"Sodium…"

His exhaling breaths carried a tinge of dust particles. Upon contact with his inhaling air, they emitted a faint acrid smell. Marco stared at Zero's face. The frown settling there only confirmed his assumptions.

"Why do you have sodium in your core?" Zero asked, eyes narrowing. "Is it your attuned element? Still, that's not possible. You never killed a Voidling or absorbed an MC cube of sodium."

"MC cube?" Marco attempted to divert the topic. He wanted to ask about Voidlings, but something about the word felt too eerie to touch. Zero looked conflicted but still answered with a shrug.

"Mana-coated cube. It contains elements. We just have to absorb them into our core and store the elements inside. For Unattuned like us, it's the only way to fill our cores."

Marco nodded. So that's what Zero inhaled before. Then why did he have traces of sodium in his breath? Did the MC cube leak or something, letting him absorb a fraction of its contents?

"Absolutely no chance," Zero seemed to read his thoughts. "MC cubes have a triggering mechanism. Only when they touch our nose will they be absorbed into the core."

Then why did he suddenly have sodium in his body?

"You have to check your core." Zero leaned against the wall.

"Check my core?"

"Yes. Oh, I forgot," Zero facepalmed. "You missed the crash course. Don't worry, tomorrow's class will cover it. Now, let's check your room."

"So about checking my core?"

"No need to rush. Haha, really." Zero blinked, turning ahead to walk.

His casual indifference unsettled Marco, making him glance at him suspiciously. It was human nature to be curious about the unknown. Yet, despite appearing surprised and doubtful at first, Zero had quickly lost interest. Or at least, he acted like he had.

There were only two reasons for a man to abandon curiosity—either it wasn't worth his time, or he had already figured it out.

So what was Zero's reason for suddenly dismissing the mystery of why Marco had sodium in his body?

Perhaps large exposure to elements might cause our cores to absorb them a little, Marco tried to shake off the unease gnawing at his mind.

'I'm probably just being overly paranoid. That's it.'

Inhaling deeply, he hurriedly followed Zero, failing to notice the slight twitch at the corner of the other's lips.

His dormitory was located in the northern corner of the academy. From the paths they walked, Marco gained a vague sense of the academy's layout.

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It was circular, with student dormitories and staff buildings forming the outer perimeter. The middle section was a vast open ground, surrounded by towering spires, each representing different properties.

His dormitory number was 1, so there was no need to climb the stairs. Dormitory was just a title—in reality, he had a single room. The door was sturdy reinforced wood with a large letter 'L' printed in the centre. Zero handed him a key.

"This is your dormitory. Everything you need is inside. Also, food times are fixed, so check the schedule properly and reach the cafeteria on time." Saying that, Zero left, his silhouette disappearing down the corridor.

Marco watched him for a few moments, then felt his vision slowly blur.

His body swayed.

He clenched his jaw, violently shaking his head until his sight cleared again.

Not this time.

Exhaling deeply, he stepped into his room.

The room had a single bed and a small table with a chair opposite it. There were several hangings on the wall, possibly for keeping his clothes. An attached bathroom was on the right side of his bed. The room was small, but it had enough space for a single person.

Marco entered the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

A silver-haired young man gazed back at him. Light green eyes, a sharp, handsome face. But the most notable feature wasn't any of that.

A trace of green scales etched from the end of his right cheek down to one side of his neck.

Marco trailed his fingers over it.

Cold. Warm. Strong.

Strange, too.

"Marco Ozler. Heir to the Ozlers, the Grand Duke family of Elaris."

That was the identity of his current body.

Marco wasn't foolish enough to think this identity wouldn't matter in his life ahead. Rather, he had a hunch that it was something he would have to look after in the future if he wanted to avoid the troubles lurking in the shadows.

And most importantly… why was the heir to a Grand Duke's family attending an academy in the wilderness of the kingdom?

His memories were vague, but the reason was there—something about offending a powerful figure.

But that, too, felt wrong.

Almost like a clumsy cover-up.

Again, he wasn't sure.

'Perhaps I'm being paranoid again.'

He forced his mind elsewhere. That's when he thought about that young man.

Zero.

Something about him seemed off.

Now that he thought about it, Marco felt like he had missed some crucial details.

Why had Zero specifically approached him? Was it an arrangement by the academy? Did all students receive the same treatment?

For some reason, Marco doubted it.

It was almost unnerving how easily he had followed Zero, without resistance. As though Zero's very presence had calmed his nerves.

Marco shivered.

Something was wrong.

Absolutely. Physically. Chemically wrong.

----------------------------------------

Zero turned a corner, then another—then a dozen more.

He finally stopped near a tree, leaning against its trunk, rubbing his racing heart. Beads of sweat flowed down his forehead. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Come out…"

Several leaves fell from the tree, twisting in the air before landing on the ground. The moment they touched the earth, their shapes morphed—turning into humanoid figures.

Each one wore a smiling mask on their face, their features concealed beneath a loose-fitting cloak that draped over their entire bodies.

A few moments passed.

The figures glanced at each other before collectively shifting their gaze toward Zero.

"What did you find?" A soft female voice broke the silence as one of the figures stepped closer.

Zero clenched his teeth, his anger barely suppressed. Then, suddenly—he laughed hysterically.

"Heh… still the same. That bastard still has amnesia. After everything he's done."

"Use your words carefully." The woman's voice grew slightly strained.

"Whatever. Don't ask me to use my power on him. It disgusts me." Zero spat, turning to leave.

The woman watched his retreating back for a moment before muttering under her breath, "What a scum… lucky to have an ounce of silver."

Then, her figure blurred, dissolving into a single leaf that rejoined the tree.

One by one, the surrounding figures followed suit, fading into the tree as if they had never been there.