Leo woke up to the sound of someone humming.
He blinked.
The sun was already high.
…That wasn't right.
He shot up so fast he nearly fell off the bed. His blanket wrapped around his legs like a trap, and he had to fight it off before he finally freed himself.
Across the room, his roommate—Drex—was already dressed in his academy uniform, calmly tying his boots with a smug little smile.
"You finally reincarnated?" Drex said without looking up. "I was about to file a missing-persons report."
Leo stared at him, horrified. "What time is it?"
Drex checked the wall clock. "Seven fifty-two."
"…Class starts at eight."
Drex nodded. "Correct."
Leo threw himself across the room and nearly tore the closet door open. "Why didn't you wake me!?"
"I tried," Drex said, standing casually. "But you were mumbling something like—wait, hold on—'five more minutes… the pillow is warm….' Very intimidating warrior vibes."
Leo groaned as he shoved on his shirt backwards, realized it, then fixed it. "You're useless."
"And yet," drex said, "I am fully dressed, awake, and handsome. Meanwhile, you're fighting your clothes like they owe you money."
Leo ignored him. He grabbed his bag, fastened the strap, and ran toward the door.
Drex followed with a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll come save your dignity. Again."
They sprinted down the hallway like two fugitives escaping justice. Other students watched them blur past, some snickering, some shaking their heads.
"Why are we even running together?" Drex complained. "You're the one who overslept!"
"You stayed quiet on purpose!"
"True. I wanted to see the look on your face. Worth it."
Leo didn't have the breath to argue.
They burst into the classroom at the exact second the homeroom bell rang.
The room went quiet.
The instructor—an older man with grey hair tied back in a warrior's knot—looked at them without blinking. His name was Instructor Ravel, Tier-5 Earth element combat veteran, rumored to have fought demons on three different planets.
His stare alone felt like a weight.
Leo and Drex straightened automatically.
"You two," Ravel said, voice calm. "Late."
"We're… technically not," Taro offered.
Ravel raised one eyebrow. "Technically, I can assign you both a ten-kilometer penalty run."
Drex shut up.
"Sit," Ravel said, pointing.
---
Awkward Seating Arrangement
Aliya was already seated.
She waved when she saw Leo.
Mary also waved nonchalantly when she saw them both
The boy sitting behind her—a large guy with flame-red hair, probably fire-aligned—froze. Slowly, his neck turned toward Leo like an ancient statue activating.
Leo recognized him. The guy's name was Brion. And Brion had been very, very obvious the day before when he tried to impress Aliya by lighting his arms on fire.
Drex elbowed Leo. "Congrats," he whispered. "You just triggered a territorial beast."
Leo ignored that too.
He walked toward Aliya. She smiled warmly. "You made it just in—"
He sat.
Brion stared. Hard.
He didn't say anything, but the air around him heated by at least five degrees. His inner monologue practically radiated through his expression:
Why is he sitting next to her? Who even is this guy? Does he think he's cool? He's not cool. I'm cool. I showed her how good I am at controlling my flames. She saw that. She definitely remembers that. Right? RIGHT?
Leo shifted uncomfortably.
He could feel the glare stabbing through the back of his head.
Drex leaned forward from the row behind and whispered, "If looks could kill, you'd be a smear on the floor."
"Thanks," Leo muttered.
Aliya was blissfully unaware. "Good morning!" she said brightly.
Brion twitched.
Leo tried to smile normally. Instead, it came out weird and stiff.
Please stop smiling, his brain screamed at him. You look like a malfunctioning robot.
---
Class Actually Begins
Instructor Ravel clapped his hands once. The room fell silent.
"Welcome to your first full day of training. You may have learned the academy's basic structure yesterday, but today you enter the real curriculum."
He tapped the board, and glowing text appeared—runic script that automatically translated itself for each student's mind.
THE THREE MAIN THREATS
1. Demons – hostile galactic species, tiers 1–10
2. Beasts – mutated or evolved creatures across the star systems
3. Chaos Corruption – environmental distortions resulting from demon warfare
Ravel continued:
"For those who forgot your history lessons, humans joined the Tri-Alliance last—after the elves and dwarves. Despite this, humanity stands equal in power and ability. Our elemental awakenings, martial roots, and modern star-forged weaponry make us an essential front-line race."
He paced slowly.
"You are here to become fighters who can stand against demons. Against beasts. Against anything that threatens this alliance."
Leo listened, but somewhere in the back of his mind he felt doubt creeping in.
Am I really supposed to fight Tier-10 threats someday? I can barely get out of bed on time…
Ravel's gaze swept the room, sharp and unforgiving. "Some of you are already talented. Some of you will struggle. But all of you will learn that strength is earned, not given."
Leo sat straighter despite himself.
---
Beastology Preview
Ravel brought up another hologram.
Massive shapes lit the room—wolf-like hulks with armored bones, floating stingray beasts made of energy, chimera-type horrors.
"These," Ravel said, "are known as Starborn Beasts. They exist across the galaxy. Unlike demons, they are not organized. They are instinct-driven, powerful, and unpredictable."
He switched to another page.
BEAST TIERS
Tier 1: Basic beasts
Tier 2–4: Evolved types with elemental affinity
Tier 5–7: High threat, usually territory rulers
Tier 8–10: Catastrophic-class
A low murmur spread through the class.
Even Brion stopped death-staring long enough to gulp.
---
Martial Path Overview
Ravel continued:
"The academy trains three major disciplines:"
1. Elemental Combat – harnessing awakened abilities
2. Weapon Mastery – physical combat using blades, gauntlets, spears, rifles
3. Martial Arts – internal energy channels, body reinforcement techniques, and stance systems passed down from ancient human traditions
Leo leaned forward. Martial arts… that part actually interested him.
Ravel finished with a stern expression.
"Your foundation class ends here for today. In exactly thirty minutes, you will report to your optional elective selection hall. You must choose four of the academy's optional tracks: Beastology, Weapon Arts, Elemental Focus, Rune Theory, Martial Discipline, and Galactic History."
A chime rang.
"Dismissed."
---
Leo exhaled.
Drex stood and stretched. "Well. That was a lot of doom and death for a morning."
Aliya smiled softly. "It was exciting, though. I can't wait to choose my elective."
Brion stood, still glaring at Leo like he owed him money. Leo pretended not to notice.
The class filed out, buzzing with nervousness and excitement. The hallways were full of students already debating which path they'd choose.
Leo adjusted his bag, took a slow breath, and stepped forward.
Optional class selection awaited.