Zael stared at her for a few seconds before sighing.
"…People seriously have too much free time."
Lily laughed immediately. "You publicly folded a Legendary-grade awakener in front of a train station full of people. What exactly did you expect?"
"I expected common sense."
"Well that was your first mistake."
Zael shook his head helplessly while Lily grinned mischievously.
"You should've seen the comments," she continued. "People are calling you all sorts of things now."
Zael already looked tired. "I don't even want to know."
"The Black-Eyed Monster."
"…That's terrible."
"The Station Tyrant."
"Even worse."
"The Common-Grade Devil."
Zael's lips twitched slightly. "…Alright that one is at least creative."
Lily burst into laughter.
"You know the funniest part?" she said while trying to calm herself. "Most people are more shocked that you supposedly awakened a Common-grade profession than the fact that you nearly traumatized a Legendary-grade awakener."
Zael snorted faintly. "Sounds about right."
In this world, talent grades meant almost everything.
A Common-grade awakener defeating a Legendary-grade was the equivalent of a cripple outrunning a dragon.
It simply didn't make sense.
"Anyway," Lily said after calming down slightly, "you should probably stay lowkey for a while."
Zael gave her a deadpan look.
"Aurelia already told me the exact same thing."
"And?"
"And I fully intended to follow that advice."
Lily looked unconvinced. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Zael…"
"What?"
"You literally flattened someone into concrete less than two hours after arriving."
Zael opened his mouth slightly.
Then paused.
"…Fair point."
Lily smirked victoriously afterward before glancing toward the window.
The academy outside had become quieter now as evening slowly approached.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lily suddenly frowned slightly.
"Actually…"
Zael looked at her. "What?"
"The atmosphere here feels weird."
His expression sharpened faintly.
"You noticed too?"
Lily nodded slowly. "It's subtle but… the academy feels tense somehow."
Zael leaned back slightly afterward.
He noticed it the moment he entered.
Students moved normally.
Lecturers still taught classes.
Nothing outwardly looked wrong.
Yet beneath all of it—
There was tension.
Like the calm before something dangerous.
Then suddenly—
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion echoed from somewhere within the academy grounds.
The entire dormitory building shook violently.
Zael and Lily were already on their feet instantly.
Their expressions changed simultaneously.
Another explosion followed immediately afterward.
BOOM!!
This one was closer.
Much closer.
Then came screams.
Panic.
And finally—
An academy-wide emergency alarm blared throughout the entire university.
WEEEEEEEEEEEE—!!!
Zael's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…That's not a drill."
The entire academy erupted into chaos instantly.
Students poured out of dormitories in panic while frightened voices echoed across the campus.
"What's happening?!"
"Enemy attack?!"
"No—look over there!"
Zael stepped toward the window alongside Lily.
Then his eyes narrowed sharply.
In the distance, near one of the central training sectors, pillars of black energy were rising into the sky.
Not mana.
Not abyssal energy either.
This felt… corrupted.
Twisted.
Alive.
And within that darkness—
Figures slowly emerged.
Some looked human.
Others no longer did.
Their bodies were warped grotesquely by black crystalline flesh while veins of crimson light pulsed across their skin like living parasites.
Their eyes glowed blood-red with maddened insanity.
A suffocating pressure spread through the academy grounds instantly.
Then one of the creatures raised its head and screamed.
SKREEEEEEEEE—!!!
The sound alone shattered nearby windows.
Lily's face paled slightly.
"…Demonized awakeners."
Zael's expression darkened immediately.
He had heard about them before.
Failed awakeners.
Corrupted soldiers.
Humans who either willingly or forcefully fused with abyssal corruption until they became monsters wearing human skin.
They retained intelligence.
Retained skills.
Retained combat ability.
But lost themselves completely.
And the worst part—
Some demonized awakeners became stronger after corruption.
Far stronger.
BOOM!!!
One of the academy defense towers exploded violently in the distance.
A lecturer flew through the air before crashing into a building.
Then came laughter.
Distorted.
Mad.
A tall demonized awakener slowly descended from the sky afterward.
Unlike the others, his body remained mostly human.
Only black markings covered his skin while curved horns protruded slightly from his temples.
The pressure rolling off him made even the surrounding air distort faintly.
Tier Four.
At minimum.
The demonized awakener spread his arms slowly while smiling fanatically.
"Children of humanity…"
His voice echoed across the academy unnaturally.
"Rejoice."
"Today…"
"You become offerings."
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
Several barriers around the academy shattered instantly afterward.
Students screamed in terror.
Combat erupted everywhere.
Some lecturers immediately moved to intercept the invaders while elite students activated weapons and skills desperately.
Zael's gaze sharpened.
Then suddenly—
A familiar system notification appeared before him.
[Ding!]
[Host has encountered large-scale hostile event.]
[Calculating threat level…]
[Threat Level: High]
[Catalyst detected…]
[Generating class change quest!]
[Survive the Demonized Invasion]
[Bonus Objective: Eliminate the Corrupted Commander]
[Reward: ???]
Zael stared at the final line briefly.
Then smiled slowly.
Not nervous.
Not afraid.
But excited.
Because after everything that happened recently—
The pressure.
The warnings.
Kael.
The mysterious caller.
The coming battlefield.
He needed something.
A fight.
A real one.
Crack.
Void energy flickered faintly around Zael's fingertips afterward.
Beside him, Lily looked toward him and immediately noticed the change in his expression.
"…Why are you smiling?" she asked cautiously.
Zael's grin widened slightly.
"Because," he said calmly while black-and-silver energy began swirling around him,
"This is probably the first interesting thing that's happened since I got back."