The murmurs turned into whispers, and the whispers turned into loud disbelief.
"How?!"
"Wait... then how can you teach us?"
Harel raised both hands and waited. The room cald again.
"Because I am a scholar. I've studied mana theory, awakened history, magical creature psychology, and interdinsional cosmology for over two decades. I have walked behind the lines, recorded ancient spells from beyond, deciphered lost inscriptions. And most importantly, I've spent the last ten years learning how to teach people like you in ways you understand."
He smiled again. "My strength is not in the battlefield. It's in the classroom."
The effect was... imdiate.
Even the most skeptical students leaned forward.
Harel began the lecture with a breakdown of how mana affinities interacted with natural law. He spoke of how each class—from summoners to necromancers—possessed latent behavioral links with their mana. Berserkers generated mana more explosively, while mages funneled it thodically. He made analogies to physics, music, and even dance.
When soone asked if spirits had consciousness, he spent ten minutes drawing diagrams of spirit constructs across three mana dinsions.
And when Victor asked if anyone had ever successfully reversed a corrupted mana beast's evolution, Harel's eyes lit up and he launched into a case study from a decade ago involving an underground expedition in the Arctic Voidlands.
The class had been going for nearly two hours at this point and everyone was enjoying it.
The students were still riding the high of his earlier explanations when he suddenly paused mid-sentence and adjusted his glasses with a thoughtful gleam in his eye.
"I think it's ti we take a short detour," he smiled mysteriously.
A collective murmur passed through the lecture hall as they followed Instructor Harel out.
"Detour?"
"Where's he taking us?"
Victor exchanged glances with Reed, who shrugged. Aria tilted her head curiously. Even Kai raised an eyebrow.
Monts later, Instructor Harel led the entire group outside the lecture building. They followed him through a series of elevated glass walkways that eventually opened into a vast, reinforced training field lined with glittering protective barriers.
On the other side was one of the magical beast grounds.
The air here felt different and primal.
Low growls, distant screeches, and thunderous footsteps echoed through the misty enclosure. So of the students looked tensed.
So instinctively reached for weapons or protective charms.
"Stay close," Harel said warmly. "And do not attempt to use mana. The defenses here are strong, but agitation is... unwise."
A massive figure moved through the shadows.
Sothing large. Heavy. Breathing.
Then it stepped into view.
A beast, easily fifteen feet tall, covered in deep silver fur. Its eyes were the color of embers, and its four arms moved with terrifying speed. Its tail dragged behind it like a whip made of muscle.
Gasps rippled across the group.
Even Victor felt his heart skip a beat.
Then Instructor Harel did sothing unexpected.
He whistled.
Not loudly.
Just a soft, rising trill.
The massive beast halted mid-step as its ears twitched.
And then it bounded over.
So students scread. Others staggered back. Even Aria looked ready to activate her defensive glyphs.
Victor's instincts scread run.
But the beast didn't attack.
It stopped before Instructor Harel... and nuzzled against him.
The great beast—capable of smashing through walls with a single blow—was gently rubbing its massive head against Harel's chest like an overgrown puppy.
"His na is Tero," Harel said softly while stroking the beast's fur. "And he's been here longer than I have."
The students were silent.
Harel smiled and turned toward the group. "Magical beasts are not always the monsters people paint them to be. Evolution has taken many paths. Not all magical beasts are beyond reason. This one, for instance, understands . Trusts . And yes—he could kill you with a single squeeze."
Gasps again.
"But," Harel added, "he won't. Not unless you give him a reason."
One brave student raised a shaky hand. "C-Can we... touch him?"
"Of course," Harel replied.
Students approached slowly. A few petted Tero hesitantly. The beast huffed with a look of content.
Victor stepped forward with an unsure look.
As he raised a hand, the beast lowered its massive head. Its fur was warm and surprisingly soft. Victor smiled.
Aria gave it a pat as well but was quick to toss her hair and whisper, "Not impressed. My family has a Sylrith-hound."
"Yeah, but does it wag its tail when you whistle?" Reed shot back.
Even Kai gave Tero a light pat.
After the short interlude, Harel led them back to the lecture hall where he resud the final portion of the lesson. They were quiet now—respectful.
Because he hadn't just taught them theory.
He had given them a new perspective.
'I wonder if maybe so humanoid species are like that... what if, they're not all monsters too?' Victor said internally with a thoughtful gaze but in the next instant, the image of a hole in his father's chest appeared in his mind.
He squeezed his fist with a sore look; 'No! They're all evil and they must die!'
---
After the session ended, Victor slung his satchel over his shoulder and made for the corridor.
"Yo," Reed called. ", Aria, and a couple others are hitting the third-tier training zone. You coming?"
Aria added, "Unless you're too sore from being second-tier."
Victor gave a small grin. "Tempting, but I've got sothing else to take care of."
Reed mock-gasped. "What's more important than us?"
"Howork," Victor said casually.
He left before they could ask more.
---
Back in his dorm, Victor dropped his satchel and locked the door.
Kairo wasn't back yet.
Perfect.
He pulled his blanket over himself and laid down beneath it, then brought out his gaming helt.
Plugging it into the wall, he connected the core wires and activated the device.
A few taps later, his consciousness slipped away from the real world.
---
He appeared in the familiar confines of his private abode within the Violet Spring Sect.
No ti to waste.
Victor rose to his feet.
He stretched briefly and then exited into the courtyard, where Elder Mo waited.
He was seated cross-legged beside a gently glowing formation.
"You're late," the elder said with a wry smirk.
"I had important things to take care of."
"Excuses."
Victor sat.
"Today, we resu your training. The Iron Vein Flow technique focuses on building internal resistance to physical trauma. Once mastered to a certain level, it will allow your body to endure far more punishnt—an essential for your coming trial."
Victor crossed his legs, closed his eyes and cleared his mind.
Qi began to build up around him.
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