The next day.
The atmosphere in Class Alpha was still tense.
I sat in my usual seat at the back, watching the stage in front of me.
Professor Aurora Fenix entered the room, the sharp sound of her footsteps enough to silence the remaining whispers.
She stood behind the podium and looked at us with her cold eyes.
"Before we move on to this week's main announcement," she said in her icy voice, "we will take attendance. When I call your name, say 'present.'"
Attendance? I thought. That's unusual. It's usually done automatically through the Cardinal devices.
She picked up a tablet and began reading names.
"Leo von Falkenhayn."
"Present." Leo's voice was confident and firm.
He sat at the front, shoulders straight.
The perfect leader.
Or at least, that's what he tried to be.
My knowledge of the novel told me that mask of confidence hid a deep struggle with his father's legacy. I had already seen that mask crack at the art exhibition.
"Serena Valerian."
"Present." Her voice was calm and clear, like a crystal bell.
She sat beside Leo, but an invisible distance separated them.
After the team battle, her gaze toward me had grown colder.
She clearly hated me.
"Ethan Riddle."
"Present!" he said enthusiastically, a heroic smile on his face.
The original protagonist of the story, with his white hair and bright eyes.
"Chloe Jansen."
"Present!" she practically shouted.
The girl with colorful hair bounced her leg excitedly.
"Zayn Wilder."
A barely audible "Present."
He sat in a dark corner of the room, his combat brush hanging at his waist.
"Liam Brook."
"Present," he said in a deep, restrained voice.
A large young man with a kind heart.
"Maya Horthon."
"Present…" Her voice was soft and anxious.
She sat alone, staring at her hands.
"Isabella de Luna."
"Present."
"Finn Riley."
"Present," he said with obvious boredom, leaning back in his chair.
A black-haired boy with a reckless grin.
"Toru Kaneki."
"Present," he said calmly and confidently.
He sat apart from the others, observing everyone from behind his elegant glasses.
"Luna Ferris."
"Present." She sat near the window, looking outside, quiet as ever.
"Jasper Rock."
"…"
A boy with charcoal-black hair and dull black eyes said nothing—just gave a slight nod.
Professor Fenix accepted it as attendance.
"Elara Quinn."
A barely audible whisper: "Present."
The quiet girl with long hair covering her face.
Professor Fenix continued reading names, her cold voice echoing through the silent room.
"Aster Corvus."
"Present." A soft voice—it was the same girl from the library.
"Noor Akim."
"Present!" Her voice was lively and loud.
"Rex Barnes."
"Present!" he said steadily.
"Kai Morgenstern."
"Present."
"Jax Monroe."
"Present, Professor!" he said with a confident, playful tone, leaning back with an arrogant smile.
"Caleb Griff."
"Present." A faint, barely audible voice.
He sat alone, his gem-like blue eyes empty, as if looking through the walls.
The scar on his temple was faint but noticeable.
"Drake Mallory."
"Here."
"Silas O'Donnell."
He yawned before saying "Present" lazily.
A pale young man with green hair and red streaks on the sides.
"Rio Kennedy."
"Present!"
"Auria Celeste."
"Present…"
"Marco Rossi."
"Present!" he said with a friendly smile and strong voice.
"Eva Petrova."
"Present," she said with a slight Eastern European accent.
A tall girl with platinum hair draped around the scarf on her neck.
"Sam Owens."
He said nothing—just nodded.
And finally—
"Adam Lester."
I slowly raised my hand. "Present."
For a brief moment, I felt all eyes in the room turn toward me.
Without even looking at me, Aurora continued.
"Lily…"
…
…
…
When she finished the list, Fenix set her tablet aside.
"Now that we've confirmed everyone's presence," she said, the silence in the room growing heavier.
After that "player showcase" disguised as attendance, Professor Fenix gave us no time to process what had just happened.
With a gesture, the large screen behind her changed, displaying a single word in sharp white letters against a black background:
[Skills]
"Today's lesson," she said in her emotionless icy tone, "will be a review and deepening of the fundamental concepts that shape our reality. Some of you may consider this topic basic, but true understanding of the nature of skills is what separates a strong user from a true master."
Her gaze swept across the room, though I felt it lingered on high-ranking students like Ethan and Serena.
A lecture about skills? I thought. Interesting topic for someone like me.
"As you know," she began, her voice echoing through the silent hall, "skills are the manifestation of an individual's soul interacting with 'mana'—or 'the fabric,' as some philosophers call it—and rewriting a small portion of reality to match their will. However, this interaction is not random. It follows specific patterns and classifications."
The screen changed, displaying four main symbols.
"Over the past century, our scientists and researchers have classified the vast majority of discovered skills into four primary categories. Understanding these classifications is not only essential for understanding yourselves, but also your enemies and allies."
The long, detailed lecture continued. Then Fenix moved to the core of the subject.
[First Classification: Offensive Skills]
A flaming sword symbol appeared on the screen.
"This is the most common and straightforward classification. These skills focus on enhancing the user's physical capabilities or granting direct offensive or defensive abilities. They are tools of war—simple, effective, and direct."
She paused briefly.
"Take, for example, General Ajax from the War of Unification. His skill, [Comet Fist], was simple in concept—all the mana in his body was concentrated into his fists, turning them into miniature meteors. There were no tricks or complexities. Just pure destructive force capable of crushing enemy fortresses. That is the essence of an offensive skill: decisive application of power."
Simple… and predictable, I added in my mind. Heroes and monsters—two sides of the same coin with different names.
[Second Classification: Control Skills]
The symbol changed to a hand manipulating invisible threads.
"These skills are more subtle and complex. Their users do not focus on directly destroying the enemy, but on controlling the battlefield, the environment, or even the opponent themselves. They are the conductors of combat."
She looked toward a section of the room before continuing.
"The archives mention an explorer known as the 'Lady of Tides.' Her skill, [Atmospheric Pressure], did not control water, but the pressure above it. She could create low-pressure zones to pull enemy fleets toward rocks, or high-pressure zones to crush ship hulls without firing a single shot. She did not fight the enemy—she fought the world the enemy stood upon. That is the essence of control."
[Third Classification: Support Skills]
The symbol shifted to a shield glowing with light.
"This classification is often underestimated, yet history has proven it may be the most vital for any team's survival. These skills do not focus on offense or defense, but on enhancing allies, weakening enemies, or providing unique tactical advantages."
"During the Siege of the Fortified City, there was a folk healer known as 'The Anchor.' His skill, [Concept Stabilization], seemed useless in combat. All he did was touch a wall or shield and 'fix' the concept of 'durability' into it, making it nearly indestructible for a limited time. Thanks to his ability, the city gates held for two full weeks against an army of horrors. He didn't kill a single monster—but he saved tens of thousands. That is the essence of support."
Or the point where the chain breaks if they're targeted first, I thought.
[Finally… the Fourth Classification: Unique Skills]
A question mark appeared on the screen.
"This is the rarest and most mysterious classification. Unique skills are those that do not follow any of the previously mentioned rules—abilities that break logic and operate through mechanisms not fully understood. They can be incredibly powerful… or frustratingly useless."
Silence filled the room.
That's probably where Toru, Kai… and I fall.
'Unique'? … A polite way of saying 'system error.'
"History records an individual who reached Rank S with a unique skill, known as the 'Archive Collector.' His skill, [Borrowed Moment], allowed him to 'record' an event he witnessed—such as an explosion or structural collapse—and then 'replay' the echo of that event once in another location. He did not create the explosion—he borrowed its echo from the past. A power that manipulated time and causality to recreate phenomena."
Fenix paused and looked around.
"These skills are unpredictable, and their users are dangerous variables in any encounter. Understanding them… is the greatest challenge."
The lecture continued at length.
She spoke about the history of skill discovery, the Age of Chaos, and the founding of the academy.
Much of it was information I had already read in the library—but hearing it from her, in that sharp and confident voice, gave the words a different weight.
This wasn't just a lecture.
It was a warning.
A reminder of the destruction brought by "stories"… and the price paid to achieve this so-called "stability."
And when she finally finished—before any of us could relax—she dropped the real bomb.
"And now, for the main announcement," she said, her tone growing more serious.
"The special exam prepared by the academy, which will begin in three days, will be a large-scale field training exercise on a private island owned by the Union… Arcadia Island."
The screen behind her changed, displaying breathtaking aerial images of a tropical island.
Dense forests, white sandy beaches, and at its center—a modern white training facility that looked like a luxury resort.
"This exam will include all first-year students from every class: Alpha, Beta, Zeta, and others. You will be divided into teams and compete against each other in a large-scale survival and tactical scenario for a full week."
The classroom erupted into excited and anxious whispers.
"An island?"
"All classes together? That's insane!"
"I heard Arcadia Island is an abandoned training facility!"
I looked at the images coldly.
Arcadia Island…
Yeah… this was going to be rough.
I'd probably end up paying for that misunderstanding.
So… it's starting.
"Details regarding the rules and team assignments will be released soon," Fenix concluded. "Prepare yourselves."
She left the podium, leaving behind a room filled with students caught between excitement and anxiety.
As for me… I felt neither.
Only that cold, heavy sensation in my stomach.
The feeling of someone who knows they're about to walk straight into a fight they've already lost.
And there was nothing I could do to stop it.