"Hehe, Ryuuto, don't be nervous!"
Seeing Ryuuto sitting quietly, pen untouched, Harry leaned over with a friendly grin. "If you get stuck, just copy my answers!"
"Got it!" Ryuuto replied with a faint smile, not taking the offer too seriously.
As Gillian handed out the test papers, a flicker of interest passed through Ryuuto's eyes. Glancing at the dense, over-complicated questions, his head throbbed. This wasn't a test made by normal humans—it was a torture device.
With nothing else to do, he whispered to Shion:
"Shion… you know how to deal with this, right?"
[Pfft! Of course! These questions are a cakewalk for me.]
Ryuuto couldn't help but smirk, rubbing his hands together. "Or… did you sneak the answers straight into my head, huh?"
[Nope! No one can do that. Even I can't cheat for the Host.]
Damn it! Another massive system trap! Ryuuto nearly wanted to shred the paper in frustration. But looking around, seeing everyone else sweating and scribbling, Gwen and Harry immersed in the mental storm, he sighed. "Guess I have to do this myself."
Tensing up, Ryuuto clenched his fist. "Time to show my true strength!"
Sharingan!
His eyes flared red and black, pupils forming ancient, arcane patterns. Power surged, alert and precise. Naturally, he wasn't stupid—he quickly slipped on a pair of sunglasses to hide the spectacle.
The Sharingan granted a panoramic view of the room. Every student's movements, every answer on every paper—everything was crystal clear.
"Well, time's precious. Carelessness won't cut it. Over ninety points, minimum!"
Ryuuto began scribbling furiously, ink flying as he let the godly vision guide him.
But suddenly, a cold voice sliced through the room. A large hand snatched his sunglasses off his face.
"What's your name?"
The classroom froze. Every student instinctively looked over, sensing a spectacle about to unfold. Gwen and Harry exchanged worried glances, sweat dotting their foreheads.
Ryuuto leaned back calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Haha… my name is Ryuuto."
He sat unflinching as Gillian removed the sunglasses, revealing eyes that were sharp and unyielding. "Why? I'm in the middle of an exam. Need something?"
"Just a chat," Gillian murmured, leaning close. "It's nothing now, but later… something will happen."
The man's tone sent a chill down the room, as if he'd anticipated everything. Then, in a whisper directly into Ryuuto's ear:
"Boy… I know you just cheated. Don't worry—I won't report it. In fact, I want you to work with me on some very… interesting research, hehe."
Before Ryuuto could respond, Gillian strode to the podium, regaining his official composure. Students hesitantly returned to their papers.
Ryuuto leaned back, closing his eyes, letting the storm of the exam fade into background noise. Time to mentally review skills, anticipate threats, and prepare for a far bigger enemy than any exam.
The bell rang. Papers were collected. Ryuuto barely noticed, his thoughts already on Gillian's cryptic offer.
"Ryuuto, are you okay? Was there… trouble with Gillian?" Gwen asked, concern etched in her face.
Harry chimed in earnestly: "If there's a real misunderstanding, I can help smooth it over. I'll fix it, no problem!"
Ryuuto waved them off, a faint laugh escaping. "Relax, nothing unforgivable happened." He draped an arm over Gwen's shoulder, smiling softly. Then, his tone shifted, serious and firm:
"By the way… whatever you do, Gwen… don't work with Gillian. Promise me that."