The academy grounds were full of life.
Flowers and trees sprouted from the soil, giving the place an air of endless vitality. Above, the blue sky stretched wide, dotted with fluffy white clouds.
Beneath the shade of a tree, three youths were chatting animatedly.
"So, have you decided which other courses you're gonna take?" a young man with short black hair asked eagerly.
"Yeah, it took a while to decide. But now that I've gotten used to the academy's pace, I can finally do other things…" replied the other boy, who had long ebony-brown hair, commenting casually on his routine.
'We're just getting started…'
Fuuu…
It had already been a week since Eylan arrived at the academy.
At the moment, he only had a rough idea of which courses to take besides the two he had already chosen. The wilderness survival course and the introductory combat course were both absolutely exhausting.
Early in the morning, he would already be running to Professor Julius's classroom, where he learned all kinds of things—from how to find food to rock climbing.
Then, after the draining morning class, he'd head to combat training in the afternoon. Instructor Rock didn't go easy on them at all…
From hand-to-hand combat to weapons, he taught them how to fight beasts that craved human flesh—and also trained them to kill other humans.
At night, Eylan wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, but somehow he scraped together the strength to research other courses. Fortunately, long showers weren't frowned upon.
Why was he researching so much?
Simple.
His knowledge of what the academy offered was vague at best. After all, there was almost nothing about it in the book—and his flaw only made things worse.
After several nights of going to bed late, Eylan finally decided which courses he would take.
Among dozens of classes, four stood out from the rest.
"The main one is Team Coordination and Tactical Leadership. They say Professor Rouker was a commander in several expeditions into the Dream Realm."
On the surface, his motivation was to gain experience. But deep down, the goal was different.
'If I want to stand out, I need to become a leader. Relying only on my Aspect to grow isn't enough.'
To his misfortune—or maybe his luck—he wasn't one of the survivors of the Forgotten Shore, nor was he part of the group led by the last descendant of a legendary Clan.
His only option was to fight his way into the spotlight.
Listening in, Miria gave her opinion.
"Yeah, that's a great choice. And if you want my recommendation, you should take Psychological Resilience and Emotional Control, taught by Instructor Mara."
She raised her fingers, smiled, and started talking nonstop.
"You know? A lot of Awakened don't even die to Nightmare creatures—they die to madness! That's why having classes like that is super important too…"
Getting more and more excited, she launched into a long explanation.
"Hm… that makes sense…"
Watching the scene, Eylan listened carefully, murmuring now and then. Some information wasn't easy to come by.
Ravon watched her, smiled faintly, and while she was talking, spoke as if his thoughts had slipped out of his mouth:
"I don't think I've ever met anyone as smart as you…"
Realizing what he had said, a normal reaction would've been to cover his mouth or feel embarrassed. But Ravon just smiled even wider—almost charmingly so.
Miria, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly went quiet.
Blinking, a faint red blush spread across her cheeks.
Somehow, Ravon had stolen her ability to speak.
Seeing the mood forming between the two, Eylan laughed inwardly.
'Aha! I knew it… nothing escapes my eyes!'
Miria brushed her long hair back as she regained her composure.
The friendly atmosphere seemed to be shifting toward a teenage romance.
Not wanting to third-wheel, Eylan decided to leave.
Brushing off his pants, he felt a little sad about leaving the soft grass behind. Still, he said goodbye:
"I've got some things to take care of now. See you guys later."
Leaving his two friends behind in a pleasant mood, he headed toward his new course.
Madam Cialis Linda's class.
The wind whistled softly, and the trees swayed serenely.
Ravon, watching his friend walk away, stayed silent.
His empty gaze reflected Eylan's departing figure.
When Eylan arrived at the classroom, he noticed it immediately.
The Sleepers there could be divided into two groups.
The first group was made up of slender people with dominant presences. Among them were children of the wealthy and legacies.
The second group looked like ordinary people, most likely middle class. They weren't as well-built as the proud legacies, but they still had their own strength.
Feeling pressured by the atmosphere, Eylan slipped through discreetly, trying to avoid unwanted attention.
Finding a seat far from everyone else, he sat down and waited for the class to begin.
A few minutes passed—and the instructor still hadn't shown up.
Bored, Eylan closed his eyes and expanded his senses.
Some students whispered, others spoke loudly. Intrigue filled the room.
There were some interesting stories—enough to entertain Eylan.
He found out that in just one week, nearly four couples had already formed. Even funnier, two of them had already broken up.
'I guess locking hundreds of teenagers underground while death is always nearby wasn't the best idea.'
Obviously, he was being ironic. The academy's existence was essential for the survival of young Sleepers.
As he listened, one comment caught his attention.
Two girls were talking:
"Professor Cialis is late… do you think something happened?"
"I don't think so. She probably just lost track of time or something. I doubt anyone would dare hurt her."
"Yeah… you're right. With so many connections to major families, she's really famous in high society."
They chatted a bit longer before drifting back into regular gossip.
'Connected to high society… should I try to make a good impression?'
Eylan thought about it for a moment, then set the idea aside for now.
Just as he was thinking, someone entered through the door.
She wore a modest blue dress. Her long pale hair was tied with a cyan ribbon. Stunningly beautiful.
Red lipstick contrasted with her fair skin, and her light-colored eyes blended perfectly with her delicate features.
The atmosphere became calm and serene—yet a faint chill lingered beneath it.
'If I didn't know she was a professor, I'd say she was a socialite…' a fleeting thought crossed Eylan's mind.
In another era, wars might've been fought over a woman like her.
Positioning herself at the center of the room, Linda spoke without preamble.
"Good morning, students. Welcome to the course on Clan Politics and Strategies of Social Ascension."
"I am Professor Cialis Linda, and I will teach you how to integrate into society."
She scanned the entire room with a smile.
Then she let the silence linger.
It was a heavy silence—almost calculated.
"Before we begin…" Linda said, slowly walking between the rows. "I want to make something clear."
Her heels echoed rhythmically against the floor.
"This course is not about morality. Nor about justice."
She stopped.
"It's about social survival."
Some students exchanged uneasy glances.
"You live in a world where monsters devour bodies…" she continued, "but people destroy destinies."
Linda let her gaze settle on a specific group: the legacies.
"Clans are not families. They are power structures."
Then she turned to the other side of the room.
"And those who aren't born into them… must learn how to negotiate carefully."
Eylan felt a faint chill run down his spine.
'The way she talks… it's like she's exposing confidential matters.'
The professor returned to the center of the room.
"Now, a simple question."
She smiled.
"If two Awakened possess the same strength, but only one has a Clan backing them… who do you think wins in the long run?"
Several hands shot up.
Almost all of them from the first group.
Linda pointed at a confident-looking young man.
"Obviously the one with a Clan," he answered without hesitation.
"Correct," she said, satisfied.
Then her eyes drifted… searching. They landed on Eylan, sitting apart from the others.
Pointing at him, she addressed him directly.
"But tell me—you."
A subtle smile.
"What should someone without a Clan do to survive in this game?"
The room fell silent.
Eylan felt dozens of gazes on him.
'Damn… why me? What do I say?'
He took a deep breath.
"Don't draw attention…" he began, "…until you have something no one else can replace."
'That's true! That's basically what happened with Sunny!'
Linda's smile widened—just a little.
"Interesting."
She clapped once.
"Very well, mister…?"
"Eylan," he replied.
"Then, Eylan…" she said, a cold glint in her eyes.
"Let's see if you can prove that."
The bell echoed down the corridor.
"Class has begun."