Chapter 22 Rewards

Chapter 22 Rewards

Many classmates were increasingly surprised. They hadn’t expected the quiet Suye from last year to speak so rationally and even exude an air of dignity usually reserved for teachers.

Some noticed that Suye seemed much taller and stronger than he was last semester, more like a warrior than a mage.

Beside them, Holt said, "Yeah, Suye is right. We’re all classmates; let’s not do this."

"I think we should just drop it," another classmate, Jimmy, chuckled.

The noisy classroom fell silent as more students turned their attention to the scene.

Hutton’s face darkened, and he suddenly shoved Suye, who stumbled backward and barely caught himself on the table, nearly hitting his head.

Hutton roared angrily, "What’s your problem? I was just joking with you, and you make it sound so serious! If you can’t take a joke, don’t play!"

"I never wanted to play with you," Suye replied calmly.

"Are you challenging me?" Hutton stepped forward, towering over Suye with a menacing glare.

A bench separated the two.

Suye patted his robe, turned to Holt beside him, and smiled warmly. "I have a small issue. Could you watch my back? No need to get involved."

Several classmates’ expressions changed slightly. Watching someone’s back among soldiers meant fighting side by side. Although Suye didn’t need Holt to fight, it implied that Suye might be about to act.

Holt stood up, pushing his chair away with his foot.

His towering frame, over two meters tall, made him seem like a small giant, and his years of training gave him a formidable presence.

"I won’t expose a comrade’s back to enemies," Holt answered seriously.

Holt had an excellent reputation at school. He never caused trouble, but whenever there were conflicts between students and warriors from other academies in private wrestling or boxing matches, he would always participate without hesitation.

"Thanks, Holt," Suye turned back to Hutton, smiling. "I don’t like being called an idiot, or anything else. So, I hope you’ll publicly promise never to call me names again and treat me like any other classmate."

"You’re still challenging me!" Hutton’s face grew colder.

"No," Suye replied earnestly.

Hutton’s expression softened. "Good! Who I call and how I call them is my freedom, and you can’t stop me!"

"Are you sure?" Suye asked.

Hutton sneered, "What, you want to fight? Think carefully. As long as no magic or divine powers are used and no weapons are involved, the academy doesn’t prohibit private duels. Remember what happened to Pelus when I beat him..."

Before Hutton could finish, Suye suddenly swung his right arm, landing a powerful punch on Hutton’s nose.

Caught off guard, Hutton screamed and staggered backward, slamming into the wall.

Blood spurted from his nose.

Suye leaped forward, weaving through Hutton’s two classmates, and delivered a swift uppercut to Hutton’s stomach.

"Huh..." Hutton doubled over, writhing in pain from the blow to his gut.

Hutton’s two classmates moved to intervene, but Holt placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"This is between them."

They gritted their teeth, enduring the pain in their shoulders, unable to move.

Hutton, clutching his bleeding nose, tears streaming down his face, cursed incoherently.

Suye grabbed Hutton’s chin, pressing his head against the wall, and stared into his eyes calmly. "When I said ‘no,’ I meant you’re not worth challenging."

"You’re asking for it... Ah..."

Suye’s knee slammed into Hutton’s stomach.

Hutton, one hand on his nose and the other on his stomach, collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

The class watched in shock. Fights were common, but how could the quiet boy defeat Hutton?

Suye looked down at Hutton, his voice calm. "My grades are poor, I admit, but if I study harder and use better methods, they will improve. But you? Bullying classmates, forcing them to quit, ruining lives—unless you repent, your vile actions will become part of you, a burden you carry forever. Tell me, you’re wrong."

"No!" Hutton shouted.

"Tell me," Suye’s tone grew even calmer as he slowly raised his foot toward Hutton’s face.

On the ground, Hutton clenched his teeth, but seeing Suye’s cold gaze, he suddenly remembered the soldiers who had killed before. Shaken, he quickly said, "I’m sorry. I won’t call you names anymore. Never again."

"Say it again."

"I’m sorry. I won’t call you names anymore. Never again."

"Suye," Rick whispered a reminder.

Suye glanced at Rick and nodded, indicating he wouldn’t escalate things further in the classroom.

Suye smiled, bent down, and extended a hand to Hutton. "Good. I hope from today, our misunderstanding is resolved, and we remain friendly classmates."

Hutton stared at Suye for a moment, then nodded and took his hand, allowing Suye to pull him up.

Suye patted Hutton’s shoulder. "Go see a teacher for treatment. When you recover, I’ll take you out for a meal at Dolphin River."

Hutton nodded and walked out with his two classmates.

The other students sighed in relief. Since Suye offered to take Hutton out for a meal, it meant they wouldn’t become enemies. Choosing Dolphin River, the best place outside the noble district, was likely just talk; it wasn’t somewhere Suye could afford.

The classroom quickly returned to its lively atmosphere, with a few students secretly observing Suye, finding him increasingly different from last semester.

Suye stood leaning against the wall, his emotions gradually settling.

He felt helpless, never expecting to encounter such incidents one after another upon arriving here.

A shadow fell over him.

Turning his head, Suye saw Holt standing beside him with a friendly smile.

"Good job!" Holt gave Suye's shoulder a light punch.

Suye said, "Thank you."

"I didn't expect you to fight back, and so fiercely," Holt remarked.

Suye shrugged and said, "I just didn't want to reward him anymore."

"Reward?" Holt looked at Suye in confusion.

The blue-eyed girl who had been watching Suye sat facing away from them, tilting her ear slightly to listen.

Suye realized he had mentioned something he shouldn't have. It was impossible to explain the concepts of hints, habitual behavior, reward circuits, and related basal ganglia knowledge right now.

Suye smiled and said, "If I remember correctly, you seem to love honey."

"That's right! I love honey the most." The simple-minded Holt grinned widely.

"Why is that?"

"It's sweet!"

The two-meter-tall man talked about sweetness like a child weighing over two hundred pounds.

Suye laughed and said, "This sweetness is the reward for eating honey. You like this reward, so you want to eat more. The more you eat, the more rewards you get, making you want it even more. Think about it, does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does." Holt nodded vigorously.