The professor cleared his throat, bringing the ss to attention.


    "Alright, ss. Now that we''ve discussed the theory behind vitality extraction, I believe it''s time for a practical challenge."


    He reached into his bag and pulled out several herbs with purple flowers, cing them on the table at the front of the room.


    Beside each herb, he arranged an array of tools and equipment meant for extracting vitality.


    He stepped back and surveyed the ss with a mischievous glint in his eye.


    "Who here feels confident enough to put their newfound knowledge to the test? Let''s see how well you''ve been paying attention."


    His gaze swept across the sea of students, most of whom suddenly found their desks and notebooks to be very interesting.


    Silence stretched on as students exchanged nervous nces, none daring to raise their hand.


    The professor sighed dramatically.


    "Two volunteers," he said, louder this time, "or shall I have to start choosing?"


    Still, no one moved. Then, a hand shot up from the center of the room.


    "As expected," the professor said with a small smile.


    It was Amy Bluerose.


    She stood gracefully, her light blue hair cascading down her shoulders as she made her way to one side of the table. All eyes were on her, as always, her presencemanding attention.


    She positioned herself in front of one of the herbs, her expression calm and confident.


    The professor folded his arms, scanning the room again.


    "Now, as for the second volunteer... some of you aren''t even paying attention...


    ...Ah yes."


    His eyes settled on Noah, who was seated by the window, wearing the red Vanguard zer.


    Noah was diligently scribbling notes, entirely unaware of the sudden attention.


    "You, in the dashing red zer, by the window. Come and give it a try."


    Noah looked up, startled, as the entire ss turned to stare at him.


    ''But I was just writing down what he taught... Isn''t that paying attention?'' he thought, his mind racing.


    Reluctantly, he closed his notebook and stood up, making his way to the other end of the table, directly across from Amy.


    As he approached, Amy gave him a nce that was hard to read, as if she was silently saying, ''You have no chance.''


    Noah, however, stayed focused, ignoring the weight of her gaze.


    The professor pped his hands together.


    "Now, a little motivation. The winner of this challenge will receive ten meal tickets to the S-ss section of the cafeteria."


    Gasps of excitement filled the room, and suddenly, the air became lively with murmurs.


    "Meal tickets to the S-ss section? If I''d known that, I would''ve volunteered!" a student whispered loudly, drawingughter from his ssmates.


    "Yeah, me too! I would''ve extracted vitality like my life depended on it!" another added.


    "Figures, Amy''s probably going to win those tickets. She''s wless at everything," one student murmured.


    "Don''t forget that Noah''s a genius too, though. It might be closer than you think," another student countered.


    The professor chuckled at the chatter, then raised his hand to quiet the room.


    "Alright, let''s see who''s been paying attention. Begin!"


    The room fell into silence as Noah and Amy both turned their attention to the strange herb in front of them.


    It had long, slender leaves and deep purple flowers that gave off a faint, sweet scent. Unlike the herbs they had discussed in ss, this one seemed different — unfamiliar.


    Noah examined the nt, carefully recalling what the professor had said about vitality being present in different parts of nts.


    ''Roots, stems, leaves, petals...'' he thought.


    But none of those parts seemed to hold the vitality in this particr herb. He furrowed his brow, thinking harder. There was something he was missing.


    The nt was tricky, almost as if it was designed to test them.


    Meanwhile, Amy was already hard at work, methodically cutting and preparing the petals and stems. She seemed confident in her approach, and some of the students exchanged approving nods, certain that she had it all figured out.


    Noah, however, hesitated for a moment, staring at the nt.


    Minutes passed, and the room remained tense and quiet.


    Finally, the professor stepped forward, signaling the end of the challenge.


    "Time''s up!" he dered.


    He walked over to Amy first, examining the liquid she had extracted, which was a soft, lightvender color.


    He swirled the liquid in the vial and took a cautious sip.


    The professor nodded thoughtfully.


    "Not bad," he said, giving her an approving nce. The students began murmuring again, most of them expecting Amy to win.


    "Of course Amy nailed it," one student whispered.


    "She always does."


    The professor moved over to Noah, eyeing the vial in front of him.


    The liquid was a deep, rich purple, much darker than Amy''s. He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.


    Lifting the vial, he took a sip. His eyes widened, and he stared at Noah for a moment before speaking.


    "How did you know?" the professor asked, his tone one of genuine surprise.


    "How did you know to extract the vitality from the sap nodes? That''s not something we covered in ss."


    Noah remembered that a thought had struck him — a memory from the original game.


    There had been a scenario where this exact herb was crucial, but it wasn''t its visible parts that contained vitality.


    It wasn''t in the roots, the leaves, or the petals. It was in this delicate area, tucked between the stem and flower, something most would miss unless they knew exactly where to look.


    The vitality was hidden deeper, in a part of the nt most would overlook.


    The sap nodes — a small, nearly invisible part of the nt that stored a unique form of vitality.


    Noah cleared his throat.


    "Well," he began, his voice calm but confident, "I figured that this herb is different from the others, and its vitality wouldn''t be found in the usual ces.


    The sap nodes are where the nt stores its most concentrated energy. It''s a delicate extraction, but if done right, it yields a much more potent result."


    The professor blinked, impressed.


    "Indeed. Most would never think to check the sap nodes. Well done, Noah."


    Noah smiled slightly as the students pped, some still in disbelief that he had pulled it off.


    "Looks like Noah''s a genius after all," one student murmured.


    "I guess it''s not always about who''s the most confident," another added.


    The professor turned to Amy.


    "Your extraction had some vitality, but not enough to heal even a small bruise," he said kindly.


    "Still, good effort."


    Amy''s face remained calm, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes — frustration, perhaps even humiliation.


    She gave a small, polite nod, though it was clear the oue had caught her off guard.


    The professor handed Noah the stack of meal tickets, smiling.


    "Well done, Noah. You''ve earned these."


    Noah took them, offering a polite smile as the ss erupted into apuse.


    Amy, however, remained silent, her expression unreadable as she stepped back from the table.


    She nced at Noah, and for a brief moment, something cold shed in her eyes before she looked away.