After some morning gossiping, Lugas, Itsuki, and Esha finally walked into Class E together. The moment they stepped inside, the room fell strangely silent. Students who were whispering earlier froze, and even the teacher paused mid-sentence. It wasn't every day that Class A's top scorer, the quiet and mysterious Lugas, entered with two new transfers as if they had known each other for years. Izuki sat down casually, Esha carefully adjusted her seat, and Lugas quietly took his place as though nothing unusual had happened. Yet everybody kept staring at them, unable to understand how such different personalities had become a trio.
The classes dragged on as usual, but the atmosphere around the three of them stayed tense. Some students whispered theories, some stared openly, and some avoided them entirely. But Lugas paid no attention. He simply opened his notebook and listened to the lectures with his usual calm expression. Itsuki doodled on his paper, and Esha kept writing neat notes while pretending to ignore the attention. By the time the bell rang, the entire class had already built dozens of rumors about them.
After the long, tiring day at the academy, the three decided to explore the city. They walked through the busy streets, trying different snacks, checking out shops, and joking around. Even though they shared a single large dormitory room, each of them had their own bed placed apart, giving them their own space. Eventually, everyone fell asleep—except for Lugas.
At exactly midnight, Lugas opened his eyes. A strange feeling washed over him, as if something powerful was calling him from far away. Without making a sound, he slipped out through the dorm window and landed quietly on the cold ground below. The academy was dark and silent, but he moved like a shadow, crossing the walls and entering the forest on the outskirts of the city.
The deeper he went, the colder the air became. The forest was wrapped in mist, and the moonlight barely touched the ground. Suddenly, the earth trembled slightly. A long, sharp hiss echoed through the trees. Lugas stopped, his eyes sharp and calm.
A huge serpent slowly slithered out of the darkness. Its black-violet scales glowed faintly, and its fangs dripped with venom thick enough to melt stone. It was the Night Fang Snake, one of the most feared creatures near the academy—something even trained adventurers avoided.
But Lugas didn't flinch. He lifted his hand, letting a faint blue energy gather around his fingers. When the snake lunged forward, he disappeared instantly and reappeared above its head, striking down with enough force to crack the ground. The serpent collapsed in a single hit.
He thought it was over.
He was wrong.
Two enormous figures rose behind the fallen serpent. Their eyes glowed with rage, and their bodies were massive enough to wrap around entire trees. They were the Serpent Brothers—the twin bosses of the forbidden forest area, known for devouring entire groups of hunters.
Lugas looked at them calmly.
This time, he actually smiled.
One serpent struck like lightning, its body smashing into the ground and creating a crater. Lugas dodged effortlessly. But the second serpent wrapped around him from behind, trying to crush him. The pressure tightened, bones cracking would have been guaranteed for any normal human—but Lugas wasn't normal. He released a burst of pure energy from his body, knocking the serpent away.
The battle grew fierce. Venom splashed, trees shattered, and the ground cracked under the force of their clashes. Lugas fought with elegant movements, each strike filled with sharp precision. When one serpent attempted to swallow him whole, he grabbed its fangs, ripped its jaw open, and struck its head with a burst of energy that silenced it forever.
The second serpent, filled with rage, tried to wrap him again, but Lugas flashed behind it and delivered a powerful blow to its spine. The serpent roared in agony. Lugas didn't stop. He launched a final attack—an energy-charged strike that pierced straight through the creature's skull.
With that, the forest grew silent again.
Where the bodies of the serpent bosses fell, strange glowing crystals appeared. Lugas picked them up, knowing they contained rare energy—energy that could make him stronger. He slipped them into his pocket and calmly walked back toward the academy.
When he returned, the sky was still dark. Izsuki was snoring loudly, and Esha was hugging her pillow tightly, completely unaware of the danger that had lurked outside. Lugas lay down in his bed without a sound, hiding the crystals under his pillow.
No one would ever know that while the entire academy slept peacefully, Lugas was out fighting monsters that could destroy the city. To everyone else, tomorrow would look like an ordinary school day.