Richard's eyes glistened with tears he didn't bother to hide. "Then Holy Mountain Academy officially welcomes its newest students. May you honor the legacy of those who came before."They stood together in the Memorial Hall, three students and one elderly professor, surrounded by thousands of names of the fallen. Outside, the campus lay empty and decaying. But in that moment, something sparked to life—a determination, a purpose, a promise that Holy Mountain's story wasn't over yet.That night, Harry couldn't sleep.His dormitory room was spacious but sparse—clearly built for multiple students, now housing only him. The bed was comfortable enough, and someone had cleaned thoroughly before their arrival, but the emptiness was oppressive.Rose slept peacefully in a small nest of blankets Harry had made for her, her breathing steady and calm. Watching her, Harry felt both pride and responsibility. She'd saved them all in the Secret Realm, proven herself stronger than anyone could have ima

Harry opened the door to find Ben standing there, his face flushed red with anger, his own communication device clutched in a white-knuckled grip."Have you seen it?!" Ben demanded, pushing into the room. "Have you seen what they're saying about us?! About you?!""I've seen it," Harry said quietly."They're calling us idiots! Rejects! They're making memes about Holy Mountain being a graveyard for failed careers!" Ben's voice rose with each word. "We need to respond! We need to fight back! We can't just let them say this shit!""And say what exactly?" Harry asked calmly. "That we made the right choice? They won't believe us. Words won't change their minds.""Then we make them believe! We post our own video, we challenge them, we—"Another knock interrupted Ben's tirade. Yona entered without waiting for permission, her face pale and drawn, her usually confident demeanor shaken."Harry," she said quietly. "I need to show you something."She handed him her communication device, already op

"Three years later, my wolf should be Platinum Rank, minimum. Look at him—Silver Rank, barely. Because Holy Mountain can't afford the Shadow Essence needed for his development. Can't afford the proper training facilities. Can't afford anything except empty promises and faded glory."The hall had gone silent. Even the students who'd heard this speech before looked uncomfortable, reminded of their own stunted potential."So welcome to the graveyard," Kael finished, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Welcome to the place where talent comes to die slowly, while the world moves on without you.""That's bullshit."The voice came from the middle rows. A young woman stood abruptly—short-cropped hair, intense eyes, and a permanent scowl etched into her features. She looked to be about nineteen, her muscular frame speaking to hours of physical training."Sit down, Mira," Kael said tiredly."No," Mira Chen snapped, her voice fierce. "I'm sick of listening to you poison every new student with

The morning sun had barely crested the mountains when a sharp knock echoed through Harry's dormitory room. He woke with a start, Rose stirring against his chest, her violet eyes blinking sleepily."Harry Klein, Yona White, Ben Morrison—report to my office immediately." Richard Stone's voice carried through the door, formal and heavy with something Harry couldn't quite identify. Concern? Resignation?Twenty minutes later, the three students stood in Richard's office, a cramped room buried deep in the administrative building's second floor. Books towered in precarious stacks against every wall—ancient texts on beast-taming theory, faded combat manuals, historical records yellowed with age. Battle maps covered one entire wall, marking demon invasions from decades past.Richard sat behind a desk that looked like it might collapse under the weight of paperwork scattered across its surface. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, making him look even older than his sixty-some years. He'd clearly be

"But my pension isn't enough," Richard continued after a moment. "Not even close. To properly develop your beasts—to give them even a fraction of what they need to reach their potential—you each require at least twenty thousand denars worth of materials per month. That covers food, training equipment, skill development, and basic cultivation resources."He turned to face them directly, his weathered face lined with exhaustion and regret."To advance from Bronze Rank to Silver Rank requires specific evolution stones tailored to your beast's element and nature. Those stones cost between fifty thousand and one hundred thousand denars each. To access premium Secret Realms where rare materials can be harvested requires academy credentials and entry fees we cannot possibly pay. A single trip to an A-Rank Secret Realm costs two hundred thousand denars in fees alone."Ben's face had gone pale. He pulled out a small calculator from his pocket and began punching in numbers, his hands trembling