Chapter 92: Leagues Ahead [Edited]

Kyle lingered for a moment at the back of the shop, his thoughts swirling after identifying Lora.

He remembered how he had been such a jerk to her after he had lost. He meant to call her and apologize, but ever since Orion's interruption it completely slipped his mind.

Now, here she was. She was right in front of him but he couldn't help but hesitate.

'I never did get the chance to apologize for being rude,' Kyle thought to himself, glancing over at Lora again.

'And nothing's stopping me from doing it now.'

[Stop acting like you're gearing up to talk to your crush]

Void suddenly chimed in as usual, cutting through Kyle's thoughts with an amused tone.

'What?! Crush? The hell... What made you even think in such manner.'

[Sure, sure. You don't need to panic.]

Kyle could already feel the banter with Void building, but this wasn't the time for that.

'I should go talk to her,' he decided, steeling himself.

Taking a deep breath, Kyle made his way over to where Lora stood, forming a confident expression admist his nervousness as he approached her.

"Hey, Lora," Kyle called out casually, waving slightly to catch her attention.

Lora turned around to the direction of the voice that called her name almost immediately, her eyes widening in surprise the moment it met him.

For a moment, a soft smile graced her lips, but it quickly vanished as her expression fell. She looked down, clearly remembering what had happened between them.

"I... I'm sorry," she said almost immediately, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know I've already said it before, but... I really am."

Kyle sighed, feeling an instant pang of guilt. He raised his hand and gently face-palmed, shaking his head.

"No. Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I was the jerk, not you."

Lora blinked, confused. "But I—"

Kyle cut her off. "It wasn't your fault, okay? I lost, and I took it out on you, which wasn't fair. I should've known better."

Lora bit her lip, still looking uncertain. "You really wanted to—"

"Lora, really," Kyle interrupted again, this time with a soft chuckle.

"It's okay. You won fair and square, but now I need you to forgive me. I shouldn't have acted like that... Please forgive me."

For a moment, they stood in silence, Lora processing his words. Slowly, she nodded, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Okay," she whispered. "I forgive you."

Kyle smiled now the tension between them had disappeared.

"Good. Now that we've got that out of the way, let me make it up to you by paying for your mana cores," he said, motioning to the glass cases filled with cores.

Lora's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, no way. You don't need to do that. I still owe you for the last time." she said quickly, waving her hands in protest.

"C'mon," Kyle pressed, "It's the least I can do after being such an ass."

Lora shook her head vehemently, her usual shyness creeping back into her voice.

"I don't need you to pay for them. I've got tons credits."

Kyle raised an eyebrow, trying to argue, but Lora cut him off this time.

"Really, Kyle. I've got plenty of credits. I've sold a good amount of runes, plus the prize I received from the tournament, I don't have a problem with credits."

The elective courses weren't just about gaining knowledge; they also helped in creating products that had value in the market.

Rune makers could sell pre-made runes. The alchemists students could prepare pills and potions, while the forge masters sold weapons and armor.

The only exception to this system of monetization was the Beast Tamers. They didn't sell any products or resources, as their focus was entirely on training and bonding with powerful creatures.

However, the strength of a tamed beast in battle more than made up for the lack of a traditional income stream.

Beast Tamers didn't need to sell goods—they had their companions, and that was a trade-off most were willing to accept.

It also explained how Lora had managed to accumulate a decent sum of credits.

Her superior skills in rune making, combined with her speed and precision, could easily turn her into a machine when it came to churning out marketable runes.

This might seem heavenly to the students, but it wasn't appealing for Kyle. He had a more reliable source of income than to spend hours creating runes, all for another person's use.

He glanced at the counter, where the salesman was carefully packing up the mana cores for Lora. "How many did you buy?"

"Twenty," Lora calmly replied.

Kyle blinked in shock. "Twenty? That's a lot of cores."

Lora shrugged. "I need them. They're essential for my research."

Kyle couldn't believe his ears. Most students, aside from a few exceptions like himself, rarely bought more than a handful of mana cores at a time.

The high prices alone were enough to deter most, and yet Lora had just bought twenty as if it were no big deal.

"What kind of research are you doing?" Kyle asked, now more intrigued than ever.

"I've been studying Runic Circles," Lora answered, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Kyle's jaw dropped. "You're working with Runic Circles? At your level?"

Lora nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yeah. It's really challenging, but I think I'm making progress. That's why I need so many mana cores. They're key to making the circles work."

Runic circles were a collection of runes combined together in an intricate formation to create much more advanced magic.

An example was the teleportation circle used by the Dean to transport them here.

Kyle was speechless for a moment. He knew how complicated Runic Circles were, and for Lora to be delving into that kind of advanced magic so early was nothing short of incredible.

It reminded him just how far apart they were when it came to Rune Making.

[You're leagues apart] Void suddenly cut in, his voice smug in Kyle's mind.

[She's far smarter and stronger than you, and yet you're supposed to be the main character]

Kyle couldn't help but feel a small sting at Void's words. He wanted to argue that Lora wasn't stronger than him just because she had beat him, but quickly pushed it aside.

It didn't matter that Lora was ahead of him. What mattered was that she was amazing at what she did, and he could close that gap soon.

"You're seriously talented," Kyle finally said, his voice full of admiration.

Lora blushed, glancing away shyly. "No, I'm not..."

"You are," Kyle insisted. "I mean, I don't even understand what Runic Circles are. Yet you're learning on how to create them."

Lora's blush deepened, and she looked down at her feet.

"I'm just trying my best.".

"Well, keep it up. You're definitely going to be a legend one day. Make sure you remember me," Kyle added with a wink.

Lora giggled softly, clearly embarrassed by the compliment. "Thank you."

They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence before Lora finally picked up her box of mana cores.

"I should get going. I've got a lot of work to do."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, I'll let you get back to it."

Lora turned around just before she left the door. "We should meet up again soon... I've missed our study sessions."

"Oh, so you missed me, huh?" Read exclusive content at m_v-l'-NovelFire.net

Her face immediately turned a deep shade of red as she sputtered,

"No! I mean... I missed the study sessions, not you!"

Kyle pretended to pout. "So you like runes more than me? That's harsh, Lora."

Lora's eyes widened in horror. "No! That's not what I meant—" Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Before she could finish, Kyle burst into laughter, unable to keep up the act any longer.

"I'm just messing with you."

Lora's face squeezed up in a cute angry expression as she realized he'd tricked her.

"That's not funny!"

Kyle grinned, still chuckling. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't resist."

Lora shook her head, though there was a small smile on her face. "You're impossible."

Kyle watched as Lora turned to leave, her blush still faintly visible on her cheeks.

"See you around, Kyle," she said softly before heading out the door.

"See you," Kyle called after her, still smiling as he watched her go.

Once she was out of sight, Kyle turned back to the counter. The salesman was waiting for him, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if he needed help.

Kyle stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"I'd like sixty mana cores, please."