Lei Ting could've strangled Aijier.
After finally seizing the perfect moment—inches away from tasting Maria's lips—that meddlesome swordswoman had ruined everything.
*Is the universe mocking me?*
Maria, despite her usual composure, was too flustered to continue. They sat by the pond in awkward silence, Lei Ting viciously poking the water with a stick to torment the fish.
*Can't kiss the teacher? Fine. I'll bully the fish instead.*
---
Back at Maria's cottage, Sisi was already snoring like a hibernating bear, while Erik meditated diligently.
Lei Ting, still fuming, decided to take it out on Erik.
"Let's test your meridian knowledge," he said sweetly, then proceeded to grill the poor boy on the most obscure pressure points.
Erik's face fell. "Brother Lei... you're picking all the ones I don't know!"
"Exactly." Lei Ting grinned as Erik's misery washed away his own frustration. *Ah, the sweet relief of transferred suffering.*
---
**Next Morning**
Maria returned with the assessment results. "Good news! Lightning Class ranked **second** this term!"
"**Second?!**" Sisi shrieked. "After all those missions? Who beat us?"
"Aijier's class." Maria pointed to their final task—**slaying a Tier 6 magical beast**.
Erik gasped. "That's suicide for beginners!"
"They planned carefully," Maria said. "But yes, mostly luck."
The difference? A mere 10 points.
---
**Promotion Problems**
"You need to get certified as a **Primary Mage**," Maria told Lei Ting. "Headmaster Laurent can—"
"No." Lei Ting shuddered. The old man's puppy-dog eyes haunted him.
Maria sighed and left, returning with... an **Apprentice Robe**.
"This is an insult!" Lei Ting shook the plain black garment. "Where's my star insignia?"
"Headmaster says," Maria mimicked Laurent's voice, "**'No personal appearance, no promotion.'**"
*Petty old windbag!*
---
**One Month Vacation**
The group relocated to Lei Ting's manor. While Sisi dragged Tifa off to play and Erik fed koi fish, Lei Ting locked himself in the study to experiment.
Last time he'd inscribed a scroll, a mysterious **hexagram** had appeared, amplifying its power. He needed to recreate that phenomenon.
Focusing his **Celestial Eye**, Lei Ting began inscribing a basic **Fireball Scroll**. His hand moved like a loom weaving fate itself—fluid, precise.
As the final rune settled, the parchment **glowed**.
Elemental threads intertwined, crystallizing into a shimmering hexagram.
*Success!*
"**What... is that?**"
Maria stood in the doorway, damp hair curling at her shoulders, lavender soap scent clinging to her skin.
Overcome, Lei Ting swept her into a spin, then—
**Their lips met.**
Clumsy, hungry, electric. Maria froze, then melted against him. When they finally parted, her cheeks matched her crimson robe.
"W-we... could've gone deeper," Lei Ting rasped, suddenly an expert on kissing techniques he'd never tried.
Maria hid her face in his chest. "**Explain the scroll first!**"
**What secrets does the hexagram hold? And will Laurent ever get his staff?**