Chapter 14: Classroom of Chaos
The morning heat shimmered across Crimson Vale like liquid glass. From a distance, the training field looked calm—until a loud crash echoed through the air.
Boom!
A puff of smoke rose from the middle of the arena.
"...And that," Shin-Chan coughed, waving the smoke away, "is why we never fuse a Flame Wisp with a Lava Toad inside a plastic bucket."
Vaibhav was doubled over laughing. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Shin adjusted his cracked goggles with mock dignity. "Of course. Every great teacher must suffer for education."
Alicia sighed, brushing soot from her sleeve. "Or you could just teach without blowing things up."
Shin gasped dramatically. "And deprive my students of experience? Blasphemy, Miss Silver Queen!"
Ten minutes later, a sign hung crookedly on a crate in the training yard:
> "Professor Shin's Official Class of Flaming Wisdom – Attendance Mandatory (Snacks Optional)"
Shin-Chan stood before it in full "professor mode."
He had made a pair of glasses out of spirit crystal fragments and was holding a long stick that suspiciously looked like a kebab skewer.
Vaibhav and Alicia sat cross-legged on the ground, watching with a mix of amusement and dread.
Shin cleared his throat. "Ahem. Welcome, students! Today's lesson: The Beast Spirit System!"
Vaibhav whispered, "Why do I feel like this is going to end in flames again?"
Alicia deadpanned, "Because it will."
Shin-Chan twirled his skewer-stick like a baton.
"Now, let's start with the basics, children of chaos. In the mighty world of Genesis Nexus, power doesn't just come from cultivation — oh no! It also comes from eating your enemies... spiritually."
Vaibhav blinked. "Eating?"
"Spiritually, Vyuk, spiritually," Shin corrected. "The process is called Absorption. When you defeat a beast, it leaves behind a gene crystal — a shiny marble of pure potential. You absorb it into your Genesis Core, and boom! Instant stat upgrade. Fire resistance, strength boost, sometimes even a new ability."
He flicked the stick at a small glowing orb beside him. "This little guy came from a Flame Wisp. Boosts fire affinity. Harmless, stable, and kind of cute."
Vaibhav leaned forward. "So, it's like leveling up with loot."
"Exactly! But wait, there's more!" Shin jabbed the air dramatically. "Next, we have Fusion! That's when two compatible beast spirits combine to create something new — stronger, faster, hotter!"
Alicia tilted her head. "And if they're not compatible?"
"Ah." Shin grinned. "That, my dear student, brings us to our final lesson—Mutation Risk."
Before either of them could protest, Shin pulled out a small containment cube and placed two glowing orbs inside — one red, one orange.
"This, my friends, is a Flame Wisp," he said proudly, pointing to the smaller orb. "And this chunky fellow is a Lava Toad. Together, they shall make history!"
Vaibhav facepalmed. "Oh no…"
Alicia folded her arms. "You're insane."
"Correction: Innovative." Shin pressed the rune on the cube. "Now, fusion commence!"
The orbs swirled together, glowing brighter, forming a tiny, bubbling creature that blinked twice. It looked... almost adorable.
Then it burped.
BOOM!
A small explosion sent Shin flying backward into a pile of crates, smoke rising from his hair. The creature dissolved into harmless sparks.
Alicia sighed. "Every time."
Vaibhav tried--and failed to hold back laughter. "Pfft—HAHAHA! Oh man, your face! You look like roasted tofu!"
Shin sat up, coughing, hair sticking up in all directions. "This is… fine. Totally part of the demonstration."
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did you demonstrate?"
"That science hurts," Shin muttered.
Once the chaos settled, Vaibhav leaned forward, expression thoughtful. "Hey, Shin… this whole Beast Spirit thing — Absorption, Fusion, Mutation — it's just like that game, right?"
Shin blinked. "Game?"
"Yeah. Genesis Reign Online. The MMO by Obsidian Onyx Guild."
Flashback — One Year Ago
Bright neon banners, digital crowds, and endless glowing skies.
Inside the VR MMO Genesis Reign Online, the trio weren't explorers—they were legends.
Vaibhav — Daddy Vyuk, Rank #1 on the global leaderboard.
Shin-Chan — ShinSama69, Rank #2, infamous prankster and strategist.
Alicia — Icy Princess, Rank #3, feared for her flawless control and chilling precision.
Together, they were the Triad of Reign—champions of the Obsidian Onyx Guild's most advanced VR simulation, a game rumored to be based on the mysterious Genesis Nexus.
Lin Xuan himself had once told them:
> "Experience the unreal to understand the real."
At the time, it sounded poetic.
Now, it felt prophetic.
At Present
Alicia nodded slowly. "He's right. Same mechanics, same terminology. Even the mutation failure screens were identical."
Shin rubbed his chin. "Now that you mention it… it is weird. The guild said it was just inspired by Nexus myths, but... this is one-to-one."
Vaibhav frowned. "You think they knew? Or maybe... it wasn't just a game?"
Shin shrugged, gaze turning serious for once. "Who knows? Maybe it's just a coincidence Or maybe the devs were just really, really lazy, so they just copy-pasted everything."
Alicia's voice softened. "Big brother recommended that game to us. Said it'd prepare us for something bigger."
That name hung heavy in the air.
Shin looked up at the sky — a swirl of ember clouds. "If black eye monster said that… then maybe it wasn't a coincidence."
Shin stood up suddenly, brushing ash off his coat. "Alright, class dismissed! Homework: don't explode your frogs!"
Vaibhav groaned. "That's your takeaway?"
"Hey, I'm the professor. I decide what's important." He grinned, his hair still smoking slightly. "Now, who wants lunch? I heard Ruko's serving magma stew!"
Alicia sighed, following as Vaibhav chuckled. "At this point, I'm not even surprised."
Shin threw an arm around both of them as they walked off. "Come on, my disciples of disaster! The world's burning, but the stew's hotter!"
As their laughter echoed through the blazing fields, a crimson ripple shimmered far in the distance — the faint, warning tremor of something massive stirring beneath Ignis Prime.