NOVGO.NET Chapter 815: First Day Jitters (4)
Chapter 815: Chapter 815: First Day Jitters (4)
Gabriel’s heart raced as Ms. Vesper activated her star-space scan, a faint glow in her eyes signalling a spiritual skill’s activation. Star-space scanning was rare outside teaching—its complexity often demanded years of mastery, used to track students’ cultivation or detect issues in their star spaces.
A girl with a jeweled hairpin stepped up, her shoulders straight but her eyes betraying nerves. Ms. Vesper’s gaze lingered on her for a long, suffocating moment, as though weighing the measure of her cultivation against some invisible standard. At last she gave a short nod, and the girl’s relieved exhale could be heard even in the hushed hall.
Another boy’s expression was visibly tense, his fingers twitching at his side. When the teacher’s eyes lit with a scanning glow and swept across his star space, the silence seemed to stretch on forever. Ms. Vesper’s lips pressed thin, and finally she began to frown. Clearly she was not impressed by his current progress, and the boy’s shoulders slumped as he shuffled back into the line, face pale with humiliation.
When Gabriel’s turn came, his palms were slick with sweat. The scan felt like a needle piercing his core, probing the Veil of the Hidden Star. He held his breath, praying the necklace’s cloak caught any stray emissions. Ms. Vesper’s eyes narrowed before widening with repressed joy.
“Impressive. A condensed star at twelve, bright and stable… Perhaps you’ll even awaken an affinity independently when you are a few years older. Until then, you can keep polishing your foundation to increase the chances of awakening a powerful affinity. Keep cultivating.”
Gabriel exhaled, relief flooding him. The Veil had masked Xuanwu’s presence, showing only a single, vibrant star—exceptional for his age but lacking the beast-taming affinity that would raise alarms.
The class buzzed, students whispering. “He has a condensed star already?! Is he perhaps an older student that got held back a year” a girl said, her tone a mix of envy and disbelief that someone the same age as her could be so far passed them in cultivation. Most students were still a couple years away from being able to condense their first stars. And that’s because this is an elite school…at Kain’s former public school, many didn’t condense their first star space until the age of 17 or 18.
Another, a noble with a silver bracelet, smirked. “He has a slight southern hick accent, though. Probably a fluke.”
Gabriel’s face heated, but Cherry squeezed his hand under the desk. “They’re just jealous,” she muttered.
“A condensed star at our age is rarer than anything they could buy with money and a good sign that your affinity will be super high in the future.” Gabriel nodded, but the jab stung. He’d spent years scraping by, his uncle’s funds barely covering food, while these nobles flaunted gear worth more than his old life. Ms. Vesper continued, explaining the different conditions that could affect the type of affinity one may awaken: genetics, some rare spiritual herbs, some unusual events in the past that people anecdotally blame for their affinities.
Lunch was in a cafeteria that felt like a palace hall. Long tables of polished mahogany groaned under enchanted dishes—fruits that sharpened focus, soups simmering with restorative herbs, meats infused with spiritual energy that left a faint tingle on the tongue. Crystal chandeliers hung above, their light refracting through floating orbs that adjusted the room’s ambiance.
Nobles sat in clusters, their tables surrounded by personal attendants who refilled drinks or adjusted their chairs. Gabriel and Cherry, with no such entourage, carried their own trays, a stark reminder of their roots.
A noble girl brushed past Gabriel, her silk scarf grazing his arm, and muttered, “Watch it, commoner.” Her friend giggled, but stopped when Cherry said loudly, “He’s with Kain Newman’s family.”
The girl’s eyes widened, and she mumbled an apology, her tone shifting to cautious respect. Kain’s wealth and influence as a talented Evolutionary Planner outstripped some lower nobles, and his siblings carried that weight.
At their table, Cherry whispered, “Don’t use the wrong spoon—they’ll notice. Nobles eat soup with the small one, not the big one like we did at home.”
She rolled her eyes, mimicking a snooty noble’s posture before snorting and tossing a grape at Gabriel, which he barely dodged.
Gabriel glanced at the array of utensils, his head spinning. In Brightstar, he’d eaten with a single bent fork and rusted spoon for everything; now, he had to navigate a maze of cutlery.
“And don’t talk while they’re eating,” Cherry added. “They think it’s crass unless you’re invited to speak.” She leaned closer, her voice teasing. “Bet you’d love to tell them off, huh? Don’t. They’re petty.”
Gabriel nodded, his imposter syndrome roaring. Every move felt like a misstep, every glance a judgment. A boy across the table, a lower noble with a worn crest, leaned forward. “Your brother Kain—any chance he’d look at my family’s contract? We can’t afford the top planners.” Gabriel mumbled, “I’ll ask,” grateful for the shift from scorn to opportunism.
During a break, Gabriel slipped to a secluded courtyard, its gardens a riot of spiritual plants—vines that pulsed with soft light, flowers that hummed faintly when touched.
Mist curled from the ground, calming his frayed nerves. He summoned Xuanwu briefly, its obsidian shell a comforting weight as he hugged it, the tortoise’s calm eyes steadying him.
A teacher passed nearby, her gaze sweeping the area at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar spiritual signature, but Gabriel quickly summoned it back. Close call, Gabriel thought, dismissing his contract. The garden’s peace was a rare respite in this alien world.
By afternoon’s end, Gabriel had survived, bolstered by Cherry’s guidance and the necklace’s minor protection. In the final class, Ms. Vesper’s lingering glance hinted at curiosity, but she said nothing.
As he walked home with Cherry, he couldn’t help recalling the day. The academy was a dazzling, daunting world, but Gabriel felt a spark of hope. He could navigate this—if he could just keep his secrets hidden.