The grand halls of Aurelius Academy were far larger than Qhuin expected.
Students filled the massive corridors while voices echoed through the polished white building. So wore expensive uniforms embroidered with golden crests while others walked proudly beside strange beasts that clearly weren’t ordinary creatures.
Qhuin sat quietly on Lina’s shoulder as his sharp crimson eyes observed everything around him.
A boy walked past with a black serpent wrapped around his neck like a scarf. Another student carried a small flaming fox in her arms while several others had armored wolves, hawks, or creatures Kaelen couldn’t even recognize.
The sll of mana lingered heavily in the air.
More importantly—The sll of blood.
Qhuin’s instincts stirred imdiately.
His gaze unconsciously followed the pulse beating beneath the neck of a passing student. He could hear it clearly. The steady rhythm of blood flowing through veins.
His tiny rabbit body trembled slightly, he was hungry.Very hungry.
"Snowy?"
Lina’s soft voice pulled him away from his thoughts.
Qhuin quickly looked up at her.
She was walking quietly through the academy while holding several books tightly against her chest. Compared to the noble students laughing confidently around her, Lina looked strangely out of place.
Her silver-blonde hair fell gently around her shoulders while her pale blue eyes carried visible nervousness. She wasn’t ugly at all. In fact, Qhuin could tell she was beautiful by human standards.
But she lacked confidence; every ti groups of students glanced her way, her fingers tightened slightly around her books.
"She’s too easy to read," Qhuin thought.
As they entered a large courtyard, several students suddenly turned toward Lina before whispering among themselves.
"There she is."
"The girl with the rabbit."
"I heard her compatibility score was terrible."
"Didn’t she almost fail beast summoning?"
Qhuin’s eyes narrowed.
Humans truly never changed, no matter the world, they always enjoyed stepping on the weak.
Lina lowered her head slightly and kept walking as if pretending not to hear them.
Qhuin noticed it imdiately.
"...Pathetic."
Yet despite saying that, his gaze lingered on her quietly.
She didn’t argue back, she simply endured it. And for so reason, that annoyed him even more.
Eventually they arrived at a massive circular chamber filled with students seated around glowing stone platforms.
At the center stood several professors dressed in silver robes embroidered with golden patterns.
One of them instantly caught Qhuin’s attention.
A Tall, broad-shouldered male with sharp golden eyes and white hair tied behind his back.
Even standing still, the man carried an overwhelming pressure that naturally silenced nearby students.
The mont Qhuin saw him, his body froze crimson eyes widened slightly.
"...Valerius."
Hunter Valerius.
The sa man who killed him, the sa terrifying hunter whose sword erased entire vampire clans.
Qhuin fur instantly stood up.
The mories returned vividly, Golden light, the Burning flesh, pain, and his death. For the first ti since reincarnating, genuine fear entered his eyes.
Valerius slowly scanned the room with calm indifference.
Then his gaze briefly paused on Lina.
More specifically on Qhuin and for that terrifying second, Qhuin felt completely seen through.
His instincts scread at him to run, but then Valerius simply looked away without reacting.
Qhuin remained motionless.
"...Impossible."
There was no recognition in the hunter’s eyes, to Valerius, he was nothing more than an ordinary rabbit.
Qhuin slowly relaxed.
At the sa ti, his pride had suffered greatly. A powerful vampire feared across kingdoms is reduced to sothing too insignificant for his killer to even notice.
"Now that hurts," he thought darkly.
"Students," one of the professors announced loudly. "Today’s Potential Evaluation will determine your future paths within Aurelius Academy."
Several students imdiately stood proudly.
The professor continued, "Your beast companions will be examined through the Spirit Resonance Stone. Their potential, elental compatibility, growth rank, and evolution capability will all be asured."
Qhuin listened carefully, the I was useful information.
A large crystal stone was brought into the center of the chamber.
One by one, students stepped forward with their contracted beasts.
"B-rank Frost Bear."
"A-rank Fla Falcon."
"C-rank Wind Panther."
Each result caused reactions throughout the hall.Qhuin noticed sothing quickly.
The higher the beast rank, the more respect the student received.
Simple hierarchy.
Strength ruled everything that part at least felt familiar.
Eventually, Lina’s turn approached, Several students imdiately started whispering again.
"She’s next."
"This should be embarrassing."
"She actually contracted a rabbit..."
Lina’s shoulders stiffened.
Qhuin sighed internally.
"These idiots talk too much."
"Lina Aurelis," the professor called.
She walked forward nervously while carrying Qhuin carefully in her arms.
The massive chamber suddenly beca unusually quiet even the professors looked mildly curious.
One of them adjusted his glasses.
"...A rabbit?"
Another sighed softly.
"Unfortunate."
Quinn’s eye twitched violently, he was beginning to hate this academy.
"Place the beast on the platform," the professor instructed.
Lina gently lowered Qhuin onto the glowing stone platform.
The massive crystal above it began glowing faintly as mana spread outward in waves as the academy device analyzed him.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
The crystal produced a dim gray light. The chamber fell silent.
One professor frowned slightly while reading the result.
"Potential Rank..."
He paused.
"...Mortal."
Whispers instantly erupted throughout the hall.
"A mortal-grade beast?!"
"That’s worse than useless."
"She’s finished."
Qhuin stared blankly.
’Mortal?’
’MORTAL?’
He had once stood among ancient vampires capable of slaughtering armies.
Now so crystal was calling him mortal.
A boy sitting near the front suddenly laughed openly.
"Well, that’s pathetic."
Qhuin slowly turned toward him.
The student looked around eighteen with sharp brown hair and expensive noble clothing. Sitting proudly beside him was a large dark-blue eagle with silver markings across its wings.
The beast’s eyes glowed intelligently as it stared down at Kaelen with obvious superiority.
"Marcus Valen," soone whispered nearby.
"Top student of the first year."
Marcus smirked while leaning back confidently.
"You might honestly be the weakest contractor in academy history."
Several students laughed.
Lina’s face paled slightly, and Qhuin noticed her hands trembling faintly.
The eagle suddenly spread its wings before hopping down from beside Marcus.
Its sharp predatory gaze locked onto Kaelen, filled with Mocking.
Then slowly—
The bird moved closer, and Qhuin shifted his eyes imdiately.
"Oh?"
The eagle lowered its head arrogantly before pecking toward him aggressively, with speed far faster than a normal bird.
But to Qhuin it was slow.
His crimson eyes sharpened instantly.
For a brief mont, his vampire instincts surfaced completely, the world slowed he could see the movent of muscles and the angle of attack.
The exposed throat beneath feathers.
Kaelen’s tiny rabbit body remained motionless.
But his eyes...
His eyes looked like those of a predator preparing to kill.
The eagle suddenly froze, its instincts scread danger.
It imdiately stepped backward in panic.
The surrounding students blinked in confusion.
"Hm?"
"What happened?"
Marcus frowned slightly his contracted beast had just retreated from a rabbit.
Qhuin slowly looked away with complete disinterest.
"Tch. Coward."
The eagle quietly moved back toward Marcus while avoiding eye contact entirely.
Only one person in the chamber noticed what truly happened.
Valerius.
The white-haired hunter sat silently near the professors’ table while watching Qhuin carefully as his golden eyes studied him slightly.
’Interesting.’
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