Orion had lost himself deep in meditation.
While he drifted along the flow of mana, he remained completely oblivious to the world outside. He had no idea that the number of people watching him kept growing.
In fact, every time he stepped beyond the dormitory grounds, invisible eyes tracked his every move.
He had been disappointed earlier. He hadn't seen anyone flying or wielding open magic and assumed the real experts simply weren't around.
But the truth was different. Everyone at that level utilized a specific Midka Academy invisibility spell to remain undetected by students.
A massive team had been assigned to him alone.
They analyzed the food he bought, the people he spoke with and the way he moved. They even measured the pauses between his actions.
It wasn't just specialists anymore. Professors had joined in. Even renowned guest experts visiting the Academy were now part of the surveillance.
Kalista had been tense at first, staying close to the young man whenever she could. Over time, she learned she didn't have to be so tense.
Everyone across the Academy had been personally warned by Thalia Arken. No one was allowed to touch or talk with Orion unless given explicit orders.
Even so, the growing number of formal reports left Kalista uneasy. The analysts weren't digging into Orion's secrets out of greed. Most of what they did was meant for his protection.
Teacher Remy was in the tracker team on day one. Then he had to come close to guide Orion under the orders of the Headmistress.
Once Kalista was sure Orion wouldn't face immediate danger after meditation.
She teleported to the roof, turned herself invisible, and slipped beneath the overhang before dropping into a chair.
A small bottle appeared in her hand. She took a deep swig, then lowered her head as the harsh liquor burned down her throat.
Since becoming a Warlord, she'd almost freed herself from the Bearer curse.
Almost.
One thing had stayed and it was mental weariness.
Her Bearer curse forced her to kill at intervals for years. If it went unfed, the punishment came as unbearable pain and splitting headaches.
People called it 'mild' compared to other Bearer curses. Still, for someone young and alone like Kalista, it meant years of torture.
Back when she was a Bearer, debt to the Academy, her curse and various organizations mixed to make it easy to exploit her.
Kalista didn't care until last year. She'd even enjoyed parts of it. Then, suddenly, it all stopped.
The stress vanished. The hunger for power vanished with it. She felt empty. Depressed. Probably one step away from becoming an alcoholic.
As a Warlord, she could pay off her debts and sever ties with the Academy. Across the Human Territories, she'd be welcomed like a queen. She could do whatever she wanted.
But there was a problem. Kalista wanted nothing.
She watched her surroundings with a hollow, emotionless gaze, breathing lazily without forming a single coherent thought.
"Why did I even take this job?" she muttered to herself, taking a second sip from liquor strong enough to affect even Warlords.
The bottle vanished. She closed her eyes, about to drift off. Then a voice spoke beside her.
"If you do well, I can arrange your entry into the Sovereign training camp."
The Academy Headmistress appeared at her side without regard for a Warlord's emotions. It was terrifying.
"Endure five years and protect the champion. After that, you'll have a new purpose."
Kalista lowered her head as if a sacred leader had descended. "My Lady. I have no issues with the assignment involving Orion. Please don't misunderstand..."
There was no real reason to fear. Still, she had to explain herself. When it came to the woman standing in front of her, no human could remain completely at ease.
"I just need time to adjust," she said, her voice tight. "Since my graduation, I haven't lived among people..."
Only a handful within the Academy knew Kalista's true status and history. Even they knew only what the Headmistress allowed them to know. The person who held her chains stood right in front of her.
Thalia Arken. The Immortal War Queen.
Clad in silver armor, a massive sword floating calmly at her side, she shone like a paladin carved from legend. She leaned back beside Kalista, crossing one leg over the other. Not a flicker of emotion touched her face.
She was beautiful, cold and very intimidating.
"I trust you, Kalista." Thalia didn't treat her with any special softness. "I also want to hear your latest report and personal analysis."
With a single snap of her fingers, both women vanished.
They reappeared inside a bright, empty chamber. A wall of pure light surrounded them, vibrating in a way that felt both sacred and deeply unsettling.
Kalista stared at the cursed room in fear. Though she'd heard of it many times, this was her first visit. Even a single mistake here could erase her existence.
The low, quiet tone she used around Orion was gone. Anxiety sharpened her voice. "Was the Judgement Room really necessary, My Lady..."
For the first time, she realized just how afraid she still was of this woman she'd known for years.
Thalia smiled briefly. "Last night, more than fifty different people stood at my door. Compared to the day before, several times more. They came all night, making requests."
Her voice hardened. "Champion trash. Champion genius. Champion is weird…
Even while terrified of me, they keep begging to take him as a personal student or something similar."
Kalista cleared her schedule over the past three days, planning to play the role of a student. She wanted time with Orion. Instead, the workload had multiplied.
It wasn't only about him either. Complaints about the newly hired half-elf instructor being young and inexperienced. Samuel's position. Ambitious opportunists circling constantly. Projects. Funding. Politics...
Feeling herself drifting farther from Orion rather than closer, Thalia shared something she hadn't told anyone else.
"You saw how Orion Vale survived the Hell Maze," she said, watching Kalista closely. "When it ended, he claimed he remembered nothing except his name. Do you believe him?"
Kalista nodded firmly, her brown hair swaying with the motion. She glanced uneasily at the glowing walls before speaking.
"I can't be completely certain, but he looks at even basic things as if he's seeing them for the first time." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "He borrowed several fundamental books from the library, despite believing nobody noticed..."
She swallowed. "The Midka written exams are among humanity's most complex. He ranked 191st. That means he's relearning knowledge he should already possess..."
She wanted to continue, but her eyes kept drifting nervously around the room. There was no reason to lie here. Even softening or sharpening meaning could be enough to erase her.
Thalia's armored voice pulled Kalista's gaze back. "So you're nearly certain a memory loss occurred."
"Yes." Kalista didn't hesitate. "I'm certain."
"Now give me the full report," Thalia commanded. "Don't skip a single detail."
Choosing her words carefully, Kalista described everything from the moment she first observed Orion. Where he lingered. What caught his attention. How he reacted under pressure.
His speech patterns, movements, habits, the moments his heartbeat spiked, everything she observed in the last two days.
The atmosphere grew heavier when the topic shifted to Orion's earlier obsession with the Hunting Zone.
"After regaining awareness, Orion didn't focus on family or the Academy. He focused on finding a place to hunt." Kalista's voice grew steady. "His curiosity is intense, his adaptation speed is frightening..."
She took a breath. "He understands things immediately. Even objects he sees for the first time get analyzed and absorbed. Often it feels less like learning, more like instinctive recollection..."
"I don't believe he lied about memory loss."
Kalista moved on to physical changes. "He's already entered an average Warrior path. I can't determine when he awakened. It's as if he skipped the painful initial phase entirely. My assumption is prolonged exposure to dense mana and severe wounds inside the Maze..."
She paused. "His current strength exceeds a Tier 1 Awakened. He's far from becoming Acolyte, likely due to lacking aura training or foundational knowledge..."
Her tone sharpened. "He urgently needs physical conditioning, combat training, weapon mastery and a defined aura path. Remy wouldn't be enough. He needs all kinds of different martial-"
"Stop." Thalia raised a hand. "Don't give your opinions. Just finish your report first."
Kalista fell silent, recalling the time in the Hunting Zone as she considered where to continue.
Kalista was an awakened once, suffering through the process starting at twenty like everyone else. Orion skipping that stage entirely already made him worthy of the Champion title.
"Since leaving the Hell Maze, he behaves as if he lacks regeneration." Kalista continued. "He likely fears relying on it too heavily. He's young, but his intelligence goes beyond academics..."
She lifted her head slightly.
"He has adaptive intelligence. He aims for optimal decisions. He doesn't look like noticing but when he makes a mistake, he never repeats it. That trait defines great hunters..."
Noticing Mistress Thalia's unwavering gaze, Kalista lowered her eyes, realizing she'd been giving personal suggestions again. She steadied her voice and continued.
"Despite fighting like a Warrior, the mana he gathers disperses periodically. He likely doesn't realize it. His body consumes mana from the animals to develop itself. I've never seen faster physical growth..."
She hesitated again. "It could be a cultivation method, a cursed technique, a physical anomaly. My theory is that his newly awakened bloodline remains incomplete but still stabilizing..."
Thalia's eyes shifted toward her sword, then far beyond, watching Orion sleep in the common room of the elite fitness center.
"Awakening a bloodline within the first three stages is unrealistic." She frowned slightly. "Even Elves face that limitation. Anything else?"
Thalia already believed the bloodline theory was flawed.
Kalista added some other details.
"As Orion grew stronger, he became more confident, bolder, more charismatic. Even psychologically, he projected increasing dominance. He possesses extreme physical potential. Because of this, ignoring magic education and focusing fully on the Warrior path may be the best choice-"
Thalia shot her a sharp glance and the quiet warrior fell silent.
The Headmistress studied the documents in her hand, reports from professors, analysts, specialists. The only true anomalies were Orion's regeneration and his mana absorption through hunting.
Even for someone who'd defended humanity for over forty years, this was unprecedented. Unless one belonged to legendary vampire or demon races, such traits bordered on impossible.
Decision made, Thalia raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
Kalista reappeared on the top of the same building where she had been drinking alcohol. She looked around, relaxed when she found herself alone.
Torn between joining sleeping Orion and drinking more, she froze as a whisper brushed her ear.
"I will prepare a spell-focused program. It seems he barely needs our help on the Warrior path.
And one last thing.
Don't you dare watch him while he's changing or bathing."