The midterm exams were right around the corner.
Students dragged themselves across the academy grounds like exhausted zombies, clutching textbooks to their chests as if they were sacred lifelines.
Every hallway was filled with groans, frantic scribbling, and the occasional scream of academic despair.
And me?
"Hyaaah!!"
I was—as usual—swinging my sword in the training grounds.
The sword I had once wielded purely to survive…
had somehow turned into a genuine hobby.
Strange how life works.
By the time I finished my practice swings, my clothes were damp with sweat, but the tightness in my chest felt loosened.
A refreshing kind of exhaustion washed over me—like I had neatly tied up the day.
"That's it for today. Good work," Lycan said, stepping back with his arms crossed.
"Thank you for your guidance," I replied, bowing my head politely.
Honestly, I had nothing but gratitude for him.
