Reincarnated With a Cheat System

Chapter 21 – Instant Regret

After surviving the embarrassment of getting a Magic Theory question wrong, Phyro figured the day couldn't get any worse.

He was wrong.

As he and Klein walked through the Academy halls, making their way to their next class, the familiar buzz of whispers followed them. The attention from earlier hadn't died down; in fact, it had somehow increased.

"They're both so cool…"

"Did you see Phyro fight Lucian? He's crazy strong!"

"Klein's hot too, though."

"Do you think Phyro has a girlfriend?"

Phyro smirked. "You hear that, Klein? I'm a heartthrob."

Klein sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag. "They were talking about me too."

"Yeah, but mostly me."

Klein rolled his eyes. "And yet, you're still single."

Phyro pretended to be wounded. "Tch. They just don't know me well enough yet."

As they turned into their classroom, they spotted their friends sitting in the corner somehow getting there before them. Lana, Jude, and a new student? they hadn't met before.

The guy looked nervous, hunched over with his hands gripping the edge of the desk. His hair was dark blue, and his eyes shimmered like polished crystal. A faint glow pulsed from his fingertips, like tiny shards of light trying to escape his skin.

Jude was mid-sentence, trying to reassure him. "You'll be fine, man. Just don't—"

CRACK!

A jagged spike of crystal burst from the desk, impaling the air in front of him.

The new guy groaned. "Damn it, not again."

Phyro and Klein exchanged glances.

"Yo, what did that desk do to you?" Phyro asked, sliding into his seat.

The guy sighed, rubbing his temple. "I may have a small problem controlling my magic."

Lana leaned forward. "Understatement. The last time he tried using a simple enhancement spell, he nearly impaled a teacher."

Phyro's grin widened. "Oh, I like this guy."

The new student groaned again. "Name's Ryuzen, by the way."

Phyro tilted his head. "Hmm… nah. I'm calling you Yenta."

Ryuzen frowned. "That's not even close to my name."

"It is if you don't think about it too hard."

Jude snickered. Lana shook her head. "Why do you insist on renaming people?"

Phyro leaned back, arms behind his head. "It's a gift."

Before Ryuzen could argue further, the teacher entered—a tall man with thin-rimmed glasses and a cold stare. The room immediately fell silent.

"Alright, students. Welcome to Advanced Arithmetic." He turned to the board and wrote a massive equation.

"Today, we will be solving mathematical problems, including calculations for mana consumption, spell efficiency, and combat logistics."

Phyro felt his soul leave his body. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Klein nudged him. "Relax. Math's not that bad."

Phyro gave him a betrayed look. "Whose side are you on?"

The teacher turned, scanning the room. "Let's start with something simple. Phyro, solve this equation."

Phyro glanced at the board.

(5x + 3)² = 64

His mind went blank.

Before he could even process the numbers, the familiar chime of his system echoed in his head.

[New Quest: Math for Muscleheads]

Solve the equation correctly.

• Reward: 1000 EXP, Teacher's Respect

• Failure: Public Embarrassment

Phyro gulped. "Wait, wait, wait—why am I being threatened with social death?"

The system didn't answer.

Lana whispered, "It's not that hard. Just—"

Phyro raised a hand. "Pass."

The class burst into laughter.

The teacher sighed. "Incorrect. The answer was x = 5 or x = -4."

Some guys in the back snickered. "Bro is Stupid."

Phyro barely had time to glare at them before his fangirls turned their way, radiating pure murderous intent.

The laughter died instantly.

Klein covered his mouth to hide his smirk. "Wow. You actually have bodyguards now."

Phyro exhaled. "At least someone's looking out for me."

Lana crossed her arms. "I was trying to help you, you idiot."

Phyro smirked. "Thanks, Anal—"

The room went silent.

Lana blinked.

Jude coughed.

Even Ryuzen stopped muttering about his crystal control issues.

Lana slowly turned to Phyro, her eyes darkening. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?"

Phyro started backing up. "Lana. L-A-N-A. Completely normal name. Nothing weird about it."

Jude, barely holding in his laughter, whispered, "Spell it backwards."

Phyro did.

Realization hit him like a runaway carriage.

"Oh sh—"

Lana's fist crashed down on his head.

The entire classroom winced at the impact.

As Phyro clutched his skull, groaning, Klein shook his head. "You brought that on yourself."

Ryuzen muttered, "Maybe I should sit somewhere else…"

Jude was doubled over, wheezing. "That… that was the dumbest thing I've ever seen."

The teacher sighed, rubbing his temples. "Moving on."

Despite the chaos, one thing was certain—Phyro had made quite the impression on his classmates today.

End of Chapter 21