The morning assembly, which was merely a strict introductory procedure with the professors, concluded. Students began heading toward the massive educational building, their eyes drawn to the Class S hall. There were no duels or bloodshed—only hundreds of students walking through corridors covered in red carpets, carrying leather bags as whispers filled the air.
"This is the schedule," NIKO said, holding a sheet of premium parchment. "First period: History of Powers and Balances. Second period: Basics of Beast Anatomy. ADRIAN, do you think we'll need to use mana today?"
"I don't think so, NIKO," ADRIAN replied calmly as he moved through the crowd.
They entered the Class S lecture hall. It was designed like a semi-circular Roman theater, with polished wooden seats arranged in a manner befitting the elite. In front of each student sat a magical quill and an inkwell.
ADRIAN sat in the back rows as usual, with NIKO beside him, excitedly unpacking his tools. Minutes later, LILITH and ELENA entered and chose seats directly in the row in front of ADRIAN. As for SEBASTIAN (SERVINA), he sat at the far end, away from everyone, his back as straight as a blade.
The presiding professor entered—an elderly man with thick glasses and a cloak embroidered with stars, known as PROFESSOR THEODOR.
"Open your books to page ten," THEODOR began in a calm, steady voice. "Today, we will not discuss how to cast fire, but 'why' we cast fire. History is not just stories; it is a map of power."
The first hour passed in a killing silence. The professor explained the "Era of Purification" and how the noble houses were formed. ADRIAN took notes with incredible speed; he wasn't writing words but converting information into diagrams, trying to understand the historical weaknesses of these families.
"ADRIAN.." NIKO whispered, "Do you understand any of this nonsense about the 'Great Mana Balance'? I feel like my head is going to explode."
"It's about control," ADRIAN replied without looking up. "The professor says mana is neither created nor destroyed; it is transferred from the strong to the weak. If you understand where the source comes from, you'll know how to cut it off."
NIKO looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "You always make things sound like an assassination plot, don't you?"
After the lecture, the students moved to the laboratories for "Beast Anatomy." The room was cold. In the center stood stone tables displaying preserved specimens of strange creatures: Griffin wings, Shadow-Wolf fangs, and the hearts of small dragons.
The professor for this session was more energetic, pointing with his scalpel. "Remember, the eyes are not always the weakest point. Sometimes it is the rear joint, the brain, or other parts that bring a beast down."
ADRIAN observed the specimens with precision. To him, this was the most useful lesson. Since he was not born with natural magic, knowing "where to strike" was far more important than "what to strike with."
During their break in the vast grassy courtyard, CASPARIAN and his group approached. CASPARIAN walked with arrogance but avoided direct eye contact with ADRIAN, raising his voice to his companions instead: "Theoretical lessons are for beginners. The real test is at the end of the week in the Free Training Arena."
"He's trying to regain his confidence," NIKO said, biting into a sandwich from the cafeteria.
"Let him try," ADRIAN said, gazing at the horizon where the fortified towers of the Academy rose. "Today was ordinary, but I feel the walls here have eyes. Did you notice the person watching us from the library window?"
NIKO looked around in terror. "No, I didn't... who is it?"
"I don't know yet," ADRIAN replied, standing up. "But it seems today's peace is merely the calm before the storm."
The Black Envelope: Subject 01
The boring school day ended, and ADRIAN returned to his room. NIKO had preceded him and was already asleep from exhaustion. Silence reigned, broken only by NIKO's rhythmic breathing.
ADRIAN moved toward his wooden desk to set down his books, but he stopped abruptly.
A black envelope lay on his desk. It wasn't there when he left this morning. There was no stamp, no return name. He opened it coldly. An old piece of paper fell out, written in precise, orderly handwriting—the same handwriting ADRIAN used to see signing the reports for the "disassembly of his body."
"To Subject 01," the letter began.
ADRIAN's gaze froze. It didn't say "Adrian"; it called him by his true laboratory designation.
"Congratulations on reaching the Academy. Your performance in the forest was acceptable. Continue as you are. The Academy is but the 'second stage' of your training. The Director there knows of your presence; we have an agreement."
The Shackles of the Void
A chill ran down ADRIAN's spine. The letter was not just a threat; it was proof that IGOR had a spy inside—someone watching his every move.
"In the cabinet under your bed, you will find the 'Balancing Serum.' If you do not use it every week, you will gradually fall ill, and your body will begin to fail. Take it once a week. Remember, 01... you are not a student; you are an investment. And I will come to reclaim my investment very soon."
Signature: IGOR.
ADRIAN clenched his fist, crushing the paper until it crumbled between his fingers. He looked at the sleeping NIKO, then at the cabinet under his bed. He pulled out the hidden drawer to find a metal case filled with syringes of glowing purple fluid.
These were not medicine; they were shackles. The very substance that kept him alive.
ADRIAN flashed a faint, hollow smile. He closed his eyes and placed the syringes back into their hiding place.
That hollow smile that played across his lips was not a sign of defeat, but rather a cold realization: IGOR was watching him.
ADRIAN lay on his bed, hands tucked behind his head, staring at the ornate patterns on the ceiling. Sleep did not come. Instead, his mind began processing the data:
IGOR had a way to infiltrate his room (a spy or an agreement with the guards).
His "modified" body required a specific chemical substance to maintain stability; otherwise, his system would begin to collapse.
"Toward destruction?" ADRIAN whispered to himself, recalling the words of the letter. "So, you are afraid I might lose my efficiency."
The next morning, NIKO woke up with his usual energy, completely unaware of the drama that had unfolded in the middle of the night. "ADRIAN! Good morning! Are you ready? I heard today's class is outside the main building, at the 'Combat and Range Fields'."
ADRIAN gave a slight nod and dressed in his training gear with chilling indifference.
As they walked through the corridors toward the outdoor fields, no one noticed that ADRIAN was observing everyone. Every professor passing by, every smiling student, every guard standing at the gate—to ADRIAN, any one of them could be the "courier" who delivered the black envelope.
They reached the training ground where PROFESSOR ISABELLA was waiting.
ISABELLA VON ARDEN was a woman in her mid-twenties. Despite her young age for a professor, she had been a commander of an entire legion. She wore the Academy uniform with her brown hair styled meticulously, possessing sharp features and amber-gold eyes.
Beside her stood massive wooden crates. The atmosphere was charged; the noble students were tired of books and theoretical lessons.
"Today, we will test your ability to fuse magic with weaponry," ISABELLA said as she opened one of the crates. "Each of you will choose a training weapon. The goal is to charge the weapon with enough mana to cleave the 'Granite Stones' before you."
The students stepped forward in an orderly fashion:
CASPARIAN chose a longsword, charging it with a crimson glow representing his Lava Mana, shattering the stone in a single blow.
LILITH chose a slender dagger, thrusting it with extreme precision into the heart of the stone, using Shadow Mana to crumble it from within.
Then, it was ADRIAN's turn.
The Geometry of Weakness
He walked toward the crate but did not pick a sword or a spear. He reached in and pulled out a "simple iron dagger," old and unadorned.
"Do you not want something befitting your level, VANIT?" ISABELLA asked, watching him with keen interest.
"The weapon does not make the difference, Professor," ADRIAN replied, weighing the dagger in his palm. "What matters is knowledge."
He stood before his massive stone. He did not charge the dagger with mana; no aura flared around him. He looked at the stone not as a solid mass, but as a collection of structural weaknesses. Thanks to IGOR's training and the serum he had injected during the night, his senses were at their absolute peak.
Instead of striking with brute force, ADRIAN pushed the dagger slowly and calmly into a specific angle of the stone—the exact point where the geological pressure lines intersected.
Trak!
The massive stone split into two perfectly equal halves as if cut by a laser, without noise and without any display of mana.
Silence fell. The students who had been showing off their power with magical explosions stopped talking. What ADRIAN had done wasn't magic; it was a terrifyingly "absolute efficiency."
"Frightening efficiency," ISABELLA muttered, scribbling a note in her ledger.
The students stepped forward in an orderly fashion, completing their drills under the strict gaze of PROFESSOR ISABELLA until the end of the session was announced.
As the bells chimed to signal the break, the training grounds grew quiet. Everyone began heading toward the Academy's central cafeteria—a luxurious hall filled with the aroma of gourmet meals prepared to suit the refined tastes of the nobility.
ADRIAN and NIKO sat at one of the side tables. NIKO began eating with clear appetite, talking animatedly about the difficulty of controlling mana under pressure.
Meanwhile, ADRIAN ate his meal in silence, listening to NIKO while his eyes scanned the passing faces. He was meticulously sorting them—distinguishing those who appeared ordinary from those who carried a "suspicious" look.
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over the nearby tables.
A noble girl stepped forward with confident strides. Her glowing red hair cascaded over her shoulders like fire, and her green eyes held an unmistakable sharpness. She stopped directly in front of ADRIAN's table, causing NIKO to stop eating and shift uncomfortably in his seat.
She looked at ADRIAN calmly and spoke in a clear, audible voice:
"ADRIAN VANIT? Do you have a minute in private? I wish to speak with you about something specific... away from prying eyes."
ADRIAN raised his head, meeting her gaze with a cold indifference. Around them, the whispers began to rise instantly:
"Isn't that the daughter of the REDFIELD family?"
.....
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