...
The next day, at dawn.
The faint morning light pierced through the thin mist, draping itself over the faculty villas of the Undead Major.
Lynch clutched a small, wax paper-wrapped package of [Ghost Moss Tea] to his chest as he shuffled out of Instructor Annabella's villa, looking gaunt and listless.
His steps were unsteady, his eyes sunken, and dark circles hung heavy beneath them. He swayed as he walked, his vitality so utterly drained that it seemed a gust of wind could blow him over.
Just then, a second-floor window creaked open with a SQUEAK.
Instructor Annabella leaned halfway out.
She was casually draped in a silk robe, the thin fabric outlining a seductive figure that could make one's blood boil. Her skin was dewy and radiant, as if she were a pixie who had drunk her fill of morning dew, and her lake-blue eyes were filled with satisfaction.
With a radiant smile, she waved at the weak figure below, her voice tinged with a lazy reluctance to see him go.
"Little Lynch~~ Leaving so soon? Your instructor had a wonderful time last night. It's truly been so long since I've felt this refreshed, body and soul. Thank you so much! You're welcome to stay the night again~ My door is always open for you~"
Hearing that voice, like the whisper of a witch, Lynch shuddered. His previously faltering steps instantly quickened, and without daring to look back, he broke into a desperate sprint, disappearing down the path in the blink of an eye.
Not until he slammed the flimsy wooden door of his cheap dorm room shut with a BANG and pressed his back firmly against it did Lynch finally gasp for air, sliding to the floor, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
Recalling the various "unbearable" experiences of last night, he couldn't help but shiver again, hugging his arms and trembling.
'Waaah~~ Scary! My beautiful instructor is too scary~~!'
All that talk of romantic encounters and steamy scenarios was a complete lie!
Last night, when Instructor Annabella said she would "give him some lessons," she literally meant "give him some lessons."
After dragging Lynch into her house, she began frantically tutoring him.
From the most basic subject, *Analysis of Undead Creature Species and Key Points of Contract*, to *Seventeen Stable Configurations of Negative Energy Particles in Magic Models*, and even *Practical Applications and Countermeasures for Low Tier Curse Magic*, and so on and so forth...
She used a cramming method of teaching, forcefully stuffing a massive amount of knowledge into Lynch's brain all at once.
The most absurd and terrifying part of it all, the part that made Lynch tremble just thinking about it, was this:
While Annabella continuously murmured in his ear with her cold, pleasant voice, she also forced him to simultaneously enter a state of Meditation to comprehend and digest all this information.
Whenever Lynch slacked off in the slightest, or his Meditation efficiency dropped...
Annabella's bewitching, witch-like voice would echo in his mind: "Little Lynch, you're getting distracted again~ Let your instructor help you focus."
Then, a [Mental Lash] would strike his fragile soul, the pain making his whole body feel like it was being pricked by needles. He would become instantly wide awake—more effective than any Awakening Potion.
And so it went.
For the entire night, the notification sounds from the intangible panel in his mind had been going off nonstop, as if they'd gone crazy.
[You have listened to your instructor's in-depth explanation and engaged in forced deep Meditation. You have gained insight into [Summoned Skeleton]. EXP +15...]
[You have performed extreme Meditation under spiritual pressure. [Basic Meditation Skill] EXP +12...]
[Your... [Weakness Curse] EXP +8...]
[You... [Skeleton Resurrection Skill] EXP +11...]
The entire process was truly terrifying.
Lynch felt like his brain had been squeezed dry by his instructor, and his very soul had shrunk a full size.
But...
As Lynch caught his breath and slowly crawled back onto his hard plank bed, his feelings started to become complicated.
Putting aside his instructor's bizarre teaching methods, the gains... were indeed substantial.
In a single night, the experience points for all the skills on his panel had shot up by a large margin. His [Basic Meditation Skill], in particular, was now less than halfway from leveling up to LV2.
More importantly, after a night of his instructor's "inhumane" mental lashing and extreme pressure training, not only had his maximum Spiritual Power increased, but its purity and his control over it had also improved by leaps and bounds.
This was far more efficient than his own solitary, painstaking practice.
"It's just that this teaching method... is a bit rough on the student," Lynch muttered to himself. With this thought, he drifted off into a deep sleep, filled with a complex mix of pain and pleasure.
****
Lynch slept heavily, his slumber plagued by constant nightmares.
With a bloodcurdling scream of "Instructor, no~~!", Lynch shot up from his hard plank bed, his forehead covered in cold sweat and his chest heaving violently.
「A few moments later.」
He finally snapped out of his daze and realized it had just been a dream.
But the dream had been far too real, far too terrifying.
Lynch dreamt that he was chained and shackled, imprisoned by Instructor Annabella in a room filled with pink skeletons.
His instructor was dressed in a cutout leather outfit and high heels, wielding a long, thorny whip condensed from Soul Energy.
Cracking the whip, she said in a bewitching voice, "My dear little Lynch, your instructor is only doing this for your own good. You have to eat more Skill Books to level up faster."
Then, she pulled out one Magic book after another, each thicker than a brick, pried his mouth open, and forcefully stuffed them inside, forcing him to eat them...
"Dammit, what the hell was that..."
Lynch shook his head hard, trying to drive the terrifying aftertaste of the dream from his mind.
Fortunately, the loud rumbling of his stomach brought him to his senses.
He hurriedly got out of bed, hastily washed his face with cold water to dispel the chaotic thoughts, and then headed straight for the third cafeteria.
It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was buzzing with noise.
Lynch ordered a huge pile of food, found a seat in a corner, and began to wolf it down.
And as he buried his head in his meal, the buzzing chatter of the surrounding apprentices was incessant.
The center of their conversations was, of course, the incident from two nights ago when Barry and the others were attacked.
"Did you hear? Barry Aiken and his group went out on a mission two nights ago and ran into that evil Necromancer who massacred the village! It was in the forest at the edge of the Black Swamp!"
"For real? Are they okay?"
"They were lucky; they didn't die. I heard they were seriously injured and unconscious. Luckily, Instructor Annabella from our Undead Major arrived in time, eliminated that evil Necromancer, and saved them."
"Instructor Annabella is so incredible."
"Hmph, Barry and his group are a real disgrace. Four of them, and they got beaten that badly by a single Necromancer..."
The discussions were clearly split into two camps.
Most of the apprentices from the Holy Light System felt that Barry's group had been disgraced and had brought shame upon the Holy Light Major. Their words were filled with contempt.
Meanwhile, the apprentices from the Undead System all held their heads high, their chests puffed out, their faces beaming with a sense of shared glory.
They acted as if it wasn't Instructor Annabella but they themselves who had crushed that evil Necromancer and saved Barry's party. They even walked with a swagger in their step.
Lynch listened to the chatter while rapidly stuffing his mouth with bread soaked in mushroom soup, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
'Well now, the instructor sure moves fast. The news is already out.'
'This completely clears me of any suspicion. I can lay low and develop my skills for a while.'
He made short work of the mountain of food before him and let out a satisfied burp.
When the surrounding Undead apprentices tried to strike up a conversation, he just gave a few perfunctory replies like, "Yeah, Instructor Annabella is really powerful," and, "We have masters in the Undead System, too."
He was in no mood to join the discussion right now.
After filling his stomach, Lynch didn't delay. He first returned to his dorm to grab the quest items and then headed to the academy's [Trial Hall].
Under the gazes of many onlookers,
Lynch calmly walked up to the quest settlement window and handed over his mission vouchers and collected items one by one.
The person in charge of settlement was an old Mage from the Elemental System with white hair and a crystal monocle.
He carefully verified the items. When he got to the mission receipt for [Help Reed Village Eliminate the Fishman Tribe], he raised an eyebrow and looked Lynch up and down with a hint of surprise.
This mission was rated as medium difficulty in the Trial Hall and usually required a team to complete. He hadn't expected this unremarkable-looking Undead apprentice to handle it alone.
"[Eliminate the Fishman Tribe] mission. Completion rating: excellent. Reward: 120 academic credits."
"[Collect Fluorescent Bacteria] mission. Complete. Reward: 40 academic credits."
"[Gather Iron Wire Reed] mission. Complete. Reward: 50 academic credits."
The old Mage announced the results as he recorded them, finally concluding, "A total of 210 academic credits. They have been added to your student badge."
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Lynch took back the badge, feeling a wave of satisfaction.
"Young man, you're quite strong." The old Mage adjusted his monocle and said with a friendly smile, "Any interest in changing your major to the Elemental System? I could be your guide."
"Just luck, that's all~" Lynch gave a simple, honest smile. "I think my current major is just fine, but thank you for your kind offer, Your Excellency."
After a few modest words, he quickly left the bustling Trial Hall.
'Are you kidding? Elemental Magic is powerful, sure, but how could it be stronger than Undead Magic?'
'At worst, I'll just recruit a few Elemental Skeleton Mages.'
...