AFK System: Level Up By Doing Nothing!

Chapter 7: High Society and Low Expectations

The Main Hall of the Tower Academy was a magnificent architectural marvel, designed in a neoclassical style fused with futuristic, magical touches. Its vaulted ceiling soared thirty meters high, adorned with mana crystals that radiated a soft, golden light, projecting an oppressive aura of authority and grandeur. Thousands of seats were neatly arranged in concentric rows, and on the front stage, an obsidian podium stood firmly, awaiting the academy's top officials.

Austin stepped into the hall, attempting to blend into the crowd. His grey uniform, which signified his low status in the "Support Faction," contrasted sharply with the pristine white uniforms of the genius students, accented with gold or silver. Even so, Austin didn't care. He kept scanning the room, searching for the darkest and quietest corner in the very back rows—the most ideal spot, in his opinion, to continue his afternoon nap.

"Look who it is," an arrogant, familiar voice shattered the chatter in the hall.

Austin let out a long sigh. He didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. Jaxon Cross, flanked by his loyal lackeys, strutted through the crowd. Jaxon looked more conspicuous than usual today. Beneath his uniform, the mana radiating from his body felt sharper and more stable, a clear sign that he had recently leveled up or used a high-grade mana booster.

"Austin Carter," Jaxon called out his name mockingly, drawing hundreds of eyes in the hall toward them. "I heard you managed to survive the Mist Forest? What kind of miracle happened? Did you sleep on a monster's belly until they felt sorry for you and let you pass?"

Laughter erupted throughout the hall. Austin merely paused, staring at Jaxon with a flat expression. "None of your business, is it? Move, I want to pass."

Jaxon didn't budge. Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance until his face was only inches away from Austin's. A blazing aura originating from his *Solar Mage* class began to fill the air, causing the surrounding temperature to spike sharply. The students nearby quickly backed away, eager to avoid catching the sparks of Jaxon's wrath.

"You think you're hot stuff just because you survived that trial?" Jaxon smirked broadly. "Listen, everyone knows it was just dumb luck. A 'Mana Deficiency' cripple like you couldn't possibly survive on his own merits. I have proof that you cheated, whether you used a forbidden artifact or received help from someone hiding in your shadow."

Austin rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Anything else? I'm really sleepy right now."

Jaxon spat viciously, feeling deeply insulted that Austin showed absolutely no fear or respect. His face flushed with suppressed rage. He felt his pride being trampled by a youth who couldn't even bother to open his eyes fully.

"You're pretty arrogant, aren't you?" Jaxon raised his hand high. A streak of fire resembling a miniature solar disc spun above his palm, radiating a blinding glare. "A duel challenge! Next week, at the Simulation Arena. I will make sure the entire academy watches you get torn to pieces. I'll show everyone that you're just trash meant to be thrown away!"

The once-rowdy hall instantly fell dead silent. A formal duel challenge was an incredibly rare occurrence among new students, and issuing it in public was an open declaration of war. Many students held their breath; this was a classic spectacle between a proud elitist and a naive underclassman.

Selena Vance, standing in the front row alongside the other S-Rank students, turned her gaze toward them. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Austin. She was still curious about the energy spike she had sensed back in the Mist Forest. She wanted to see if Austin truly possessed a hidden talent or if he was simply a boy caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Austin let out a massive yawn, not even bothering to cover his face with his hand. He stared at Jaxon, who was still flaunting the solar disc in his hand, with utter indifference.

"Next week?" Austin asked in a heavily lazy tone. "Can't we just do it today? Or tomorrow morning?"

"What did you say?" Jaxon frowned.

"Well... if we have to duel, let's just get it over with now or whenever," Austin scratched the back of his neck. "I hate waiting until next week. My schedule is already packed with nap plans. So, let's just do it now or make me the last one. Whatever, just finish it quickly because I want to sleep."

The silence in the hall instantly dissolved into a massive uproar. *Did he just challenge Jaxon to move up the duel time? Has he lost his mind?*

Jaxon froze in place. His arrogant smirk vanished, replaced by an expression of supreme fury. He had never been treated with such utter disregard in his entire life. To Austin, this duel was merely an inconvenience, a piece of "homework" he wanted to rush through just to return to his lazy routine. To Jaxon, this was the most brutal humiliation he had ever received.

"You..." Jaxon suppressed his voice, nearly screaming. "You think I don't dare to destroy you right now?!"

"So, are we dueling now or not?" Austin asked once more, his voice sounding like someone asking if the cafeteria still served coffee. "If not, I'm leaving."

Without waiting for an answer, Austin spun around and began walking away toward the hall's exit.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, CARTER!" Jaxon roared, stomping his foot onto the hall floor so hard that the tiles cracked. "You're practically begging to die! Fine, I will grant your wish! But don't expect me to give you an easy out. Next week, in that arena, I won't just defeat you... I will permanently cripple you so that you'll never be able to walk in this academy again!"

Austin stopped walking, but he didn't turn around. He merely waved his hand in the air with an incredibly annoying, lazy gesture. "Whatever. Do whatever you want. Just... make sure it's not too loud, okay? I hate noise."

Jaxon trembled violently, every muscle in his body tightening as he held back his exploding rage. He swore upon the pride of his family that at the simulation arena next week, he would show the entire world what happened to someone who dared to take a *Solar Mage* from the Cross Family lightly.

"Did you all see that?" Jaxon turned to his followers, his eyes burning with pure hatred. "Next week, I am going to skin him alive. Prepare your best gear. I want him crawling at my feet, begging for mercy."

On the other side of the hall, Selena Vance watched Austin's retreating back as he slowly vanished from sight. She didn't laugh like the others. On the contrary, she felt a chill run down her spine. The way Austin dismissed Jaxon's death threat wasn't the behavior of an idiot—it was the demeanor of someone who truly didn't acknowledge his opponent's existence.

"Is he really not afraid?" Selena murmured softly. "Or... does he know something that even Jaxon can't fathom?"

Selena knew that next week's match would be a highly fascinating spectacle. She wouldn't miss it for the world. Whether Austin was a genius hiding his strength or a man too naive to understand the danger awaiting him, next week would answer everything.

Meanwhile, Austin Carter had just stepped out of the hall, finding a comfortable park bench under the shade of a large tree. He let out a long sigh, feeling relieved that the pointless drama was finally over.

"Next week, huh?" he muttered to himself as he lay down. "Well, at least now I have seven days to sleep without anyone bothering me."

He closed his eyes, activating his System, and within an instant, his consciousness plummeted into the 'Mirror Dimension' to begin his automatic hunt. He remained unaware that back in his dormitory room, a brand-new evolution for his power was already waiting to be claimed.