The World seems Realistic but Why do I have a Leveling System?

After taking two buses at each stop, Mia finally reached the meeting location. It seemed she arrived a little too earlier as she couldn't find that annoying girl and her group around even after looking around. While she was waiting and occasionally look around in the crowd, the people walking passed her also stole a look at her a couple of times. With a dark brown haircut coupled with her innocent young look and the comfortable summer outfit, she's the very essence of youth itself. It couldn't be helped that a group of high school boys who had not found themselves any partner to date this summer, would walk toward her with the intention of getting to know each other.

"Hey girl, you alone?"

A boy with a messing looking hairstyle went ahead with a confident look on his face to greet her with the same old cliche line. Perhaps the boy thought with his plain-looking face and messy hairstyle, it would make him look cool or giving him a bad boy vibe to the girl judging from his smiling face, one could clearly read it as full confidence. Unfortunately, the boy got it completely wrong on his assumption. Rather than cool, he looks more like an unkempt person.

As someone who likes to keep things tidy and clean, Mia dislikes him the moment her eyes caught him walking with his group toward her. But even if the boy has a neat appearance, Mia would still ignore him for she simply didn't care nor have time for dating and more focus on looking into her family instead. Mia thought if she becomes successful in life, her parents out there might take notice of her someway or another. That was her sole reason for studying hard when living in Orphanage and the Mage Academy.

"Hey?"

But although Mia managed to fill her brain with all sorts of knowledge, she had never gained success in anything up until now. When she was told about how her body holds much more mystic power than average people, she thought finally it was her turn to shine. But due to some unexplained reason, she couldn't conjure a single spell, not even a basic one despite having a body that holds potential. It almost crushed her hope to dust but despite all that, she didn't give in and continues to strife further and working much harder so that perhaps, one day her hard work might bore fruition.

Even while she was bullied by those who looked down on her for her commoner background, she didn't lose against the pressure and instead, become even more resolute to show them that one day, she could do the same as them as in the meaning that she can conjure a spell, not bullying. 

"Girl, are you ignoring me?"

But even a person with the strongest will would eventually break down when faced with endless trials and suffering, it was just about time. Just when the flame within her was about to be extinguished, a new ray of hope appeared. It was then that her potential was finally unleashed from its seal. She also came upon a new understanding that the so-called 'mystic power' was actually mana, something akin to Qi or Ki in some martial arts films.

Mia didn't know why she was unable to conjure a single spell from magecraft even after researching in the library at the Mage Academy which was said to hold all kinds of information, yet none was able to tell her what was wrong. Back then it was a headache that she suffered in her everyday life but now, she didn't give two shit about it. She could now conjure all sorts of a magical spell, after all! Who cares about the past! I'm going to show those people who looked down on me that I, Mia can finally—no, could do even better than them! 

When the boy realized his getting ignored by the girl, he was still calm despite feeling uncomfortable and as evidence, one can see his fake smile didn't break apart just yet. But when he heard his friends laughing at him and his failure, a crack appeared as his mouth started twitching. Was it just simply his imagination or there was a contempt in their laugh which caused him to feel terrible. The worst of all, the girl who was the cause of all this didn't even bother about it judging by the look on her expression. In fact, it looks like she was deep in her thought that not even his presence could disturb her from it.

He thought she would be an easy target to hit on when looking at her appearance but unexpectedly, it was actually on hard mode instead of an easy one that he assumed. Even so, getting humiliated is not something one can easily let go, obviously the boy start holding a grudge against her for humiliating him in front of his friends. The boy also the type to get easily overwhelmed by his emotion so just like the cliche in most novels, he raised his hand and tried grabbing the girl's shoulders but the latter moved away the moment his hand creeps closer to her.

Of course, this brought another set of laughter to his friends. The boy has reached his limit at this point and just as he was about to open his mouth, the girl finally turned her head toward him and ruthlessly spoke to him.

"Stop trying to hit on me, you're not even my type."

Although Mia has a shy personality, that doesn't mean she couldn't express her annoyance to the people who disturb her peace. It has been five minutes yet that annoying girl is nowhere to be seen. Mia began to wonder if she was lied to and also consider taking her leave since if that was true, it would be better to leave now rather than wasting more time than this. Just when the thought appears in her mind, she could see the annoying girl in the distance stepping out of the corner of the street with the same annoyed look on her face. Someone in the Academy even speculates that she only has that single expression and couldn't use any other expression was due to some mistake happening during the delivery, but of course, no one dares to speak out unless they want to suffer for their entire life.

When the boy saw her looking elsewhere, he also followed her gaze but then froze on the spot for some reason unknown to Mia. When the annoying girl finally arrived in front of Mia, she clicked her tongue in displease which in response makes the boy stepped back with his face turning pale. The girl stares at Mia for a moment before turning her head at the boy with a displeased look on her face before saying a single sentence at his face.

"Scram off."

With that single sentence from her, the pale-looking boy and his friends immediately took off without looking back as if afraid that she would suddenly change her mind. At this point, even an idiot would quickly realize what had just transmitted in front of them. Why would this girl went as far as this just to annoy me? I have never crossed path with her yet, why was there such hatred for me? thought Mia but didn't voice out her question. When the boy and his group disappeared from her view, the girl turned back her face toward her coupled with a menacing look on her face.

"You're quite early, aren't you? Do you want to get beaten up by me that much, I wonder?"

As always, she starts the conversation with provoking sentences as her introduction. Even if the world came to an end or the sun rises from the west, Mia doubts the girl would change this part of her personality. Her personality was simply too rotten, even some girls with 'strange taste' might be better off than her.

"Just get to the point by guiding me to the Arena already, you speak too much."

"Y-You... Fine, if you couldn't wait to lose that much then I will fulfill your wish!"

Now that Mia thought about it, she didn't know this girl's name and never put the effort to find out about it. After all, who would remember their bully's name unless the hatred was rooted deeply into them that makes them unable to forget the past without getting revenge for their life? Although she received quite a lot of bullying from the girl and her group, it was only to the point that Mia wanted to beat the latter to a pulp for her satisfaction, but not as far as killing. As someone living in a good Orphanage, she learned to forgive people eventually once time passed for a certain period. Sooner or later, she would also forget the grief she suffered from the girl's hand. 

But for now, the grief is still there and without beating the girl until her face turning into a pile of mess just like her personality, Mia won't feel satisfied.

"We're here."

The annoying girl, Adalia Beldlfort, said when they arrived in front of a huge and tall, modern-looking building. Mia tilted her head to the side, her face was visibly filled with confusion as she didn't expect for a branch of Mage Association to actually look like a normal modernize building as she expects it to be more of, hidden? Well, the pure shock she received was not a surprising thing as the Mage Academy looks more like something one would see straight out of fantasy with students wearing their strange-looking cloak, which would definitely attract attention if it was somewhere in public. She had thought it would be somewhere deep in the mountain like the academy but guess she was wrong.

Adalia didn't bother explaining bothersome things to Mia as she stepped into the building right after informing the latter that they have arrived at their location. It only took them a few minutes of walking time to reach here, but in those few minutes, it felt like an hour of suffering to Adalia. After all, she hates going outside whilst the sun was shining brightly up in the sky. Ever since she was small, she prefers locking up herself inside her room instead of going outside to play like the other kids of her age.

When Mia realized that she was left behind when she comes to her senses, she immediately speeds up toward the entrance of the tall building while the passing people were sending a strange look at her. The moment Mia stepped inside the building, she started looking for Adalia and soon found her standing in front of the elevator with the same old, annoyed look on her face. 

While Mia was walking toward her, she was observing her surroundings. Mia didn't know why but she could feel the stare from everyone on her as if she was some kind of weird animal at the zoo when she stepped inside. When her eyes accidentally locked with someone else, they would immediately look away. Am I unwanted here or what? I don't understand.

"You're late. This is why I hate peasant."

"Hmm? You don't even have the patient to wait for someone for a few minutes? Must be hard for your future boyfriend."

"What did you say?!"

"And you even need me to repeat it for you to fully understand. Ah, I can imagine your future boyfriend leaving you due to having so much stress taking care of you."

"You!"

The two continues bickering with each other until the elevator arrived. The surrounding people who watch the scene were perplexed and at the same time surprised, it was the first time for them to see someone so brave talking back to the little devil. They somehow feel pity for the hero since they knew those who crossed paths with the little devil won't have a very good ending. But even so, when they saw the little devil fuming red from anger, they couldn't help but feel exhilarated. How they wish they could record the scene and saved it into their phone, it was simply that amazing.