The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist novel Chapter 97

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Chapter 97: Chapter 97 : A genius and a crazy professor

Professor Rick adjusted his spectacles and clapped his hands, commanding the attention of the buzzing classroom.

"Alright, everyone. Let’s begin with the very basics," he said in a cheerful but firm voice, striding up to the projection board at the front.

With a flick of his wrist, a glowing red rune appeared on the smart board, etched with smooth, looping strokes and angular curves.

"This," Rick declared, stepping aside, "is the fundamental rune for unleashing a Fireball Spell. F-rank. Nothing fancy, but deadly enough if you mess it up."

Murmurs broke out among the students.

He then turned toward his desk, pulled out a fresh parchment, and calmly replicated the rune with practiced ease.

Once completed, he infused a faint trace of mana into the paper.

The rune pulsed, gleamed—and with a sudden fwoosh, a small fireball burst into existence, zipping forward a few feet before fizzling out harmlessly in midair.

Gasps echoed through the room.

"As you can see," Rick said, brushing off his hands, "I don’t even have a fire affinity. But with runes and a bit of mana control, I can still pull off a fireball spell." He smiled, the tips of his gray-streaked hair catching the ambient glow.

He turned to face the class, his expression now a little more mischievous. "Now, your turn. Draw this exact rune on your parchment. But—" he raised a finger, "only infuse mana after you’re sure the rune is correct. If it’s wrong, well..."

He chuckled darkly. "Fire spells have a nasty way of exploding in your face. I don’t recommend getting a new hairstyle like that."

Laughter trickled through the class.

"Relax," Rick added with a grin. "It’s just F-rank. No one’s gonna die." He paused dramatically. "Probably."

A few students gulped nervously. Rick smirked. "If you’re unsure, just ask me to check it first."

The class nodded in unison, heads bending down to their parchments.

Rick began to walk through the aisles, hands behind his back. "Don’t be ashamed if you don’t get it right on your first try. Nobody does. Rune drawing is about precision and talent."

Just then, a confident voice rang out.

"Professor! I’ve completed mine."

Rick turned with interest. "Already?"

Lilia sat up straight, wearing a smug smile that practically glowed. She held out her parchment with a perfectly drawn rune, lines smooth and sharp like practiced calligraphy.

Rick took the parchment, eyes scanning the rune closely. He gave a low whistle. "As impressive as always, Lilia."

With a flick of his fingers, a translucent barrier shimmered into existence a few meters away. "Alright. Infuse mana and fire at the barrier."

Lilia nodded, her violet eyes gleaming. She focused on the rune, her fingers glowing faintly.

A fireball shimmered to life and shot toward the barrier, colliding with it in a small but crisp explosion before dissipating.

Rick clapped once. "Very good. Controlled, clean, and with perfect structure. You’ve got fine control over your mana."

Sliding back into her seat beside Alex, Lilia leaned toward him, her smirk widening. "Struggling, Mr. Godly Beauty? Can’t figure out a simple rune?"

Alex didn’t even look up.

"I could teach you," she offered, voice sweet but clearly baiting. "But only if you promise to go to the Academy Ball with me."

Inside, she was nearly vibrating with triumph.

’Finally! All those sleepless nights studying rune formations in the organization’s library are finally paying off. Took me a whole week to draw my first one properly. He’s just a newbie at this—it’ll probably take him longer, even if he is talented.’

Alex finally raised his head—and gave her a soft, casual smile that somehow irritated her more than any insult could.

"Sorry," he said smoothly. "You’re not worthy to walk beside me."

Lilia blinked. Her jaw tightened.

’Did he just insult my looks again? The very same looks that earned me daily confessions? Where guys line up just to get a single smile from me? The same ones that make them fight to carry my books?!’

Before she could retort, Alex stood up.

"Professor," he said clearly, "I’m done as well."

Rick blinked. "That was... fast, Mr. Dragonheart."

He glanced around. Most of the students were still scratching their heads—some literally. A few had scribbled such wonky lines it looked like chicken scratch.

One poor soul at the back—determined or just foolish—infused mana into his sloppy rune. It exploded with a loud BOOM, smoke filling the area and leaving the kid with a soot-blackened face and singed eyebrows.

The class burst out laughing as the poor boy ran from the room, sniffling.

Rick chuckled. "Try not to end up like that lad, eh?"

Alex smirked. "Don’t worry about me, Professor."

"Alright then," Rick said, adjusting his glasses. "Let’s see your parchment."

Alex replied calmly, "I didn’t use one."

The room went dead silent.

Rick blinked again, confused. "You... didn’t draw it?"

Lilia scoffed. "Did you not hear what the professor said, Mr. Apex? You were supposed to draw it first."

Rick frowned slightly. "Are you making fun of my class, Alex?"

Alex shrugged. "Not at all, sir. I just... drew it a bit differently."

Understanding dawned on Rick’s face. His eyes widened.

"...No way. You’re kidding."

Alex raised his right hand.

Without any parchment, without any tool, he began drawing in midair. Trails of glowing red mana followed his fingertip as the rune took form—perfect, elegant, pulsing with quiet energy.

The class watched in stunned silence as the rune floated in the air, shimmering with power.

And then—

WHOOSH!

He released it.

The fireball rocketed across the room, hitting the test barrier with a resounding BAM! The barrier flared with light—and cracked.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

Gasps filled the room. One girl even dropped her pen.

Rick’s jaw dropped; there was clearly awe in his expression.

Around the room, mouths hung open. One student muttered, "He cracked it... with an F-rank spell."

Lilia’s eye twitched. Her jaw hung open.

Meanwhile, the one who caused the commotion—Alex—stared at the cracked barrier with wide eyes. His hand was still raised, a faint wisp of mana trailing from his fingertip like smoke.

"I... I just wanted to conjure a little fireball," he muttered under his breath, blinking slowly. "I wasn’t expecting it to hit that hard."

Then, as if summoned by his confusion, the cool and slightly smug voice of his system echoed in his mind.

[Host, I’ve already informed you—your mana is significantly denser and purer than the average cadet’s.]

Alex’s brow twitched. ’Oh right... you told me that this morning when I was yelling at you and calling you useless.’

[...]

He smirked to himself. ’Guess you’re only useful when it comes to explaining things after the fact.’

Rick, meanwhile, was still standing there, slack-jawed and motionless, staring at the barrier as though it had personally insulted him. Alex waved a hand in front of his face.