Breakfast was a luxury—one that most people in Trion never considered.
Unlike Earth, where breakfast was a standard al, Trionians typically ate only twice a day—once in the afternoon and once in the evening.
This wasn't due to any biological necessity but rather a cultural and historical developnt.
Even on Earth, in dieval tis, breakfast was a al for the wealthy. For common folk, food was precious, and every al had to be earned.
The idea of eating in the morning, when work had barely begun, was seen as unnecessary, even wasteful.
Instead, people saved their resources for the tis when they needed them most—midday for energy and evening to recover from the day's labor.
Trion was no different.
With limited land fit for farming and constant conflicts over resources, food was not sothing to be consud out of habit.
The first al was eaten only after the day's work had begun, ensuring that food was used efficiently.
Even in places of wealth and prosperity, eating three als a day was almost unheard of.
For the students at Cardon Academy, this routine was ingrained from childhood. They rose early, trained, studied, and fought before ever thinking about food.
To the players, this was yet another reminder—they weren't in their own world anymore.
---
Thursday morning arrived with an unusual stillness in the academy.
No bells rang to signal the start of classes. No professors road the halls, and no scheduled lessons filled the day.
For the first ti since Hell Week began, Cardon Academy was completely silent.
It wasn't the silence of inactivity—it was the silence of focus.
Every student knew what this day ant. One last chance to prepare.
The first and second years also didn't have any lessons. And since their exams were also in the coming weeks, they would use that ti to study.
So would spend the entire day refining their combat skills. Others would bury themselves in books, morizing formulas, techniques, and historical case studies.
And a few, confident in their progress, would use this rare free ti to rest and conserve energy for the brutal exams ahead.
The players, despite only having been here for a few days, had fully absorbed the atmosphere of Cardon Academy—and they knew they had no ti to waste.
---
Gathered in the PE classroom, the group discussed how they would use the day.
"So," Zack said, resting his arms behind his head, "are we training all day or what?"
"That depends on what you need to focus on," Pierre replied. "So of us have combat-related missions, others need to refine techniques."
"Yeah, but how do we split that up?" Carn asked. "Do we each just do our own thing, or are we going to help each other?"
"Both," Arlon answered simply. "We're all working toward different goals, but training together is still useful. If you need solo ti, take it. If you need a partner, find one."
Alia nodded in agreent. "That's how most students study on this day. There are no set rules—just do what you need to do."
So of the players and students already had ideas.
Arlon had already finished his preparations for the exam thanks to his ability, or Zeno's advantage, to stay awake.
So, he planned to continue refining his counterplay techniques and reaction timing.
June would fully commit to fire spells, ensuring she could control them without hesitation.
The others would complete their individual missions.
Since no one except for Carn and Evan was a kid, they had already completed their theory exam preparations.
Carn was a hardworking girl, so she had also completed her preparations as well as forcing Evan to learn.
And physical missions were easier since everyone was willing to do them. So they had also looked into them whenever possible.
And now, they would finish their last preparations.
After finalizing their training plans, the group split up, each heading to their preferred study thod.
---
Arlon found an empty space in the academy's open training grounds and began his drills alone.
His movents were fluid and precise—every strike, every counter, every dodge was calculated. He wasn't just reacting anymore; he was forcing his opponents to react.
For the first half of the day, he ran through multiple combat simulations, incorporating blinking techniques, counter-magic, and predictive defense into his movents.
Occasionally, he noticed a few academy students stopping to watch him train. So whispered among themselves, recognizing his refined movents and control. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire
Others, unfamiliar with him, were simply curious about the guest student whose na had been spreading throughout the academy.
Arlon ignored them. He had no ti to be concerned with rumors.
As he completed another sequence, he noticed i approaching, her expression thoughtful.
"You're pushing yourself hard," she remarked.
Arlon exhaled, lowering his weapon slightly. "We only have one day left. I can't afford not to."
i smiled slightly. "Then let's make sure you're ready."
She stepped into position, fire magic flickering at her fingertips. "One round. No holding back."
Arlon nodded. "Fine by ."
And just like that, the final day of training continued.
---
By the end of the day, the academy's training halls were filled with exhausted students and players taking a brief break before diving back into preparation.
The cafeteria was more crowded than usual, as most students had chosen to eat dinner earlier to maximize their study ti.
The group managed to grab their usual table, though so were more drained than others.
Zack dropped into his seat with a groan. "I swear, if I have to spar one more ti, I'm going to start throwing matches on purpose."
"You already do," Sia muttered.
Zack ignored her.
The food arrived—freshly prepared at, vegetables, and thick bread, simple but filling. Everyone dug in without complaint… until Lei stopped mid-bite and frowned at her plate.
"This at… it's moving."
The entire table froze.
Evan, who had just taken a bite, imdiately stopped chewing. Slowly, his eyes dropped to his plate.
And sure enough—sothing twitched.
Maria, who had been about to take a bite, lowered her fork. "Oh no."
Carn, already suspicious, poked her al with her knife. The mont the blade touched the at, it wiggled.
A collective shudder ran through the group.
"What kind of monster are we eating?" Zack whispered.
"It's not a monster," Alia said casually, still eating. "It's just fresh."
"Fresh?" Pierre narrowed his eyes. "Fresh at doesn't move on its own."
i sighed. "It's called Spiceback Beast. Its muscles react to heat, so if the dish is served too hot, it… well, moves a little."
Evan very calmly placed his utensils down. "I hate this world."
Arlon, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, finally took a bite. The others watched him as he chewed.
"So?" Zack asked.
Arlon swallowed. "It tastes fine."
"You say that like it's normal to eat food that fights back," Evan grumbled.
Leafa, enjoying the chaos, smirked. "You could always wait for it to cool down, but by then, it'll be tougher to eat."
Zack crossed his arms. "So it's either a twitching steak or chewing leather?"
"Basically," i said.
A long pause.
Then, June, deciding to just commit to the insanity, stabbed her fork into the at and ate it in one decisive bite.
Everyone watched her closely.
She shrugged. "Tastes fine."
Slowly, one by one, the group hesitantly resud eating, though Zack kept side-eyeing his food as if it might jump off his plate.
And despite everything, Arlon finished first.
"Are you all ready?" Pierre asked.
No one said anything, aning no one was behind on their missions.
Especially since the players didn't have the luxury to fail.
Reviews
All reviews (0)