Leo was finally in his dorm.
He entered slowly, taking in the simple room—two beds, two desks, a shared closet, and a single long window that let in the afternoon light. It wasn't luxurious, but compared to what he expected, it felt almost welcoming.
He noticed immediately that someone was already unpacking on the far side.
The guy looked up.
"And who do we have here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Leo," he answered, adjusting his bag strap. "Leo Stevens."
"Lex Davidson," the guy said. "But most people around here call me Drex. Don't ask how. It just stuck." He grinned and offered a hand.
Leo shook it politely. Drex's grip was firm—strong but not overbearing.
"Welcome to the Academy," Drex said, leaning back on his bed. "Been waiting to see who I'd be stuck with all year. Glad it's someone who looks normal enough."
Leo chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks… I guess?"
As he settled onto his bed, Leo noticed something important. Drex wasn't giving him the judgemental look he was used to seeing from people who had awakened early. There was no superiority, no mockery. Just curiosity. That little lack of judgement eased some of the tension in his chest.
Drex stretched. "So, what class did you get into?"
"Assault class," Leo said.
Drex blinked. "Seriously? Same as me. Now that's good news."
Leo nodded politely.
Drex smirked. "Means we can help each other out. Or at least, I can help you. I've been training for a while."
Leo hadn't even opened his mouth before Drex squinted suspiciously.
"Hold on… don't tell me you're one of those slacker types?"
Leo's heart sank. Already?
His brief spark of joy evaporated like mist under the sun.
"No," Leo said quickly. "I'm not a slacker. I just… started late."
"Ahhh," Drex said, nodding sagely. "A late bloomer. Got it. Don't worry, bro. Happens sometimes. I won't tease you or anything."
Leo sighed. "That doesn't make me feel better."
"Wasn't trying to," Drex said honestly. "Just saying."
Leo decided to change the subject. "Do you—uh—know where the training hall is?"
Drex brightened. "Oh yeah, totally. Want me to show you?"
"I—" Leo began.
"Great!" Drex said immediately, throwing on his jacket. "Let's go. No way I'm letting my new roommate get lost and die in a ditch or something."
Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wanted to go alone…"
"Nope," Drex said cheerfully, already halfway to the door. "You're stuck with me now."
Leo muttered under his breath, "Life is often disappointing…"
"Huh?" Drex glanced back.
"Nothing. Just quoting a purple giant."
"Cool."
They made their way across the Academy grounds. Drex talked nonstop the entire way.
"So listen—Assault class is super intense. Tons of physical stuff. You better be ready to cry. Also, the cafeteria food is either amazing or horrible depending on who's cooking. And if you hear someone yelling about losing their pet salamander, ignore it. That guy's been looking for it for two years."
Leo had no idea how to respond to most of that.
When they finally reached the training hall, Leo's eyes widened.
The place was massive. Machines lined the walls, open fighting arenas filled the center, and students of all types were training everywhere—hundreds of them. The air vibrated with shouts, impacts, and bursts of elemental energy.
"Welcome to heaven," Drex said proudly. "Or hell. Depends on how fit you are."
Leo found a quiet corner and began stretching.
"You doing your daily routine?" Drex asked.
"Yeah."
"Then I'll do them with you."
Leo glanced at him. "You don't have to."
"I know," Drex said easily. "But I wanna see how the new guy works."
Leo tried not to think about that too much and got into position.
He started push-ups.
By the tenth one, his arms were trembling violently.
"Wow," Drex said conversationally, doing push-ups one-handed. "You okay over there?"
Leo's face turned red. "Perfectly fine."
"No you're not."
"Shut up."
Leo switched to the treadmill, grateful just to stop embarrassing himself on the floor. He managed a steady pace, but by the one-kilometer mark, sweat drenched his shirt. His lungs burned like fire.
He dropped onto a mat for sit-ups.
Drex finished his own routine looking like he'd barely warmed up.
"Ha… ha… ha…" Leo gasped. "That was exhausting… I feel like I want to die…"
Drex shrugged. "Honestly? You did better than some newbies I've seen. And hey, you'll get there. I'm almost tier two now." he said with a teasing grin.
Leo forced out a laugh. "Great… that makes me feel so much worse…"
They packed up and headed back.
As they walked, they spotted Aliya and her roommate heading to the cafeteria. Aliya waved brightly.
"Leo!"
Drex's jaw dropped. "Bro. You're friends with Aliya? Aliya? The Aliya Jacobs?"
"Kind of?" Leo answered.
Aliya grinned. "This is Mary, my roommate. She's mid-tier one. Wind element."
Mary gave a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
Aliya tilted her head. "Want to join us for dinner?"
Leo shook his head. "Not today. Drex can go."
"What? Why me?" Drex blinked.
"Because I need to do something in the room," Leo said quickly.
Drex opened his mouth to argue but Leo shoved him gently toward the girls. "Go."
Drex sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if the food's bad, I'm blaming you!"
Leo returned to the dorm and finally sat on his bed.
He opened his status.
---
The Celestial System
Name: Leo Stevens
Race: Human
Level: 0 (Complete daily quest to fully unlock system)
Abilities: Lightning, Space, Time
Energy: 150
HP: 100
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Skills:
• Insight (Improves all cognitive abilities)
Daily Quest:
• 100 push-ups
• 100 squats
• 10 km run
• 100 sit-ups
Reward: Battle Mastery
Claim Reward (Yes or No)?
---
Leo whispered, "Yes."
Heat surged through him instantly. It wasn't fiery, but overwhelming—like his blood was boiling and expanding all at once. He clenched his teeth as the sensation built up, threatening to tear him apart.
Just when it reached the breaking point… it faded.
He checked his status again.
---
The Celestial System
Name: Leo Stevens
Race: Human
Level: 1 — 0/100 EXP
Abilities: Lightning, Space, Time
HP: 150
Energy: 150
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Endurance: 15
Skills:
• Insight
• Battle Master (Grants improved battle understanding)
Daily Quest:
• Completed
---
Leo exhaled slowly.
He was officially awakened.
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint thrum of power in his veins.
"Time to test out my new power."
---