Ange’s merciless evaluation of them as rookies sent vastly different ripples through the classroom.
Huayin’s reaction was the most intense — like a cat that had its tail stepped on, she nearly — no, she actually jumped up to argue.
In sharp contrast, however, was Ingrid. The blonde young lady didn’t show any sign of defiance after hearing the evaluation; instead, she looked as if she had been awakened to something, silently lowering her head with a hint of shame.
She opened her exquisite notebook, picked up her pen, and neatly wrote a few words on a blank page.
‘I am a rookie!!!’
Three forcefully written exclamation points followed, as if to deepen her understanding and spur herself forward.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, not from anger, but from reflection.
Everything was a matter of comparison.
She and Huayin did have demon-hunting experience before entering the Academy, which might have seemed impressive to outsiders.
But what about their Teacher Ange? Before coming to the Academy, she was a rogue hunter who had never received any systematic teaching!
Yet, despite that, Teacher Ange was able to solve multiple demon incidents alone before the Academy’s official Demon Hunters even arrived, with staggering efficiency.
Furthermore, the issues Teacher Ange pointed out hit the nail on the head.
During that time at the casino, they had indeed only been dealing with some low-level trash demons. And the result?
Her own skirt had been torn, and Huayin, a Phoenix who controlled flames, actually had her hair singed by the enemy’s residual fire.
Although the scorched hair was later replaced by new growth, it was undoubtedly proof of their negligence and carelessness in actual combat.
On the other hand, Teacher Ange, after dealing with similar or even more troublesome enemies, was so clean and efficient that she didn’t even need a shower.
The gap was real and undeniable.
Sitting by the window, Sakika glanced with her black eyes at the deeply reflecting Ingrid, then at Ange on the podium, who had an ‘I’m just stating facts’ expression on her face.
She silently took out her own notebook — a very ordinary, even somewhat old spiral notebook.
She didn’t write down any self-criticism like ‘I am a rookie’. Instead, she recorded in clear, calm handwriting:
‘Classroom Observation: Due to Ingrid and Huayin’s performance flaws in the previous mission, I have also been categorized as a rookie by Teacher Ange. How unlucky…’
She wasn’t taking notes because she truly agreed with the evaluation; it was more out of a pragmatic mindset of archiving for future reference and risk avoidance.
After all, she didn’t want someone else’s mistake to affect her graduation or her status as a Demon Hunter.
Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, Huayin’s initial impulse faded as she looked at Ange’s calm but unquestionable gaze.
Seeing Ingrid’s submissive attitude, she found she had nowhere to vent the anger boiling in her chest.
In the end, she only gave a highly displeased click of her tongue and sat back down heavily in her chair.
She crossed her arms, showing no intention of taking notes. Instead, like a bossy man looking for trouble, she arrogantly crossed her legs, the tip of her red high heel bobbing in the air.
In all her life, this was the first time she had been called a rookie so bluntly and insultingly. The fire of her anger burned brightly in her heart.
She had originally intended her comment from this morning — ‘I’m going to make your bed dirty too’ — to be just an angry remark.
But now, looking at the silver-haired woman on the podium with an ‘I’m doing this for your own good’ face, she suddenly felt… maybe this plan could actually be put on the agenda?
She would let her experience what true misery felt like!
‘Prepare to sleep in my ** tonight!’
Ange took in the reactions of the three below. After a pause, she crossed her arms and leaned against the podium, continuing in a flat but piercing tone.
“I wasn’t being strictly demanding on purpose. I was just stating the facts. Besides, think about your future situation.”
She raised a hand and pointed around the classroom, which was empty except for the four of them.
“In other classes, for the same mission, other teachers might have thirty soldiers to deploy, rotate, or use as scouts. But what about us?”
Her gaze swept across the only three students in the room, her tone carrying a faint, imperceptible heaviness.
“Look at our classroom — it’s empty. The severity of future missions is easy to imagine. We cannot afford to lose any battle, nor can we afford any unnecessary injuries. Therefore, recognizing your status as rookies is the first step to staying alive and completing missions.”
Her words were like a heavy stone weighing on everyone’s hearts. Even Huayin’s arrogant leg-crossing slowed down subconsciously.
The empty classroom seemed to silently emphasize the cruel reality they would face in the future: being outnumbered.
“So, are we playing StarCraft?” Sakika spoke up. “You’re the player, and we’re your units?”
“Essentially,” Ange replied. “But don’t worry, you aren’t the 50-Buck Brothers.”
“Can we stop rambling and say something useful, Teacher?” Huayin cut in.
“What is there to say about demon hunting?” Ange said.
“It’s nothing more than understanding demons, becoming familiar with the methods to deal with them, and making good use of your bloodlines to turn them into weapons. Generally speaking, that’s it.”
“…” Ingrid continued writing notes frantically.