Hyourin frowned as she stared down the wounded {Evil} before her. The smell of blood and the screams of the freshmen had alerted many. It was clear that something bad had happened.

Rushing into the building, Hyourin indeed confirmed the situation. She came face to face with the {Evil}, and had to expend almost all her energy just to subdue it.

“An {Evil} at Rank 1… No wonder.” Hyourin was quite mad right now.

In the blink of an eye, her Tangible Will condensed. The gas that permeated the area rushed into the {Evil}, lulling it into a false sense of security. Her Tangible Will, whose intent could be described with the word, , was a very useful tool in manipulating a fight.

—Slash!

It was then a simple affair to finish off the {Evil}. Hyourin simply lopped off its head.

With the imminent threat gone, Hyourin took the opportunity to survey her surroundings.

Aside from the stench of blood, there were three students, lying nearby, still breathing. Their breaths, however, were weak. She walked towards them and placed a potion upon their lips, allowing the red liquid to trickle down and into their mouths.

Their breathing eventually steadied, and their wounds began to steam. Closing at a rapid rate.

Looking at their faces, Hyourin found them familiar.

They had made a name for themselves during the Freshmen Duels just a while ago.

Areii Leviathan, Arnold Visca, Margarette Sill.

These three were shining stars, all for different reasons.

Areii was the only unranked among the three. The supposed weakest… Yet the most feared. Something about the way he had fought, disregarding all notions of self-preservation, had brought chills to the audience. To the point that he was even nicknamed, [Blood Burst], because of the mysterious technique he used.

Arnold was a Dictator at Rank 0 — Malleable Light, with crimson-tinged Tangible Will. His valiant manner of fighting was a stark contrast with Areii. His sportsmanship was also a commendable trait. With his good looks and talent, Arnold had become the envy of many when he gained the admiration of the masses.

Margarette Sill was also a Dictator at Rank 0 — Malleable Light, with a vibrant purple Tangible Will. Compared to Areii and Arnold, her disposition was detached, cold, and distant. With her stunning beauty, no one could hate her. Moreover, her ability to predict the movements of her foes was an astonishing watch.

It was because of these three that the {Evil} had not been able to roam free. Although it had indeed killed a few freshmen, none of them were of any importance. In fact, all of the ones implicated were those without any background.

The school had designed the dorms as such, after all.

Should there be any attack… there would always be enough cannon fodder as a buffer.

“Call the cleaners. We need to thoroughly get rid of this {Evil} before it contaminates the air further.” Hyourin sent a command to the people waiting for her orders. “A few of you should go around and see if there were any survivors who had seen the {Evil} with their own eyes. Ask them if they found anything odd. We need to figure out which bastards dared to attack the Academy.”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

***

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Oh my, you’re finally awake,”

Such cliche words entered my ears, from a voice that was melodious and soothing like no other. I had no complaints.

[Chloe Sinclair]

[Age: 27]

Taking a moment to glance at the screen that displayed the lady’s name, I composed myself. Chloe Sinclair. A character who I had written to be one of this planet’s most renowned healers. Although she had yet to bloom completely, she was still a rose as beautiful as a sunset by the sea.

Her voice was akin to those of fabled mermaids, capable of drawing people in, and never letting them out.

[Your trait, , is acting up!]

And, there it came.

I was half-expecting this damn trait to activate. Being in such a disheveled and seemingly sickly state went against Lewis Kava’s principles.

I had to sit up straight despite my own weakness. I had to gaze into Chloe’s eyes, unbothered by her enchanting beauty, with poise and a great calm.

“Were you the one who took care of me while I was out?” I asked, trying my best to maintain a sense of dignity within my actions.

It was only then that I was able to silence my trait and keep it from reacting.

[Your trait, , is satisfied.]

“Yes, I have been the one maintaining your condition. You had drained yourself of mana, putting your life in danger. Thankfully, you didn’t overstretch your reserves. If you had, then you wouldn’t have been unconscious for only a day.” Chloe said, shaking her head. “Now that you are awake, however, someone would like to ask you a few questions.”

“I know that you are currently very weak, but please bear with it. It will be over in a minute.”

***

Walking into the room, Hyourin scanned the only witness who had encountered the {Evil} and lived, aside from the three rising stars.

Her eyes caught sight of his silver hair and vibrant green eyes. It was clear that the boy was not a local.

“Student Lewis Kava, correct?”

“That is correct, Professor.” Lewis’ demeanor was restrained and controlled. Traces of nobility could be seen in his posture.

‘Was he not a commoner with no background?’ Hyourin doubted her eyes for a moment, ‘Or is he a runaway from a noble family…. An outcast?’

Controlling her expression, Hyourin sat down beside Lewis’ bed.

“I have a few questions for you. I hope you can cooperate.”

With a wistful smile, Lewis spread his hands, “If it’s about the {Evil}, then gladly. However, I would like to request a safer room in the future.”

“...A safer room? The room assignments cannot be changed so easily. I’m afraid I cannot do that.” Hyourin’s eyes flashed.

The fact that the Eternal Pursuit Academy set up its buildings in such a way that there would be a buffer for enemy attacks, such a thing was considered, in a sense, an open secret. The Academy never admitted to it directly, instead claiming it to be an incentive for students to work harder.

The more valuable you were, the safer you would be.

Although there were a few complaints regarding such a system, there wasn’t much these individual voices could achieve.

“Ah, that’s unfortunate.” Lewis seemed disappointed. “Not even with the information I can provide?”

Hyourin squinted. What did he mean?

Lewis was just a witness to the appearance of the {Evil}. He had survived because he was lucky enough to learn the [Quiet] mystic pattern and avoid the {Evil}’s senses. Hyourin had already confirmed this likelihood with the librarian.

Her investigation was thorough.

After some thought, however, Hyourin decided on a wait-and-see approach. She would be open to the possibility of being proven wrong.

“Oh? Do tell. What kind of information can you provide me that would be worth a higher-ranked dorm room?”

Hearing these words, a grin was plastered upon Lewis’ face, giving Hyourin a slight chill.