Chapter 1 In Mid-November, Almost Winter

The arrival of the Yaroran Royal Academy academic visiting team began on the Sunday two weeks prior.

The two-week academic visit was now ten days in.

Iketolt’s weather was unpredictable, with long-unseen strong winds sweeping through the campus, making the temperature drop noticeably.

"What a racket, this weather."

After a free period on Wednesday, the lawn was mostly devoid of students picnicking or reading. They hurried past, bundled up, wanting only to return from the classroom to their dorms, to escape the wind that messed up their hair and the sky that threatened rain at any moment.

At the end of the road the students were passing, a massive garden of greenery and trees huddled together. The leaves trembled in the wind, but the old humanities building stood firm in the depths.

Third floor, Student Council Room.

Outside the window, the cold wind was light and indifferent, wantonly roaming the walls, trying to find gaps in the window frames to intrude.

However, in this warm space, thick curtains and solid walls blocked all the cold wind and chill, leaving only a cozy feeling of home.

Vice President Asina was tidying up files by the bookshelf, looking rather relaxed, but the president was nowhere to be seen.

The Yaroran Royal Academy's academic visit was nearing its end, and the Student Council's affairs were no longer as busy.

These few days of smooth sailing had finally allowed Dean Lorn to relax. He only needed to send the surviving students of the Yaroran Kingdom back in two days, and everything would be fine.

On the sofa in the Student Council Room's lounge area were two other people. A cup of hot tea and hot cocoa sat on the coffee table, as they enjoyed this brief moment of tranquility.

"In that case, wouldn't it have been better to call in your trump card, Tzilwini, earlier?!"

"Impossible! We will never let you disturb Big Sister's law exam!"

"Then enjoy this!"

"Aaaaaaah!"

"..."

Hyperion rested her chin on her hand, looking perplexed, her attention focused entirely on the magic screen hanging on the wall of the Student Council Room.

The screen was showing sound and images of the in-school artificial shadow world activity.

The shadow world currently being shown was, in appearance, a laboratory. The transparent life-support pods around it were filled with terrifying scenes. Some humans and demons were restrained, their limbs ruthlessly torn, twisted, and re-stitched, becoming unspeakable, forbidden creatures.

The recessed area in the center of the laboratory was a circular arena. Iron chains hung on the surrounding walls, the other ends of which were attached to miserable corpses, some of which had rotted to only bones, as if foreshadowing the fate of the losers.

In this inescapable arena, the cold light gave each line of muscle a metallic feel. The ten gladiators were of different sizes, but each was well-built and firm. There was no sound of weapons clashing in the arena at this time, but rather the feeling of oppression as bodies collided, and the muffled thunder of bones and muscles colliding.

They were engaged in a five-on-five team battle.

However, it was not an evenly matched fight.

It was clearly a one-sided beating.

The gladiators on the powerful side advanced like tigers, using skill and bodily flexibility to avoid the opponent's attacks, and then using their own strength, striding forward, seizing the opportunity to slam their opponents heavily to the ground, using weight and powerful kicks to trample on their bodies, causing spiderweb-like cracks in the ground.

Each cruel roar made Hyperion's brow twitch.

The side with no power to fight back had faces contorted with pain and fear.

After watching for a while, the picture was switched to another shadow world as if it had been terminated.

"It's a complete one-sided beatdown."

Hyperion picked up her hot cocoa, took a sip, and then shook her head with pity as she spoke her thoughts.

Although the demon blood in her veins gave her a slight instinctive desire to fight, she still found battles like the one she had just seen to be cruel.

Sitting on the same sofa, Lanchi, who had been quietly reading, had also looked up slightly at the arena in the screen.

"Why do people like to fight?"

Lanchi still had that indifferent attitude, lamenting.

"Actually, sometimes fighting with a purpose is good, as a kind of motivation? For example, on campus, if there is no competition at all, everyone might become lazy."

Hyperion had always felt that Lanchi took victory and defeat too lightly.

Perhaps he should have some ambition to win in order to become more normal?

"..."

Lanchi looked at the book in his hand as he pondered.

"So education is like this too?"

He murmured.

It seemed that Hyperion's words had enlightened him somewhat.

"?"

Hyperion was a little uneasy when she saw that Lanchi understood her meaning so easily.

She leaned over and looked at the cover of the book in Lanchi's hand.

It was a book Lanchi had borrowed from the Ancient Tower Library of the Sage Academy last weekend.

The title read: "On the Origin of Species and Evolution."

Hyperion: "..."

"It says, survival of the fittest," Lanchi explained.

"No... I don't think it's that cruel here..."

Hyperion paused for a long time before finally speaking.

She suspected that Lanchi couldn't forget his Purgatory Corridor Academy. His educational philosophy was more or less deeply influenced by the demons.

The environment on the Southern Continent was generally more peaceful and stable than that of the Northern Continent, where demons existed. Resources were abundant, trade and transportation were convenient, and there were no disaster-stricken areas left behind by failed ninth-order shadow worlds on land.

Hyperion had heard that in the large schools under the management of the Department of Education of the Protoas Empire, a giant empire on the southern coast of the Northern Continent, there were strict hierarchies and a brutal system of survival of the fittest. Not only was there fierce competition between students, but there was even vicious competition, and the struggles between schools had many dark sides.

In comparison, the orderly rules and friendly atmosphere of the campuses on the Southern Continent were simply a paradise.

Of course, people living in different environments will show different mentalities and adaptability. This may be why Lanchi was so tormented during the day on his first day at Iketolt Academy, but directly took control of lightning at Purgatory Corridor Academy in the evening.

No one knew whether the Northern Continent would be a more suitable soil for Lanchi.

Just as Hyperion was struggling with how to discuss this misunderstanding with Lanchi in depth, the door of the Student Council Room was opened and the Student Council President walked in.

Monastir's pear-colored hair was smooth and elegant, and his friendly aura carried a hint of majesty.

And Frey followed behind him.

Obviously, the two of them had just returned from the Knight Academy.

Monastir would only take Frey with him when dealing with troublesome affairs at the Knight Academy.

(End of this chapter)