“There’s some gossip, though,” Marcus continued. “Our css has this crazy ughing Fart Queen. She’s the girl who, during your fg ceremony speech, got so excited she ughed hysterically and let out a string of loud farts.”

  “She’s your biggest fan, by the way. And since she’s also in the back row with poor grades, I heard that during our big break, while I was out pying basketball, one of her farts caused a bit of a biohazard situation in the back row… Haha, bro Dionysius, what’s it like having such a fan?” Marcus teased.

  Dionysius’s expression darkened. It wasn’t that he had anything against a girl who could fart impressively, but knowing she was his fan didn’t exactly thrill him.

  He had little patience for fanatics and admirers—they were merely distractions. If they spent as much time improving themselves as they did chasing him, they might actually achieve something meaningful.

  Just as Dionysius was about to rex and join Marcus for basketball, the broadcast interrupted with an announcement:

  “You are like a meteor streaking across the track, burning bright and leaving a trail of light. Perhaps you don’t see success waving at you, but you’ve already fought and strived. Believe in yourself; strength lies within your heart… High School Css 1 - 3, Xanthia La Papadopoulos, keep going!”

  Dionysius froze, his face turning grim. He turned to Marcus. “Xanthia’s competing too? Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  Marcus scratched his head awkwardly. “I didn’t know. What event is it?”

  “It’s the girls' 3000-meter race,”

  Marcus’s mouth fell open. “What? She’s running the 3000 meters? How is that possible?!”

  Dionysius gave Marcus a stern look, quickly excusing himself from the game and rushing to the competition venue. Marcus, realizing the seriousness of the situation, followed closely behind.

  On the way, Marcus frantically expined. He truly hadn’t expected Xanthia to enter a 3000-meter race—what could have prompted this?

  Dionysius wasn’t overly concerned about Xanthia. What upset him was missing such important news and not being there to support his sister from the start. He wondered if this oversight might affect how she saw him.

  Still, he took comfort in the fact that Xanthia had grown more cheerful and reliable. Yet, he worried about her physical condition and whether she might struggle in such a demanding race.

  Despite this, Dionysius knew Xanthia wasn’t one to act recklessly without preparation.

  When he reached the viewing stand, the race was already underway. To his surprise, Xanthia was leading!

  Xanthia’s outfit was simple—school uniform attire with a short-sleeved shirt and ordinary sports pants. She avoided anything fshy, knowing it might draw unnecessary attention to her strategy.

  Among the competitors, most wore long pants since they weren’t professional athletes, and only a few opted for short athletic shorts. While Xanthia’s appearance was unassuming, her fair skin made her stand out.

  At the sound of the starting gun, Xanthia sprinted forward, seemingly ignoring the need to pace herself. Her initial burst wasn’t extraordinary, as her physical attributes hadn’t significantly improved.

  Experienced runners, like Inane Bolt, typically conserved energy at the start, pacing themselves wisely over the long distance. Xanthia’s sprint seemed like a rookie mistake, expending too much energy early on. Even Inane Bolt doubted she’d st until the finish.

  The students from Css 3 cheered enthusiastically for Xanthia, but Luciel’s face reflected concern. Running alongside the track, she called out, “Xanthia, don’t push too hard at the start! Save your energy!”

  Luciel didn’t need to complete the race and took shortcuts across the field, but Xanthia had to run the full track.

  Xanthia heard her and pretended to struggle. “Don’t worry! I’m giving it my all! Trust me, Sister Lucy—I’m great at long-distance running!”

  “Okay, okay, I believe in you! Just don’t overdo it. Finishing the race is an achievement in itself,” Luciel reassured her, choosing not to disrupt Xanthia’s rhythm further.

  In truth, Xanthia wasn’t struggling at all. She had prepared thoroughly and had reserves of energy. To execute her strategy, she feigned exhaustion, slowing down significantly after her early lead.

  To observers, it looked like a cssic rookie mistake—starting strong but running out of steam. Soon, she was overtaken by Inane Bolt and several other competitors.

  Inane Bolt gnced back at Xanthia and thought, “This Css 3 ‘porcein doll’ has determination, but her physical condition isn’t enough. She doesn’t know how to pace herself; she might not even finish.”

  Even Marcus commented, “Xanthia seems inexperienced. She started too aggressively, and now it’s costing her.”

  Dionysius, however, remained calm. “What matters is finishing the race. I’m not concerned about her ranking—I’m more worried she’ll overexert herself and risk her health.”

  Xanthia had now dropped to fifth pce, her heavy steps and pained expression suggesting she was barely hanging on.

  From the stands, students whispered:

  “She’s finished! She’s completely out of stamina. She won’t st much longer.”

  “Look at her; she’s in so much pain. It’s tough to watch…”

  “Wait, is it just me, or does her chest look ftter as she runs? Does running really shrink your chest?”

  “Seriously? Everyone’s worried about her condition, and you’re focused on her chest? Get a grip!”

  …

  Clearly, Xanthia’s “exhausted” and “spent” appearance was all part of her acting. In reality, she hadn’t even touched her stamina bar yet.

  Her performance was so convincing that spectators believed Xanthia, stumbling along, might drop out soon, possibly needing to be carried off.

  As time passed, something incredible happened. Of the original five runners in the lead pack, two had dropped out, slowing down significantly, and Xanthia, whom everyone had written off, had somehow moved up to third pce. Some girls had even started walking, having been pped by the lead pack.

  Among these walkers, some friends joined them midway, helping them finish the race as long as they didn’t drop out.

  Luciel, who had been running with Xanthia, was now a bit dazed. Although she could have kept up with Xanthia, she soon opted to walk, taking shortcuts to stay close, ready to support Xanthia if she stumbled.

  Luciel thought Xanthia was at her limit, only to see her grit her teeth and push on with extraordinary willpower, continuing to run!

  Luciel was deeply moved by Xanthia’s determination. Her own eyes welled up with tears. She hadn’t realized how strong Xanthia’s willpower was, revealing a side of her that was remarkably resilient.

  Css 3’s cheering squad was now on their feet!

  With only two and a half ps left, Xanthia was in a position to potentially win a precious bronze medal for the css, far beyond everyone’s expectations!

  But just as anticipation soared, Xanthia stumbled and fell hard!

  “It’s over!”

  “Oh no!”

  “Looks like she finally can’t continue…”

  “Even if she doesn’t finish, her fighting spirit…”

  …

  “What? She’s getting up again! She’s still pushing through!”

  “This is incredible sportsmanship. Even if Xanthia loses in the end, she’s already a winner in my eyes!”

  “Her knees must be scraped up, and she’s still running? Her willpower is terrifying!”

  "“Go Xanthia! Go Xanthia! Go! Go! Go!”"

  …

  As the race entered its final p and a half, Xanthia, having masterfully acted out her exhaustion, finally tapped into her actual stamina reserves.

  She surged forward recklessly, her face etched with determination as she poured every ounce of effort into her performance.

  Her earlier fall had reduced the gap between her and the two frontrunners, both of whom were clearly running on empty.

  Even in the final half-p, the leaders cked the energy for a finishing sprint—they were not professional athletes, after all.

  Inane Bolt, the leading runner, had performed consistently throughout the race and seemed set to cim the gold medal—until Xanthia’s unexpected surge. The second-pce runner gged considerably behind her.

  Inane Bolt couldn’t understand it. Why was the crowd’s energy so entirely focused on Xanthia?

  As Xanthia pushed onward, she could feel her stamina waning. Thankfully, she had prepared a few “stamina potions” to sustain her performance. These potions, cheap and effective, allowed her to maintain the illusion of a superhuman effort.

  With every step she took, the cheers for Xanthia grew louder. Inane Bolt, sensing the rising tension, tried to pick up her pace. Though she had lost her sprinting edge, she forced herself to move just a fraction faster.

  But with only half a p remaining, Xanthia, seemingly driven by an unstoppable force, overtook her entirely.

  Inane Bolt could only watch in astonishment as Xanthia surged ahead, her figure burning with an almost otherworldly resolve.

  “!!!”

  Xanthia crossed the finish line first, fwlessly maintaining the illusion of total exhaustion.

  “SisterLucy, I did it!” Xanthia cried, her face pale and drained. Although she longed to cry genuine tears of joy, she knew her victory had been a result of meticulous pnning and acting. Forcing a dispy of raw emotion would be too much, so she relied on her “summoning skill” instead.

  “Cry! Let me cry wholeheartedly, enough to move even the skies to rain!”

  “Xanthia, you were incredible! I’m so moved!” Luciel choked out, overwhelmed with emotion.

  Exhausted and teary-eyed, Xanthia colpsed into Luciel’s arms. To make her role truly believable, she had pushed herself to her very limits.

  At that moment, the arena erupted in jubint cheers, echoing with chants of her name:

  “Xanthia is amazing!!!”

  “Gold medal!!!”

  “Champion!!!”

  “Her determination is unmatched!!!”

  “She looks so delicate, but she’s unbelievably tough on the inside!”

  Hera stood frozen, stunned by Xanthia’s incredible comeback. To her, Xanthia was nothing short of a madwoman.

  Dionysius, meanwhile, wore a stormy expression. Why did his sister have to be so unyielding?

  Dematero, on the other hand, was consumed with frustration. Once again, he had been outmaneuvered by Xanthia. She had promised not to push herself too hard and to take care of her health. “Xanthia, you liar!” he muttered under his breath.

  “Xanthia is exhausted! I need to get her to the infirmary!” Luciel called out urgently.

  “Wait! Her legs might be injured. We need to check her first,” Elena interjected.

  As the others gathered around, Elena carefully rolled up the pant leg of Xanthia’s injured leg, revealing a severe abrasion on her otherwise pristine knee.

  A gring patch of red stood out starkly, silencing the once-lively crowd.

  ",,,"

  The once lively scene fell into a stunned silence.