"Oh, really!?"
Caleb charged forward with heavy steps. This time, he closed the distance between them—not instantly, but fast enough to launch another attack.
He pulled his fist back, putting his entire body weight behind the strike.
It was important to note that Caleb weighed 280 pounds. Combined with the enhancements from his superhuman body, which more than tripled his strength, the incoming blow carried terrifying force.
It was a strike powerful enough to crush an ordinary person.
But Victor wasn't focused on the attack itself.
He was trying to understand what kind of ability Caleb possessed.
'This isn't just a simple fire ability.'
Bang!
⟦Lunar Dash⟧
⟦Cost: -2H⟧
⟦Health: 100/100⟧
Luckily, Victor activated his trusted speed skill at the perfect moment, allowing him to evade the dangerous strike.
The wall behind him, which only received the aftershock of the attack, now had faint cracks spreading across its surface.
'That was close,' Victor thought as he released a quiet breath of relief.
Just before the attack landed, Victor had partially transformed his body to increase his speed. His original speed wasn't enough to completely avoid the strike.
Although the change was almost impossible to notice, his body hair had slightly grown longer as Caleb's attack approached before retracting once the danger passed.
Caleb didn't notice anything.
The two of them were evenly matched in terms of level. Victor could clearly feel the powerful aura surrounding Caleb.
Not only that, he had already analyzed Caleb's status, which immediately placed him on high alert.
⟦𓆩 Status 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Name: Caleb (Unknown) 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Race: Human/Dragonkin 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Level: ????? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Ability: ?????? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Health: 100/100 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Attributes 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Strength: ??? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Agility: ??? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Stamina: ??? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Skills 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 ?????? 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 ????? 𓆪⟧
⟦Unable to view most individual stats due to the host's current weakness. Increase your strength to unlock more information.⟧
"Watch out."
Victor suddenly stepped forward, driving his elbow into Caleb's chest before following up with a powerful punch aimed at his jaw.
Caleb staggered back slightly, but he quickly recovered and charged forward again, attempting a tackle.
The surprises kept coming as Victor displayed movements filled with precision and combat experience.
Caleb was undoubtedly stronger, but Victor's strategy allowed him to use that strength against him and create openings to land attacks.
'Just who is this guy?'
Victor positioned himself, preparing to activate Overdrive and intercept the incoming tackle.
This time, he was going to get an advantage.
Caleb's goal was simple—to make sure this person ended up in the clinic.
However...
RING!!!!
The bell echoed throughout the entire dormitory, loud enough to make students jump from their beds.
Both fighters immediately stopped.
For a moment, neither of them lowered their guard.
Until...
"Attention, students of Orchard Academy. Please proceed to your assigned homeroom classes before "8:30". Failure to do so will result in severe punishment."
The announcement echoed throughout the dormitory.
"Hmph."
Caleb cleared his throat and straightened his clothes.
'I can feel it... he's holding back.'
He glanced at Victor one last time before walking past him and entering the bathroom.
"Heh... how funny."
Victor couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Everything that had just happened left him frustrated, yet at the same time, excited.
'I can't see anything about this guy. It's almost like he's a ghost.'
His expression became serious.
'I need to be careful.'
He then spoke inwardly.
'Yo, Borack. What are your thoughts?'
'Look, kid, I don't know how this system stuff works. Just do what it says and get stronger, weakling.'
Borack's voice barked inside his mind.
'But I'll give you one piece of advice. Be careful around Dragonkin, especially when you're using a Behemoth's power.'
'Let's just say... they don't have the best history with each other.'
'That hatred has been burning for years.'
Victor remained silent for a moment before responding.
'Well, as long as their history doesn't affect me, I couldn't care less.'
He turned toward the door.
"Got to go to class now."
Victor moved across the room and gently opened the cupboard.
Inside were ten neatly arranged sets of Orchard Academy uniforms, each one displaying the academy's logo—a small orchard symbol in the center.
He picked one up and changed into it before standing in front of the mirror.
The mirror had clearly seen better days, with cracks and faded spots covering its surface.
"Uglier than six years ago..."
Victor didn't dwell on it.
He simply exited the room.
He was somewhat curious to see how much the academy—and the human race—had changed during the years he had been gone.
Walking through the hallway, he found the area filled with students. Their voices mixed together, creating a wave of endless chatter.
Some students even bumped into him as they passed.
Victor immediately noticed it wasn't accidental.
Behind him was a number clearly displayed.
1.
'Who's this new weakling? Showing level one while I'm already level three?'
Victor frowned slightly.
It seemed the uniform couldn't detect the power of the beasts within him since he was only borrowing their strength.
'Interesting.'
The uniform appeared to have some kind of scanning program that analyzed the wearer and displayed their level on their back.
He could see similar numbers on the backs of other students.
The deliberate bumps and mocking behavior were nothing new.
It was the usual treatment given to the weakest person in any environment.
Victor didn't care.
After all, this was simply how the world worked.
"Now that I think about it..."
He stopped walking.
"I have no idea where my assigned class is."
Victor scratched his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Only then did he feel something.
He pulled his hand out, and a small black orb came with it.
The object reflected no light, almost as if it absorbed everything around it. Despite its strange appearance, it was incredibly light.
Victor rotated it between his fingers, examining it carefully.
"What exactly are you?"
As if responding to his confusion, the orb suddenly lit up.
A symbol appeared on its surface.
"C18"
Victor raised an eyebrow.
The sight reminded him of Samuel's words when he had been assigned his dorm room.
"Since you're a new recruit, you'll receive an orb marked with your class number. It will help you find your way if you get lost."
Remembering that, Victor looked around the campus once more.
After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the classroom.
"I guess this is the place."
Standing before him was a massive door, nearly the height of a one-story building.
Several students gathered outside.
One of them pushed the door open, and the others began entering one after another.
Victor didn't hesitate.
Following behind them, he stepped inside.
After all, this was his first experience with school in a very long time.
And he wanted to learn one thing.
"What has the human race achieved since my death?"
....