Keep your head down and your mouth shut, peasant," Chris drawled, so you don't infect the air with the stench of your family's misfortune. His nose twitched with visible irritation, his upper lip curling just enough to show his pure disgust for the air Alex was breathing. Behind him, a flock of noble students followed in a tight formation, their quiet snickers stabbing right through Alex's back.“I didn't expect that you would have the guts to show your face in the awakening all when over the years, your family hasn't awakened so much as a mutt.” Laughter echoed through the halls, shaking the building foundations almost to its root.Alex stopped mid-stride. He didn't look at the floor, though every instinct born from years of poverty screamed at him to do so. His family was the wretched bloodline, cursed to be forever be without a beast, in the Naptuna society where your beast wasn't just a sign of power but the horn of your status, and access to certain areas.Over the years, his

"Looking for a snack, beggar? Or is the academy finally feeding the trash to the trash?"All of Alex's attempts to hide from the crowd in the academy market by placing a hoodie over his head failed as he was quickly spotted by another group of arrogant student elites.Julian’s voice dripped with so much arrogance and irritation as he walked towards the stall that Alex stood. He stood at the center of the path, flanked by three other noble students who looked like they’d never seen a day of hard work in their lives. Julian’s nose wrinkled, his fingers twitching as he adjusted the expensive silk of his robes. He stared at the blackened, shriveled "Rotten Shadow Fruit" sitting on the back-alley stall with a look of pure physical pain.Alex didn't look up. He kept his hood low, his fingers hovering over the fruit. "I’m just buying what you’re too stupid to use, Julian. Go back to the main square. I’m sure there’s a mirror somewhere missing your face."The noble students behind Julian g

The laughter stopped instantly. The silence that followed was heavy and cold. Kael’s face turned an ugly, dark purple, the veins in his neck bulging like snakes."What did you say to me?" Kael hissed. The Flame Lion sensed its master’s rage and let out a low, bone-shaking growl. The air around the beast began to shimmer with heat."I said you’re a servant in fancy clothes," Alex said, stepping closer. He dropped the rag into the dust. "If you want your beast cleaned, do it yourself. I’m busy."Kael’s eyes went wide with fury. "You’re dead. You think because you awakened a stray dog that you’re a tamer? I’ll have my lion rip your throat out and the teachers will call it an 'accident during training'."Kael pointed a finger at Alex. "Lion! Teach this beggar his place! Bite off his hand!"The Flame Lion roared, a sound that made the weaker students cover their ears. It lunged forward, its flaming claws extended, aiming directly for Alex’s head."You've got hands, Julian," Alex said, his

Alex could sense the heat of her disdain pulsing off from her words.“Is this the low techniques poor pervs like you pull of lately?” She sneered, bringing Alex back to reality. He could feel the metallic taste of irritation on his tongue. Another high and mighty horse who thought they could trample on anyone that they come across.“Don't you have a wide mouth for someone that's is trespassing into another person's room?” Alex raised his key cards, revealing the room number that was written on it.The girl, whose name was Liora, moved off from the bed with practiced grace."I see," she whispered, her voice suddenly turning sharp as glass. “So you want me to believe that in some way, this is also your room? You perv?”“You must have searched for my status, and then come up with a forced proximity plan. But what do you think, that we're living in novels? You sickly poor bastard?”Alex frowned, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion and a tat miss of irritation"Searched? I don't even

The grouping arena was a sea of noise, but it was a one-sided sound. Thousands of students were shouting Chris’s name, their voices merging into a low, rhythmic chant that vibrated through the stone floor. To them, this wasn't a duel; it was a public execution. They wanted to see the "scavenger" put back in his place. They wanted to see the dirt stay in the dirt."You really should have just taken the apology and run," Liora said, her voice cutting through the noise as she stood near Alex in the preparation area. She looked at him with that same complicated expression—disgust mixed with a flickering, unwanted curiosity. "By accepting this, you’ve given him a legal reason to break you. Don't look at me for help when you’re being carried out on a stretcher."Alex didn't look at her. He was busy adjusting the straps of his basic-issue battle suit. It was a worn, gray thing made of reinforced leather and cheap fiber, meant to dampen blows during training. Compared to the shimmering, go