༺ Noah's POV ༻
The notice board loomed ahead, a gathering point for students, buzzing with excitement and tension.
As I approached, the crowd parted like waves before a shark.
Whispers filled the air, low murmurs carrying my name.
No doubt they were expecting an outburst.
Perhaps me ripping the board off its hinges or picking some unlucky soul to beat up and vent my frustration on.
Instead, I stood still, arms pocketed, eyes scanning the rankings.
Third.
A sharp contrast to the number I had in mind—First.
I glanced at the glowing text from the system that only I could see, hovering faintly before my eyes:
『Quest: Top the Second Year Opener Exams!』
「Reward: +100 Plot Points (PP)」
「Status: Complete」
Complete?
The system registered the quest as complete.
Yet my name was sitting snugly at third place.
"Was it that question?"
I wondered, recalling a particularly twisted logic question on the exam that had left me irritated.
The murmurs around me swelled, pulling me back to the present.
A group of students—about ten—separated from the rest of the crowd, walking towards me with smug expressions.
I recognized most of them, former victims of my sharp tongue and sharper actions.
"Number three, huh?
Did hell freeze over, Ashbourne?"
A lanky boy from Class B sneered, his grin wide.
"Guess even the great Noah isn't untouchable after all."
Another piped in, flipping his hair dramatically.
"Third place?
What happened?
Did the mighty prince run out of money to bribe the professors?"
A noble girl from Class A taunted, her voice dripping with faux innocence.
"You'd think with your arrogance, you'd at least have the skills to back it up."
Someone else added, their laughter echoing.
"Guess all that trash-talking was just overcompensation!"
"You sure you're not aiming to top the rankings from the bottom next time?"
One after another, they hurled their insults, each one trying harder than the last to land a hit.
Meanwhile, my gaze remained fixed on the board
Arms still pocketed, I replayed the system's words in my mind.
"Quest Complete."
I felt my heart skip a beat.
This exam was crucial, not just for rankings but for how we were perceived by professors and peers alike.
"Overall," Professor Grent continued, "you all performed admirably.
However..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the room.
"There was one question that all of you failed."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
"What?" someone whispered behind me.
"That's impossible," another muttered.
Even I couldn't help but furrow my brows.
All of us?
Even the prodigies in Class A?
"Yes, you heard me right."
Professor Grent said, his tone unwavering.
"Every single one of you answered incorrectly, which means twenty marks were deducted from everyone's score."
The hall erupted into murmurs, students exchanging confused and frustrated glances.
"How can everyone get it wrong?"
A boy near the back asked, leaning toward his friend.
"Not even Noah got it right?"
Someone else chimed in.
"Noah?... He fell off... I doubt it's him... "
Professor Grent raised a hand, silencing the chatter.
"Allow me to clarify. I said everyone got it wrong, except for one student."
That brought an immediate wave of stunned reactions.
"One student?"
"Who could it be?"
"It must be Draven," someone declared confidently.
"Yeah, he just surpassed Noah.
If anyone got it, it's him."
The murmurs grew louder, filling the hall with speculation.
I glanced toward the far end of the room, my eyes landing on Noah Ashbourne.
He was sitting back in his chair, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
'What's he so happy about?'
I thought.
It was rare to see him outwardly pleased, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
As if to confirm my suspicions, Professor Grent cleared his throat.
"The scores have been adjusted accordingly, and after the recalculations, the student who answered the question correctly has risen to the top of the rankings."
The murmurs stopped abruptly, replaced by a tense silence.