Reborn With A Technology System In A Fantasy World-Chapter 70: Serena

~DING—DONG!~

The lunch bell’s sharp chime cut through the haze of Adrian’s cultivation, pulling him from the intoxicating flow of mana.

His eyes fluttered open, and he took a deep breath before dismissing the formation and sending everything into his [Inventory]. Checking his panel, a grin spread across his face:

[Mana: 22.02%]

The jump from was thrilling, and Adrian could almost taste the 2-Star threshold.

At this rate, he would hit it before his next trip outside the Academy, even without pushing himself too hard.

"Not bad," he muttered, stretching his arms. Despite not feeling hungry; thanks to the mana sustaining him, he still craved to eat something, if only to feel normal for a bit.

***

Adrian ate quickly in the cafeteria, before making his way to the Alchemy Hall.

Stepping inside, he made out that ten mages were already already there, but none of the Knights had arrived yet.

But Adrian’s gaze caught on a group of three girls at the back, their voices bright with laughter. One of them, with silver-blonde hair stood out immediately.

A smile crept onto his face.

"Found her."

It was Serena. He had guessed she would pick Alchemy, having spotted Fabian in Rune Making, and Diana and Julian in History.

She was engrossed in conversation, gesturing animatedly, but Adrian decided to approach anyway.

He wove through the desks, stopping behind her. She was mid-sentence, facing her friends, when he tapped her shoulder lightly.

Serena shrugged at first, still smiling, but when she turned and met Adrian’s eyes, her face froze in shock.

A split second later, she let out a delighted squeal.

"Adrian!" she cried, launching herself at him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I can’t believe you’re here! You actually came! Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to see you!"

Her words tumbled out in a rush, her voice muffled against his shoulder as she squeezed tighter.

"How did this even happen?"

Adrian laughed softly, caught off guard by her enthusiasm. After a moment, he gently disentangled himself and smiled.

"I’m happy to see you too, Serena."

Her two friends, still seated, exchanged curious glances. One, a girl with sharp green eyes and auburn hair took the initiative.

"Serena, who’s this?"

Serena opened her mouth immediately:

"He’s my broth—"

She didn’t finish before Adrian cut in smoothly.

"We’re friends," he said in a calm voice. "I’m like a brother to her, but, we’re just friends."

He shot Serena a quick, meaningful look, hoping she’d catch on.

Serena’s smile faltered for a moment, her eyes searching his. She hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Yeah, friends," she agreed, though her voice carried a hint of reluctance. The lie didn’t sit well with her, but she trusted Adrian enough not to push.

The auburn-haired girl raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but her other friend shrugged and said,

"Well, nice to meet you, I guess."

They didn’t press further, though their curiosity lingered.

Adrian glanced at Serena’s friends, then back at her. "I’ll let you get back to them," he said, stepping back. "We’ll catch up later."

But Serena was already on her feet, brushing past her friends with a quick,

"No, I’m coming with you!"

Her friends blinked, startled, as she abandoned them without a second glance.

"Where are you sitting?" she asked, falling into step beside him.

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head, and led her to a desk near the front. They settled in, Serena practically bouncing with excitement.

Almost immediately, she asked in a low voice.

"Okay, why would you say we are just friends? What’s with the secrecy, Adrian? We’re siblings. Why lie about it?"

Adrian sighed. "I’m not a Borin anymore, Serena. Lord Cedric made sure no one knows I was ever part of the family, and if word got out we are related, it could stir up trouble. For me, for you, for the others. It’s better this way, at least for now."

Serena’s brow furrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn’t like it nor did she fully understand him, but she nodded slowly.

"Okay, I get it... I think. It’s just weird, you know?" She paused, then brightened, shifting topics. frёewebηovel.cѳm

"So, how did you even get into the Academy?"

Adrian began recounting how a creation of him helped him with the test, earning gasps from his sister as he explained.

Serena also animated recounted how she got into the Academy, and went on to tell Adrian of her experiences.

Adrian also confirmed the thought he had earlier. Mages were treated far better than Knights. For one, they didn’t have a specific time to eat. Their rooms also came with special training centers.

Adrian heard a lot from her that he even began to wonder how much he truly knew of the Academy. From his own part, he also shared how his classes went, and how he was now an Ascended.

They talked easily like they’ve been years apart until the bell interrupted them, signaling the start of class.

Professor Lira walked into the Alchemy Hall soon after, and the class stood up to greet her.

She acknowledged them with a curt nod as her sharp eyes scanned the room.

"This is our first proper Alchemy class," she began. "As I instructed in our introductory session, you were to study at least twenty-five percent of the Compendium of Alchemical Ingredients from the library. I gave you one week to prepare, and I trust you’ve all done as I asked."

A murmur rippled through the class, some students exchanging nervous glances.

Professor Lira raised a hand, and with a low, melodic chant, the stack of papers on her desk lifted into the air.

The parchments floated gracefully, each one gliding to land neatly in front of a student. Gasps and whispers filled the room at the display of magic, but Adrian only smiled faintly, since he’ll never be capable of such.

"This test contains one hundred questions," Professor Lira announced, her voice cutting through the chatter.

"You need at least twenty-five correct answers to remain in my class. Failure is not an option if you wish to continue studying Alchemy."

She reached into her desk, pulling out an hourglass. In a smooth motion, she turned it over, and the grains began to fall.

"Your time starts now. Take out your ink and quill and begin."

Adrian had come to class empty-handed, so he pretended to rummage in his pocket, subtly summoning an ink well and quill from his [Inventory].

The motion was unnoticed and he set to work, scanning the first question.

The Compendium was still etched into his memory, its diagrams of mana plants and reagent properties as clear as if he were open before him.

The questions ranged from the properties, to naming to functions, but none challenged Adrian.

He answered swiftly, his quill scratching across the parchment, each response precise and concise.

Finishing well before the hourglass went half, Adrian stood and submitted his paper, drawing curious stares from his classmates.

A few whispered, "He’s already done?", "He must have given up."

Others shot him skeptical looks, but Adrian ignored them and returned to his seat.

He needed Professor Lira’s contribution points as well and holding back was not an option, so he had made sure he got every question correctly.

The Instructor’s eyes flicked to him with an unreadable expression as he passed, before she set his paper aside without comment.

Settling back into his desk, Adrian observed the others.

Most students hunched over their papers, brows furrowed in concentration. The test wasn’t drawn from a single section of the Compendium but spanned its entirety, demanding a broad understanding.

It was no wonder they struggled, and that was why the cut-off mark was only twenty-five percent.

His gaze drifted to Serena, who was scribbling furiously, her lips moving silently as she recalled answers. She was giving it her all, and Adrian hoped she performed well.

Then, unexpectedly, he spotted Julian among the students. His brother, usually so unassuming, blended into the class like a shadow.

’He’s like a ghost,’ Adrian thought, surprised he had missed him earlier.

Julian took History, so Adrian was surprised to see him here.

Unlike the others’ tense expressions, Julian’s was unreadable, leaving Adrian to wonder if the test was easy for him or if he was just unflappable by nature.

With time to spare, Adrian stopped observing and decided to cultivate.

He closed his eyes, focusing inward, drawing in mana into his dantian. It was thinner than with his Formation, but he couldn’t begin activating such here.

He was deep in the process when Professor Lira’s sharp clap broke his focus, followed by a soft chant.

The parchments lifted from the desks, even from students still writing, and floated back to her in a neat stack.

A few groaned, their tests unfinished, while others looked relieved to be done.

"You’ve written what you know," Professor Lira said. "I’ll mark these now. Remain seated."