Chapter 66 : The first day at the academy.

Chapter 66 : The first day at the academy. The soft hum of the morning sun barely filtered through the tinted windows of my luxurious tenth-floor penthouse. My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the ambient blue lights running across the ceiling. "Zara," I mumbled, voice still coated in sleep. "What time is it now?" { "Good morning, Alex," } came the smooth, feminine voice of my AI assistant. { "It is currently 7:40 a.m. Your first class at Zenith Academy begins at 8:00 a.m." } It took me a second. "WHAT?!" I flung off my covers like they were on fire and shot up from bed. "ZARA! Why didn't you wake me up at 7 a.m. like I told you?!" Zara responded calmly, as if she wasn't the reason I was about to set a school tardiness record. { "I did, Alex. Three times, in fact. The first two, you mumbled, 'Give me five more minutes.' The third time, you put me on sleep mode and said, and I quote: 'I am a night demon and need no mortal schedules.'" } I froze mid-sprint to the bathroom. That... did sound like me. "Zara, next time you have full permission to take extreme measures to wake me up. Kick that night demon's ass if you have to." { "Duly noted, Alex,"} Zara replied cheerfully. { "Shall I prepare the electroshock setting for tomorrow?" } "Don't push it." I dove into the shower and emerged five minutes later, barely resembling a functioning human being. My hair was still damp, my uniform half-wrinkled, and I probably smelled like Eau de Panic. I bolted to the elevator, which took me to the ground floor in ten seconds flat. As I burst out the doors, I glanced at my academy-issued smartwatch—an ultra-advanced model far superior to anything from Earth. 7:55 a.m. "Five minutes!" I gasped. "If I'm late again, that's a hat trick of humiliation. First the entrance exam, then the orientation..." I launched into a full sprint toward the warp gate, dodging confused staff and startled cleaning bots. A few students gave me weird looks. I ignored them. Warping into the Central Spire, I quickly checked the classroom number—4th floor, Class 1-A. I took the lift up, muttering curses at the painfully slow seconds ticking by. It stopped at the 4th floor. One minute left. I burst out, boots skidding on the polished floor. "Almost there...!" Just as I turned the corner, I noticed someone else sprinting beside me—well, more like clumsily stumbling. She had ash-brown hair tied into a messy bun and deep black eyes filled with sleep deprivation. She was... quite pretty. Her heavy chest bounced with every step, her breath ragged. She was clearly pushing her limits. We reached the classroom door together at 8:10 a.m. I pushed it open. "Good morning, Mr. Dragonheart," came a sultry, sarcastic voice from within. "Is this the example the Apex of the class wants to set? And congratulations on your hat trick." The entire classroom erupted in laughter. Standing at the podium was Ms. Selena Vega, our homeroom teacher. She was stunning—raven-black hair cascading down her shoulders, a dark crimson blouse that hugged her curves a little too snugly and highlighted her assets, and heels that made a gentle click as she walked. One look at her and the only thing that came to my mind was: 'Mommy, please punish I shook the thought away like a dog in a thunderstorm. I glanced around and—of course—Ethan, Alden, Charlotte, and Seraphina were in the front row, laughing their heads off. "I—I'm sorry, ma'am," I said, pulling my best puppy-dog expression. "I overslept." Before she could respond, the girl beside me chimed in, "I'm sorry too, ma'am. I was working on a potion and lost track of time." Ms. Selena's stern gaze softened. "Ava Green, right? I can see you've been... utilizing your time. Unlike a certain someone." The class laughed again. I flinched. Discrimination! "Since this is both of your first time being late," Selena said, eyeing us both, "I'll overlook it. But be punctual from now on." We both nodded frantically like soldiers and headed to our seats. Now, most people would've sat with their friends. But not me. I sauntered to the back of the classroom and took a window seat. Why? Because main characters sit by the window. Ava quietly followed and sat beside me. The front rows were already packed, and she looked nervous just being in a room with so many elites. Ms. Selena clapped her hands. "Good morning, everyone. I am your homeroom teacher, Selena Vega. I will also be instructing you in Mana Theory." The moment she started talking, every guy in class sat straighter than they ever had in their lives. Eyes glued. Jaws slack. Concentration levels? Over 9000. She turned, her clothes fluttering. "You're not just students. You are Special Class. That means you don't get to be average. You don't just learn. You represent." The class hung on every word. "Your discipline, performance, and conduct must exceed expectations. You'll be the ones chosen for elite missions, field trials, and international tournaments. Do not waste this chance." Everyone nodded seriously at that. Selena's voice was captivating, and her looks even more so. She smiled and tapped the holographic board. "Now, let's begin with our first lesson—Mana Theory: The Harmonic Source Principle." --- Mana Theory of Etheron – The Harmonic Source Principle (SES Version) > "Mana is not just a force. It is a harmonic echo, formed when your soul interacts with the dimensional essence of the world. When that interaction resonates properly, mana manifests." --- The Three Anchors of Mana: 1. Material Anchor (Body) – Your physical vessel—the stabilizer of raw mana. 2. Spiritual Anchor (Soul) – The source of your Soul Echo Signature (SES)—your unique magical identity. 3. Mental Anchor (Mind) – The interpreter of those echoes. It translates intention into reality. --- Soul Echo Signature (SES): "Every soul emits a unique echo. That's your SES. It determines how your mana behaves, which elements you resonate with, and what forms your magic takes." Examples: "A fiery SES may cast fire, lightning, or passion-based spells. A fluid SES creates water, healing, or dream magic. A fractured SES can manipulate space, void, or time. A silent SES might link to fate, memory, or the soul." "SES evolves. It's also shaped by trauma, conviction, near-death experiences—even forbidden knowledge." I perked up. That... explained a lot about my own mana. --- Mana Affinity = Echo Formed "Elemental affinity is not fixed. Two fire mages may have entirely different SES—one born from rage, one from joy—and their magic reflects that." --- Mana Cores – Echo Chambers of the Soul "Your mana core amplifies your SES. Clarity determines control." " There's also a myth about it known as: The Primal Echo Legends say that there's a Primordial Echo—the original essence of creation. If your SES aligns with it, you could reshape fate itself." --- The class was stunned. But before we knew it... Selena smiled. "And that's the introduction." The hour passed in the blink of an eye. Time flew, and before anyone realized— "That will be all for today," Selena said with a smile. "See you in our next session." The entire class blinked as the clock struck 9:00 a.m. Already? Two more classes passed. I listened in but didn't do anything special. Mostly just absorbed information. Because even though I played the game, I couldn't remember every single bit of info. And theory lessons like these? Skipped by players like me. --- Finally—break time. My stomach growled. But just as I stood— GRRRRUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEE. Another stomach roared beside me. I turned to see Ava hiding her face in both hands. Timid. Cute. I smiled. "Hello. I'm Alex Dragonheart." Ava peeked out shyly. "I—I'm Ava Green... and yeah, I know you. I think the whole academy knows you." I grinned. "Well, you're not wrong." Just then, footsteps approached. Alden, Ethan, Charlotte, and Seraphina. And not so surprisingly—Seraphina... avoided eye contact? 'Guess she still isn't over it.' Alden smirked. "Harassing a classmate already, Mr. Apex?" I shot back, "Jealous much, Mr. Third Rank?" Charlotte sighed and stepped between us. "We're going to the cafeteria. Want to join us?" Her eyes flicked to Ava. "You're welcome too." Ava's eyes widened. "I—I... Sorry, Princess, I'm not worthy to sit with you guys. I mean, you're all... and I'm just..." Charlotte interrupted, "You're in the Special Class. That means you're special. Don't undermine yourself. You've earned your seat. Be confident." Ava blinked. A small, stunned smile formed. "Thank you, Princess." Everyone laughed softly. Seraphina gently took her hand. "This is Zenith Academy. We're all equals here. Come on." With a shy nod, Ava joined us as we headed to the cafeteria. As we turned to leave the classroom, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A guy at the door. Nervous eyes. He was looking right at me. Our eyes met. He froze. Then bolted. He ran like his life depended on it, crashing into desks and sprinting out of the class like a panicked NPC. My smirk returned. "Oh no... You don't get to run." I raised my voice. "Alden! Catch that guy!" Alden blinked. "Wait, what?! Who even—" "JUST DO IT!" A sigh. "Damn it, fine." Alden dashed like a bloodhound on turbo mode. The hallway echoed with footsteps and gasps from students. The runner zigzagged, vaulted over a bench, and— CRASH! Alden tackled him mid-run, slamming them both into the corridor wall. "Got him—" Alden breathed, then paused. His entire expression shifted. I walked up slowly, hands in my pockets, boots tapping like the steps of judgment. There he was. Pinned to the wall. Draven Strom Everforge. The dwarven prince. Alden blinked. "It's him..." "Unhand me, this instant!" Draven barked, trying to squirm out. I reached him, eyes glinting. "Well, well. Look what we have here." Draven squinted. "I—I don't know you! Never seen you in my life!" I put a hand to my chest dramatically. "How could you say that after everything we've been through? The monsters. The near-death. The teamwork." "You were the reason we almost died you bastard.!" "Oh, I'm hurt." He started wiggling his legs to free himself. "Let me go!" I stood and declared like a judge in a royal court, "Nope. You're coming with us. A tech genius like you? I'm not letting you vanish." Draven's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no..." I grinned. "Oh yes." -------------------------- A/N :- Guys i know the chapter update shedule is messed up but my exams are coming this week so this might happen. i hope you guys understand. Also @ DaoistP5ZNDv , @Sahara_2345 Thanks for the golden tickets. Thanks for your time and support i appreciate it.