"But"
Principal Caelan Veyr paused there on purpose.
He let the word sit in the room for a few seconds, long enough for every teacher to feel that something unusual was coming. His eyes moved across the table once, calmly, almost lazily, while the entire conference room stayed silent.
Then he said it. "But this year, a total of twenty-seven children in this school have awakened the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent."
For one full second, no one reacted. It was not because they did not understand him. It was because they understood him too well.
Then the room exploded.
"What?!"
"Twenty-seven?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Did the system make a mistake?"
"No, impossible, impossible"
Several teachers half-rose from their chairs before catching themselves. One old instructor almost knocked over the cup beside his hand. Another woman at the far end of the table stared at Caelan as if she was waiting for him to laugh and say it was a joke.
But he did not.
He only sat there quietly, watching them with that same composed expression.
The reason for their reaction was simple.
Everyone in that room knew how rare the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent was.
It was often said that out of every 100,000 awakened, only one or two would awaken that talent. And even that was only a rough estimate. Not a guaranteed ratio. Sometimes, among 100,000 awakened, there wouldn't even be a single Bloodline Plant Lord.
Sometimes the number was one.
Sometimes two.
Anything more than that already sounded exaggerated.
And yet now—
Caelan had just said that Orien School alone had produced twenty-seven of them this year.
One school.
Not a whole province.
Not a whole nation.
A single school.
That was why everyone in the room had lost their composure.
Because they had already read the files.
They had all received the awakening summary earlier that morning. Those summaries had shown the percentages for Bloodline Talent and Plant Talent, along with the broader student awakening rates and internal distribution reports.
But there had been no separate percentage listed for Bloodline Plant Lord Talent. That omission had already felt slightly unusual. Now they understood why.
Because the number had been so abnormal that putting it directly into the general file would have caused chaos before the principal even called this meeting. And now chaos was happening anyway.
One teacher with narrow glasses pushed them back up his nose and said in disbelief, "Principal, twenty-seven? Are you certain?"
Another muttered, "That can't be right"
Caelan rested one elbow on the arm of his chair and said calmly, "If I weren't certain, I wouldn't be wasting my morning listening to all of you scream in my meeting room."
That shut a few mouths instantly. Not because his tone was loud. But because everyone knew what kind of principal he was. Caelan did not joke about serious matters. Especially not school records. Especially not cultivation talent records.
A heavy silence slowly returned to the room. Now that the first wave of shock had passed, the teachers' minds began catching up to the actual numbers involved.
This year, Orien School had a total of 2.4 million students across all eligible awakening groups.
And in this era, every city had only one school.
That meant Orien School did not represent just one academy among many. It represented the awakening results of the entire city.
Of those, 63% had awakened successfully.
That meant the number of awakened students this year was roughly 1,512,000.
The awakening files had already shown the rest of the internal breakdown.
Of those awakened: Around 31.65% had awakened the Bloodline Pathway and around 31.35% had awakened the Plant Pathway. The remaining fraction had gone into Bloodline Plant Lord Pathway.
But now, hidden inside those broader pathway numbers, there were apparently twenty-seven Bloodline Plant Lord awakenings.
Not five.
Not even ten.
Twenty-seven.
That number was so absurd that even the more composed teachers looked shaken now.
A woman with silver-rimmed sleeves and a Plant Pathway specialization finally said, "That's the highest in school history"
Another teacher answered automatically, "Yes."
Because it was. The previous highest record had been thirteen children. That had already been considered unbelievable at the time. And now the school had more than doubled it in a single year.
Caelan let them process it for a bit longer.
Then he said, "Good. Now that all of you have finally remembered how to count, perhaps we can continue the meeting like educated people."
No one replied.
Which, in this room, was the clearest sign possible that everyone was paying attention.
Caelan's fingers tapped once against the table
"I know everyone is shocked," Caelan said, his voice calm as he looked across the conference room. "But you do not need to ask why." His fingers tapped lightly on the table once again. "Because even if you ask, I will not answer."
That immediately made several teachers who had already opened their mouths close them again. Caelan leaned back in his chair and continued in the same unhurried tone.
"I know the reason."
"The higher-ups also know the reason."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"And it is not something any of you should investigate."
The room became even quieter. A few teachers exchanged glances. Some looked more shocked. Some looked suspicious. Some clearly wanted to ask anyway. But none of them dared.
Caelan's gaze slowly swept across the room.
"You only need to know one thing," he said. "This is a good thing."
"Very good."
"And if anyone here gets curious and starts investigating matters they are not supposed to touch"
His expression did not change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop a little.
"You will get into trouble."
No one spoke.
No one even shifted in their seat.
Because everyone in that room was old enough, experienced enough, and more importantly, smart enough to understand what that meant. There were things they were supposed to know. And there were things they were supposed to pretend not to know. That was simply how the world worked once a matter became large enough.
Especially in a world where schools, families, guilds, countries, and the All-Being Survival Alliance all existed under the shadow of survival.
So although many of them still carried surprised and suspicious expressions, they did not ask the principal any further questions. Caelan watched them for a few more seconds, then nodded faintly.
Good.
At least no one in this room was stupid enough to ruin their career—or their life—over curiosity.
"Alright," he said at last. "Now let's talk about class distribution."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room changed completely.
For a few seconds, everyone remained quiet as files and projected student distribution charts appeared above the center of the table. Then, almost like someone had flipped a switch, the conference room became noisy all over again.
But this time it was not because of shock.
It was because of competition.
Every department head, every senior pathway teacher, and every lead instructor immediately began arguing over which classes should go to whom.
Some were trying to grab the Bloodline Pathway classes.
Some were fighting over the Plant Pathway groups.
Others argued based on compatibility, resources, prior teaching experience, or departmental seniority. In truth, not all of them were speaking only for themselves.
The people sitting in this room were not ordinary teachers. They were the heads of departments, the main instructors, and the highest-level teaching staff in the school. Even if they did not take a class personally, the distribution they secured would affect the teachers under them.
So the argument became fierce very quickly.
"This class should go to the East Plant Division. We have the best support structure for wood-route beginners."
"That's nonsense. Their base compatibility is broader than just wood. At least half of them should be under mixed elemental review first."
"And who's going to handle the blood-strengthening subgroup if you split them badly?"
"You just want the higher-performing students under your own branch."
"Oh? And you don't?"
Several lips twitched at that.
Because that was the truth of it.
Everyone wanted the better classes.
Not just because better students meant better teaching results.
Not just because more talented classes often received more school resources, attention, or internal support. But also because it looked good. Teachers had pride too. And nothing fed that pride better than being able to say your class had the most talented students this year.
Caelan sat in the middle seat and watched all of this with the kind of calm expression someone would wear while watching children argue over slices of cake. Occasionally he would correct something.Occasionally he would dismiss a stupid argument with a single sentence.
And occasionally, when a discussion was going in circles, he would decide it himself and move on. Even so, the process took time. A lot of time.
By the end of the first hour, they had only finished assigning a portion of the major Bloodline Pathway groups. By the second hour, most of the Plant Pathway classes had also been distributed.
Hundreds of classes were reviewed, shifted, debated, reassigned, or settled by rank, specialization, or administrative logic.Some teachers came out of it satisfied. Some did not.
But no one openly showed too much dissatisfaction, because in the end, everyone in this room had still gotten something—for themselves or for the teachers under their authority.
Gradually, the room calmed down again.
The bigger disputes ended.
The files in the air thinned.
Voices lowered.
And once it was clear that the ordinary class distribution had been mostly settled, Caelan finally tapped the table again.
This time, everyone quieted much faster.
"Good," he said. "Now"
He glanced at a locked file still floating separately from the rest.
"Let's talk about the class for the Bloodline Plant Lord Pathway users."
The reaction was immediate.
The room, which had only just calmed down, became noisy all over again.
"I can take that class."
"No, my division is better suited."
"You're a Plant Pathway teacher, not a Bloodline Plant Lord user."
"And you are?"
"That doesn't matter. I have the best teaching record."
"What matters is resource coordination—"
"What matters is who can handle twenty-seven monsters without wasting them—"
For the first time in a while, even some of the teachers who had stayed quiet earlier were speaking up. Because this was different. The class for the Bloodline Plant Lord students was not like the others. Whoever got that class would automatically receive more internal prestige.
More resources. More attention from above. And, if things went well, the future benefits would be enormous. Even if only a few of those twenty-seven students grew into true powerhouses, the teacher or department associated with them would gain huge face later.
And yes—
A lot of them also simply wanted bragging rights.
Caelan let them argue for a few seconds. Then he raised a hand. The room did not quiet immediately. So he said, very softly, "Do I need to prepare the rope?"
Silence.
Instantly.
A teacher at the far end even straightened so fast it looked painful.
Caelan smiled mildly.
"No?"
"Good."
He rested one arm on the chair and said, "You don't need to argue. I have already chosen someone for the class."
That made the silence even stranger. Everyone stared at him. Inside their heads, many of them were practically shouting the same thing.
Pick me.
Pick me.
Pick me.
Caelan, however, did not look at any of them. Instead, he turned his head toward the conference room door and said, "You can come inside."
The moment he said it, the door opened.
And for a brief second—
The room forgot how to breathe.
A woman stepped inside.
She was beautiful.
Not in the ordinary sense.
Not in the way awakened people often became more refined or attractive with higher lifeform development.
No.
This was something else.
Her beauty had a strange, almost unreal quality to it, as if she did not fully belong in the same space as everyone else. Her features were delicate yet sharp, elegant yet cold. Her skin was pale and flawless. Her long hair fell smoothly around her shoulders. They were a striking waist-down icy white, almost silver in some angles, and her eyebrows carried the same color. It should have looked unnatural.
Instead, it made her seem even more otherworldly. She walked into the room with a steady, unhurried pace and stopped beside the principal.
For the first few seconds, almost every teacher in the room stared at her. Even people of their age and experience were caught off guard. It was not as if they had never seen beautiful women before. That would be ridiculous.
After the Awakening Era, appearance standards across the world had changed dramatically. Even civilians who never awakened often looked more attractive than supermodels from the old era. And pathway users, especially high-level ones, were on an entirely different level.
So the teachers sitting here were not inexperienced fools. Most of them were at least Stage 4 themselves.
And yet—
Even with all of that, they had never seen someone with this kind of beauty and presence before. That was what startled them most. It wasn't just her face. It was cold calmness. The faint pressure of her cultivation.
The sense that she was standing here, but somehow also a little removed from everything around her. After a few seconds, the teachers slowly came back to themselves. A few coughed awkwardly. One looked away.
Caelan stood up from his seat and, with one hand lightly gestured toward her.
"This," he said, "is Selene Hart."
He gave the room a moment to absorb the name.
Then he continued.
"She is a Peak Stage 4 Bloodline Plant Lord Pathway user."
That statement hit the room almost as hard as her appearance had.
A second wave of surprise passed through the teachers.
A Peak Stage 4 Bloodline Plant Lord.
No wonder.
That explained the feeling they got from her.
And it also explained why Caelan had chosen her.
Because although Orien School had thousands of teachers, not a single one among them possessed the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent.
That was simply how rare it was.
Even when such people existed in larger numbers than usual, they rarely stayed in normal school-teaching positions for long. The moment they reached a sufficient level, most of them either cultivated independently, joined major operations, entered realm exploration, or got dragged into larger responsibilities by higher powers.
They had more privileges.
More resources.
But also far more responsibilities.
Which meant that while some of the teachers in the room were dissatisfied that someone from outside had been brought in to take such an important class. None of them could say it openly. Because they also knew that, from the students' perspective, this was the best choice.
Caelan looked around once more and said calmly, "She will be taking the Bloodline Plant Lord class."
This time, no one argued. Some still looked unhappy. Some looked thoughtful. Some were still more shocked by her level than by the decision itself. But none of them objected. Because what argument could they make?
That a non-Bloodline Plant Lord teacher should handle the rarest and most difficult pathway class instead of an actual Peak Stage 4 Bloodline Plant Lord?
That would only make them look stupid.
After giving the room a moment to settle, Caelan turned slightly toward the woman.
"Introduce yourself."
The woman nodded once.
Then, in a voice that was calm, cool, and almost devoid of unnecessary emotion, she said,
"My name is Selene Hart."
"I will be overseeing the class from this point forward."
That was all.
No attempt to warm the room.
No smiling introduction.
Just a clean statement.
Several teachers exchanged tiny glances. The woman clearly was not the talkative type. A few more formal matters were handled after that.
Department support channels.
Temporary class scheduling.
Resource authorization.
Restricted file access.
Then, after everything essential had been said, Caelan dismissed the meeting.
One by one, the teachers left the room.
Some gave Seraphina respectful nods before going out.
Some only glanced once and left.
Eventually, the conference room became quiet.
Now only Caelan and Seraphina remained. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Then Caelan leaned lazily against his chair and looked at her with a faintly amused expression.
"You should talk more," he said in a light, playful tone. "And not with that frozen little voice of yours."
"If you keep acting like that, you won't make any friends. And then how are you supposed to experience life here?"
Seraphina turned her head and looked at him.
One pale eyebrow rose slightly.
Then she said, in the same cold voice as before,
"I did not come here to make friends."
Caelan's smile faded.
Not fully.
But enough.
When he spoke again, his tone was no longer joking.
"It is part of your experience."
"You need to blend in."
"You need to experience things properly."
Hearing that, Seraphina's eyes narrowed slightly.
She clearly wanted to say something back. Maybe several things. But after a short pause, she stopped herself.
Because whether she liked it or not—
He was right.
So instead of arguing, she asked,
"Give me the class information."
Caelan looked at her for a second, then nodded.
"Fine."
But before he handed it over, his expression turned completely serious.
"Listen carefully."
"It does not matter to me what background you have."
"It does not matter who the higher-ups are behind you."
"In this school, I will not tolerate you neglecting those children's education, hiding knowledge from them unnecessarily, or treating this like a side task while only caring about your own matters."
The room went still. Seraphina's eyes sharpened instantly. For the first time since entering, real emotion flashed across her face.
Anger.
Not explosive.
But clear.
When she answered, her voice carried more force than before.
"I am not that kind of person."
"I know what the future is."
"I know what is at stake."
"I will not make things harder for children who have just entered this path."
"I will teach them properly."
She did not shout.
The certainty in her voice was enough.
Caelan held her gaze for a second longer. Then slowly, he smiled again. This time the smile was smaller. Realer.
"I know," he said. "I just wanted to test you."
That made Seraphina's eyes narrow again.
For a moment, it looked like she genuinely considered throwing him out the window.
Caelan noticed and looked pleased with himself.
He casually pushed the class file toward her.
"There. Take it."
"Your office assignment and class details will be sent to you directly."
Seraphina took the file without another word. Then she turned and walked toward the door. Just before leaving, Caelan said mildly, "And Selene?"
She stopped, but did not turn around.
"Try not to scare all the children on the first day."
There was a short pause. Then, without looking back, she answered in that same cold voice, "No promises." And she left.
The conference room became quiet once again. Caelan looked at the closed door for a few seconds, then let out a small laugh.
"Well," he murmured to himself, "that should be interesting."
____________________________
Scene Change — Ren House
Morning had already come.
Ren was awake. He had gotten up early, washed, changed, and was already dressed in his school uniform. The room was quiet, the sunlight falling softly through the window, and for the first time in several days, he was not preparing for a fight, a realm, or cultivation inside a rented training room.