An announcement echoed throughout the forest, carried by the academy's magic amplifiers.
"All participants, the exam is now over. The results are as follows."
A glowing panel appeared in the air.
1st – Team
Junyeok (MVP)
Yunji
Yun
Total points – 11,550 + First-rank reward: 10,000
2nd – Team
Shion
2 members disqualified
Total points – 7,450 + Second-rank reward: 5,000
3rd – Team
Sheo
Lyn
1 member eliminated
Total points – 7,000 + Third-rank reward: 3,000
4th – Team
Majin
Nina
1 member eliminated
Total points – 5,000 + Fourth-rank reward: 1,000
The rest of the rankings followed.
---------
Junyeok slowly opened his eyes.
"…Where am I…?" he muttered, rubbing them weakly. "What happened…"
His vision cleared.
White ceiling. Soft sheets. The faint smell of medicine.
Nurse office…
Something warm rested on his stomach.
Junyeok lifted the blanket slightly.
Nyxra was sleeping there, curled up peacefully.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he gently rubbed her head.
At that moment, the door opened.
Yun and Yunji stepped inside.
Yun's eyes immediately watered.
"You're awake…!" she said, almost crying in relief.
Yunji walked forward… then suddenly knelt on the floor, lowering her head.
"I am sorry… my recklessness caused this."
Junyeok blinked in surprise.
"It's okay," he said gently. "Look, I'm totally fine. You can stand up. There's no need for that."
Yunji slowly stood, still apologizing softly.
Junyeok stretched slightly and asked,
"So… what were the results?"
Yunji began,
"We—"
"We're at the top," Yun said proudly before she could finish.
Junyeok clenched his hand slightly, a quiet sense of satisfaction passing through him.
Nyxra stirred and woke up.
"…You're awake," she mumbled sleepily.
"Yeah," Junyeok replied softly, patting her head again.
Yun hesitated, then asked,
"Junyeok… I've been wondering for a long time… who are you always talking to?"
Junyeok froze internally.
Shit… I forgot they can't hear her voice … If they find out about telepathy, it'll cause a huge mess…
He scratched his cheek and laughed awkwardly.
"Just… talking to myself sometimes."
Yun looked unconvinced, but didn't press further.
Junyeok quickly changed the topic.
"By the way… where's Shion?"
Yun and Yunji exchanged looks.
"He was here earlier," Yunji said. "He recovered quickly."
Yun added quietly,
"…But he stood beside your bed for a long time. Just staring at you."
Junyeok felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
"And then he left," Yunji said.
Yun held out a small plate.
"He also peeled some apples for you."
Junyeok looked down.
The apples were carved… into ugly, distorted faces.
Faces that looked suspiciously like him.
A deeper chill ran through his body.
Yunji glanced at the carved apples and asked,
"Should I call Shion? He seemed… very concerned about you."
"…No, it's okay," Junyeok said with a stiff smile. "No need to call him."
I definitely went overboard… he thought nervously. I'm dead if he catches me alone…
Yun and Yunji left after handing him some fruit, wishing him rest.
Several days later
Junyeok stepped into the classroom.
It was enormous, almost like a lecture hall.
Nyxra looked around in amazement.
"This room is huge too…"
Junyeok glanced around.
Yun was waving at him from across the room, surrounded by boys asking her questions.
Looks like she's already popular, Junyeok thought, scratching his cheek. Well… she is cute.
Then he noticed Shion.
He was also surrounded by students—both boys and girls—drawn by his presence.
Mr. Good-Looking attracts another crowd…
At that moment, Shion's eyes met his.
Cold.
Sharp.
Filled with quiet killing intent.
A chill ran down Junyeok's spine, and he immediately looked away.
I really need to be careful around him…
The classroom door opened.
Han entered, yawning.
"So… the first class will be about Echo forms…"
He scratched his head.
"Oh right. Almost forgot."
He distributed bronze-colored cards to everyone.
"I should explain this first…"
Han stretched and yawned again.
"I'm taking a quick nap. Rusty Bones, handle this."
The small skeleton jumped off his shoulder and transformed into his taller form.
The students murmured in surprise.
Junyeok examined the card, a small smile appearing.
"I finally got one…"
Rusty Bones spoke,
"That bronze card is called a Skill Card. They're rare. Tear it, and the skill will be added to you—as long as you have a contract."
A student raised a hand.
"How do we use it?"
"Just tear it," Rusty Bones replied.
Yun asked,
"What if someone already has that skill?"
"Good question. Then you can sell it… for AP."
Rusty Bones continued,
"They come in three ranks: Bronze, Silver, and Gold."
Another student asked,
"How do we know what skill it contains?"
"Double tap the card."
Junyeok smirked slightly.
"Can I use it later?"
Rusty Bones began,
"You should use it no—"
Han suddenly spoke without opening his eyes.
"Yes. You can use it whenever you want, Junyeok."
Rusty Bones paused, then returned to baby form and climbed back onto Han's shoulder.
Students began checking their cards.
"It's Echo Subspace!"
"What's that, sir?"
Han sighed and answered lazily,
"It creates a personal subspace for your Echo. Think of it as their home. You design it with your imagination. And it can only be created once… so think carefully."
Students immediately began tearing their cards, excitement filling the room.
"I got a new skill!"
"This is amazing!"
Junyeok quietly slipped his card into his pocket.
Two more to go…
Han continued,
"Echoes have three forms… actually four."
The room fell silent.
"First: Baby form. They can't fight or follow orders."
"Second: Intermediate form. Achieved through bonding and evolution items. They can assist in battle."
"Third: Adult form. They fight alongside you… and sometimes surpass you."
A student raised a hand.
"Sir… isn't there another form?"
Han smiled faintly.
"There is. But we'll leave that for next class."
He glanced at them.
"After all… even reaching Adult form isn't easy."