A quiet week passed at Anubis Academy.
As for me, Wally Amporean, I spent my time diligently relearning the weaknesses of various monsters. For example, slimes are vulnerable to both lightning and ice spells, and Devil Frogs have terrible eyesight. Somehow, I had forgotten these details and had to study them all over again.
When I arrived in class, everyone was clustered in their usual groups. The Nobles, consisting of Valentina, Penelope, Andrew, William, and Joseph, were gathered together. Then there was the Vampire trio—Lelali, Holly, and Farial. Everyone else seemed small compared to these dominant groups.
I spotted my friend Nick with his head down on his desk.
"Good morning, Nick," I greeted him with a smile, taking the seat beside him.
"Hey," he mumbled, lifting his face. Something was clearly wrong.
Nick's normally round, cheerful face looked pale and sunken.
Concerned, I asked, "What happened to you?"
He gave a weak laugh. "Oh, it’s nothing. Just... a long story. Don’t worry about it."
"Are you feeling sick?" I pressed.
"I’ll be fine," he reassured me, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
I recalled something similar happening in a previous timeline—Nick did recover eventually. But even though I was concerned about him, my focus was drawn to another pressing issue: Hikari.
Tomorrow was the day she was supposed to go to the dungeon. The day she was supposed to die.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk, locking my fingers as I observed her. Hikari was strikingly beautiful with her pink hair and sea-green eyes. Her hair was usually braided over her left shoulder. As a marksman, she was skilled, and with her Gauss Rifle, she had one of the highest attack powers in the class.
I had already warned her multiple times to stay away from the dungeon. I hoped she'd listen, but pressing her any further would only put me at risk. There were plenty of criminals who would love to kidnap a time traveler like me. And if the government ever found out, I’d probably end up strapped to a table while they tried to figure out how my powers worked.
As I was lost in those morbid thoughts, Professor Benson and the assistant professors arrived.
"Alright, my beloved pupils!" Professor Benson called out loudly. "We’re starting class a little differently today. We’re holding elections for Class Representative and Vice Representative."
The room immediately erupted in chatter.
"Order in the class!" Professor Benson slammed his hand on the desk like a gavel. "Who wants to run?"
Anna, a quiet, studious girl with light brown hair in a braid and glasses, raised her hand. "I’d like to run."
Anna had a reputation for being the top student, rumored to have achieved a perfect score on the Entrance Written Exam.
Valentina, the de facto leader of the Nobles, also raised her hand. "I nominate myself," she announced confidently.
Then, Lelali, one of the vampires, cheerfully raised her hand. "I’d like to run as well!"
Lelali was petite with straight blonde hair and blood-red eyes. She specialized in wind magic and had a sunny disposition, but there was no forgetting—she was a vampire.
I had no intention of voting for Lelali. Vampires made me uneasy. Too many stories circulated about vampires devouring innocent people, especially babies. Even in the relatively tolerant Kingdom of Phoenix, there were tensions. And in the future, there was that vampire massacre at a Texas mall...
As I grumbled internally about all the romanticized portrayals of vampires in books like Twilight, Nick tapped my arm.
"Hey, can you vote for Lelali?" he asked nervously.
I stared at him. "She. Is. A. Vampire," I emphasized.
Nick, pale and clearly unsettled, chuckled awkwardly. "She’s actually really nice once you get to know her."
I studied his face. "Nick... what kind of relationship do you have with her?"
"It’s not romantic, if that’s what you’re thinking," he replied quickly.
"Oh..." A realization dawned on me. "You’re going to be her Blood Partner, aren’t you?"
Nick shifted uncomfortably. "It’s something I’m considering, yeah."
I glanced over at Lelali, the leader of the vampire clique. "Fine," I sighed. "I’ll vote for her."
"Thanks, Wally," Nick said, looking relieved.
I still didn’t feel great about it. A Vampire Blood Partner was essentially someone who provided blood to the vampire in exchange for favors—sometimes intimate ones. It was almost like a marriage contract.
In the end, Valentina was elected Class Representative, and Lelali became the Vice Representative.
----
Adventure 101 was split into two key parts: the academic lessons and the practical training sessions.
The practical portion consisted of two-hour sessions where students could refine their preferred combat or training techniques. The training field covered about five miles of open space, divided into various specialized zones. One area was packed with gym equipment like dumbbells, weights, and pulleys. Another featured golems of different sizes—5, 10, and 20 feet—for students to battle. There was also an obstacle course, a shooting range for both guns and spellcasting practice, and elemental fields designed for training with ice, water, lava, and lightning.
Students could customize their environment, as professors could order new equipment and enlist spellcasters to create tailored training conditions.
At that moment, I stood alone before a majestic waterfall that fed into a body of water—larger than a pond, but not quite a lake. My goal was to create a flawless telekinesis shield, one without any gaps, strong enough to withstand any form of attack.
Holding a pair of Bronze Bent Spoons in my hands, I focused on pulling water from the waterfall. A perfect sphere of water hovered in the air as I envisioned wrapping it in a telekinetic shield. But to my frustration, droplets of water slipped through tiny holes in the barrier, falling back into the pool.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
I tried again, attempting to spread my telekinesis thinner and more evenly, but the water continued to escape. Annoyed, I let the sphere collapse, allowing the remaining water to splash back into the pond.
"I’m rusty," I muttered. "My progress is too slow."
In the first timeline, I’d mastered this technique. I could form a flawless telekinetic sphere that could withstand bullets, grenades, even powerful spells. But now, I had to relearn it all, including how to properly wield the Bronze Bent Spoons.
Determined, I created another telekinetic sphere to hold water. Using such a niche Magic Item as my primary weapon had its challenges. Unlike swords, spears, rifles, or magic, there wasn’t a rich history of warriors or mentors who had walked this path. I had to figure it all out on my own.
Don’t get me wrong—there were a few others who used similar items. But none of them were famous enough to be remembered in history, nor powerful enough to leave a legacy.
Eventually, I ran out of willpower. There’s only so much training you can do before the returns start to diminish. It was time to see how my classmates were faring.
----
I soared through the air, observing my classmates as they trained. Penelope was squaring off against a twenty-foot-tall golem, affectionately nicknamed "Big Daddy" because of its immense size that dwarfed any human.
In her hand, Penelope wielded her trusty Spring Lock Axe. Big Daddy swung its massive fist, powerful enough to crush a military tank. With perfect timing, Penelope met the golem's stone fist with a swing of her axe. The impact was so intense it caused the air to tremble, and a small explosion erupted from the collision.
Penelope’s strike won the contest, sending the golem flying over a hundred feet into the air before it crashed back into the ground, creating a massive crater. Slowly, the golem rose from the debris. I couldn’t help but applaud her restraint—normally, Penelope would’ve destroyed it in a single blow.
Shifting my gaze to another part of the field, I spotted Valentina, sword in hand. Four students had challenged her, and all four were now groaning on the ground, utterly defeated. Battling Valentina was like facing a whirlwind of blades. I offered a silent prayer for my classmates—none of them stood a chance. Even I had never managed to beat her, and I doubted I could now.
I flew over to the next training ground where I found Nick, suited up in his signature power suit, which looked like a black Power Ranger outfit with tiger stripes.
"Hey, Nick! I’m done with my training for the day," I said, gesturing toward the academy building. "Wanna grab some lunch?"
Nick, still full of energy, replied, "I’m not tired yet. I can go for another hour, easy. But honestly, I’m getting bored with the repetition. How about a spar? What do you say?"
I grinned. "As long as you’re using a wooden staff and not that jet hammer of yours, I’m in." I had no desire to get crushed by his jet hammer—especially with the power suit amplifying his strength.
"Deal! Give me a sec to grab my staff," Nick said before heading off to retrieve his weapon. He returned moments later, ready to go.
"Standard rules?" I asked. Our usual sparring rules were simple: I had to land ten hits on Nick, while he only needed to land one on me. His attacks were so strong that one blow could send me to the hospital, while my strikes were far weaker in comparison.
"Standard rules," Nick confirmed, taking his stance.
Without any countdown, we began. I swung my Bronze Bent Spoon through the air, sending a telekinetic slap toward Nick. He quickly sensed the attack and blocked it with his staff. Not wasting any time, Nick charged forward and swung his staff at me like a bat.
I raised my spoon, forming a circular telekinetic shield about the size of a basketball to block the blow. The staff struck the shield with a dull thud, and Nick quickly pulled back to try and smack me on the head. I ducked just in time and retaliated with a telekinetic slap that pushed him back a step. I grinned—one hit down.
Nick, deciding offense was his best option, launched into a relentless barrage of attacks. I kept up, moving my Bronze Bent Spoon to form telekinetic shields in rapid succession, blocking each of his strikes. The spar turned into a tense back-and-forth, with me holding firm on the defensive and Nick pressing on the offensive.
Finally, I spotted an opening. As Nick momentarily paused his onslaught, I swung my spoon several times, unleashing five telekinetic slaps in quick succession. The force of the strikes knocked Nick off balance, and he tumbled to the ground.
I waited patiently as he stood back up, determination blazing in his eyes. "I’m going to win this spar," he declared.
I couldn’t help but smirk. Gesturing for him to come at me, I taunted, "Bring it on."
Nick roared in frustration and charged at me, swinging his staff wildly. I calmly blocked his strikes with my telekinetic shield, his anger making his movements more predictable. As the spar continued, I found openings more easily, and before long, I had won.
Nick lay on the ground, panting, while I wiped the sweat from my face. "If you could control your anger, you’d definitely beat me," I said, offering him a hand.
Still breathless, Nick muttered, "I hate you. It’s like you can read my mind."
I chuckled. "You’re just predictable. Come on, let’s go get lunch."
With that, we headed off to the academy’s food court, ready for a well-earned break.
----
Anubis Academy’s food court mainly offered convenience store fare like chips, sodas, yogurt, and cold sandwiches. But the real attraction was the ten robotic chefs capable of preparing a variety of exotic dishes. Eating at these robots, though, was costly, ranging anywhere from $30 to $200 for a single meal. Still, it was worth it for the chance to try delicacies like crystal deer, wyvern, or ophiotaurus.
Some of these monster meats were more than just food—they could boost stamina, mana, and vitality. I couldn’t help but burn with envy as the wealthier students, especially the nobles, indulged in these luxurious meals. As for me, I was stuck with a TV dinner—a Salisbury steak, to be exact.
Nick, on the other hand, was happily devouring orc sausages, which were cheaper than pork but much greasier. While there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with orc meat, I avoided it. Better-tasting options were out there, even if orc was the more affordable choice. Curiously, it had a flavor not too far off from horse meat.
We sat together at one of the many tables in the food court. Nick took a bite of his sausage and muttered, “I should start selling pizza on campus. The food here is overpriced, and I’m sure plenty of students would be willing to give me their money for something affordable.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that against the rules? Besides, I don’t know where you’d find the time. Between training and trying not to fail Adventure 101, I’m barely keeping up myself. What would you even sell?”
“Pizza,” he repeated, as if it were obvious.
“Really? So you’re going to buy a pizza, slice it up, and sell it for a couple bucks per piece? Sounds like the only upside is that you get to eat the leftovers. You’d make more profit hunting monsters in the dungeons.”
Nick shrugged. “Yeah, but only E-rank monsters are worth anything, and you only get, like, a dollar per mana stone. Plus, maintaining a battle suit isn’t cheap, and don’t get me started on the cost of an adventurer’s license. The whole system is designed to bleed us dry.”
I sighed. “Let me not think about that. I’ve got enough to worry about, like the upcoming exams.”
Nick glanced at me, lowering his voice. “I heard rumors it’s going to be deadly.”
I thought back to the timeline test, expecting it to be difficult but not dangerous. "What do you mean?"
Nick leaned in. “I heard Professor Benson's test has us fighting D-rank monsters.”
I shook my head. “No way. First, he’ll have you take on an F-rank monster. If you do well, you’ll move up to an E-rank, and only then, if you succeed, you’ll face a D-rank.”
Nick looked relieved. “Thank God. Facing a D-rank is a nightmare. How do you even know?”
I gave a playful smirk. “Spoilers. But if I had to guess, only about a quarter of our class could even stand a chance against a D-rank. And obviously, I’d be part of that group.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Nick replied with a chuckle. “I barely handled those E-rank Giant Mantises during the entrance exam. A D-rank monster? Forget it. I’ve heard slaying one is what separates real adventurers from the rest of us.”
“True, but the real elites are the ones who can take down B-rank monsters.” A cold sweat ran down my spine as I recalled the B-rank Oni that almost ended me in the first timeline.
Nick nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a long road, but it’ll be worth it. I’m aiming to become a rich adventurer and eat whatever I want. Imagine it—feasting on Dragon Meat.”
“Dragon Meat,” I echoed, my mouth watering at the thought. It was the ultimate delicacy. “Don’t even mention it, Nick. You’re making me hungry.”
He laughed. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I muttered absentmindedly. “Oh, right! There’s an F-rank dungeon I want to check out later today. Wanna team up and explore it with me?”
Nick shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve got too much going on.”
I grinned. “I’ll pay for dinner.”
Nick immediately perked up. “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse! I’ll work for food!”
I smiled, hoping that Hikari had listened to my earlier warning and stayed away from the dungeon. If not, Nick and I might be pulling double duty as rescuers.