Reborn As An Extra : I'm gonna mess up everything

Class B Rank 6

Esdeath's usual routine kicked in. She woke up at 5:30 sharp, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and put on her sports bra and thigh-high leggings for her morning run around the academy grounds. But today was different—she pushed herself harder, completing a solid 15 laps.

After her run, she headed straight to the academy's training room. Instead of her usual workout routine, Esdeath grabbed a gun for training. This wasn't your typical gun with bullets, though. Here, you had to pour your mana into the gun, solidifying it into bullets before shooting. No magic circles, no incantations, no complicated formulas—just pure mana.

At first, it was a little tricky. Aiming wasn't easy, and the gun felt awkward in her hands. But Esdeath wasn't one to give up easily. After a few tries, she adjusted to the weight, and soon, her shots were hitting the targets with perfect accuracy. By the end of her session, she had the best aim of anyone in the academy.

Feeling accomplished, she treated herself to a hot bath before slipping into her academy uniform.

.....

Unlike yesterday, Class A, B, and C were now separated, each group heading to their own classrooms. Esdeath, part of Class B, walked calmly through the hall, her mind focused, but as soon as she entered her class, she could feel the tension in the air.

Whispers filled every corner of the room, boys and girls alike murmuring the same thing—Esdeath. It was clear that the news had spread fast. She hadn't even sat down before she could already hear their gossip.

"Seriously? There's no way I'm gonna believe that!" one girl said in disbelief, shaking her head.

"Yeah, out of all people, *she* was the first to complete the refinement?" another chimed in, her voice dripping with doubt.

"It's impossible with a C-grade aptitude. She must have cheated!" a third girl added, crossing her arms as if the very thought of Esdeath's success was offensive.

"Definitely cheated!" the whispers grew louder, spreading like wildfire through the classroom.

The word "cheated" hung in the air like a dark cloud, clinging to every conversation. But when it came to how she could have cheated, no one seemed to have an answer. Esdeath was just a baron—she didn't have powerful connections or any teachers who would help her. So how could she have possibly pulled it off?

By the time Esdeath finally stepped into the classroom, the whispers abruptly died down. The room fell into an uncomfortable hush, and everyone pretended to focus on anything but her. No one dared accuse her out loud, and yet no one congratulated her either. The tension was thick, like an invisible wall separating her from the rest of the class.

Esdeath noticed the sudden silence but didn't care. She kept her usual calm expression, as though their opinions didn't bother her at all. She could feel their eyes on her, burning with curiosity, doubt, and even jealousy, but she didn't acknowledge them.

As she moved to her seat, her system buzzed, sending her a few notifications. But she ignored them for now, sliding into the second-to-last bench in the middle row. She leaned back, her eyes scanning the room briefly before closing for a moment of peace.

It didn't take long before the classroom door creaked open, and in walked the teacher. To everyone's surprise, it was Sylvia, one of the more respected instructors. As soon as she entered, the students rose from their seats to greet her in unison.

"Good morning, Miss Sylvia!" They quickly sat back down after she waved them off.

"Ahem... ahem..." Sylvia cleared her throat as she stood at the front, her eyes sweeping over the class. "Today's topic will be about Aura and Stealth." She paused, glancing around the room, and then her eyes landed squarely on Esdeath. "But before we get into that, I have something important to announce."

Esdeath's heart skipped a beat, already knowing what was coming. The teacher's gaze made it clear. Sylvia turned to the rest of the class, her voice loud and firm.

"I'd like to congratulate Esdeath Crimson. She is the first student to refine the Moonblade Essence Stone! Let's give her a round of applause."

For a moment, the room was frozen, and then the slow sound of reluctant clapping began to fill the classroom. The applause was forced, barely sincere. No one truly wanted to celebrate Esdeath's success, but with Sylvia standing right there, they had no choice. The students glanced at each other, silently fuming, but their hands continued to clap. The sound echoed awkwardly, a mix of frustration and jealousy hidden behind every clap.

Esdeath, however, remained calm, showing no reaction. She kept her face neutral, only nodding slightly to acknowledge the forced praise. She knew they didn't mean it, but that didn't matter to her.

Finally, Sylvia raised her hand, signaling for the clapping to stop. "Alright, alright, that's enough," she said with a small smile. "I've already rewarded Esdeath with 20 silver coins for her achievement."

A wave of jealousy rippled through the room as Sylvia continued, "And one more thing—her rank has gone up. Esdeath Crimson is now ranked Class B, Rank 6."

The announcement stirred another round of bitterness from the students, but none of them dared to say anything out loud. Their silent jealousy filled the air like an invisible storm cloud. Esdeath could feel their eyes on her, burning with resentment, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she nodded calmly, as if none of this mattered to her.

Sylvia glanced at Esdeath one last time before clearing her throat again. "Okay, okay, now that's settled. Let's begin the lecture for today."