"I'm Hector … L-Lyder!" Hector tried to say his full name, so he was a bit nervous as it was revealed.
He belonged to one of the most powerful lineages, like the Wolf and Pauley clans, so it was natural to expect everyone to be surprised by Hector's identity. Even though the Lyder clan had nearly been wiped out, he believed many still remembered it.
Yet, contrary to his hopes, they all seemed indifferent, as if his name were too ordinary, just like many others.
"What's wrong?" he thought and scratched the side of his head while observing everyone's reactions in the classroom.
"Okay! Next…" Wren sighed, glancing at Hector. She seemed rather disappointed that his identity wasn't as impressive as she'd initially assumed.
…
After a few seconds, a pale young man stood up—the one Hector never wanted to encounter again in his life.
"I'm… Haley Wolfe! … And I'll be the husband of Lady Violet in the future… so, I'll definitely kill anyone who flirts with my future wife."
After those words, Haley directed a warning glare toward Hector.
"I know…." Hector exhaled, bored. "He's still got that same rotten personality; I guess jerks always stay jerks."
"Today is really a wretched day… Everything will probably go wrong if I don't have the lucky coin." He sighed again while glancing at the person introducing him.
That was another thin, ghostly young man with white hair, and Hector was deeply curious about him because they had met a few days ago. More precisely, Hector's eyes had been hurt by sunlight, and the ghostly young man had aided him.
"Bam… just Bam…" he replied softly and briefly, then sat down right away.
"Huh? He's probably the quiet type… Bam… Bam… Wait… Maybe… No! He's definitely him." Hector quietly rubbed his chin as some memories surfaced.
"Dr. Madwell! He's a mad scientist. He'll be the one to lead this world into a new era."
"Technology fused with mana! Countless weapons will be crafted! It's clear that's true because his inventions are the most advanced on Elysium."
"He'll join the Wolfe Clan soon, once they realize his talent. But the actual question is why he didn't choose the Pauley Clan. It's simply because the Wolf Clan owns something he'll stop at nothing to obtain."
"It's the knowledge about the structure of God Mana, and Kevin accidentally came across it in the first challenge. And luckily for me, I remember some of it too, though not much."
"Still, it doesn't matter. I already had an awesome plan for it!"
Hector gazed at Bam, a subtle smile forming on his lips. If he might get to Bam's technology, his odds of surviving the second challenge would rise significantly.
About twenty minutes passed, and by then, everyone had already become acquainted. Some familiar faces stood out, Wade Pauley and a few others.
Most notably, there were the descendants of the Five Great Nations. Though their strength didn't match that of the massive clans, they held immense financial power. This enabled them to influence parts of the world, even the great houses couldn't.
More crucially, they possessed a hidden trump card—something that restrained the mighty clans from making any direct moves against them.
A contract.
That's right. A pact was formed a thousand years ago. It was a Mythic-level agreement, impossible to break unless one transcended that very tier. If such an individual ever appeared, the pact would lose effect.
No one truly knew why it had been forged.
The only clause was simple: neither faction could intrude upon the other.
However, for him, they were just trouble
"I'll steer clear of them. Haley's already more than enough for me," Hector muttered, glancing at the Five Nations' descendants, then shifting his eyes to his teacher, who had just begun her lecture.
Most of the session revolved around knowledge tied to mana:
Concepts.
Principles.
And several other things. Still, it was all very complex. He figured that, had this material come from his former world, it would have been considered above university-level.
And, at this point, he had a matter that he cared more about.
"So, these white spots are pressure points in the human body. Their positions can't be off," Hector whispered as he focused on his right hand.
Following the teacher's explanation, he channeled the flowing mana toward his eyes and noticed those bright points on his body's surface.
At first, he had doubted whether they were real, but with limited mana and time, he hadn't been able to confirm it.
However, at this point, it didn't matter much. He assumed they worked similarly to the acupoints from his past world.
"I can test it…" Hector immediately pressed one of the glowing spots on his left hand with a finger.
A sharp pain surged through his hand, making all strength leave his body.
"W-What the hell? M-My hand?" Hector uttered and frown as he stared at it.
It felt lifeless, dangling from his shoulder like a dead weight. Upon closer inspection, he realized the entire flow of mana in that arm had been blocked right at the pressure point.
"This is nothing like what I know from ancient medicine."
"Well… I guess it'll recover… eventually."
Hector sighed and turned his attention back to the instructor's lecture, hoping for a swift recovery. Yet one thought lingered in his mind.
The recovery might take time, but that wasn't the issue. What mattered was that he had only meant to test something. Besides, he could likely undo the condition by striking the same spot again.
Time passed, and morning turned to noon. Everyone in the classroom was clearly worn out, something Wren quickly noticed.
"Huh, my students look exhausted… Are the children really less resilient than an old woman like me?" she mused.
If she were just an ordinary human, the comparison might have made sense. But she was an Adept—an awakened being. As such, she could maintain mental clarity for two to three days without rest or sleep.
And she'd momentarily forgotten that.
"All right! Everyone can take a break!"
"The practical lesson will be held this afternoon in the castle courtyard!"
"Don't overeat… Keep that in mind!"
She warned with a cryptic tone, but none of them had any idea what she truly meant.