CHAPTER 245: HATE HER TALENT

The question made Gara glance around quickly, worried someone might’ve overheard. The last thing he needed was curious classmates asking what mistake Langga was referring to.

Luckily, Madha was busy chatting with Revan. The two had made up and were getting along surprisingly well.

Meanwhile, Fian was still in the middle of his duel.

"No," Gara said, shaking her head. "Please don’t bring that up in public."

Langga gave a small nod, his smile faint. "Alright."

The young professor turned as if to leave, and Gara exhaled in relief. But before he could take a step, he spoke again. "Thank you for clearing up those rumors."

"I only told the truth." Gara stiffened a little, not expecting Langga to mention the gossip so bluntly.

"Still, thank you." Without thinking, Langga reached out and gently patted the top of Gara’s head.

When he realized what he’d done, a faint blush crept up his ears. Gara, on the other hand, quickly bowed her head to hide her red face.

"I’ll... watch Fian," Gara said quickly, turning around before Langga could respond.

Langga chuckled under his breath before finally walking away for real this time.

Unbeknownst to the two, someone had been watching their exchange from afar. Her gaze darkened, and a menacing expression crept across her face.

...

When Madha’s duel ended, Vania’s fourth match began.

Up until now, she hadn’t used her Talent even once. Langga had advised her earlier to avoid relying on it as much as possible. Fortunately, Vania’s combat skills alone were nothing to scoff at.

Gara watched closely, eyes fixed on Vania’s movements. The girl looked exhausted, but her eyes still burned with fierce determination.

Meanwhile, Madha returned to the sidelines, his usually bright gaze dimmed.

He stepped back slightly, as if to hide his expression from the others.

His eyes flicked briefly toward the person he loved most —his fiancée— then toward the elf who had become both his rival and classmate, and finally to the other Class S students.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"Your fight was amazing," Revan said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "So why do you look like that?"

Madha glanced briefly at the taller boy beside him. They’d become unexpectedly close.

Taking a few steps back so Gara wouldn’t overhear, Madha forced a small smile. "I don’t think I can get any stronger."

"Huh?" Revan frowned. "What are you talking about? You’re already really strong. You finished your match quickly."

"No," Madha said quietly. "Gara and Fian also finished theirs in the same amount of time as me. And they didn’t even use their real strength."

That made Revan freeze for a moment.

He’d seen both Gara and Fian fight. They took down their opponents quickly and efficiently.

If that wasn’t even their full power... then just how strong were they?

But he’d gone all out in his own match.

Did that mean Gara and Fian were both far stronger than him, Revan Soren, the so-called top student of the first years?

The thought left him strangely unsettled. He had only meant to cheer Madha up, but now he was the one feeling uneasy.

"...How about we train together sometime? A sparring session?" Revan suggested.

Madha’s eyes lit up slightly, the dullness fading for a moment. "That’s a good idea."

While the two young men were quietly discussing their training plans, inside the arena, Vania claimed her fourth victory.

So far, her pattern was clear. Speed. She was simply faster than all her opponents.

"Professor Langga’s influence must be huge on her growth," Miki muttered.

"Professor Langga helped her improve her combat skills without using Talent?" Gara asked, genuinely intrigued. he hadn’t expected Vania to become this strong.

From what he remembered, Vania hadn’t fought like this at all when she faced Fian back then.

"I heard from the other beastfolk students that Vania wasn’t this strong before," Miki explained. "But ever since she lost to Fian, she’s been training on her own a lot. Some said they’ve even seen Professor Langga stop by to give her pointers."

"Professor Langga really is amazing," Andine chimed in enthusiastically. "He just knows what each of us needs. He gave me some really helpful advice too."

"That’s exactly why his students have stayed undefeated in Class S Duels all the way until their third year," Miki said proudly, almost as if he were the professor.

Gara, who no longer harbored resentment toward Langga, silently agreed. Whatever had happened between them, there was no denying that Langga was a true teacher in every sense of the word.

Their attention returned to the arena when the referee called for the match to begin.

Inside the ring stood the ghost girl, Mona, facing off against a beastfolk from Class B.

Like Vania, Mona hadn’t used her Talent at all so far. She relied solely on her trait, disappearing from sight and reappearing behind her opponent to strike with a dagger.

But a trick like that wouldn’t work forever, especially after being used so many times. Not to mention, her opponent had a highly developed sense of sight.

Sure enough, the beastfolk didn’t fall for it this time. He could feel Mona’s presence even when she vanished.

Then, suddenly, Mona disappeared from the arena altogether.

"Did she use her trait again? But before, even when she vanished from her opponent’s view, we could still see her from the stands," Andine said, puzzled.

"She’s using her Talent," Gara replied quietly. She had never actually seen Mona use it before, but she guessed it must be a space-type ability.

Moments later, Mona’s upper body appeared, half-emerging from behind her opponent.

Gasps rippled through the arena. Her opponent froze, startled. Gara unconsciously placed a hand on her chest.

Honestly, with that appearance, Mona looked terrifying.

No wonder space-type is the native Talent of Ghosts, Gara thought. They can really use it to scare the life out of people.

But if that’s the case... Mona will probably hate using it even more now. Everyone’s reactions are way too much.

Around her, even Class S students were whispering about how eerie Mona’s Talent was.

And just as Gara feared, though Mona had won, the ghost girl kept her head even lower than before.

If her next opponent is even stronger, she’ll have no choice but to use her Talent again. But after this... can she?

Gara found herself growing anxious without even realizing it.

...