The second day began before dawn. Robin completed his routine in the dark common room. Push-ups, planks, weapon forms. The familiar rhythm of improvement.
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETE]
[+50 EXP]
[LEVEL 6: 505/600 EXP]
His classmates stirred as the morning bell rang. Seventeen students now, six had been transferred to Class D yesterday.
The remaining were those deemed too deficient to move up but with enough potential to warrant training.
They assembled at the training grounds. Master Torren was waiting, his scarred face showing no sympathy for their obvious exhaustion.
"Six transfers yesterday. They don't belong in F." He walked along the line. "You seventeen? You're mine. And I'm going to make you hate me before I make you competent."
The morning session was worse than day one. Endless drilling. Forms repeated until muscles screamed. Footwork until legs trembled.
"Again! Your stance is garbage!"
"Faster! My dead grandmother moves quicker!"
"Pathetic!"
Robin endured it. His improved stats carried him through. But Torren wasn't satisfied.
"Stark! Front and center!"
Robin stepped forward.
"Perfect technique, but weak. Every strike lacks power." Torren handed him a heavier practice sword. "Train with this. Build strength. Compensate for your limitations."
The weapon was significantly heavier. Robin could barely lift it properly.
"I can't....."
"You will. Or you'll fail." Torren moved on.
Robin struggled through the rest of morning training. Every swing exhausting. His technique deteriorated as fatigue set in.
Breaking them down to rebuild. Classic methodology.
Lunch was a mercy. The Class F dining area was separate, another way the Academy segregated the bottom tier.
During the afternoon session, Torren announced a change.
"Live sparring. Pair up. Blunted weapons. Fight until I call stop."
The class paired off. Robin found himself facing a student he hadn't noticed before.
The boy was striking. Silver hair that caught light strangely not Stark silver, something different. Wrong somehow. And eyes golden eyes that reflected light like an animal's.
[ANALYZING...]
[DETECTING ANOMALOUS SIGNATURE...]
The system pinged. Something about this student triggered its sensors.
"You're Robin Stark," the boy said quietly. "The F-minus who killed a Scrabbler in two minutes."
"And you are?"
"Norman Grey."
The name meant nothing. But those eyes...
"Begin!" Torren commanded.
Norman moved.
Fast.
Inhumanly fast. Not mana-enhanced, this was different. Natural speed that shouldn't be possible.
Robin barely blocked the first strike. The impact jarred his arms. Norman's strength was wrong too. Too much force.
What is he?
Robin gave ground. Assessed his opponent. Norman's movements were efficient but savage. No formal technique. Pure instinct. Predatory instinct.
Robin changed tactics. Committed to a powerful thrust, deliberately leaving himself exposed.
Norman took the bait. Dodged and countered.
Robin twisted. His real attack came from a different angle. A feint within a feint.
His blade tapped Norman's ribs.
Both froze.
Norman's golden eyes widened slightly. Surprise.
"Stop! Switch partners!"
Norman stepped back. His expression was unreadable.
"Interesting," he said quietly. "You fight like you've done this before. Many times."
Robin said nothing. Moved to his next partner.
But his mind was processing. Norman Grey. Silver hair. Golden eyes. Inhuman speed and strength. No formal training but exceptional combat instinct.
Not human. Or not fully human.
The system confirmed:
[ENTITY ANALYSIS: NORMAN GREY]
[CLASSIFICATION: PARTIALLY NON-HUMAN]
[ESTIMATED BLOODLINE: LYCANTHROPE/VOID CORRUPTION]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE-HIGH]
[RECOMMENDATION: OBSERVE. POTENTIAL ALLY OR ENEMY.]
Half-beast. That explains the physical capabilities.
The afternoon continued. Robin sparred with multiple partners. Analyzed each one.
But Norman stood out. Alone in corners between bouts. Watching everyone with those unsettling golden eyes. Not socializing. Just observing.
Like me. Gathering information.
Evening came. Most students headed for the dormitory. Exhausted and broken.
Norman didn't follow. He headed toward a different part of the Academy.
Curious.
Robin followed at a distance. His enhanced perception made tracking easy.
Norman moved with clear purpose. Past main buildings. Past dormitories. To the eastern edge where old structures stood half-forgotten from when the Academy was smaller.
He entered an abandoned library annex.
Robin waited five minutes. Then followed.
Inside, the building was dark. Dusty. Filled with old books no one had touched in years.
Norman sat at a table in the back. Reading by candlelight. Ancient tome spread before him.
"You can come out," Norman said without looking up. "I heard you following."
His senses. Even sharper than I thought.*
Robin stepped into the candlelight. "What are you reading?"
"Void mutation texts. Lycanthropic bloodlines. Curse suppression." Norman looked up. Golden eyes caught the light. "Research."
"Personal research?"
"Very personal." Norman gestured to a chair. "Sit if you want. Or leave."
Robin sat.
"What are you?" Robin asked directly.
"Half-human. Half-beast. The Church calls people like me abominations." Norman's tone was matter-of-fact.
"My father was infected with Void corruption. Became something between man and wolf. Passed it to me before my mother killed him."
"And you can control it?"
"Mostly. The beast wants out. Especially during combat. You noticed my speed? My strength? That's instinct leaking through." Norman closed the book. "I'm here to learn control. To suppress the beast permanently."
Robin processed this. A half-beast at the Academy. Searching for a cure.
"Why tell me this?"
"Because you're not normal either." Norman's golden eyes fixed on Robin. "F-minus mana. But you fight like someone with decades of experience. Your technique is too refined. Your tactical awareness too sharp." He leaned forward. "You're hiding something. Just like me."
Robin said nothing.
"I'm not asking what," Norman continued. "We all have secrets. But I recognize a kindred spirit. Someone else trying to survive in a system not designed for them."
"And what? You want to be friends?"
"I want to propose an arrangement. We train together. In secret." Norman pulled out another book. "The Academy teaches basics. Controlled drills. Safe sparring. But real growth comes from real challenges."
Robin understood immediately. "You want to train outside Academy supervision."
"Yes. Nights. In the forest beyond the grounds. Real combat. Real danger." Norman's eyes gleamed. "I need a partner who can keep up. Who won't break. Who can push me as hard as I push them."
Robin thought about his nightly hunts in Winterfell's dungeons. About how much he'd grown from real combat versus practice.
He's offering the same thing. Real experience.
"What do I get?"
"Training with someone stronger and faster than you. Someone who'll push you past your limits." Norman smiled. Teeth slightly too sharp. "Your technique is perfect but your body is weak. Train with me and you'll build real strength. Real speed."
"When?"
"Midnight. Eastern gate. Starting tonight." Norman extended his hand. "Deal?"
Robin looked at the offered hand. At the boy with golden eyes. At someone else who didn't belong.
He shook Norman's hand. "Deal."
Norman's grip was strong.
"Good. Don't be late. And Stark?" Norman's expression was serious. "Tell no one. If the Academy discovers what I am, I'm expelled. Probably hunted."
"Your secret is safe."
"As is yours. Whatever it is."
They parted. Robin returned to the dormitory. His mind analyzing the new development.
Norman Grey. Half-beast. Powerful but unstable. Seeking control.
Could be ally or liability. Time will tell.
But Class F had just become more interesting.
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: SECRET TRAINING]
[TRAIN WITH NORMAN GREY]
[REWARD: ENHANCED COMBAT EXPERIENCE]
Robin lay in his bunk. Waited for the dormitory to sleep.
At midnight, he'd venture into the forest.
Discover what training with a half-beast really meant.
Day two complete. Alliance is formed.
Now let's see what the night brings.
The other students snored around him. Exhausted from legitimate training.
Robin's eyes were open.
When the time came, he slipped out silently.
The eastern gate was unlocked, a security oversight or deliberate? Either way.
Norman waited in the shadows. His golden eyes reflected moonlight.
"Ready?"
Robin nodded.
They disappeared into the forest.
And the real training began.