Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

Chapter 86: The Challenge of Talent



With the assistance of their English teacher, Mathilda, Xanthia's "top student" aura undoubtedly became even more dazzling.

Seeing Xanthia flawlessly write on the blackboard, everyone instinctively believed that this girl must have worked hard to master the day's vocabulary and phrases so proficiently. Little did they know, Mathilda had initially targeted Xanthia for her audacious behavior.

While others were diligently memorizing words during the morning reading session, Xanthia casually flipped to the vocabulary list at the back of her English textbook. She glanced at it for five minutes, then tossed the book aside to indulge in a leisure read. She seemed to revel in the serious efforts of others, treating their recitations as a background soundtrack for her enjoyment.

Such behavior was infuriating!

Mathilda, who had taught for many years, had seen her share of students with poor attitudes. But she had never encountered one who, despite their lackadaisical demeanor, could deliver a perfect performance purely on "hard skills." Xanthia's flawless answers left everyone in awe.

Given this, there was nothing more to be said. If your methods yield strong results and excellent grades, as a teacher, there’s no point in disrupting your rhythm. However, should your grades slip one day, you'll face the inevitable backlash.

The more joyous you are now, the harsher the retribution when teachers hold you accountable.

Many teachers, once they start reprimanding, dig deeper, tracing the root of your mistakes, sometimes even going as far back as examining your lineage.

As the morning reading session concluded, many students slumped over their desks for a quick nap. Interestingly, some who had been dozing off during the session suddenly became energetic and wide awake after it ended. They often puzzled over why they felt sleepy during classes but invigorated during breaks.

The schedule for boarding students at Thessaloniki First High School was strict. They finished their third evening study session at 8:50 PM, with lights out in the dormitories by 9:45 PM. They had to wake up by 6:30 AM because morning exercises started at 6:50 AM, accompanied by shouting slogans like "United we stand, moving forward with courage" and "Youth soars, striving for strength." Despite how silly it felt, they had no choice but to chant.

Many students ran while still groggy, as falling asleep immediately after lights out was rare. Some dormitories habitually held tea parties, while others relaxed or entertained themselves until late. Falling asleep before 11:00 PM was considered early. Some avid web novel readers would stay up all night, inevitably needing to catch up on sleep the next day.

After the previous day's major gossip incident, both the boys' and girls' dormitories were abuzz with discussion. For instance, Dematero's dorm had a thorough debate. Besides Glen, who sided with Dematero, other roommates either remained neutral or criticized his behavior towards Elena La Loannou, viewing it as overly rude, given that Elena wasn't at fault—Yannis was the real issue.

Dematero, however, maintained a cheerful attitude, joking with his roommates as if breaking ties with Elena was a grand occasion.

"So, have you completely abandoned Elena for Xanthia?" one roommate posed a probing question.

"No, absolutely not! Don't slander me!" Dematero denied firmly, just as he had when denying his feelings for Elena.

"I’m not interested in any woman right now. I don't want to talk about love; I just want to write and make money!" Dematero declared.

"Dude, you're just trying to spite Yannis and Elena and then prove Xanthia's taste. Isn't that a roundabout way of saying you like her?" another roommate teased sharply.

Despite the darkness, Dematero's face turned red, and veins bulged on his forehead. "I'm just proving Xanthia's good judgment and fighting for my dignity. How does that mean I like her?" he retorted.

His subsequent cryptic statements about "she and she being different" and "true moonlight shining in memory" elicited laughter, filling the dorm with a lively atmosphere.

Only Glen remained quietly listening, his expression calm and thoughtful.

Boys' conversations were like this: teasing each other until someone took it seriously and broke down, losing the game. It was simpler to just admit feelings openly instead of justifying them.

However, Dematero's literary mindset was unyielding, proving that old habits die hard.

Such late-night chats heightened everyone's excitement, leading to a sleepless night and a predictable struggle during the morning run.

After ten minutes of running, the boarders returned to the classroom around 6:05 AM for the "morning reading session," dedicated to reciting texts and vocabulary from either Latin or English. By 6:30 AM, this torture ended, allowing them to have breakfast until 7:10 AM, when the "early study session" began.

It was now 7:40 AM, and the early study session had just concluded. In ten minutes, the first formal class would start.

Day students like Xanthia had it easier. They didn't have to participate in the morning run. The diligent ones might arrive early for the 6:05 AM session, while the lazier ones, like Xanthia, only needed to arrive by 7:10 AM to avoid being late.

Xanthia usually arrived around 7:05 AM, exemplifying a lazy day student. However, her "top student" status shielded her from any reprimands from teachers.

In schools, the principle of "voluntary" participation often felt more mandatory, leaving students with no real choice.

Xanthia, who slept by 10 PM and woke up around 6 AM, ensured she got her full eight hours of sleep. This healthy routine contributed to her well-being, enhancing her physical attributes and giving her a radiant complexion.

She had that classic cold-white skin tone that flushes into an enticing blush with vigorous exercise, doubling her cuteness instantly and making people want to commit crimes!

Because she consistently maintained sufficient sleep, Xanthia naturally had abundant energy. While others needed post-class naps, she could continue having fun without wasting a moment of accumulating joy points.

Elena lay on her desk, her cheek turned towards Xanthia.

To be fair, Elena's looks were not top-tier. They couldn't compete with Xanthia after she put on her gear, titles, and activated the "Moonlight" effect. However, Elena had her own unique aura and was adept at maintaining her image, essentially wearing a goddess filter all the time.

But in front of Xanthia, her close tablemate, Elena wouldn't pretend anymore.

"Xanthia, you did so well in dictation today. Did you do all the previewing at home?" Elena asked curiously.

Xanthia tilted her head and looked at Elena lying there. She truthfully replied, "No, I never take textbooks home."

As her desk mate, Elena knew very well that Xanthia never took anything home after the evening self-study session except her phone. With both hands in the pockets of her school uniform, she would slip away, so carefree...

Who wouldn't envy such a high school life?

"I know. You must have a set of textbooks at home, along with various study guides like 'National Exam Preparatories' and 'Guide to Romanian Mock Exams,' right?" Elena's eyes seemed to see through Xanthia.

"How is that possible? Do you really think I'm the kind of person who quietly works hard in private, grinding away to death? Clearly not. I just want to enjoy this high school life." Xanthia said sincerely.

The more sincere she was, the more Elena felt the sting of reality. Was the IQ gap between people really this wide? Everyone was playing the "Earth OL" game, but why did it feel like Xanthia was using a cracked version?

She sighed out of frustration. There really are people who are blessed by heavens and the rest... well, who knows.

Elena instantly switched from a lying position to sitting upright, then began earnestly reviewing the content of the next class. She coldly hummed, "I don't believe it, I won't listen. Xanthia, you won't corrupt my heart. Your showing off like this will only make me work harder!"

Xanthia smiled, "That's good. Then you work hard, and I'll cheer you on too."

Originally able to barely maintain her composure, Elena was somewhat caught off guard by Xanthia's "cheering for you" remark. It was a bit of a coin flip, and there was no way out. She always felt that the harder she worked, the more the gap between her and Xanthia widened in terms of grades...

Elena felt weird when comes about Xanthia and she didn't know what these feelings were.

'Forget it'

The longer she sat next to Xanthia, the more she realized how genuinely intelligent the other girl was, especially in the sciences. No matter what question you asked Xanthia, she could explain it clearly with just a glance. This level of insight truly made Elena admire her.

Although Elena was the type to always maintain a filtered, goddess-like demeanor, when facing such an outrageously talented top student like Xanthia, even she would put on a filter. And then, she increasingly hoped to have a closer relationship with Xanthia.

Xanthia, on the other hand, didn't reject the flattery and closeness of pretty girls. After finishing her conversation with Elena, Lhoraine La Bustamante, her gossip-loving front-row neighbor, turned back around.

"Xanthia, our school is going to hold the autumn sports meet in two weeks. Do you have any particular sports you excel in?" Lhoraine asked.

Before Xanthia could respond, Luciel interjected, "Lhoraine, are you intentionally hurting me? All of Xanthia's talent points are invested in her brain. It's normal for her physical fitness to be a bit lacking. Besides, she's also the school broadcaster. She will definitely be responsible for cheering on our class's competitors from the observatory during the competition. We don't need her to do physical work."

Luciel had a strong sports sense, especially excelling in short-distance running. She would definitely participate in the school sports meet. Just thinking about hearing Xanthia's inspiring cheers filled her with determination.

Initially uninterested in the school sports meet, Xanthia refreshed her task list and discovered a challenge mission that could directly upgrade her "physical health" attribute to "strong and robust." Immediately, her interest was piqued.

This challenge mission was to win a championship in a certain event at the school sports meet!

Undoubtedly, this task was very difficult for her current weak physical attributes. Don't underestimate the school sports meet; all the athletes would participate. Therefore, such generous rewards were quite normal.

To win a championship in an event, Xanthia had to brainstorm and come up with a way to "overcome the strong with the weak."

After a little thought, she saw the "Stamina Potion" she had received from opening a blind box in her item list. Her eyes lit up. In addition, with her "Gourmet" attribute, she could eat enough in advance and store plenty of energy. Who could match her endurance? She was like a human camel!

So, Xanthia cleared her throat and said to Lhoraine, "I do have a sport I excel in. In fact, I'm good at long-distance running. In an event like the 3000 meters at the school sports meet, many classes struggle to find someone to participate reluctantly. Our class won't have that problem. I'll take charge of running the 3000 meters."

With this statement, Luciel and Lhoraine in the front row were stunned, and even Elena, her tablemate, couldn't help but hold back a smile, unable to maintain her goddess demeanor.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.