By the time the three returned to camp, the sun was already lowering toward the horizon.
The wilderness gate stood open as students moved in and out, some carrying beast corpses, others dragging broken equipment or helping injured teammates back inside.
The training camp was lively, but there was also an undercurrent of tension in the air.
Zael, Lily, and Zane walked straight toward the Point Exchange Center.
Inside, the large hall buzzed with activity.
Counters lined the walls where staff members examined monster parts and distributed points accordingly.
Zane dropped their first pack onto the counter with a thud.
"Alright."
"Let's see how rich we are."
The staff member opened the pack and began examining the materials.
Stone Drakes scales.
Rockhide Bear hides.
Claws.
Fangs.
And finally—
The Alpha Rockhide Bear core.
The man paused briefly before continuing his evaluation.
After several minutes he slid a small device across the counter.
Points Earned:
Rockhide Bear materials – 210 points
Stone Drake materials – 320 points
Alpha Rockhide Bear Core – 400 points
Total Points Earned: 930
Their watches updated instantly.
Zane leaned over to look.
"Not bad."
Lily nodded slightly.
"That should last us a while."
Zael checked his balance briefly.
Between their previous points and today's hunt, the three of them now had more than enough to sustain themselves comfortably for some time.
But points were only useful if they were spent wisely.
They stepped outside the building.
The evening air was cooler now as the camp slowly shifted toward night activity.
Students gathered around the central square, many discussing the day's hunts.
Zael was about to head toward the residential area when a conversation nearby caught his attention.
"…I'm telling you it wasn't normal."
A group of students stood nearby, clearly shaken.
One of them had his arm wrapped in bandages.
"We went after a Rank B Flame Lizard like usual."
"But when we found it…"
He swallowed.
"It had already evolved."
Another student spoke up.
"Our team ran into a boss monster too."
"Two levels higher than what normally appears in that zone."
A third student shook his head.
"And the aggression is worse."
"Beasts are attacking on sight now."
"Three people from the western ridge got sent to the medical hall today."
One of the girls in the group spoke quietly.
"One of them lost an arm."
Silence fell briefly over the group.
Zael's steps slowed.
Zane scratched his head.
"…Okay that's new."
Lily's expression grew more thoughtful.
"Boss monsters appearing this frequently shouldn't be normal."
Normally boss monsters appeared rarely.
And usually only deep inside wilderness zones.
But the students talking nearby sounded like they had encountered them close to camp territory.
Zael frowned slightly.
Because the same thought had already crossed his mind earlier.
The Alpha Rockhide Bear.
It had appeared too conveniently.
Too aggressively.
As if it had been… pushed.
He replayed the battle in his mind again.
The drakes they saw earlier.
The Alpha Bear.
The increased hostility.
Something wasn't quite right.
Zane stretched.
"Well."
He clapped his hands together.
"Anyway."
"I'm going to the gravity room."
He grinned proudly.
"Apparently the record is 9 minutes at 10× gravity."
"Let's see if I can break it."
Lily yawned.
"I'm going back to the villa."
She rubbed her eyes slightly.
"I just want a nap."
She glanced toward Zael.
"What about you?"
Zael looked toward the tall academy building in the center of camp.
The Library Tower.
There were still many things he didn't know about the system.
Skill mastery.
Class evolution.
Advanced professions.
And most importantly—
Class changes.
The first class change occurred at Level 30.
Zael had already reached Level 22.
At his current pace, reaching Level 30 would not take long.
Understanding the process beforehand would be important.
"I'm going to the library," Zael said.
Zane gave him a thumbs up.
"Alright professor."
"Go read books while I become a legend."
Lily waved lazily as she walked away.
"Don't stay up all night."
Soon the three separated.
Zane headed toward the training hall where the gravity rooms were located.
Lily disappeared down the residential path toward their villa.
And Zael walked calmly toward the towering library building at the center of the camp.
But as he approached the large stone doors—
He suddenly stopped.
Because someone was already standing there.
Silver hair.
Calm expression.
Hands resting lightly behind her back.
Aurelia.
She looked at him as if she had been expecting him.
And before Zael could even speak—
She said quietly,
"You're researching class changes, aren't you?"
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Because he hadn't told anyone that.
Not even Zane or Lily.
And yet—
Aurelia simply opened the library door.
Then glanced back at him.
"Come inside."
"There are some things you should know."
The heavy doors of the library closed softly behind them.
Inside, the atmosphere was completely different from the lively camp outside.
The vast interior was quiet.
Tall shelves stretched upward in orderly rows filled with countless books and data crystals. Soft white lights illuminated the reading areas where a few students studied silently.
Aurelia walked ahead calmly, her footsteps quiet against the polished floor.
Zael followed a few steps behind her.
Outwardly, his expression remained neutral.
But internally—
His mind was already moving.
She had known what he came for.
Class changes.
He had never mentioned that to anyone.
Not Lily.
Not Zane.
Not even casually.
Which meant one thing.
She had some way of knowing.
Zael's posture subtly shifted.
To anyone watching, it would look like nothing more than a slight adjustment.
But in reality—
His weight redistributed.
His center of gravity lowered slightly.
His muscles relaxed in a way that allowed instant explosive movement.
A combat-ready stance.
Just in case.
At the same time, he quietly opened his system panel.
The stat points gained earlier from devouring the Alpha Rockhide Bear were still unassigned.
Due to his Balance trait, universal points were automatically distributed evenly across all attributes.
The system processed the change immediately.
---
Name: Zael
Profession: Combat Scholar
Level: 22
EXP: 1,120 / 10,000
---
Attributes
Strength: 97 (+5)
Agility: 89 (+5)
Vitality: 94 (+5)
Intelligence: 95 (+5)
Perception: 92 (+5)
FSP-0
---
Talents
Supreme Blessing (Mythical)
Ascendant Echo (Mythical)
Adaptive Evolution (Mythical)
---
Professional Traits
Devouring
Origin
Balance
Limit Break
Evolution
---
Skills
Blade Domain
Void Step
Resonance Strike
Night Sever
Phantom Split
Primal Predator Instinct
Titan Sovereign Core
---
Zael closed the panel.
The adjustment was subtle, but he could feel the difference immediately.
His body felt more balanced.
More stable.
Meanwhile—
Aurelia stopped walking near a reading table beside a tall shelf.
She turned around slowly.
Her silver eyes settled on Zael.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"…You're cautious."
Her voice was calm.
Observant.
Zael didn't respond.
His gaze remained steady.
Aurelia noticed the minute shift in his stance.
The readiness.
The calculation.
And something like amusement flickered faintly in her eyes.
"You don't need to prepare for a fight."
She pulled a thin book from the shelf behind her.
"I'm not here to attack you."
She placed the book on the table.
The title read:
Class Evolution and Advanced Profession Pathways
Zael's eyes flicked briefly to the cover.
Then back to her.
Aurelia folded her hands behind her back again.
"I only wanted to talk."
A pause followed.
Then she said something that made Zael's eyes narrow slightly.
"You'll reach Level 30 soon."
"And when you do…"
Her gaze deepened slightly.
"The class change you choose will determine far more than just your next abilities."
She tapped the book lightly.
"It will determine your entire future path."
Then she added quietly—
"And the future of everyone around you."
Zael watched her silently.
Because that sentence…
Didn't sound like speculation.
It sounded like certainty.
To be continued…