NOVEL NEXT Chapter 197: Forty-one
Jessica stepped forward as Tasha moved aside, her expression a mixture of determination and nervous anticipation. She smoothed down her skirt and flashed a grin at Miss Charlotte.
"I'm ready," she announced.
"Alright, Jessica." Miss Charlotte said kindly, resetting the orb with a tap of her panel. "Please, sit."
Jessica slid into the chair, her legs bouncing slightly with restless energy. She placed her hands carefully onto the orb's cool, glassy surface. Miss Charlotte pressed the button, and the orb ignited with a pure, clean glow. A heartbeat later, the holographic screen flickered, stabilizing into sharp, glowing text:
*Name: Jessica Smith
*Ability Type: Elemental
*Current Level: 20
Jessica gasped so loudly it startled the group. "Wait.. what? Level twenty?" Her eyes flew wide as she leaned forward, almost pressing her nose to the hologram. "But… but I was only eighteen! I haven't even trained that much. How is this possible?"
Her voice was a blend of shock and delight, trembling with disbelief.
Tasha folded her arms, smirking knowingly. "Looks like you leveled up after all, sis." she chuckled.
Jessica's lips trembled into a smile. "This is… this is so amazing. I thought I was stuck." she said.
Tasha chuckled. "You probably leveled up when you pushed yourself in that fight with Irene." she pointed out.
Jayden leaned forward, his voice warm and reassuring. "Good job, Jessica. You pushed through without even realizing it. That kind of growth is rare… and impressive."
Aileen grinned. "Seriously, that's incredible. Congrats."
Cassandra, leaning casually against the desk, gave a teasing clap. "Well, well. Who knew our Jessica was hiding some progress?"
Jessica laughed nervously, her cheeks glowing pink. "I-I can't believe it." Her smile grew wider, unable to hide her joy. She was extremely happy.
Jessica wasn't like Tasha who liked to train and cared about becoming stronger. No, she was more casual and carefree with a nonchalant view on power, strength and hierarchy.
She didn't care about those things. She just likes to have fun and play games. The world was on big playground for her.
Miss Charlotte's fingers clicked across the holographic keyboard as she entered Jessica's information. "Congratulations," she said with a professional smile. "Your registration is approved. You're officially in."
Jessica stood up, bouncing slightly on her toes. "Thank you!" she said, her happiness so bright it was infectious.
Cassandra tilted her head toward Aileen. "Go on. Your turn." she urged her.
Aileen chuckled softly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Alright,"
She moved forward with her calm, collected air and sat gracefully in the chair. Placing her hands on the orb, she waited as Miss Charlotte activated it. The light flared, dimmed, and the results materialized on the screen:
*Name: Aileen Watson
*Ability Type: Elemental
*Current Level: 19
Aileen tilted her head, studying the glowing text with amusement. "Looks like I leveled up too." A little chuckle slipped out of her.
"By two," Tasha noted, smiling warmly. "Good job, Aileen."
"Thanks," Aileen replied, her tone light but pleased.
Jayden nodded approvingly. "That's impressive, Aileen. Well done." he said with a smile.
Aileen's smile softened at his words, her usual calm demeanor brightened with quiet pride. She filled in her details quickly and efficiently, then stepped aside with a satisfied nod.
Cassandra clapped her hands once. "Well, I guess it's my turn." She strolled forward with her usual aura of confidence, though her slightly clenched fists betrayed a flicker of nerves. Sitting down, she tossed her hair back and muttered, "Okay, let's get this over with."
She pressed her hands to the orb. Light flared again, sharper, brighter, and then the holographic text appeared:
*Name: Cassandra Isley
*Ability Type: Elemental
*Current Level: 23
Aileen and Jessica both froze, eyes wide as saucers.
"Twenty-three?!" Jessica's voice cracked with shock. "But the last time you checked… you were seventeen! And that was just about two years ago."
"Wow." Aileen added, her voice low with disbelief. "Six levels since then? That's really cool."
Cassandra leaned back in the chair, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. "What can I say? I like to keep a few secrets." she said smugly.
Tasha, arms crossed, only scoffed. "I'm not surprised." she stated with a teasing grin.
Jayden's expression remained calm, though a faint knowing smile tugged at his lips. He also wasn't surprised by the outcome.
They had both fought Cassandra before and they knew firsthand how dangerous she truly was.
Cassandra sighed dramatically, her smirk never fading. "Honestly, I was hoping to be above you, Tasha. What a letdown." she tutted, before flashing a grin. "But don't worry, I'll definitely reach level thirty before you."
"In your dreams, Cassie," Tasha shot back with a chuckle.
"We'll see about that," Cassandra said with a playful shrug. She gave Miss Charlotte the other required details and rose from the chair, walking back to their circle.
Finally, Jayden stepped forward, drawing every eye in the room. His stride was steady, but the weight of expectation pressed on him. He sat down, his eyes steady as he placed his hands on the orb.
Miss Charlotte tapped the button, but… nothing happened. The orb stayed dark.
Her brows furrowed. She tried again. Still nothing. Not even a flicker.
"What's wrong?" Jayden asked, puzzled.
Tasha leaned forward, frowning. "Why isn't the orb reading his energy?"
Miss Charlotte exhaled slowly, her fingers moving quickly over the panel. "I don't know. It could be broken." she said, trying to figure out what was wrong.
But then, her hazel eyes suddenly widened as realization struck.
"Unless…"
Jayden raised an eyebrow. "Unless what?"
Miss Charlotte's fingers danced across the holographic keyboard, as she began typing. "The orb is set to measure energy output for students below level thirty. We didn't think anyone could surpass that yet. If someone is above thirty… it won't register their energy." she explained, while recalibrating the orb's settings.
The room fell into silence. The girls were stunned.
After a while of typing, Miss Charlotte looked up at Jayden, her voice steady but tinged with awe. "I've adjusted the scale to read beyond level thirty. Let's try again and see if it works." she said, motioning for Jayden to put his hands back on the orb.
Jayden's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Okay." he said, before pressing his hands to the orb.
Miss Charlotte hit the button immediately, her eyes carrying a hopeful glimmer.
This time, the orb blazed to life, glowing so brightly it cast dancing shadows across the room. Gasps rippled through the group.
They all watched in awe, stunned and amazed. The orb had worked. Which meant.. Jayden was above level thirty, which was the bottleneck for most people.
But that wasn't all.
The orb slowly dimmed, reverting back into its transparent form. And the information displayed on the holographic screen was unbelievable.
*Name: Jayden Starrk
*Ability Type: Alteration (Transformation)
*Current Level: 41
The silence that followed was deafening.
Jessica's mouth fell open. "F-Forty-one?!"
Aileen blinked rapidly, her composure cracking. "That… that's beyond terrifying."
Even Cassandra, normally cool and aloof, looked shaken. "Reaching level forty-one… before eighteen. Is that even possible?"
Miss Charlotte's hand flew to her mouth, her hazel eyes wide in disbelief. She had heard about how strong Jayden was and so she expected his level to be high… but this was unthinkable. It was too much.
Jayden stared at the screen, equally stunned. "Forty-one? I… I didn't think I was that high." he withdrew his hands, chuckling nervously.
Jessica snapped out of her shock first. "Jayden, that's incredible! You're amazing!" she praised with stars in her eyes.
"It's truly incredible," Aileen added, her admiration clear. "How did you do it?"
Tasha's lips curved into a smile of pure pride. "I knew it. I knew he couldn't be in our level range."
Cassandra crossed her arms, though her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Guess you really were holding back that day we sparred." she chuckled.
Their praise came at him all at once, the four of them edging closer, crowding him in with glowing eyes and soft smiles.
Jayden only smiled and continued to provide the remaining necessary information for the registration.
Miss Charlotte, meanwhile, was typing in his details with slightly trembling fingers. She was staring at him differently now… her voice softer, her smile lingering longer than before. "Jayden… you're extraordinary. Truly." She hadn't meant for her words to sound so tender, but they slipped out naturally, betraying the admiration blooming inside her.
Jayden smiled politely. "Thank you, Miss Charlotte." he said.
That smile made Miss Charlotte's cheeks flush. But she quickly composed herself. "Y-You're welcome. Good luck in the tournament." she muttered after verifying his registration.
Jayden nodded respectfully and stood, walking back to his group.
But the moment he rejoined the girls, they pressed against him… Jessica clinging to his arm, Tasha wrapping herself close, Cassandra leaning in too, like a gravitational pull around him. They leaned into him, adoring and praising him.
Aileen chuckled softly at the sight, shaking her head.
"Um, girls. Could you reduce the excitement a bit?" Jayden chuckled, glancing at the room. "I don't want everyone finding out about my level just yet."
They paused at Jayden's words, then turned slowly.
The room had fallen silent, dozens of students staring openly, jaws slack. Whispers buzzed like electricity in the air.
The three girls froze, realizing the attention, then blushed furiously. Without another word, they each grabbed hold of Jayden and dragged him toward the exit, leaving the room in embarrassment.
Miss Charlotte watched them leave, her lips parting just slightly in a wistful sigh. "Lucky girls…" she murmured under her breath.
Out in the hallway, the air felt lighter. The group walked together, laughter breaking out as the tension dissolved.
"Oh, how about we all walk home together," Tasha suggested. "Our houses aren't really far anyway."
"Sounds fun." Cassandra said
Aileen chuckled. "Okay, let's do it."
Everyone agreed. And so they strolled side by side, Jayden in the middle, the girls clustered close around him, their voices weaving together in cheerful chatter as they walked out of the school and into the city.