The next day, the boys decided it would be smart to head back down to the city—back to the barn… or shack. They weren't exactly sure what to call it. What they did know was that the place was spacious and had a special trait similar to a simulation room.
It could project a beast and allow that beast to behave exactly as it would in the real world—same instincts, same preferences, same reactions.
As they entered, Harkel turned to the group.
"Okay," the boy began. "After breakfast, I got news about which planet and military city we'll be heading to for the beast hunt. The planet is called Pyroxis. This planet is known for its extreme surface heat—meaning—"
Harkel pressed a button on the side of the panel.
Instantly, unbearable heat flooded the room.
Sweat evaporated off their skin almost the moment it formed. Their breathing grew ragged as the air itself felt like it was burning their lungs.
Harkel quickly shut it off.
Everyone collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"—meaning," Harkel continued between heavy breaths, clearly affected himself, "we're going to have to get used to this type of heat. So for the coming days… this will be our training."
"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" Luka asked. "We could end up hurting our bodies instead of just gaining resistance."
"And I'd agree with you," Harkel replied, "if we were going purely by logic."
He turned to Riven.
"But he gave me an idea. Even though we're not fully part of the system, we do have some connection to it. And I'm assuming one of those connections is resistance building—through exposure."
Harkel continued, voice steady despite the lingering heat.
"Like how Riven and Jordan developed resistance to the sleep toxins on the bus. Or when Riven absorbed the beast gemstone. The more we're exposed, the more resistance we build."
Everyone knew it made sense.
That didn't mean they liked it.
"Hey," Harkel added with a faint grin, "no pain, no gain."
A sound came from near the door.
That's when all of them realized it.
Harkel had planned this from the very beginning—and the instructors they were training with were in on it.
Harkel tapped the panel again.
The heat roared back to life.
The boys quickly double-tapped their own panels, making them disappear, before sitting down in meditative positions.
"We'll do this for ten minutes," Harkel said, forcing the words out through the searing pain. "Then a fifteen-minute break. After that, we start again."
There was no point in arguing.
Most of them were already too exhausted to stand.
One by one, they dropped into the same meditative posture as Harkel.
"If any of you are about to pass out," he added, barely able to speak now, "I'll shut it off immediately. So just sit… and endure the heat."
"Th-this is so stupid," Luka muttered, fighting to stay conscious.
"It is," Riven replied calmly.
"But it's also working."
⸻
[System Notification]
+1 Heat Resistance
+1 Heat Resistance
+1 Heat Resistance
+1 Heat Resistance
The notifications came every ten seconds.
The heat felt lighter—slightly—but that didn't mean it hurt any less.
⸻
In the dorm building—not the first-year, not the second-year, but the third-year dorm—six students walked out together.
"Hey, Axel," one of them said nervously. "Shouldn't we be in class?"
"Shut up, Cashy," Axel replied, walking with both hands clasped behind his head. "They haven't done anything to us the last few years. Why would they start now?"
"Tro, he kind of has a point," another boy added. "They give warnings, but they don't really—"
"Enough," said a blue-haired boy.
The group stopped instantly, following his order without hesitation.
"No, Cashy," the boy continued. "They won't care. And besides, we need to prepare. We already have our game plans. All that's left is beast weapons."
"But Axel," another student said, "didn't the academy already give us beast weapons? Wouldn't it be smarter to save your units for the next section of the game?"
"No," Axel replied without hesitation. "Knowing my brothers and cousins, they've already spent all their units on something useless. Maybe helpful short-term—but not long-term."
He stepped onto the mini platform as it began descending toward Sigil Gate City.
"Remember this," Axel said. "The academy itself is part of the game. In previous years, they took our beast weapons back after one outing. This time? We get to keep them while the game is still active."
The others listened closely.
"So here's the plan," Axel continued. "First, we buy beast weapons. The academy will still give us our class-issued ones. And since we're third-years, those weapons will be Level 3."
A grin spread across his face.
"That's our real advantage right now. First-years only get Level 1 weapons—at least until they start spending their units."
"Now I understand what you're trying to do."
The voice came from a boy with scruffy white hair, a large black patch running through the middle of it. He looked at Axel with widened eyes.
"You basically want us to buy beast weapons now. Since there's a limit, we can probably get three Level 3 weapons at most. And because this technically isn't our money, we're not really losing anything."
The boy paused, realization dawning fully.
"Then we sell the Level 3 weapons the academy gives us after the first beast hunt. We earn units from weapons we never actually paid for."
Axel smirked.
"Exactly, Michael."
He continued without hesitation.
"We buy using money that isn't even ours and sell the beast weapons we'll receive either way. We're not losing anything—only gaining."
Axel's gaze swept across the group.
"I've already decided. Me, Michael, and Mack will each get a weapon from the beast weapon shop or one of the stands. The rest of you keep the weapons you chose from the academy."
His tone hardened.
"We should not lose this. At the very least, we should not be the first ones out. We have a clear advantage."
Axel's hands dropped from behind his head as he stopped walking.
"You can act sloppy now. But after this, I expect nothing less than exactly what I ask for—and what I should receive. If I don't—"
His eyes narrowed.
"I'll be making cuts."
The air went cold.
"You'll be out of this game. And every reward you would've gotten when I become leader of my clan will be gone."
Axel stared at each of them in turn.
"So take that to heart. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" they all yelled in unison.
⸻
In the first-year dorm, Kyle lay sprawled across his bed, completely relaxed.
"M-Mr. King…"
A nervous boy stood near the doorway. That was what Kyle had made them call him.
"What is it?" Kyle replied, irritation clear in his voice. He had been enjoying the quiet.
"Shouldn't you be doing something instead of staying in the room? Everyone else went to combat class. I already have a good grasp on my weapon, so I stayed behind, but… I never see you go to class."
Kyle chuckled.
"And why should I?"
He smirked, folding his arms behind his head.
"It doesn't matter. I'm going to be king either way."
"But—"
The boy was cut off as Kyle shot him a sharp look.
"But nothing!" Kyle snapped. "I already have a plan set in motion. A plan that will work—foolproof."
A wicked grin spread across his face.
⸻
In the female first-year dorm building, a girl tapped a board with a pointer, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Okay," said the blue-haired girl at the front, "these are the main factors we need to watch out for—and be worried about."
She pointed to the first section.
"Third-years have a major advantage over us. They're two levels higher, and their weaponry is better. Yes, we could buy weapons with our units—but if we do, we'll be broke."
She turned back to the group.
"And who's to say you'll even perform well with a new weapon?"
She paused.
"So I made a business decision."
Murmurs spread through the room.
"We're saving our units for later in the game."
She pointed to another section of the board.
"Second-years aren't a massive threat, but there are a few students to watch. Number two goes to Sinclair—mainly because of the people he's blocking with. Even though he acts like an idiot, he's thought this through."
She drew a quick symbol beside his name.
"He's surrounding himself with people who can sell items efficiently."
Her marker moved again.
"Number one goes to Rowan. She's a strong businesswoman and has powerful allies—one of whom holds the top position among the second-years."
A girl with bright blonde hair raised her hand.
"What about people in our year?" she asked. "Anyone we should be worried about?"
"Good question."
The blue-haired girl grabbed a marker and began sketching faces onto the board, names written beneath each one.
"There are two teams we absolutely need to watch."
She tapped the first drawing.
"One—the team with my brother, Kyle Voss."
Then the second.
"And two—the team with Harkel Voss."
Her expression grew serious.
"These two teams have the highest chance of ruining everything for us."
"Wait—Kyle?"
One of the girls leaned forward, staring at the drawing on the board, clearly impressed by how detailed it was.
"Also… wow, Maddie, you're a really good artist. But—wait. Isn't that the guy who got his balls electrocuted by Wren for trying to hit on her?"
Maddie let out a long groan.
"Yes," she said flatly. "It is."
She rubbed her temples.
"And somehow, that idiot is my brother. I'm still waiting for our parents to come back so I can ask for a DNA test."
Laughter rippled through the room.
"Okay," another girl said once it died down. "So what makes him dangerous to you becoming the head?"
Maddie's expression shifted instantly.
The joking mood vanished.
"My brother is an idiot," she said calmly. "And a classist. But when it comes to using underhanded methods—he's the king of it."
She pointed at Kyle's drawing.
"Knowing him, he'll try to cheat the game somehow. I don't know how yet—but I know he will. That makes him a wild card."
Her finger moved to two other drawings.
"And it gets worse when you factor in his allies."
She tapped them one by one.
"Emmett Gravy. And Fisher Freckle—though most people call him Naggy."
The room grew quiet.
"These two are dangerous," Maddie continued. "They're two of the eleven known fiction evolvers in the academy. Kyle didn't pick them randomly."
Her tone sharpened.
"Their fiction abilities are illusion-based—and they originate from the same fictional verse. That kind of compatibility is terrifying once their powers grow."
She lowered her hand.
"And then we have Harkel's group."
Several of the girls glanced at the cluster of drawings beside Harkel's name.
"Wait a minute," one of them said, raising her hand. "Didn't most of Harkel's team score in the 700s during the combat exam? They're kind of weak, aren't they?"
Most of the girls nodded.
All except Maddie.
"I thought the same thing at first," Maddie said. "But I know my cousin."
She pointed at Harkel's image.
"He looks and acts like an idiot—but every time a game starts, it feels like he's always two steps ahead. Like he knows something is coming."
Her voice lowered.
"He knows who to pick."
She turned to face the room.
"That's what makes him dangerous. He has this aura that accepts people—no matter their background or strength. He gathers allies effortlessly."
Maddie paused.
"That trait is lethal."
Her pointer shifted again.
"And then we have someone who's been making headlines."
She tapped Riven's image.
"Whether it's because he dyed his hair terribly or because he grows absurdly fast, this idiot got electrocuted so badly it knocked out his entire body—and then went on to defeat a second-year yesterday."
A few girls opened their mouths, ready to object.
Maddie raised her hand.
"Before you say it—no. He wasn't holding back. That second-year was going all out and still couldn't land a hit."
She exhaled slowly.
"That means this guy grows at an insane rate. If we don't eliminate him now—or within the next few months—he could become a threat no one can handle."
Her pointer moved again.
"And then there's him."
She tapped another drawing.
"Joey."
She glanced around the room.
"And yes, I did a background check on all of them."
A few murmurs followed.
"In the combat exam, he didn't use his ability even once. It was pure physical combat—and honestly, he wasn't impressive."
Maddie paused.
"But when I talked to people from his wall…"
Her eyes darkened.
"They told me his ability is terrifying. If he ever masters it, he could destroy anyone in his path."
She lowered the pointer.
"The problem is—he's afraid of his own power. If that fear remains, we can deal with him easily."
Then her hand moved to the darkest drawing on the board.
"But this," she said quietly, "is the biggest problem of all."
The name beneath it read:
Leo Ashvale
The room went dead silent.
"Wait—Ashvale?" one girl stood abruptly. "Shouldn't someone like that be in the other academy? Their ability isn't even an evolution—it's just what they are."
"I thought that too," Maddie said. "But he's using an alias. The Ashvale clan isn't recognized unless they're in werewolf form."
She frowned.
"Even the academy doesn't know."
"This is easy then," another girl said quickly. "We report him and get him removed."
Several nodded in agreement.
"No," Maddie said with a sigh. "We can't."
She turned back to the board.
"He can't interfere with the games. And since he's part of Harkel's team, that makes him part of the game as well."
Her voice was steady.
"Even if we reported him, the academy couldn't do anything—not until the game ends."
Some of the girls clicked their tongues in frustration.
Maddie turned back to them.
"And honestly, that's everything for now. But we still need to remember something."
She gestured broadly.
"There are players outside the military base—other branches of the academy. And we also have to consider the other academy."
She met their eyes.
"So just because I named these people doesn't mean they're the only threats. And it also doesn't mean we can't win."
She hesitated, then added:
"Some students who didn't want to be involved came to me asking to join."
A few brows lifted.
"Wren Fallow and Nico."
Whispers broke out.
"Wren is the vice principal's daughter," Maddie continued. "That gives us leverage. Special treatment—not from the academy, but from a mother's love."
One girl muttered under her breath.
"And she talks about him cheating the game…"
Maddie ignored it.
"I don't know what made them change their minds," she said. "But with allies already in our hand—"
She straightened.
"I'm confident we can win this."