“In Asterra, dying costs you twenty years of lifespan.”Ryan stared at Felix Arden without blinking.“Twenty?”“Correct.”Felix continued calmly, “The Law of Return allows someone to come back after death, but the law was never perfect. Every resurrection requires a price, and that price is taken directly from the person’s remaining lifespan.”Ryan immediately understood the difference.“Then why does a Monthly Exam only cost ten years?”“Because Blackthorn isn’t Asterra.”Felix pointed at the ground beneath

“Who’s afraid of Stormveil’s forces? If they come after us, we’ll just wipe them out!”Marcus Hale’s voice could be heard even before Ryan fully entered the common lecture hall.It was 7:50 AM.Almost all sixty members of Group Seven had already arrived.The atmosphere was completely different from an ordinary class. Some students sat silently while gripping their weapons with tense expressions, others repeatedly checked their wands and equipment, while a few looked far too excited for people who were about to gamble ten years of their lifespan.Marcus belonged to the last group.He carried a Novice Machete while moving from one cluster of stude

The argument grew louder.Ryan didn’t stop them.Instead, the discussion helped him understand what each person wanted.Students who had performed well during the Admission Trial tended to favor pursuing the Optional Objectives. They were confident in the progress they had made over the past month and felt that an opportunity to earn that many Merit Marks and Academy Credits was too valuable to waste.There was another reason no one said aloud.The Acting Class Captain position.Three months from now, Blackthorn would decide who truly deserved to keep that position.In other groups, the strongest candidate might already be obviou

“Don’t eat that.”Ryan hadn’t even finished warning him when one of the students had already bitten into a pale red fruit growing between the rocks.The man stopped chewing.Everyone stared at him.“What?”Ryan looked at the fruit in his hand. “We don’t even know what that is.”“It’s just fruit.”Five minutes later, the same man was curled up on the ground clutching his stomach.“Just fruit, he says.”Ryan crouched beside him.Last Updated : 2026-09-21