C7 Master Level Mathematics Mastery

As Luke's words hung in the air, the classroom was initially shrouded in silence, which quickly gave way to a wave of laughter.

"Have you lost your mind? With your grades, you think you can compete in a math competition? If you don't place in the top ten, you're looking at a semester of cleaning duty." Emerson, seated beside Luke, murmured with a tone of concern for his 'brother in arms'.

Victor, standing at the podium, fixed Luke with an icy stare as he stood up and asked, "What was that you said? I didn't quite catch it."

"I said I want to compete in the math competition!" Luke's voice soared, gaining more than a few decibels.

The laughter in the classroom swelled, as nearly every student eyed Luke with a mix of scorn and derision.

Ever since starting high school, Luke's academic performance had languished at the bottom of the class. His frail health meant he often dozed off at his desk, earning a unanimous verdict from teachers and peers alike: he was the epitome of a 'lost cause'.

Despite his recent moment of glory on the soccer field, where he played the protagonist, kicking a ball and excelling academically were worlds apart. If not for the hefty tuition fee paid by Luke's mother, he might not have even made it to high school.

Even Emerson and Clark, who weren't exactly academic stars, had a better shot at the competition than Luke—no one would expect them to doze off during the Math Olympiad.

Hildur, however, didn't join in the mockery. Her brows knit together, she cast a curious glance at Luke.

"People don't necessarily need to be highly intelligent or skilled to make it in this world," Victor remarked coldly, "but one thing is essential: self-awareness. Do you not grasp that yet?"

"Mr. Petersen, as you've mentioned, self-awareness is crucial. Without the right tools, one shouldn't take on the job. But if I do possess the right tools, and an opportunity arises, shouldn't I strive to seize it?" Luke retorted, his eyebrows arching.

"Hmm? Perhaps I've underestimated you," Victor said with a smirk, lightly touching his silver spectacles. "However, given your usual performance, it's difficult to justify awarding you this valuable opportunity. And as I mentioned before, failing to make the city's top ten means a semester of cleaning the classroom."

"Truth is, I didn't do well before because the exams were just too easy. I couldn't be bothered to answer such simple questions," Luke said, curling his lip dismissively.

The classroom erupted in laughter. Some students were laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.

Victor was known for his strict teaching methods and his notorious reputation for harshly disciplining students earned him the nickname "Nazi." His presence alone could silence a room, with students too intimidated to even breathe too loudly during his lessons.

But today, Luke's words shattered the tense atmosphere Victor imposed on the classroom.

"Luke! You dare to disrupt class discipline! Out you go, now! Do five laps of frog jumps on the field. If you can't finish, don't bother showing up tomorrow!" Victor's face turned icy as he barked at Luke.

"Teacher, you said we could sign up on our own volition. Why am I being punished?" Luke challenged, showing no intention of submitting to the punishment.

"You're always at the bottom of every test! What makes you think you have the right to compete in the math competition? If it weren't for your foolish mother donating 60,000 yuan, do you think you'd still be here? You're nothing but trash. Get out!" Victor had always scorned Luke, especially for consistently ranking last and dragging down the class average, which in turn affected his bonuses and income. Regardless of Luke's frail health, Victor would invent reasons to physically punish him, using it as an outlet for his frustration.

"Mr. Petersen, watch your language! My mother is the kindest person in the world, and you have no right to speak about her that way!" Luke's anger flared upon hearing his mother insulted. He pointed at Victor, his voice raised in rebuke.

"You!"

"If self-nomination is allowed, then I'm entitled to sign up!" Luke declared.

The classroom fell deathly silent again, the tension palpable. Victor's formidable reputation had everyone on edge. Sympathetic eyes turned to Luke, while others couldn't help but revel in the drama, eager to witness Luke's impending downfall.

Sure enough, Victor's gaze turned cold and menacing.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Victor, infuriated to the point of laughter, repeated the word thrice. Then he addressed Luke, "Since you're so full of confidence, claiming your poor grades were due to disdain for exams, let's put you to the test. We'll see just how exceptional you really are!"

"Mr. Petersen, if I pass this exam, does that mean I'm eligible to compete in the math competition?"

"Absolutely!" Victor's eyebrows shot up as he continued, "Don't ever say I'm not fair. I'll give you a brand-new practice test. Pass it, and you're in the competition. But if you fail to even pass..."

"Then I'll clean the toilets for a year!" Luke declared with unwavering confidence.

"Okay!" Victor's eyes sparkled at Luke's declaration. He turned to the rest of the class and announced, "You all heard him. This was his choice. He's the one who wanted to wager with me."

"Hold on!"

"What's the matter? Having second thoughts? Words once spoken are like water spilled. Besides, the whole class heard your bold statement." Victor gave Luke a scornful look, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Who said I'm backing out?" Luke retorted, smirking. "But since we're raising the stakes, let's go big. If I ace your test, you owe my mother a public apology! And you'll admit you're a lousy teacher. Of course, if I'm anything less than perfect, even by one question, I'll withdraw from school immediately!"

As Luke's words hung in the air, the room filled with astonished stares. Even Hildur, ever composed, found herself speechless.

"Do you really think you're in any position to bargain with me?"

"I'm the 'loser' you always talk about, Mr. Petersen. Are you actually scared that I might score perfectly?" Luke challenged, his expression dripping with contempt.

"Fine! We'll do it your way!"

Victor could barely contain his glee at Luke's challenge. He had long wanted to rid his class of Luke, the dead weight. Without him, the class average would surely rise, benefiting his own evaluations and prospects at the school.

Luke's potential to ace the exam didn't faze him in the slightest. To him, it would be nothing short of a miracle if a student as hopeless as Luke managed to scrape by with a passing grade.

"Just wait here, I'm going to grab the test!" Victor announced before spinning on his heel and exiting the classroom.

With Victor gone, the room erupted into a frenzy. Eyes gleaming with schadenfreude, the students turned their attention to Luke, whispering and snickering in small clusters.

"This guy's toast!" Carl, the sports committee member, couldn't hide his glee. He sneered at Luke, his smile blossoming like a flower. Luke had upstaged him on the basketball court earlier, leaving Carl with a sour taste in his mouth. Now, he relished the opportunity to watch Luke squirm.

"Man, you've really gone and done it this time. Victor's not someone to mess with. If you bomb this exam, are you actually prepared to drop out?" Emerson murmured to him once Victor had left the room.

"Seriously, you dropped sixty grand on this high school. You think this is some elementary school arithmetic? How many can score perfect on a high school exam? Maybe you should just apologize to that 'Nazi' and get it over with," Clark chimed in, usually reserved but now turning to offer his two cents to Luke.

"Apologize? No chance. He insulted my mother; he's going to pay for it," Luke retorted, shaking his head with defiance.

"Man, what's gotten into you today?" Emerson and Clark sighed in unison, seeing that Luke was unswayed, and decided to drop the subject.

"Hey, System, this Master Level Math Proficiency better work. I've talked a big game, and if I screw up on the exam, I'm going to look like a complete fool," Luke muttered to the System when no one else was listening.

As it happened, Luke had recently opted to specialize in mathematics, just as he had with soccer, propelling his math skills to a masterful level.

This was the very reason he had confidently wagered with Victor.

Still, he harbored some doubts about the System. Dropping out of school was no laughing matter, after all.

"Please be assured, Host. 'Master-level Mathematics' will equip you with the entirety of the world's mathematical knowledge, sufficient for any math exam you might face. And should you later achieve 'god-level mathematics,' you'll even unlock solutions to many of the math challenges that remain unsolved or unknown to mankind," the System's mechanical voice assured Luke.

"Mastering math problems that even humans haven't cracked? Can it really be that exaggerated?" Luke asked, his skepticism evident.

Just then, Victor re-entered the classroom, clutching several fresh exam papers. He walked briskly over to Luke.