The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Aisha was dumbfounded.

The Qilin-like beast squeezed his head out further and looked around curiously.

You adorably stupid thing! Aisha cursed inwardly. Of all times to come out, why now?

’Bang!’

Suddenly, the hustle-bustle among the students was interrupted by that loud sound.

When they turned to look, they saw Aisha had her face down on the desk. Thankfully, with her face covered by bending over her upper body on her desk, they didn’t see anything. They turned their attention back to their new combat instructor.

But not everyone looked at him.

Vesper, who looked like his soul had leaped out of his skin, cursed lowly, "Fuck, that scared me! What the hell is wrong with you?"

He was sitting behind Aisha and saw how she suddenly smashed her face against her desk for no apparent reason. And he was even picking at his nose, almost stabbing himself.

Aisha lifted her head and rested her chin on top of her desk. Her face was completely blank, but the redness on her forehead had grown even darker.

She said, "...It’s nothing."

Fortunately, she reacted fast and covered the Qilin-like beast before anyone could discover it. But when she was just about to feel relieved, a pair of golden eyes landed on her.

Zeke stood at the front of the classroom, and though there was no change in his expression, his eyes had already fallen on her before moving past to look at the other students in the room.

But that one glance made her heart drop to her stomach.

Aisha wasn’t sure if it was coincidental or intentional, but she sensed his gaze lingering on her a lot longer than when he looked at the other students.

The chances of him recognizing her after last night were too big to pass up as mere coincidence. She hoped he wouldn’t recognize her. It was dark, and she barely faced him that night. So, the chances are low.

But what if...?

Glancing at the sky outside the window, she hoped things wouldn’t go down the way she didn’t want them to. Dealing with Nykos was enough; she didn’t want the Association to suddenly take interest in her because of this incident.

The students settled down as their new instructor stopped in front of the class.

"I’m your new combat instructor. You’ll address me as Instructor Zeke during class hours."

He didn’t elaborate further than that.

No mention of rank or where he came from. He didn’t explain why the Association would bother sending a man like him to babysit the students in their class. He simply set the stick down on the podium and looked ahead.

"Look at his coat... That’s the crest of the Association, right?"

"He must have come from the Association."

Aisha kept her chin down, one hand pressed flat against her chest where a small furred head kept trying to peek out from her collar. She jabbed it lightly with a finger. It huffed, offended, and finally settled.

Zeke’s gaze passed over her again on its way across the room. Longer than it should have.

This time, Aisha knew he’d recognized her.

She chose to ignore him completely. Out of sight, out of mind.

Their new combat instructor’s voice echoed in the room as he began his class. "I heard this class was assigned Aberrant samples last week. Today, we will test them."

A ripple of unease went through the room. Class 7-D was rarely tested on anything that involved actual practical tests. Usually, they were handed theory exams and left alone to their devices, the same way a storage closet is left alone until someone remembers it exists.

The only time they were included in regular classes other classes took were when a gathering of students needed to showcase what they learned.

Obviously, the result of that ended with everyone in their classroom being utterly humiliated.

"Bring yourself and your samples forward. I’ll release the seal, and you’ll neutralize whatever’s inside it. I’ll observe your presentation and correct what needs correcting."

Silence blanketed the room instantly. Many of them lowered their gazes, avoiding their new instructor’s attention. They definitely didn’t want to be the first one to perform.

However, someone saved them from the awkward situation.

Vesper, unaware of the strange atmosphere in the classroom, raised his hand before he could think. "Me! I’ll go first!"

Seeing the first hand finally raised, some also got the courage to raise their hands to volunteer.

Aisha watched them without saying anything.

She sat very still, spine bent, eyes fixed on a point on the desk in front of her that suddenly seemed fascinating. But the truth was, she was doing her best trying not to be picked.

"The student at the back, come down."

Unfortunately, Aisha’s trick didn’t work.

"Demonstrate in front of the entire class."

For one full second, she considered pretending she hadn’t heard him. She discarded the idea quickly. She’d only get more attention if she did that.

"That’s..."

Kane looked at her with concern, but stopped before he could say anything more.

Her rank and purification value weren’t a secret in the Academy. Practically everyone within the grounds of their school knew that there was only one special student who awakened as a guide with the lowest purification ability.

He didn’t know Aisha was selected out of everyone, but it’d be bad if this ended up humiliating her.

Aisha stood up slowly, ignoring the way her classmates’ eyes followed her down the aisle.

She’d hidden the Qilin-beast’s head back into her collar before anyone noticed it poking out again, but she could still feel its tiny weight shifting against her collarbone, restless and curious. If it decided now was a good time to come out and look around, there would be no way to explain it.

"Why did he pick her?" Vesper muttered, low enough that only their row could hear. "Did he not see me?

"No, you probably annoyed him by being so loud."

Vesper shot Sabel a glare.

Kane shook his head, though his voice lacked its conviction. "Let’s hope Aisha does well..."

Walking toward the platform, Aisha kept her expression calm as she walked to the front, but her thoughts were entirely on the small creature tucked against her skin. As long as it stayed still, she could handle the rest.

By the time she reached the platform, the murmuring in the room continued, growing loud enough to fill the space.

"I wonder how a D-rank will perform."

"Do you think she’ll end up crying after?"

"She’s going to fail."

"How can you already tell? She hasn’t even performed."

"Have you not heard? Even at Class 1-S, she was unable to demonstrate. It’s because she’s got the lowest purification rate in the entire school."

Zeke, who had been reaching for the sealed case on the front desk, paused. His gaze swept briefly over the students whispering near the back, then turned to Aisha with the slightest trace of confusion.

"D-rank?" he said, mostly to himself.

"Lift the sample in your hand," he instructed when Aisha finally stood a few feet from him. "I’ll release the seal. You will neutralize what’s inside and I’ll watch. Any correction will be made when needed."

Aisha took it without hesitation.

The moment her fingers closed around the specimen, she felt the faint tremor of miasma stirring within it, the same oily cold sensation she’d felt back at the hospital garden.

However, it wasn’t strong.

It was a low-threat after all.

If she wanted to, she could purify it completely.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was hidden inside her clothes. Two spiritual beasts felt the miasma close and felt the need to purify it, moving restlessly.

Stay still, you two, she thought at them. Don’t you dare.

Aisha closed her hand around the sample and let a thin, weak thread of light seep out between her fingers.

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