NOVPUBOpening his eyes, Luka looked upon the system windows hovering before him.
They were still there, a constant reminder of his failure.
But something caught his attention—something at the far-right corner of his vision, a system window he had missed earlier.
———————
[Notifications]
[You have taken away an opportunity from the Main Character: The Second Princess's support]
[500 Fate will be deducted from the Main Character]
[100k Fate remaining]
———————
Luka felt the urge to bang his head against something.
"How the hell did I not hear or see this?" he muttered aloud, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
He had no idea how he'd missed this—especially something so crucial.
He began to stand up, and the system windows began to vanish around him, one by one.
'So, I'm guessing to to make it appear, I have to say: Notifications… That's good to know for the future.'
He was only taking a guess, of course. He'd make sure to double-check it in the morning
Right now, Luka was mentally drained, as he moved to his bedroom.
He then threw himself onto his bed and closed his eyes, the weight of mental exhaustion finally overtaking him.
'I'll make sure to keep a close eye on the Notifications window… also, I hope the daily quest's penalty isn't too bad.'
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
Arthur was frozen, his mind trying to catch up with what his eyes were seeing.
The golden light had been blinding, practically scorching his vision, but now, as it faded, a strange stillness filled the room.
His eyes flickered to the broken window, glass shards scattered across the rug.
But there was no sign of what had caused the shattering.
'What the hell just happened?' Arthur thought to himself.
His roommates, all of whom were now wide awake, shared his confusion, their expressions varying from startled to outright bewildered.
"What was that blinding light?" Thalor groaned, rubbing his eyes and squinting, clearly struggling to shake off the remnants of the headache the light had caused.
He was still half-lost in his dream, having been yanked out of a peaceful sleep.
Just moments ago, he had been imagining himself as the world's greatest fighter, but now, reality had violently interrupted that fantasy.
"I felt like I was going to go blind…"
Jaxom, ever the thinker, adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"According to my calculations, the light must've come through the window and caused the glass to shatter. Maybe a bird was blinded and flew into it? It would explain the suddenness of it."
Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose.
'A bird? That was the best explanation you could come up with?'
He wasn't buying it.
Everard, however, sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at the mess in the room.
"Well... We're going to need to report this." His voice had a hint of annoyance.
"No rocks, nothing thrown inside… This doesn't add up. I'll go talk to staff."
With that, Everard swung his legs out of bed and stood up. He gave the shattered window one last look before heading toward the door.
Arthur continued to stare at the broken window, his mind racing with questions.
'Why do I feel like this is my fault?'
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
Morning.
The Academy's grounds were filled with a strange contrast of emotions.
The majority of the men and women were leaving, their faces marked with sadness, anger, and frustration, their steps heavy as they departed, some cursing under their breath, others brooding in silence.
It was clear that many had not passed the test…
On the other hand, the ones who had passed were walking with a bounce in their step, smiles wide and bright, as they made their way toward their assigned classrooms.
Luka strolled through the halls with his usual demeanor, though his mind was far from focused on the present.
His thoughts kept drifting back to the events of the previous night—the failed assassination attempt, the golden light, and the purple system window.
When he had woken up this morning, he had double-checked, of course, and when he called upon the notifications again, sure enough, a purple system window had popped up.
Such confirmation was all he needed.
"Young Master, are you that excited for your first day of class? You can't stop smiling!" Serene's voice broke through his thoughts.
She was walking behind him, her hands nearly clasped behind her back, a soft smile on her face as she watched him with curiosity.
Luka glanced over his shoulder, the baby dragon resting peacefully on it.
"Sure, you could say that."
As he continued down the hallway, he finally arrived at his classroom.
"Hmm, this should be it."
Sliding open the door, Luka's face went pale.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
The sight before him was like something out of a nightmare he hadn't been prepared for.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Luka muttered under his breath, his words barely audible. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Inside the classroom, there was not a single student.
The only occupant was a middle-aged woman.
She was standing casually in front of the desk, a wide, almost predatory grin stretched across her face.
Her long silver hair was spiked, giving her a wild and untamed look, while her sharp, red, slitted eyes gleamed.
The shark-like teeth that lined her mouth only added.
And then, of course, there was the giant bow slung across her back, nearly as large as her own body.
She was dressed in a revealing leather outfit that left little to the imagination.
"Welcome to my class, brat," she spoke.
Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips as she motioned toward an empty seat.
"Come in, both of you. Don't be shy."
"Alright…" Luka swallowed hard.
He knew exactly who this woman was.
There was no mistaking her.
'Kira Astra, the Devil Ranger.'
Her name alone was enough to make even the best students tremble.
She was infamous throughout the Academy for her brutal teaching methods and impossibly high expectations.
Students who took her class had a notorious track record—many never made it past the first week, and those who did either barely survived or were left mentally scarred for life.
Luka sat down in his seat. He knew exactly who he was dealing with.
The main villain of Act 2 of the game.
