In order to avoid being late, Damian went to the class for Section A before anyone even arrived.
He chose the last seat in the left corner of the class and sat down.
"Status."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Damian Valcor
Age: 15
Rank: E-
Talent: S
Core Attributes:
Strength: 31
Speed: 33
Stamina: 29 → 33
Vitality: 30 → 31
Aura: E
Will: 140 → 145
Skills: —
Shooting: B+
Hand Combat: B
Telekinesis: E+
Aura Control: D-
Weapon Arts: —
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
After yesterday's incident, he was very tired and didn't check his status.
Now looking at the changes, it seems his stamina and vitality stat had increased alongside will.
'I'm starting to understand a little of how these stats work.
I engaged in a tough fight which stretched my body to its limits, hence increasing my stamina.
My body was injured quite a bit, so after getting healed, my vitality also increased a little.
As for will… Is it about pain or my mental capabilities?
The more I experience tough experiences, the more I will grow.
It seems a powerful Awakened has to grow through countless life and death experiences in order to reach their level.
It's not just about training after all…'
After closing his status screen, Damian started reflecting on the memories of the novel and trying to find anything useful.
'Hmm.. from what I remember, the Federation is controlled by 13 Imperial Families and about 100 Noble families.
All 13 Imperial Families had at least one SS ranked awakened and all the Noble Families had several S ranked awakened.
Together, all of them controlled the Human race.
It was because of this that several terrorist organizations were established in the first place.
All the resources are controlled by these families and in order to rise above the ranks in the Federation, there were very few options.
Either become subordinate to one of the families. Or become strong enough to establish a family on their level.'
'Although there are 13 Imperial Families, I think one of them was exterminated a few years back.
That old beggar especially mentioned that Family name…. Bloodworth was it?
Anyway, although the imperial family itself was exterminated, their subordinate families refused to join other Imperial Families and still remained under Bloodworth's name.
I need to find some time to gather information about these families. I might have already come across a few…'
'Sigh.. it seems I arrived too early. Let's meditate till the class starts.'
Soon, Damian started focusing on controlling the Aura inside his body and focusing on his breathing exercises.
****
The silence inside the classroom didn't last long.
One by one, students began to enter.
The moment the first few stepped in, their steps slowed.
Their eyes instinctively drifted towards the last seat in the left corner, where someone was already present.
A man with crimson hair and eyes sat there, an oppressive Aura faintly surrounding him…making their breathing feel heavier.
Damian Valcor sat still, eyes closed, back straight, hands resting calmly on his thighs.
The faint scar running from his forehead to his left eyebrow gave his already sharp features a savage edge, like a blade that had tasted blood.
No one approached him as they didn't dare.
Whispers spread quietly, like ripples over still water.
"That's him…"
"The one from yesterday…"
"He's only E-rank, right?"
"His Aura is very eerie… it makes me feel like I'm his prey."
Several students instinctively chose seats farther away, even those who had originally planned to sit near the back.
Some swallowed nervously while others tried to act like Damian's presence didn't matter much.
But one thing was clear… Yesterday's orientation hadn't been forgotten.
It had been burned into their minds.
The image of Damian standing alone with his hands in his pocket, his Aura erupting violently for a brief instant, was still vivid.
And most of all, the way Michael Thorne, the first ranked student, had fainted from his Aura alone.
As if summoned by that thought, the classroom door slid open once more.
Golden hair caught the light.
Golden eyes, sharp and composed, scanned the room calmly.
Michael Thorne stepped in.
The air shifted subtly.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, his posture confident, every bit the image of a future elite Awakened. His uniform sat perfectly on him, as if tailored in advance for greatness.
SS-Ranked Talent.
Ranked first in the Earth Federation entrance exam.
Hope of several Noble Families.
As Michael's gaze swept the room, it paused just for a fraction of a second on the left corner.
On Damian.
A memory surfaced uninvited.
That suffocating pressure and the moment when his consciousness had gone dark.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Then… he looked away.
Michael said nothing.
He walked past, choosing a seat near the front, expression calm, but his jaw tightened imperceptibly.
'So that's him…'
He didn't underestimate Damian again.
But neither did he fear him.
Soon, he thought.
Around Michael, whispers grew bolder.
"That's Michael Thorne…"
"SS talent… first rank…"
"He's already started breathing techniques yesterday, right?"
"My brother said he can maintain Aura circulation for almost an hour…"
A sharp-looking boy with ash-grey hair snorted quietly as he took his seat two rows behind Michael.
"Tch. That crimson-haired guy's time is limited."
He had narrow eyes and a lean build, his presence coiled and restrained.
Leonard Ashford, another SS-ranked talent. He was ranked third in the entire Academy.
"Everyone's making him out to be some monster," Leonard continued softly. "But talent always wins in the long run."
A girl with blue hair tied into a high ponytail nodded as she sat nearby.
Her beautiful blue eyes were cold, calculating.
Iris Langsten, another SS-ranked talent, ranked fourth overall.
"He just awakened earlier," she said. "Once our breathing stabilizes and our cores mature… he'll fall behind."
Another student laughed under his breath.
"Exactly. Aura control means nothing if your foundation is weak."
They spoke confidently.
Yet-
None of them looked toward Damian again.
Because even now, with his eyes closed...
His presence hadn't faded.
More students entered.
A towering boy with dark bronze skin and scars on his knuckles – Ronan Hale, S-rank talent, with innate brute strength skill Awakened.
A petite girl with brown hair and eyes – Lysa Morwen, S-rank talent, having a rare sensory skill ever since she was born.
A calm-looking boy with flowing black hair and glasses – Edrin Kael, S-rank talent, with a tactical-type skill.
Each one of them was considered exceptional and had begun basic breathing exercises.
All of them held a common belief...
'Soon, we'll surpass him.'
Yet as they passed the left corner, their steps unconsciously hastened.
Even Ronan, who prided himself on fearlessness, felt his skin prickle.
'He's not even releasing Aura… yet I feel so much pressure.'
Then, the temperature of the class suddenly dropped.
The classroom doors slid open one final time and every single student stood up instinctively.
Heels clicked against the floor as a tall woman stepped in.
Jet-black hair cascaded down her back, tied loosely with a silver clasp. Her sharp violet eyes surveyed the class with detached authority. She wore a long, dark coat embroidered with the insignia of the Federation's Elite military Corps.
Her presence was overwhelming, even more so than one of SFD's most powerful officers, Ashley Blackheart.
An S Rank Awakened.
Professor Seraphina Vale.
Former battlefield General in the war between Humans and Monsters beyond the portals.
She didn't raise her voice as she didn't need to.
"Sit."
The command echoed through their bones.
Everyone obeyed instantly.
Her gaze swept the room and paused briefly on Damian.
For the first time since entering the classroom…
Someone looked at him directly.
Her lips curved slightly, so faint it was almost imperceptible.
'Interesting.'
Damian opened his eyes slowly.
Crimson met violet.
For a heartbeat, the air trembled.
Then Seraphina turned away, walking toward the podium.
"Welcome," she said calmly, "to Section A."
"Pray that you survive long enough to deserve being here."