NOVPUBIn mid-November, it is already about winter.
The arrival of the Arolan Royal Academy Academic Visiting Team dates back to two Sundays ago.
The two-week academic visit has now passed ten days.
Ichrite’s weather is fickle with alternating periods of sun and rain. The campus is hit by a strong wind which hasn’t been felt in a while, making the temperature drop especially noticeable.
"What a nuisance this weather is."
After the free period on Wednesday, there are barely any students picnicking or reading on the lawn. They are all hurrying by wrapped in their coats, only wishing to hasten back to their dormitories from the classrooms, avoiding the wind that messes up their hair and the sky that could start raining at any moment.
At the end of the path the students are passing by, a large group of trees in the garden is huddling together as if for warmth, their leaves shivering in the wind. Only the Old Literature Building stands firm in the wind deep within.
The third floor student council room.
Outside the window, a cold wind was blithely and indifferently wandering on the wall, trying to sneak in through any gaps around the window sill.
However, in this cozy space, the heavy curtains and sturdy walls totally isolated the wind and coldness outside, only leaving the comfortable feeling of home.
Vice President Asina was leisurely tidying up the files near the bookcase, but the president was nowhere to be seen.
The academic visit of the Arolan Royal Academy was nearing its end and the affairs of the student council were not as busy as before.
These smooth days have finally allowed Dean Loren to put down his worries. He just needs to send the remaining students from the Arolan Kingdom back the other day and everything would be fine.
On the sofa in the student council room’s resting area, there were two more people. A cup of hot tea and hot cocoa respectively were placed on the coffee table, enjoying this short period of tranquility.
"In that case, why didn’t you let your ace, Cervini, play earlier?!"
"No way! We won’t let you disturb our big sister’s law exam!"
"Then, enjoy yourselves!"
"Ah ah ah ah ah!"
"..."
Hyperion was supporting her chin in a confused manner, focusing all her attention on the Magic Fluorescent Screen hanging on the wall of the student council room.
The screen was playing the images and sounds of the ongoing activity in the Artificial Shadow World on campus.
The Shadow World being displayed at the moment appears to be a laboratory from the outside. Filled with horrifying scenes, humans and demons locked inside transparent survival cabins, their limbs brutally torn, twisted, and stitched back together, turning them into indescribable taboo creatures.
The center of the lab was sunken to form a circular gladiatorial arena, the walls around hung with iron chains. The other ends of the chains were terrifying corpses, some that had decayed down to bones, as if to foreshadow the fate of the losers.
In this inescapable arena, the cold light accentuated every line of muscle with a metallic sheen. Ten warriors of different builds but all with well-toned bodies faced each other. No sounds of weapon clashes were heard on the battlefield at that moment, replaced by the pressing sensation when body clashed against body, the dull echo of bones and muscles colliding.
They were engaged in a five-versus-five team battle.
However, it was not a fight of equal strength.
It was clearly a one-sided pummeling.
Warriors on the stronger side lunged forward like fierce tigers, avoiding the attacks of the opposition with skills and flexibility of their bodies, then harnessing their own strength to make a dash, seizing opportunities to slam opponents hard onto the ground, using their weight and forceful kicks to trample on their opponents, causing spider-web-like cracks to form on the ground.
The brutal sounds time and time again made Hyperion’s eyebrows twitch.
The side without any ability to fight back had their faces twisted in pain and terror.
After watching for a while, the scene was cut off and switched to another Shadow World.
"It’s just one-sided brutal beating."
Hyperion took a sip of her hot cocoa, then shook her head sympathetically to voice her thoughts.
Although her Demon Race lineage gave her a bit of an instinctive desire to fight, seeing a fight like that still seemed cruel to her.
Sitting on the same sofa, Lanci, who was next to her, was quietly reading a book, though he occasionally glanced up to watch the arena on the screen.
"Why do people enjoy fighting?"
Lanci expressed his lament with his usual detached demeanor.
"Actually, it’s not bad to have some purposeful fights occasionally, like as a motivator? For example, in schools, if there’s no competitive relationship at all, perhaps everyone will slack off."
Hyperion had always felt that Lanci didn’t care enough about winning or losing.
Maybe he should be a little more competitive to be more ... normal?
"..."
Lanci looked at the book in his hand while he was in deep thought,
"Is education also like this?"
He murmured.
It seemed that Hyperion’s words just sparked some realization in him.
"?"
Seeing Lanci easily understand her meaning, on the contrary, Hyperion felt uneasy.
She leaned down and glanced at the cover of the book in Lanci’s hand.
It was a book Lanci borrowed from the Sage Academy Tower Library last weekend.
The title read - "Species Origin and Evolution Theory".
Hyperion: "..."
"It says ’the survival of the fittest through natural selection’."
Lanci explained.
"No ... I think our situation here may not be that cruel ..."
After a long pause, Hyperion finally began to speak.
She suspected that Lanci could not let go of his Purgatory Corridor Academy, and his education philosophy was somewhat influenced by the Demon Race.
The environment in the southern continent where he currently resides is generally more peaceful and stable compared to the northern continent where the Demon Race exists, with abundant resources, convenient transport and trade, and no disaster-stricken areas left from the Ninth-order Shadow World failure on the ground.
Hyperion heard that there is a harsh system of strong hierarchies and survival of the "fittest" in large schools under the education department of the Protoss Empire, a giant empire to the south of the northern continent. Not only is there fierce competition among the students, but there is also unhealthy competition, and the competition among schools has many dark aspects.
In comparison, the campuses in the southern continent that have order, rules and friendly atmosphere, are practically an oasis.
Of course, people show different mental states and adaptability living in different environments, which might be the reason why Lanci was tormented on his first day of school at Ichrite Academy, but as soon as it was evening at the Purgatory Corridor Academy, he was in direct control of lightning.
No one knows if the northern continent might be more suitable for Lanci.
While Hyperion was still struggling with how to discuss this misunderstanding with Lanci in depth, the door to the student council room was opened and the student council president stepped in.
Monasite’s pearwood-colored hair was soft and chic, his friendly aura carries a hint of dignity.
Following behind him was Frey.
Apparently, they had just returned from Knight College.
Monasite only takes Frey along when he goes to deal with troublesome affairs in Knight College.
