SOR’s bright rays slipped through the dorm window and fell across WINI’s face. He frowned, turned over—and froze. The light was already too strong for early morning.

  “...Nad?” His voice was rough with sleep. “What’s the time?”

  Gonad, already dressed up and tightening his wristband, glanced over. “Thirty minutes before class starts.”

  WINI shot upright. He usually woke first, washed, and was halfway ready before Gonad even rolled out of bed. Today, Gonad was fully prepared and about to wake him.

  He rushed through washing up, threw on his clothes, and the two of them hurried across campus. They slipped into their seats just as the second chime rang.

  Two minutes later, the teacher stepped into the room.

  “Hello, everyone. Good morning.” Her voice was crisp, without the warm?up small talk some instructors used. “Today I’ll explain the types of beasts you need to know for future explorations and expeditions.”

  She wrote two words on the board.

  “First, there are two main categories:

  One, normal beasts. Two, corrupted beasts.”

  The hall quieted further.

  “Listen carefully,” she continued.

  This is the basic ladder for Normal beasts

  Normal Beasts:

  -----------------------

  - Common Beasts – ordinary animals with only faint traces of spirit energy.

  - Spirit Beasts – awakened, able to sense and manipulate aura.

  - Greater Beasts – strong, territorial creatures comparable to mid?level cultivators.

  - Ascendant Beasts – rare breakthroughs, often tied to special regions and forbidden lands.

  - Mythic Beasts – legendary creatures bound to ancient bloodlines and old lore.

  She drew a second column.

  And these are their corrupted counterparts

  Corrupted Beasts:

  ---------------------------

  - Aberrant Beasts – twisted versions of common beasts, stronger and unpredictable.

  - Voidspawn – devour aura instead of communicating, disrupting spirit techniques.

  - Dread Beasts – void?infused monsters, stronger than Greater Beasts and resistant to many arts.

  - Abyssal Beasts – corrupted parallels to Ascendant Beasts, steeped in void power.

  - Nihil Beasts – embodiments of destruction, feared even by council enforcers.

  The air grew heavier with each word.

  “To give you a sense of scale, compare them to human cultivation levels.

  She tapped the board again.

  Level 1 – Initiates

  Match: Common Beasts and Aberrant Beasts.

  Stage: Pre?Awakening students, basic aura sensing. Very vulnerable; you can barely handle weak beasts without guidance.

  Level 2 – Awakened

  Match: Spirit Beasts and Voidspawn.

  Stage: Awakening Realm. You can begin spirit communication, but Voidspawn disrupt aura and are dangerous even for fresh Awakened.

  Level 3 – Integrators

  Match: Greater Beasts and Dread Beasts.

  Stage: Integration Realm. You can dominate territories and fight Greater Beasts, but Dread Beasts often overpower you due to corruption.

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  Level 4 – Ascendants

  Match: Ascendant Beasts and Abyssal Beasts.

  Stage: Ascension Realm. Ascendants can rival Ascendant Beasts, yet Abyssal Beasts are stronger at the same level. They usually require teams or council intervention.

  Level 5 – Mythic Cultivators

  Match: Mythic Beasts and Nihil Beasts.

  Stage: Mythic Realm. Mythic cultivators can stand against Mythic Beasts. Nihil Beasts, however, are catastrophic—only Elders of the Eternal Hall or high Councilors can suppress them, and even they cannot easily defeat one alone.

  Her gaze swept across the room.

  “At every stage, corrupted beasts are more dangerous than their normal counterparts. That is why humans rely on cooperation, artifacts, and Council support when facing them.”

  She let that sink in.

  “And remember this: even if you awaken a strong soul, if your innate skill is weak or unsuited, you will not be able to suppress beasts at your own level. A strong innate skill can let you survive even against higher?level beasts or fallen rogue cultivators.”

  She explained a few more details about how innate skills manifested during Awakening and how beast encounters were graded for students, then finally dismissed them. The second day of revelation teachings ended with restless whispers running through the hall.

  The third day began with full attendance. No one dared skip now.

  The teacher stepped in, eyes sharper than before. “Today, I’ll teach you what you must do after the Awakening—what you can do, and what you must never do.”

  The hall fell silent.

  “First,” she said, “you must register and obtain your Awakening badge from the Council Registry of Awakened Souls (CRAS). CRAS oversees awakenings worldwide. After your Awakening, you must go to a nearby branch.”

  Names appeared on the board:

  - The Southern Radiant Archive on the Indus continent—closest and easiest for students of the School of Infinite.

  - The Luminal Court of the North, on the Auren continent near the Bright Lands.

  - The Western Archive of Souls, in the Lumen continent.

  - The Northern Watchtower Registry, in the Ice Mountains of North Indus.

  - The Dawnspire Registry, on the Terra continent near Ironcity.

  “You may later join these places as members,” she continued, “after you complete your three years at the academy and pass their tasks and approvals. Beyond that, there are four central academies and four borderline academies that stand as peak choices for advanced study.”

  Her tone turned colder.

  “One last reminder: the wild is far more dangerous than you imagine. The most dangerous presences out there are corrupted beasts, usually found deep within forbidden forests and deadly lands. Second are fallen rogue cultivators. Only after them come normal spirit beasts.”

  She looked at them one by one.

  “With this, I conclude my teachings. I hope many of you awaken strong souls and, more importantly, suitable innate skills.”

  She stepped back from the board.

  “See you all on Awakening day.”

  The class ended on those words. No one rushed out. While she had been speaking, everyone had listened to each sentence without distraction, even those who already knew some of it from family or rumor. Hearing it tied directly to their own Awakening made every detail feel sharper, more real.

  From a corner bench, a boy burst out laughing. “Haha, I’ll definitely awaken a very cool slashing innate skill with a strong soul. You guys will see!”

  Gonad leaned toward WINI. “There we go again. That guy always says something positive after every class. Last time he was talking about forming a contract with some ‘cool spirit beast’ too.”

  WINI shrugged lightly. “At least he has confidence. That’s a good thing. Okay, let’s go, Nad. I’m very hungry. Teacher took class for two hours straight today.”

  “Yeah, let’s go. I’m starving too.”

  At the same time, across the hall, Aarna turned to her friend. “Laxsi, you want to grab a meal? I’m hungry.”

  “Yes, Aarna, I’m also hungry. Let’s go.”

  Both pairs left the building, unknowingly heading toward the same restaurant.

  “Sir, two large rhino burger meals, please,” Gonad said the moment they reached the counter. He paid before the words fully left his mouth.

  “Okay, two rhino burger meals coming up,” the worker replied.

  “Let’s sit there and wait,” Gonad said, pointing toward an empty bench.

  “I bet we’re the only ones who order these large meals,” he added with a laugh.

  WINI smiled and laughed with him.

  At another counter, Aarna and Laxsi placed their order and turned to find seats. As Aarna scanned the room, her gaze caught WINI and Gonad sitting on the nearby bench.

  She hesitated only a moment before walking over.

  “Hi,” she said. “Your name is Gonad, right? I remember you from when you came with your father three years ago.”

  “Oh—hi, Aarna.” Gonad’s usual ease flickered; this was the first time he was speaking directly to her after Harina’s… intense “warnings” in the past. “You still remember me, huh?”

  “Of course I remember. That’s why I came to say hi.”

  “Oh.” He scrambled for something to add. “And this is my friend, Wini. We’re in the same class.”

  Aarna turned. “Oh. Hi.”

  “Hello,” WINI replied.

  Up close, he found himself a little stunned. She was both beautiful and slightly tall, with a fit build that matched the calm focus she carried in class. He didn’t let any of that reach his face.

  “Is ‘Wini’ your full name?” she asked. “Please don’t take it the wrong way…”

  “No, it’s okay. My full nam—”

  “Actually, his full name is Winay Hecksopian, but I call him Wini,” Gonad cut in. “I once heard his mom call him that, so I picked it up too.”

  “I see,” Aarna said with a small nod. “It’s nice talking to you both. And all the best for your Awakening.”

  “Thanks, and good luck to you too,” WINI and Gonad answered at the same time.

  Aarna and Laxsi returned to their bench to wait for their food.

  WINI turned slowly to stare at Gonad. “She asked only my name.”

  “Sorry, it just slipped out,” Gonad muttered, lowering his head a little.

  “Nad, stop that expression,” WINI said. “It doesn’t suit your personality.”

  “Okay, haha.”

  Their meals arrived, thick and steaming. They started eating—then paused mid-bite.

  Across the room, Aarna received two large rhino burger meals. For herself.

  Both WINI and Gonad stared for a moment, equally shocked.

  So there are always people with better appetites than you, huh… they thought at the same time.

  They finished their food quickly after that and headed back toward their room, minds half on the satisfying heaviness in their stomachs, half on the preparations waiting for the upcoming Awakening event.