The Academy halls felt strange after the Inter-Class War. Students were everywhere, but the atmosphere was wrong.
Ronan passed several Class B students on his way back to the dorms, nodding when they greeted him and returning brief congratulations when they mentioned Elara's performance. He kept his posture relaxed, his tone casual, and his face neutral as he spoke.
Once he reached his room, Ronan locked the door and checked the privacy runes he'd installed – simple things, not suspicious, but they were nice to have.
Only then did his smile fade, changing into a blank expression.
He opened the system screen and reread the Demon Leech warning.
[Estimated time to full host override: 394 days, 17 hours]
Ronan stared at the countdown. It didn't frighten him, but it made him uncomfortable in a way he didn't like.
Usually he only felt like this at a loss of control in his life… but perhaps this was exactly what this was. After all, it felt so forcing.
