"Today, I have an important announcement."The female instructor's voice was calm, yet filled with authority. "I hope you all listen carefully and refrain from leaving the room, Mr. Elian."
Elian's hand, already resting on the back door's handle, froze. He glanced over his shoulder, then pulled his hand back and remained where he stood. Normally, he wouldn't care about a teacher's words. However, this woman was different—beautiful, possessing a powerful aura, and holding a status high enough to make him listen.
"The academy has decided that the exam will be moved up to next week. In addition, this time the examination system will be slightly different."She paused, allowing her words to sink in."You won't be limited to advancing just one class above your current position. Instead, you may advance as high as you're capable of. This policy exists to separate outstanding students and group them accordingly, so the academy can focus its resources on their growth."
The classroom immediately erupted into noise. Murmurs, shock, and excitement blended together. It was only natural—most students enrolled in the academy to improve their abilities for free. Essentially, the academy rewarded student achievements with points that could be exchanged for various resources.
Students in grades 1–2 who reach Class B or above would receive resources every month, along with other benefits—stat-enhancing potions, advanced training facilities, better dormitories, and more.
"As for the lower classes, resources will be distributed once every three months, following the ranking re-evaluation exam. For grades three to four, once every six months."Her tone cooled slightly."Ultimately, the academy has no intention of wasting resources on those deemed lacking in value."
"That will be all. I hope you give it your best in the upcoming exam."
Without waiting for any reaction, the instructor left the room.
Elian fell silent, weighing the possible reasons behind this sudden change. A few seconds later, a conclusion formed in his mind—enough to make his expression twist in displeasure.
"Excuse me… is Mr. Elian here?"
A girl appeared at the front door, her expression shy, fingers nervously intertwined.
"Here," Elian replied shortly as he walked over.
The students before him quickly stepped aside to make way. Some glanced at him with fear, and whenever Elian looked back, they immediately lowered their heads. That was only natural—as long as they had functioning brains, they would remember that Elian's previous attack had been meant to kill.
For Elian, killing them would be effortless now that he had reached Sequence 8. At first, he had even planned to do so to provoke a larger conflict with the Theocracy. Unfortunately for him… they survived.
"Ms. Seraphina has summoned you. I was ordered to escort you to her office."
Elian nodded and followed the girl. Upon arriving, he knocked on the door and entered.
Inside, Seraphina sat behind her desk, sipping tea with elegance. Across from her sat a woman with snow-white fox ears. A large, fluffy tail—pure white like fresh snow—swayed gently behind her.
Elian's eyes widened.
This was the first time he had ever seen a beastman in this world. In the game, non-human races only appeared as NPCs during special events or missions. On this continent—especially within the Kingdom of Celestra—it was nothing but humans.
Although the community had mentioned beastmen existing on other continents, the game world hadn't progressed that far.
Seraphina noticed the shock on Elian's face and explained,"This is Shiori. She's a friend of mine—an expert in matters of the soul."
Shiori stood up, casually flicking her tail. She walked over and lifted Elian's chin with her fingertip."So you must be Elian… What's wrong?" Her lips curved into a teasing smile. "Are you that surprised by my beauty?"
Her tone was playful, her fingers lightly brushing against Elian's chest.
"Shiori, stop," Seraphina scolded. "As you can see, he's a beastman. Even so, I hope you treat her with respect."
Elian snapped out of his daze and asked reflexively, "Is there any reason for me not to treat her with respect?"
Seraphina stiffened. A glimmer passed through her eyes before dimming with sadness.
Shiori, catching the shift, spoke up. "Until a few years ago, beastmen were considered lowly beings in this country—treated as slaves, even. But ever since the new king took the throne, slavery has been abolished. The beastmen here were finally able to return to their homes."
Elian nodded. Now it made sense why he hadn't seen any beastmen or signs of slavery when he visited Malta earlier.
"Elian, she—" Seraphina's voice lowered.
"I know," Shiori cut in. "I examined his soul the moment he entered the room."
Interest stirred within Elian as he opened his status window.
Name: Shiori KurohanaGender: FemaleAge: 30Sequence: ???Magic Power: ???Personality: EvilTrait: Seductive, Charismatic, Compassionate, Vengeful, Inquisitive, Spirit Adept
Rank: ???
Strength: ???Dexterity: ???Agility: ???Constitution: ???Intelligence: ???Wisdom: ???Charisma: ???
"So, how is his condition?" Seraphina asked anxiously.
"Unique," Shiori replied seriously. "He's lost 99% of his soul and memories. Yet somehow, he remains sane and capable of functioning like a normal adult."
Shiori's gaze shifted to Elian.
Suddenly, all sound vanished.
Elian could see their lips moving, but he couldn't hear anything. His consciousness slowly faded.
…
He stood in an unfamiliar room. Before him, a small girl lay on a bed while a doctor examined her.
"She's already dead," the doctor said.
Crying echoed beside him. Elian turned—Althea, the woman he knew as Elian's mother, was sobbing uncontrollably. When their eyes met, Althea pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "Mother is here… and I won't go anywhere."
The scene shifted to the girl's funeral—little Liana. Elian realized it was just a dream. He watched with a detached expression, hoping it would end soon.
The scene changed again. Althea lay pale on a bed. Her hand slowly reached up, touching Elian's face."I'm sorry… for not being able to watch you grow up."
Althea coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. Silence followed."She has passed away," the doctor said.
The dream felt strange—and cliché to Elian. After all, he had grown accustomed to unintentionally falling asleep and entering other people's dreams or witnessing random visions.
The world slowly faded away.
Elian awoke as light seeped back into his eyes.
"Didn't you say he loved his little sister so much that he was willing to form a contract with a demon just to save her?" Shiori's voice sounded firm.
"That's right. I saw it myself when I examined his soul."
"Then the side effects are obvious," Shiori concluded. "He lost the affection he once possessed. In the worst case—his emotions."
"What are you two talking about?" Elian asked, feeling they had misunderstood something.
"I created an illusion to trigger your emotions and awaken your lost memories," Shiori explained.
She pondered for a moment, then pulled a folding fan from her chest."Keep this. I hope it helps you."
Elian accepted the fan, his expression calm—innocent on the surface, though in truth, he was a young man steeped in sin.
Seraphina shot Shiori an annoyed look. "Why do you always store your things in such strange places?"
"What do you mean strange?" Shiori replied. "I use that fan often. It's more convenient to keep it there."
Seraphina rubbed her temple. "Most beastmen leave their techniques within treasured items," she explained. "That fan contains one of Shiori's techniques."
"And you can use it to contact me," Shiori added, teasingly stroking Elian's chest. "Of course… there's a price."
"Shiori!"
"Alright, alright." She laughed softly. "I'm tired. See you around."
Shiori left the room.
Elian was about to ask for permission to leave, but Seraphina stopped him.
"There's something else I need to talk to you about," Seraphina said, worry evident in her voice. "It's about the exam."
"Since you've reached Sequence 8, I hope you achieve a good ranking… and grow stronger as soon as possible." Her expression remained tense as she spoke.
Elian looked at her."Ms. Seraphina… do we really have to go to war?"
Note: Which do you prefer, 1+1 = ... or 1+1=2?
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