Chapter 101.5: The Unexpected Victory
Marcus responded confidently, “No, Xanthia is very popular in our class. She’s happy every day. Don’t worry, Bro. I’m reliable with my tasks!”
Dionysius thought to himself that Marcus's reliability seemed questionable. Class 3 felt like it was engulfed in a fog of conflict and turmoil. With Marcus being engrossed in basketball and frequently missing evening self-study sessions, he was unsure what was happening with Xanthia and whether she was being mistreated.
“There’s a bit of gossip, though,” Marcus continued. “Our class has this ‘Crazy Laughing Fart Queen.’ She’s the girl who, during your flag ceremony speech, got so excited she laughed 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 playing 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 if that girl was his sister’s fan, he wasn’t exactly thrilled.
He had little patience for such fanatics and admirers—they were merely nuisances. If they spent as much time improving themselves as they did chasing him, they might actually amount to something.
Just as Dionysius was about to relax and play basketball with Marcus, the broadcast blared out an encouraging message:
“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 Class 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 huge news?”
Marcus scratched his head awkwardly, “I didn’t know. What event is it?”
“It’s the women’s 3000-meter race,” someone helpfully reminded him.
Marcus’s mouth fell open, “What? She’s running the 3000 meters? How is that possible?!”
Dionysius shot Marcus a stern look, abandoning the game and apologizing to his friends before rushing to the competition venue.
Marcus, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly followed Dionysius to the scene.
On the way, Marcus frantically explained. He truly hadn’t expected Xanthia to get involved in a 3000-meter race—what on earth had happened?
Dionysius was actually not too worried about Xanthia. He was more upset about missing such crucial news and not being able to support his sister from the start. He wondered if this would affect his image in her eyes.
He was reassured that Xanthia, having emerged from her shadows and become more cheerful, was more reliable now. Still, he worried about her poor physical condition and whether she might face difficulties in the 3000 meters.
However, with his keen attention to detail, he knew Xanthia wasn’t the type to recklessly push herself without preparation.
As he reached the viewing stand, he saw the race was well underway, and to his surprise, Xanthia was leading!
Xanthia, in her outfit, hadn’t done anything extravagant. After all, she was aiming for the championship. Wearing something too flashy might expose her advantage too easily.
She had carefully planned her approach, so today she wore simple school uniform attire: a short-sleeved shirt and ordinary sports pants.
Among the female competitors running the 3000 meters, most wore long pants as none were professional athletes. Few wore those short, “olympic-like” sports shorts.
Many participants looked similar to Xanthia, but her fair skin made her stand out significantly.
At the sound of the starting gun, Xanthia sprinted forward, disregarding her stamina. Her initial burst of speed wasn’t impressive, as her physical attributes hadn’t been significantly upgraded yet.
Experienced runners like Inane Bolt wouldn’t rush to lead at the start, conserving energy for the 3000 meters by pacing themselves wisely. Xanthia’s initial sprint seemed like a rookie mistake, wasting too much energy—Inane Bolt even doubted she’d make it to the finish.
Xanthia’s early lead excited the students from Class 3 cheering for her!
However, Luciel’s face showed concern. She even ran alongside Xanthia on the track, shouting, “Xanthia, don’t push too hard at the start. Watch your energy!”
Luciel ran with Xanthia but didn’t need to complete the full 3000 meters, taking shortcuts across the field. Xanthia had to run the entire track.
Xanthia heard Luciel’s reminder and pretended to be out of breath, saying, “No worries, I’m giving it my all! Sister Lucy, trust me—I’m really good at long-distance running!”
“Okay, okay, I believe in you! Just don’t push yourself too hard. Finishing the race is an achievement in itself,” Luciel comforted her, refraining from saying more to avoid disrupting Xanthia’s rhythm.
In reality, Xanthia wasn’t struggling at all. Her stamina bar was still full. To ensure a flawless 3000 meters performance, she had indulged heavily the previous day, visibly enhancing her chest’s curves. Her blue stamina bar was reassuringly full!
Thus, while running, she used her blue stamina bar, saving her stamina bar for critical moments—only for show!
Xanthia didn’t want to reveal her advantage, so the too-perfect scenario of breezing through the 3000 meters and winning effortlessly was a no-go.
Instead, she played her part, starting strong but slowing down significantly after leading for a good distance.
To onlookers, it looked like a classic case of a beginner in a long-distance race, starting too aggressively and quickly running out of steam!
Soon, Xanthia’s earlier lead position was overtaken by Inane Bolt, followed by several competitors who caught up with her.
As Inane Bolt passed Xanthia, she thought, shaking her head, “This Class 3 ‘porcelain doll’ has strong determination, but her physical condition isn’t up to scratch. She doesn’t know how to pace herself; she might struggle to finish.”
Those who understood long-distance running well had already noticed the shift. Even Marcus said to Dionysius, “Sister Xanthia seems a bit inexperienced. She started too aggressively; now her situation doesn’t look good.”
Dionysius’s expression remained serious. “The important thing is finishing the race. I’m not worried about her ranking; I’m more concerned she’ll push herself too hard and not look after her health.”
At this point, Xanthia had fallen to fifth place. The spectators could see her “heavy” steps, reflecting her struggle. Her face showed a grimace of pain, as if she was barely holding on to stay with the lead pack.
In the stands, students fervently discussed:
“She’s done for! Xanthia is completely out of stamina. She won’t last!”
“Look at her face; she’s in so much pain. It’s tough just watching her…”
“Right, she’s gasping heavily and clutching her stomach. I bet she’ll have to drop out after another lap.”
“Strange, is it just me, or does Xanthia’s chest seem flatter as she runs? Can running make you lose chest volume?”
“Seriously? Everyone’s worried about her condition, and you’re staring at her chest? Have some decency!”
…
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 place. Some girls had even started walking, having been lapped 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.
Class 3’s cheering squad was now on their feet!
With only two and a half laps left, Xanthia was in a position to potentially win a precious bronze medal for the class, 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!”"
…
In the final lap and a half, having used her “blue bar” theatrically, Xanthia finally tapped into her stamina bar!
She charged forward recklessly, her face contorted in determination as she “burned” herself!
Her fall had closed the gap between her and the leading two competitors, who were also running low on stamina.
Even in the final half-lap, they couldn’t muster another sprint—they weren’t professional athletes.
Inane Bolt, who had performed the best, would have secured the gold medal if not for Xanthia’s unexpected challenge. The second-place runner was far behind her.
Inane Bolt was perplexed. Why, amidst the race, was the entire crowd cheering fervently for Xanthia?
As Xanthia pressed on, she realized her stamina was running low. Fortunately, she had a stash of "stamina potions" to help her push through. These potions were cheap and could make her performance seem more convincing.
With every step, the cheers for Xanthia grew louder. Inane Bolt felt a rising sense of urgency. Even though she had lost her sprinting capability, she forced herself to push just a little bit faster.
However, with only half a lap to go, Xanthia, seemingly possessed by a frenzy, overtook her completely.
Inane Bolt stared at Xanthia’s back, burning with determination, and found herself in a state of bewilderment. How could Xanthia accelerate at this point in the race?
""!!!""
Xanthia crossed the finish line first, skillfully creating the illusion that she had exhausted all her energy.
"Senior Lucy, I did it!" Xanthia exclaimed, her face as pale as a sheet. She wanted to cry genuinely, but she knew deep down that her victory was the result of her meticulous planning and acting. Crying for effect would be too challenging, so she resorted to her summoning skill instead.
"Cry, let me cry wholeheartedly, let even the heavens be moved to tears!"
"Xanthia, you were brilliant! I’m so touched!" Luciel choked out.
Exhausted and tearful, Xanthia fainted into Luciel’s arms. To portray her role convincingly, she had pushed herself to the limit.
At that moment, the entire arena erupted in cheers, chanting Xanthia’s name:
“Xanthia is incredible!!!”
“Gold medal!!!”
“Champion!!!”
“Her willpower is unbeatable!!!”
“I’m speechless. She looks delicate on the outside, but she’s incredibly tough on the inside!”
Hera was stunned. How could Xanthia stage such a dramatic comeback? She was truly a madwoman!
Only Dionysius’s face was stormy. Why did his sister have to be so stubborn?
Dematero, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with frustration. He realized he had been deceived by Xanthia again. She had promised not to overexert herself and to take care of her health. Xanthia, you big liar!!!
“Xanthia has fainted! I need to carry her to the infirmary!” Luciel shouted urgently.
“Wait! Her legs are definitely injured. We need to tend to her wounds first,” Elena said.
Elena, being observant, remembered Xanthia’s fall.
She carefully rolled up the pant leg of Xanthia’s injured leg and revealed a severe abrasion on her otherwise pristine knee.
A glaring patch of red was now visible to everyone.
The once lively scene fell into a stunned silence.