"Tell me what you want, or I won't have time to stand here chatting," Liam Hayes said, arms crossed as he looked at Bobby with clear impatience.
"Alright, alright," Bobby replied, scratching his head awkwardly. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I heard you were the one who set up this competition. I just wanted to ask… how much are the prizes for the top three?"
Liam raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "So that's what you're curious about?"
It wasn't just Bobby. The moment the question was asked, the entire classroom went quiet, and every pair of eyes turned toward Liam. Clarice and Rogue were no exception, both clearly just as interested in the answer.
Seeing the reaction, Liam let out a soft chuckle and decided not to keep them waiting. "Since all of you want to know so badly, I'll just say it. Third place gets an extra ten thousand dollars, second place gets twenty thousand, and first place gets thirty thousand… and—"
He stopped mid-sentence, deliberately dragging out the suspense.
The students couldn't help swallowing hard when they heard the numbers. Their expressions shifted instantly, the casual curiosity from before replaced by shock and disbelief.
Ten thousand dollars.
For most people, that wasn't a small sum—it was what they might barely manage to save in an entire year after covering all their expenses. Food, housing, daily necessities… it all added up quickly, leaving very little behind.
And that was only third place.
First place meant thirty thousand dollars. If everything was added together, that was forty thousand in total, an amount that could completely change someone's situation.
The classroom fell silent, everyone waiting for Liam to finish what he was about to say.
Liam glanced at the crowd, then smiled. "And the top three will have a chance to join the X-Men."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire classroom exploded with excitement.
Cheers erupted from every corner, students practically jumping out of their seats. The energy in the room surged, far more intense than when they heard about the money.
After all, joining the X-Men was the ultimate dream.
To them, the X-Men weren't just powerful—they were everything they aspired to become. Cool combat uniforms, advanced stealth jets, and the chance to stand on the front lines protecting the world. Almost no student here could resist that kind of opportunity.
"Alright, quiet down," Storm's voice rang out as she walked into the classroom, her presence immediately restoring order.
The noise gradually died down, though the excitement still lingered in the air.
"Liam, can you go back to your seat?" she asked calmly.
"Of course," Liam replied with a shrug before walking back and sitting down beside Lorna.
As soon as he sat down, Rogue leaned toward him with curiosity written all over her face. "Liam, is the prize for first place really that high?"
"Of course," he answered without hesitation.
"Then… can I join?" Lorna asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.
Liam's expression twitched slightly. "Uh… if you join, then first place is basically already decided."
Lorna was a Level 3 mutant, and not just an ordinary one. Among her level, she was considered quite powerful. Letting her participate would be like throwing a heavyweight into a match full of beginners.
Most students here had only just awakened their abilities, and the majority could barely operate at the level of second-tier mutants.
Putting her into the competition would be nothing short of a one-sided sweep.
"Alright then," Lorna said with a casual shrug, completely unconcerned. She wasn't short on money anyway, so she didn't care much about the reward.
"I wonder if I can participate," Rogue added, clearly tempted by the prize, especially first place.
Liam thought for a moment before nodding. "You should be able to."
Her ability was dangerous, but as long as she controlled it properly, it wouldn't be a problem. If she only absorbed a portion of her opponent's power instead of draining them completely, she could easily subdue them without causing harm.
"How about you, Clarice? Want to join?" Lorna turned to ask.
Clarice shook her head without hesitation. "Me? I'll pass. My ability is too dangerous."
Her teleportation was unstable and unpredictable, making it unsuitable for a structured competition. On top of that, she didn't have any real offensive means beyond it.
So she gave up the idea immediately.
"Yeah… I didn't think about that," Liam said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Mutant abilities varied too much. Some had no offensive capability at all, while others were simply too dangerous to use in a controlled setting.
Against enemies, that kind of danger was acceptable. But in a competition, it became a serious issue.
"Clarice, maybe you should learn some close combat techniques," Liam suggested.
"Yeah, I agree," Kitty added, nodding. "If you combine teleportation with close combat, you can appear behind your opponent and take them down instantly. They won't even see it coming."
Clarice's eyes lit up at the suggestion. It was simple, but incredibly effective.
"Thank you, I'll learn," she said earnestly.
"Heh, no problem," Liam replied with a relaxed smile, waving it off.
"Cough… Liam, can you keep it down?" Storm's voice came from the front of the classroom, accompanied by a light cough.
Even though Liam held a leadership role among the X-Men behind the scenes, in class he was still just another student.
"Got it, Ms. Ororo," Liam said immediately, straightening his posture like a well-behaved student.
That reaction made Lorna and the others beside him chuckle quietly.
Storm continued her lecture, explaining how to better control abilities and how to develop them further. Her teaching was methodical and clear, built on years of experience.
But to Liam, it was painfully boring.
He had already surpassed most of what she was explaining, and listening to it again made his eyelids grow heavy.
His attention slowly drifted.
Then suddenly—
A strange buzzing sound filled the air around him.
Liam's eyes snapped open as an overwhelming mental force surged in from all directions, pressing down on him with terrifying intensity. The pressure felt invasive, like something was trying to force its way into his mind, making his expression darken.
Around him, the other students reacted instantly.
They clutched their heads, groaning in pain as they covered their ears. Some couldn't withstand the pressure at all and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
Even Storm staggered slightly at the front of the classroom, raising a hand to her head as she struggled against the sudden mental assault.
....
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