of conversation focused on him. The students weren't making much effort to conceal their words.

"He took two week off right before the final exams. Voluntarily... maybe the broken pot is now beyond repair?"

"I heard Victor is planning to withdraw from the academy completely... Maybe he won't even participate in the final exams."

"Seriously?"

Hearing these fragmented rumors, Victor was left dumbfounded. He had only been away for a week, yet the stories circulating about him had become increasingly exaggerated.

He was almost at the entrance of the Shadowridge Academy when a familiar voice halted him. "Victor! Is that you?"

The words cut through the morning air, pulling Victor from his reverie. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before turning around.

Standing before him was a young man with a bright, broad grin—a fellow student with whom he had shared more than one class in previous terms. Henrik's eyes sparkled with genuine relief at seeing him.

He was tall and lean, with tousled sandy hair that always seemed to defy any attempts at taming. His easy-going demeanor and infectious enthusiasm made him well-liked among their peers. He wore the academy's uniform with a casual flair, the jacket slightly askew and the tie a bit loose, giving him an air of relaxed confidence.

"Henrik," Victor said.

"We thought you'd decided against joining the next term!" Henrik exclaimed.

Victor blinked in surprise, momentarily taken aback by Henrik's enthusiastic greeting. Before he could respond, Henrik laughed, clapping him on the back with a friendly force that nearly toppled them both. "Well, you’re here now, and that’s what counts. But you’ve missed two weeks already, mate. The instructors are not pleased."

Victor nodded, his smile fading slightly. The reality of his situation was clear, and as they walked through the gates, his mind was already turning over the magnitude of catching up he needed to do. The chatter of the other students, the rustling of the leaves in the cool morning breeze—all of it seemed to fade into the background as he considered the extra work ahead.

His grip tightened on his bag, the books inside suddenly feeling like stones. How he managed his time in the coming weeks would be critical. He was well aware of the academic rigor Shadowridge demanded. Missing even a single day could set a student back considerably, let alone a week. Victor's mind raced with plans and schedules, ways to manage his time in the coming weeks.

Maybe he could pay someone to share the workload.

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Before he could even reach for the classroom, a sharp voice cut through the morning chatter. "Mr. Victor, a moment of your time, please."

Turning, Victor faced Master Tien, his primary instructor in mana skills, whose stern expression was all too familiar. The older man's arms were crossed, his gray eyebrows knit together in disapproval.

"Master Tien, I—"

"Everyone has been struggling to make use of every available moment to cultivate and train. You, on the other hand, took a break to rest?" Master Tien interrupted, his tone icy.

Victor swallowed, aware that any excuse might sound feeble under Master Tien’s scrutinous gaze. Yet, he had to offer something, some explanation, to mitigate the disappointment he saw in his teacher's eyes. "Master, my delay was due to unforeseen family matters that needed my immediate attention. I assure you, it was not a matter of laxity."

Master Tien continued to glare at Victor, slight disappointment seen in his eyes. "Victor, I know your blank core has brought you a lot of stress. However, you should not be giving up at this last juncture."

"I haven't given up" Victor hastily replied in his defence.

"Then why did you take a leave of absence during this critical point?" Master Tien thundered.

Victor felt a little helpless at his conclusion. He couldn't exactly share that he was poisoned.

Master Tien's gaze softened ever so slightly, but the stern set of his mouth remained unchanged. "Be that as it may, you have a lot of ground to cover. I expect you to submit additional assignments to make up for what you’ve missed."

After a long tirade, Master Tien eventually ended with a sigh. He gave Victor a deep look before turning away to walk into the teaching fields, his robes swirling behind him.

Victor hurriedly followed as they entered the massive teaching fields. In the middle was a platform several tens of meters long surrounded by a circular ring of stone steps, each stacked up high.

On top of the stone steps were numerous stone mats.

When Victor entered, he was subject to the scrutiny of everyone around, his very appearance provoking numerous whispers.

The elusive Victor, who had disappeared for a week, had once again become the hot topic of Shadowridge Academy.

Victor disregarded the rancorous gazes and maintained his calm, heading to his assigned stone mat.

Beside him sat his friend Henrik. As Victor exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, Henrik nudged him. "Rough start, huh? But hey, you handled it well."

Victor managed a wry smile. "Handled it, yes. Now to survive it."

From what he could remember, the morning classes were all about the Blackthorn Kingdom and the economy, with various focuses on major Industries.

As the class continued, Victor leaned over to Henrik, his voice a low whisper. "Henrik, do you know anyone who would help me complete my assignments for money?"

Henrik gave him a surprised look, then glanced around cautiously before answering. "There are a few, but it’s not exactly… encouraged."

Before Victor could respond, a girl in front of them turned around, her auburn hair cascading over her shoulder. Her eyes, a striking emerald green, sparkled with curiosity and amusement. "Did I hear someone say they needed help with assignments?"

Victor was a little taken aback by her sudden interjection. Damn, supersenses. He looked at Master Tien, but he was continuing the lesson about something related to imported crystal from a nearby Kingdom.

If the man listened to his words, there was no reaction. Victor glanced at Henrik, who still looked a bit skeptical of the girl. Not the girl, Aria Valenwood, the name came to his mind as he focused on her.

"No, how could I do something like that." Victor didn't want to take a risk. He almost forgot about these enhanced senses.

Aria nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I might know someone who could help you. After school, maybe?"

Then Victor turned toward Henrik, who was listening from the sidelines. "Henrik, I think we should go to the library after classes." Loud enough for the girl in front to hear.

"Are you sure about this?" Henrik murmured. "I don't think that's —"

"Don’t have much of a choice," Victor replied quietly, not wanting a tirade about being moral. "I need to catch up, and fast."

He always wanted to throw money at his problem, and with his background, he at least had enough to cover school.

The morning passed in a blur of classes and hurried note-taking, Victor trying to absorb weeks’ worth of material compressed into hours. By lunchtime, his mind was saturated with information, and his body ached for a break.

As he and Henrik found a spot in the courtyard with their meals, Victor's thoughts turned to a more immediate way to regain his position as a genius.

After the final bell rang, signaling the end of morning classes for the day, Victor and Henrik made their way to the library.

When they reached the library, they found Aria waiting for them by the entrance, a friendly smile on her face.

“Hey, Victor,” Aria greeted warmly.

She led them to a quiet corner of the library, where a girl with long, dark hair sat, nervously twiddling her fingers. Her eyes darted up as they approached, and she gave a timid smile.

“Victor, this is Lila,” Aria said, introducing the girl. “She’s really good with assignments and can help you catch up.”

Victor offered Lila a reassuring smile. “Hi, Lila. It’s nice to meet you. I really appreciate your help.”

Lila blushed slightly and looked down at her hands. “It’s no problem,” she murmured. “I’m happy to help.”

Victor blinked his eyes at the unexpected reaction. This was his first time getting a girl to blush with a simple smile. Being a handsome man is awesome…

As they settled in to discuss the assignments, Victor couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more going on. Lila’s shy glances and Aria’s knowing smiles made him wonder if there was an underlying motive. He was about to chalk it up to his imagination when Aria leaned in with a teasing grin.

“You know, Lila’s been talking about you for a while now,” she said playfully. “She’s actually been wanting to be friends with you for some time.”

Victor gawked a little, feeling a bit dense for not realizing it sooner. His handsome face and reputation had often attracted attention, but he hadn't expected this. Lila's shyness suddenly made a lot more sense. But he already had a fianc—

Before he could reply, a boy came striding towards them, his face flushed with a mix of frustration and urgency. The boy cast a quick, nervous glance at Elara before focusing his attention squarely on him. The name surfaced in his mind, Theo Utara.

"Victor! You thought I'd forgotten, didn't you?" Theo, a towering figure among their peers, is known not only for his mastery in combat but also for his aggressive demeanor.

Victor stood up. "Hey, Theo, what’s going on?"

He recalled anything going on between them but—

Theo's gaze flickered to Elara, his expression softening slightly before hardening again as he looked back at Victor. "I hear you’ve been missing classes, and now you’re trying to catch up. But let’s not forget you still owe me a rematch from the last tournament."

This time, Victor caught the glances and saw the jealous look hidden in Theo's eyes. "That was a year ago—"

"Yeah, but we should settle it today during martial class." Theo puffed up his chest.

Victor felt a headache coming. Being handsome is a curse…