The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 200

Chapter 200: 200 | Because Lukas Is Here

I ignored the system for now. Making my teacher a rival before meeting her is not smart at all. I’ll decide after this meeting at 2pm.

"Because some of us did basic research about our instructors instead of assuming we’d figure it out as we went along," Camille’s voice carried the edge of someone who considered preparation a moral imperative.

"Research is cheating."

"Research is survival."

Eden grinned at her with the kind of enthusiasm that suggested he enjoyed being told he was wrong by attractive women with strong opinions. "Fair point. What else should I know?"

"That you’re going to get your ass kicked if you show up unprepared," Vivienne said without looking up from what appeared to be a fashion magazine. Her voice was crisp, professional, and delivered with the casual authority of someone who’d spent years in environments where performance mattered more than effort. "Steele doesn’t grade on curves. She doesn’t give participation points. She evaluates capability and eliminates weaknesses."

"Eliminates how?"

"By making them expensive to maintain." Rook spoke from where he’d been silent in the corner, his voice carrying the flat affect of someone who’d processed the institutional dynamics and reached conclusions he wasn’t sharing. "Academy instructors have broad discretionary authority over student evaluation metrics. Underperformance can result in remedial programs, extended training requirements, or program dismissal."

The room went quiet for approximately three seconds while everyone processed the implications.

"Program dismissal meaning they kick us out?" Eden’s enthusiasm had shifted to something more serious.

"Program dismissal meaning your Hero career ends before it starts," Sloane’s voice came from the entrance as she stepped through the door like she owned the building. Her pink hair was still slightly messed from sleep, and she wore a Halloran Academy t-shirt that fit her in ways the designers probably hadn’t intended. "Advanced Track students don’t get second chances at different schools. You wash out of Halloran, you find a different career."

Every conversation in the room stopped.

Sloane Fitzgerald commanded attention the way gravity commanded objects. Not through effort or performance, but as a fundamental property of her existence. She moved through the space with the confidence of someone who’d never encountered a situation she couldn’t handle through superior firepower and strategic aggression.

"Morning, princess," Caden called out with the casual friendliness of someone who either didn’t recognize the social hierarchy or had decided it didn’t apply to him. "Come to check on the common folk?"

"Come to see if any of you are worth worrying about." She settled onto the arm of the couch next to where Petra was sitting, apparently unbothered by the fact that she was wearing pajamas in a room full of people she’d never met. "Jury’s still out."

The interaction between Sloane and Petra was interesting. Both were recommendation track students. Both carried themselves with the confidence of people who’d never been told they weren’t good enough. But Petra’s authority came from wealth and institutional connections, while Sloane’s came from raw capability and the kind of presence that made people step aside without being asked.

"You’re Advanced Track," Rina observed from her corner, her quiet voice somehow carrying across the room despite the competition from multiple conversations. "Why are you here?"

〘 Sloane Fitzgerald’s proximity detected. Demigod trait bonus activated. All physical attributes increased by 5%. 〙

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