The Dracont family was not born noble. They earned their position. But the price was paid in blood and betrayal.

Their planet was one of the deadliest in the known universe. Everything there could kill—plants, animals, even the minerals. A hostile world where only the toughest survived.

From a young age, the inhabitants followed a cruel tradition: swallowing poison at specific ages. It was a rite of passage meant to strengthen the body against the countless dangers of their environment. But the practice drastically shortened their life expectancy.

Tyrin was shocked. His own planet also had a low life expectancy, but unlike the Draconts' tropical and venomous climate, his homeland was cold, with temperatures ranging between 0 and -30 degrees.

Nothing on that planet made sense.

And yet, Emilia’s existence was beginning to.

Theories suggested that constant exposure to poison had shaped the Draconts. That their blood had turned cold, and their hearts, cruel. Tyrin believed every word. Knowing Emilia, it was hard to disagree.

He sighed and made a mental note:

"Never get too close to that lunatic."

That was when he heard a voice beside him.

— How's the reading, Tyrin?

He startled and reflexively snapped the book shut.

— Oh, Professor! Sorry, I didn’t even notice you were there.

Gertrudes smiled.

— Seems like it was an intense read. — She glanced at the clock. — It’s getting late. Don’t forget that classes start again tomorrow.

Tyrin's eyes widened.

Classes!

He had completely forgotten. Professor Custer would be teaching.

Like Gertrudes, Custer was one of the few instructors who hadn’t lost students. He used brilliant strategies to help weak cadets take down powerful creatures.

Even Cassandra had been impressed by how well he understood the tactics of the Aracnophons, despite never having faced one directly.

"In the end, they always use the same strategies, no matter the place."

Those had been his words.

Tyrin closed the book and got ready for bed.

That night, he took a hot shower, locked his bedroom door, and made sure he wouldn’t be poisoned in his sleep.

The next morning, Tyrin left his room and found Gertrudes in the living room.

— Good morning, Gertrudes. I’m heading out. If you need anything, let me know.

She smiled.

— Of course, don’t worry.

After the incident, their relationship had grown closer. Even though he was running late, Tyrin made sure to greet her. She was his savior. The least he owed her was respect.

Luckily for him, Emilia had already left earlier. A real relief.

But as soon as he stepped outside the building, he found Damian and Cassandra waiting for him.

— Holy shit, we’re definitely gonna be late! — Damian complained.

— Shut up, Damian. Worst case, we run. We’ve evolved, remember? — Cassandra crossed her arms.

Tyrin scratched his head, embarrassed.

— Sorry for the delay. I woke up later than I wanted.

Cassandra smirked.

— Doesn’t matter. I hope you’ve improved.

She then stretched and looked at the two of them, eyes gleaming.

— Wanna race to see who gets there first?

Before Tyrin could respond, Damian and Cassandra had already taken off.

Their speed was completely different from when he first met them.

Tyrin bent his knees, took a deep breath… and ran.

Stolen novel; please report.

He had forgotten to check his status since the last battle, but now was the perfect time to test it.

The three of them shot through the academy like lightning, ignoring the shouts and warnings of teachers along the way.

— HEY, NO RUNNING HERE!

But no one stopped.

Within minutes, they reached the classroom building.

1st Place: Tyrin.

2nd Place: Cassandra.

3rd Place: Damian (way behind).

Damian doubled over, struggling to catch his breath.

— Holy shit! How much did you guys put into speed? This doesn’t make any sense!

He could understand Cassandra being fast. She was a sniper. Her combat strategy relied on quickly escaping melee range and repositioning.

But Tyrin?

Tyrin liked direct combat, just like him. It made no sense for him to be that far ahead.

And the worst part…

He didn’t even look tired.

Cassandra was surprised too.

— Tyrin… How much have you improved?

He smirked.

— We’ll talk after class.

As he stepped into the classroom, Tyrin immediately noticed something different.

There were fewer students.

Many of those who had chosen other instructors… hadn’t returned.

Tyrin took a deep breath and walked to his seat.

It was time to learn from Custer.

And become even stronger.

Tyrin recognized most of the faces. Some were from the latest batch of recruits, but many were survivors of the first mission.

Professor Custer seemed focused but distant. If something had left a mark on him during that moon mission, he wasn’t showing it.

He clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

— Alright, boys and girls. Today, we’re having a different kind of lesson. For that, I’d like to introduce Professor Lirina Lys.

The name caused a ripple of confusion in the class.

But before anyone could ask, Damian muttered:

— What does the dissection professor want with us? Don’t tell me I have to cut up corpses here too…

While Damian looked like he wanted to cry, Tyrin’s curiosity exploded.

Lirina Lys.

He had heard a lot about her.

Her entire team had died.

She had the misfortune of landing on one of the moons already dominated by the Aracnophon. She managed to reclaim the city, but in the process, she fought two Elites while a third wiped out all of her students.

Damian often said he had never been happier about choosing to follow his sister instead of going with Lirina.

But despite everything, there was something unique about her.

Gertrudes had mentioned her once:

"She’s… strange. But she made the greatest achievement for humanity."

And the reason?

Lirina Lys was the only person to bring back a live specimen.

Well, almost alive.

As the door opened, the woman stepped in.

She was gaunt, her skin pale as a corpse. Her jet-black hair made her look even paler against her dark attire. She wore macabre trinkets—skulls, bones, and amulets that looked like they had been pulled straight from a death cult.

But her origins were… unusual.

The Lys family came from a vibrant planet, filled with bright colors and a peaceful way of life. In general, they were a bohemian people—laid-back, detached from the worries of the universe.

However…

The Lys possessed a unique and terrifying ability.

They controlled microscopic organisms.

Not just a few, but entire swarms.

With them, they could invade a target’s nervous system and turn them into living puppets.

Gertrudes had once told Tyrin:

"If their planet weren’t so bohemian, the entire hierarchy of the universe would be different."

But Lirina was different.

She was the black sheep of the family. Her dark style clashed with the carefree nature of the other Lys. Her talents inspired fear and disgust.

And so, she was cast aside.

Relegated to the role of a dissection professor.

But… despite all the hardships, she seemed to love her work.

Damian always said he hated dissections but enjoyed listening to her speak.

"My taste in women might be peculiar, but even I can tell when someone is interesting."

Lirina gave a soft smile.

— Students, how are you? — Her voice was calm, almost hypnotic. — My name is Lirina, but you can call me Lys.

She paused dramatically before continuing:

— Today, I want to show you something.

At that moment, the door opened again.

And what entered the room made everyone’s blood run cold.

It was an Elite.

For a moment, no one breathed.

One of the weaker students fell from their chair, fainting.

Tyrin felt his body react instinctively.

The same creature that had nearly killed him… was standing right there.

But then, Custer stepped in.

— Relax, everyone. We’re safe. — He sighed and turned to Lirina. — Lys, could you at least explain before doing something like this?

Lirina let out a small chuckle.

— Hahaha. Sorry, I just wanted to see your reactions.

She then turned to the class and gestured toward the Elite.

— Don’t worry. It’s already dead. But I’m still controlling it. Now… I want you to see something.

The Elite, now nothing more than an empty husk, obeyed her command.

— Hazard, disconnect.

The creature obeyed.

And then… it started to come apart.

Its arm detached.

Its legs separated from the torso.

But… something unbelievable happened.

The pieces reassembled on their own.

As if they were parts of a toy being put back together.

The room fell into absolute silence.

Tyrin held his breath.

— How…?

Lirina pointed at the Elite.

— As you can see, this creature has a fascinating biology.

She snapped her fingers.

— At first, I thought it was a type of armor. But no…

Her smile widened.

— They simply have a different structure than ours. For us, losing an arm or a leg is a serious problem. For them… it’s like replacing a defective part.

The air in the room felt heavy.

— There’s still much more to analyze. But we’ll take it one step at a time.

Custer took over.

— That’s right, students. Professor Lys and I will be teaching joint classes so you can better understand this lifeform.

He paused, letting everyone absorb the information.

Then, with a sharp gaze, he continued:

— We’ve uploaded all the recordings of the professors’ battles.

Tyrin’s eyes gleamed with interest.

— Starting tomorrow…

You will have the chance to challenge an Elite.

The classroom erupted. Some students were excited. Others looked uneasy.

But Custer wasn’t finished.

— We will also be offering a special reward to the first person who manages to defeat it.

Tyrin barely heard the rest of what Custer was saying. He couldn’t take his eyes off the creature in front of him.

It was identical to the being that had nearly killed him.

But now… it was nothing more than a puppet in Lirina Lys’s hands.

At that moment, something clicked in his mind.

He finally understood why Gertrudes had so many reservations about Lirina.

If she was capable of turning a creature like this into a pet…

What was stopping her from doing the same to a student?