Eren stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on Xiran's shoulder. His voice, calm yet edged with authority, carried across the dormitory.
"You must never lose your composure during a fight," he said, his eyes holding hers for a moment. "Even if it's a spar… even if it seems insignificant."
He let the words settle before continuing, his tone like steel wrapped in silk.
"The moment you lose composure, you lose clarity, and with it, your goal. Worse, you reveal weakness to those who should never see it."
Releasing her shoulder, Eren clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the rows of beds, his gait measured, indifferent to the stunned faces around him. His voice, however, lingered in Xiran's mind like a solemn oath.
She watched his back in silence, admiration blooming in her chest like an unspoken confession. So composed… so certain.
Her gaze lowered to Xiao Wu, still pinned beneath her palm. A sharp breath escaped Xiran as her own aura cooled, replaced by an icy calm. She bent slightly, her voice a gentle whisper that somehow sent a shiver crawling down every spine in the room.
"If you don't give up," she said softly, "I'll strip you bare and hang you outside the academy gates… all day."
Her tone was polite, almost sweet, but the words dripped with a quiet, bone-deep threat.
Eren, who was halfway through selecting a bed, froze for a heartbeat before muttering under his breath,
"…Did she just copy Itachi's aura farming justsu?"
The dormitory plunged into a silence so sharp it could slice glass.
Xiao Wu's eyes widened, her breath hitching. A tremor ran through her body as her bravado crumbled. She'll really do it… She'll actually do it!
"I-I lose!" Xiao Wu yelped, her voice cracking as tears welled in her doe-like eyes. "I give up! Please don't hang me!"
Her expression softened into pure innocence, her tone laced with whines, as if she were a harmless little rabbit begging for mercy.
The boys around them twitched violently, jaws aching from the whiplash. "If we hadn't just seen her beat the life out of everyone here, we might actually fall for this act…"
Xiran, unsure whether the plea was genuine or feigned, slowly withdrew her hand. Xiao Wu scrambled to her feet, brushing her skirt and glaring between them, cheeks puffed in defiance.
"Fine! You're the boss now! But I won't call him boss. He didn't beat me, so he's not my boss!"
Her voice was sharp, triumphant in its last shred of pride.
Eren, crouched over a bedframe, didn't even spare her a glance. His voice floated lazily across the room like a cold breeze.
"Forget it," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "I don't want some underling of my servant calling me boss. It would… lower my standards."
He even made a face, as if the thought itself were revolting.
The dormitory erupted into stunned silence. Then, murderous glares.
Every boy clenched his fists. Every ounce of their collective pride screamed for vengeance. But then, a single thought struck them like a hammer: If he's the boss of our boss… how strong the bosses boss is?
No one dared move.
Xiao Wu fumed, cheeks puffed like steamed buns, ready to charge, only to falter when Eren still didn't look at her. Ignored. As if she didn't even exist. The humiliation burned hotter than defeat.
Xiran, however, looked ready to throw another punch, her fist already rising.
Eren's voice came again, smooth as silk, edged with arrogance.
"Stand down. I don't care about titles… especially ones spat from the mouth of a henchman of my underling."
He flicked his wrist in disgust, as though brushing away dirt.
The boys gnashed their teeth. Rage boiled in their veins, but fear kept their feet rooted.
Tang San's lips curled in a cold smile, his thoughts sharp as hidden blades.
"Eren," he murmured under his breath, his gaze like a wolf's behind calm eyes,
"You've chosen the path… of deserving death."
Xiran moved quietly toward Eren, her steps light and unhurried. Without asking, she selected the bed adjacent to his, her delicate hands sweeping across the mattress to clear off the thin layer of dust.
A soft shimmer glinted as she opened her storage bracelet, pulling out a neatly folded bedding set and a warm quilt. Without hesitation, she spread the sheets over Eren's bed first, smoothing every crease with meticulous care before preparing her own.
The room seemed to hold its breath. Every boy in Dorm Seven stared, their eyes bulging with unspoken envy. She's making his bed? With her own bedding?!
Even Wang Sheng's jaw slackened. Xiao Wu, however, tilted her head, her rosy lips parting slightly as her gaze locked onto the plush quilt now gracing Eren's bed. A faint thread of drool glimmered at the corner of her mouth.
"B-Boss…" she said softly, her voice sugary sweet, her index finger pressing against her lips in a coy gesture. "Can I… have one too?"
Her wide, pleading eyes shimmered like a rabbit begging for carrots.
But Xiran didn't so much as glance her way. Her fingers moved with unbroken rhythm, tucking the edges of the quilt with serene precision, as though the pink-clad girl didn't even exist.
Xiao Wu's cheeks puffed in frustration, her delicate foot stamping softly against the floor.
Eren, reclining lazily on the edge of his bed, watched her through half-lidded eyes, his mind wandering in silence.
Should I recruit this stupid rabbit into Black Lotus? His lips curved faintly. She looks too stupid… hard to believe this is a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast.
The dormitory door creaked open with a sharp click, scattering the tension like a broken thread.
A middle-aged teacher stepped inside, his gray robe swaying lightly as his gaze swept over the students. His voice carried the weight of authority when he spoke.
"Which one of you is Tang San?"
Tang San, who had been quietly observing from his corner, stood up calmly.
"I am, Teacher."
The man gave a curt nod and stepped forward, placing a folded bedding set and quilt into Tang San's arms.
"This was prepared for you by Master," he said evenly.
A flicker passed through Tang San's eyes at the mention of Grandmaster, but he quickly lowered his gaze in gratitude.
The teacher then scanned the room.
"From tomorrow onwards, all of you will clean the academy garden. Payment will be ten copper coins per day."
The teacher's eyes shifted, and paused. His gaze fell upon Eren and Xiran, the pair calmly arranging the final touches of their bedding. For the briefest moment, something unreadable flickered across his features, envy.
"…Except for you two," he said at last, his tone carrying a faint edge. "You've already paid your full fees for all six years. No need to work."
Gasps rippled through the dorm like stones cast into a pond. Jealousy flared in a dozen eyes.
Eren didn't even glance up. He merely tugged his quilt into place and sat down with a lazy stretch, his expression calm and unbothered, as if such privileges were no more than his birthright.
The teacher lingered for a moment longer before turning on his heel. The door closed softly behind him, leaving behind an air thick with unspoken resentment, and a quiet, lingering awe aimed at the boy who had just effortlessly rewritten the rules of poverty in Dorm Seven.