That meant sooner or later, someone would start looking for me.
I had changed completely, yet I still didn't know whether my blood had changed along with my appearance, or if the transformation had only affected my body. I didn't know a single real half-elf I could ask about things like that.
Hearing the bell, I hurried toward the classroom where Monster stifon was being held.
After reaching the correct floor, I noticed all the classroom doors were already closed, which could only mean one thing—the lessons had already started.
Approaching the door, I knocked and slightly opened it, peeking inside.
The instructor stood beside a desk, where a strange creature was running around, vaguely resembling a chicken.
The professor himself looked to be around forty years old: short, with long black hair tied into a braid and deep-set brown eyes.
Hearing the door open, he shifted his gaze toward me and examined me closely.
For a moment, it felt as though he were evaluating me like a new monster that needed a suitable cage.
"Stop standing in the doorway, stufon Trey. Come in and take your seat with the others," the professor said in a tired voice.
Silently entering the classroom and closing the door behind me, I began looking around.
Unlike the History of Magic classroom, this room had paintings of various monsters hanging along the walls, along with cages containing some of them.
The stufons from my class were seated on the right side of the room, arranged in pairs.
Looking around, I searched for an empty seat. The only one available was next to my sister.
As I approached, I noticed she was practically burning a hole through me with her stare. But after seeing there were no other free seats, all she could do was accept her fate.
Taking the seat beside her, I heard the professor introduce himself and begin explaining what this course would focus on.
The professor's name was Craig.
He intended to teach us how to determine the danger level of monsters, locate their weak points, and study their habitats.
On his desk was a monster called a Mihyer.
Its appearance resembled a mixture of a wolf and a cat. It was no larger than a small cabinet, had a long tail, reddish fur, and like most monsters, yellow eyes.
"Don't let this monster's appearance fool you. They hunt in packs and are capable of causing serious problems for villages and farms. They are excellent daytime predators, but at night, their vision drops almost to zero. They feed on both livestock and other monsters," Craig explained.
As he spoke, he pulled open the monster's jaws, revealing fangs completely at odds with its appearance.
"They use their front fangs to tear into a victim's weak points, and once the prey becomes vulnerable and stops resisting as much, they finish it off with their claws."
Craig lowered his hand to the monster's paws and demonstrated the claws hidden between the pads.
They looked like long, thin needles.
A chill ran down my spine.
If these creatures hunted in packs, very few ordinary villagers or farmers would be able to deal with such a threat.
"Like all monsters, they possess a core, which you must destroy if you want to kill the creature. In a Mihyer, it is located inside the ribcage on the left side, beneath the front leg."
Craig carefully laid the monster onto its back and ran a hand over the indicated area.
It was obvious the creature tensed up at that moment, but the professor fed it something, and the Mihyer relaxed almost immediately.
I carefully memorized the professor's words. There was no telling where fate might eventually take me.
"Where do you think these creatures are most commonly found?" Professor Craig asked.
Some of the stufons began quietly muttering to themselves, but no one rushed to answer.
As far as I remembered, monsters like these didn't exist in the Cray Empire. At least, I had never once heard discussions in the palace about such creatures attacking villages.
"Introduce yourself first, stufon, and tell us where you believe these monsters live," Craig said, addressing a stufon who had raised a hand.
The stufon slowly stood up.
He stared intently at the monster, and it was obvious from his eyes that this knowledge had not come from books.
"My name is Lei'Syu. They are the nightmare of my country, Mingel. Their packs love hunting animals grazing near villages. Their victims are often children, who don't see these monsters as a threat and approach too closely. That's when the pack attacks," Lei'Syu said bitterly, never taking her eyes off the Mihyer.
Professor Craig nodded approvingly.
After hearing her answer, he rewarded the girl with currency and gestured for her to sit.
"Exactly right. However, you forgot to mention that the scent of children is softer and gentler, which makes them especially attractive to Mihyers," Craig added.
Sweeping his gaze across the classroom, the professor walked over to the desk, grabbed the Mihyer by the scruff of its neck, and carried it back to its cage.
The monster didn't even resist, merely watching everything calmly.
After locking the cage, Craig returned to the desk and leaned against it slightly, tapping his fingers against the surface.
"What do you think is more dangerous: a large and powerful monster, or a small but agile one?" he asked.
Thoughtful silence filled the room.
To me, the more dangerous opponent wasn't necessarily the stronger one, but the one capable of dodging attacks and nullifying my advantages.
But for most people, both types likely posed an equal threat.
I noticed hands starting to rise one after another.
What surprised me most was that Heya was the first to raise hers.
"You there, stufon, introduce yourself and share your opinion," Craig said, pointing at her.
"My name is Heya. In my opinion, both types of monsters are dangerous. It all depends on the situation and the environment they inhabit," she answered calmly while observing the cages.
"Correct, stufon Heya. Many monsters are dangerous specifically within their own environment. That is why it's important to know what kind of monster you are hunting and study its strengths and weaknesses beforehand. For example, Mihyers are dangerous during the day, but at night they are nearly defenseless and hide in deep burrows alongside their pack."
Agreeing with her answer, Craig walked over to another cage, noticeably larger than the previous one.
Unlocking it, he swung the door open and stepped aside, allowing the creature to come out.
Like the other stufons, I stared at the cage with interest.
But when a light elf woman with a hunched back stepped out, the entire class froze.
I blinked, then looked at the creature again before shifting my gaze toward the professor, who was clearly enjoying the audience's shock.
Taking hold of the chain fastened around the elf woman's neck, he led her over to the teacher's desk.
"Judging by your faces, you're unfamiliar with a Hyerlin?" Craig asked.
The elf woman sat beside the desk, wrapped her arms around her knees, and buried her face in them.
She looked exhausted and painfully thin, as though she hadn't eaten in a long time.
"A Hyerlin is a monster that takes on the form of the last victim it consumed. It can assume the shape of any race, or even another monster. Why do you think that is?"
Tension spread through the classroom.
If this monster could take on someone else's appearance, then the obvious question arose: could it also inherit the victim's memories and talents?
I had never heard of such creatures.
Judging by everyone else's expressions, they were thinking the same thing.
"I see that even for an elite class, this monster is difficult to process. But that will pass," Craig sighed.
"Using the blood and bones of its victim, the monster restructures its body into a new form. However, after consumption, it enters a dormant state to complete the transformation."
He pointed at the elf woman.
"No, it does not gain the victim's memories, knowledge, or talent."
After those words, the tension in the classroom eased slightly.
"How do you identify a Hyerlin? Pay attention to the neck. Unlike elves, their skin is constantly peeling. Additionally, they always appear hungry and most often go hunting at night or early in the morning."
After finishing the explanation, the professor led the Hyerlin back into its cage.
Returning, he swept his gaze over the class.
"And if you think this is the most terrifying monster, then I'm afraid to disappoint you. There are creatures capable of wiping out an entire small city."
A shiver ran down my spine.
I involuntarily imagined villages drenched in blood, streets littered with bodies, and the screams of survivors.
"The Hyerlin's weakness is that during its transformation, it sleeps and becomes defenseless. Additionally, after transforming, it inherits the weaknesses of the form it has taken."
At that moment, Lei'Syu raised her hand again.
Craig allowed her to ask a question.
"Professor Craig, what do you know about alpha monsters?" she asked.
Craig was visibly caught off guard.
He had expected a question about the Hyerlin, but definitely not about alpha monsters.
Alpha monsters were considered the progenitors of all known creatures. If the races had gods as objects of worship, then for monsters, that role was occupied by alpha monsters.
Many legends surrounded them.
Some claimed they had long since gone extinct. Others believed they had merely entered hibernation.
"stufon Lei'Syu, I'm surprised by your question. However, allow me to reassure you—the last alpha monster was seen millions of years ago," Craig answered calmly.
"Then how do you explain the appearance of new monsters in my country?" Lei'Syu pressed.
Craig looked at her thoughtfully, then at the entire class.
The topic Lei'Syu had brought up was clearly far more serious.
The emergence of new monsters—stronger, more resilient, and more cunning—had already been discussed at meetings of rulers.
"At present, it is believed to be the result of different monster species interbreeding, followed by the evolution of certain individuals into new forms. But our lesson time has come to an end," the professor said in a serious tone, making it clear he had no intention of continuing the subject.
A few seconds later, the bell rang.
Standing up and heading toward the exit, I heard a familiar voice.
Turning around, I saw Heya standing beside me.
"What do you want?" I asked.
I didn't want to let her get too close. Otherwise, she might notice far too many similarities between my behavior and that of her brother, Aluric.
Judging by her expression, such treatment was unexpected for her.
People had always treated her respectfully, trying to earn her favor.
But not this half-elf.
"stufon Trey, do you know what family I come from?" Heya asked with a strained smile.
I almost smirked.
Of course I knew exactly what family she came from.
But the academy's rules made one thing perfectly clear: titles and origins held no meaning within its walls.
"No. And is that supposed to affect me somehow?" I asked calmly, watching as the classroom gradually emptied until we were nearly alone.
I could see Heya's eyes narrow slightly.
"I am a princess of the Cray Empire. After speaking with my parents following your achievements during the trial, we wish to offer you service within our empire," she declared grandly, already seeming to expect my agreement.
"I refuse. I have no interest in serving any empire, Princess Heya. Now, if you'll excuse me—we need to head to our next lesson."
Giving her a half-playful bow, I turned and left the classroom, leaving Heya standing motionless like a statue.
After leaving the class, I headed toward my next subject—Advanced Magic.
I knew magic was divided into lower and higher branches, but I couldn't say exactly what distinguished them.
As I walked down the corridor, I noticed many stufons still staring holes through me.
Some even tried to approach, but my gaze alone stopped them, clearly telling them that today, I was not in the mood to talk to anyone.