Chapter 757: I Want To Talk
Sheila’s expression remained composed at first, but the slight pause in her eating and the faint sharpening of her gaze gave her away. Ariana adjusted her cracked glasses even though they had already been repaired by the infirmary staff, her face showing a soft mixture of surprise, confusion, and something that looked suspiciously like jealousy before she forced it into polite curiosity.
Dylan noticed and looked delighted, though he wisely chose not to say too much while still recovering from his own injuries. Charlotte noticed too, of course, and the satisfaction in her smile became almost dangerous. She did not have to say that she enjoyed making them react. Everyone at the table could see it.
Eventually, the conversation shifted away from Charlotte’s embellished version of events and toward the rankings. Sheila’s return to rank one became the first topic, with Max congratulating her properly and Dylan joking that the entire second-year class had looked ready to build her a throne just to keep Liam from sitting on it.
Sheila looked mildly embarrassed by that, but she did not deny the reaction. Ariana gently pointed out that whether the students liked the reason or not, Sheila now had a responsibility waiting for her, and Sheila accepted that with a small nod. Liam said nothing, but his silence carried agreement, and Sheila noticed.
Then, inevitably, the conversation turned toward the Berserker.
Dylan still looked half-unbelieving when he brought it up, saying that seeing Liam erase a Sync-class demon on the screen had made his own assessment feel embarrassingly small. Max was more direct, stating that no matter what the ranking said, fighting a Berserker alone and winning was beyond anything most students could even imagine attempting.
Ariana asked how Liam had maintained enough composure during the later portion of the fight, especially after taking so much damage, though Liam only gave a vague answer about instinct and necessity. Sheila studied him quietly when he said that, as if sensing there was more he was not saying.
Charlotte proudly added that she had saved him afterward, which led Dylan to remind everyone that she had already mentioned that at least six times. Charlotte corrected him by saying that important history deserved repetition.
The teasing followed naturally from there.
Dylan joked that Liam had somehow managed to be terrifying, irresponsible, and conveniently dependent on Charlotte all in the same assessment. Charlotte agreed far too quickly and claimed that this proved fate wanted them together in dramatic survival circumstances.