2025-07-25 22:25:55Chapter Two: The Gaze That Pierces Illusion
Dan stood still as a statue, posture stiff, sweat trickling down his temple like a soldier awaiting judgment. Before him, seated at an obsidianwood desk intricately inlaid with mana-threaded sigils, the vice headmistress of Kuma Academy, Pearl, narrowed her eyes at a single sheet of parchment. For half an hour, she had neither moved nor spoken, wholly transfixed by the swirling traces of Dioki embedded into the summoning transcript. Dan didn’t dare breathe too loudly. He had seen Pearl enter her zone before—interrupting her mid-analysis was like poking a sleeping chimera with a rusty fork. At last, with a flick of her polished fingernail, she tapped the parchment once and slowly raised her head. Her eyes, glowing faintly with analytical mana, met Dan’s with unblinking sharpness. “Dan,” she said, voice velvet-wrapped steel, “who the fuck is this boy?” Dan blinked. “You’ll have to be more specific, Vice Headmistress.” She held up the parchment, tapping a single name at the top. “This student. Ryan. Where did this one crawl out from?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “From a farming village on the edge of the Yurelian plains. The Dioki readings in his body were enough to justify bringing him in for the academy’s intake trials.” Pearl’s gaze sharpened. “A farmer, yet you remember him without glancing at the records. Curious.” “He… left an impression.” Dan looked away, clearly uncomfortable. “Let’s just say it wasn’t the usual awakening.” “Explain.” “He summoned… something.” Dan hesitated. “Not a humanoid. Not even a variant. A pure beast.” “An animal?” “No.” Dan exhaled. “A real fucking animal.” Pearl leaned forward, her fingers steepled. The ambient air grew heavier, the Dioki in the room vibrating with her interest. “Bring him to me.” Dan flinched. “What about the rest of the candidates this year? Some big names among them. The next bloodline heir of the Vampiric House Ashley—Chaollete herself. Tina Perez, future head of the Artisan’s Forge Guild. Even the second prince of the Liaystian Empire, that arrogant bastard Author Viti Liaystian. The boy’s summoned a goddamn cyclops.” Pearl flicked her fingers again. This time, a shimmer of silver tore through the air beside her desk. Out stepped Franca, the elf of dimensional origin, her silver hair cascading like moonlight, draped in a twin uniform with similar sigil-engraved robes. “You called?” she purred. “Student assessments,” Pearl said. Franca smirked and waved her hand over a floating display of student glyphs. Her irises spun with calculation arrays. Within moments, scores began to appear beside each name in glowing crimson script. She read through the data faster than most scholars read a grocery list. “Sorted. Ranked. Done,” Franca said, flicking the list toward Pearl in a stream of light. “Appreciated.” Franca gave a wink and vanished, the sound of wind chimes marking her exit. Pearl handed the list to Dan. “Here’s your ranking roster. However…” Her fingers hovered over Ryan’s name. “Hold off on judgment until I’ve seen this boy with my own eyes.” “Something wrong with him?” Dan asked, furrowing his brow. “Nothing yet,” Pearl said, standing slowly. “But something rare walks in his shadow. I’ll decide if he stays a dirt-choked peasant or becomes something more.” Dan nodded, resigned. “Understood. I’ll bring him to you.” — Meanwhile, in a shaded corner of the academy’s courtyard, Ryan sat on an old stone bench, one leg stretched, the other bent under him. Beside him lounged Sphinx, his fur-like mane rippling with subtle ethereal winds. Unlike most summoned beasts, Sphinx radiated the calm superiority of a predator among lesser kin. “So,” Sphinx drawled lazily, “think they'll let you in?” Ryan shrugged. “No fucking idea. I gave it everything I had, but who knows if that’s enough. Maybe they’ll just toss me back to the farmlands.” “We could always check if this world has adventurer guilds,” Sphinx mused, tail flicking. “Classic setup for someone like you.” “You mean the old god-plucks-some-random-earthling trope?” Ryan laughed. “This ain’t my first isekai rodeo.” “Your what?” Sphinx blinked. “Never mind,” Ryan said, waving him off. “So… how strong do you think gods are in this world? Wanna fight one?” Sphinx’s golden eyes lit up. “Hell yes.” Ryan smirked, leaning back. “Figures. You really are bloodthirsty. Do you even know your own mythology? You’re one divine beast among many.” Sphinx growled in amusement. “Other divine beasts? Other gods?” He sat up straighter. “Fucking excellent. Bring ‘em on.” “Why do you sound like you’re itching to throw claws the moment we meet one?” Ryan narrowed his eyes. “I am,” Sphinx grinned. “And you? Still hoping to summon a woman next?” “Hell yeah,” Ryan replied without shame. “A sexy, curvy familiar with attitude and magical boobs.” “You perverted maggot. What if you end up summoning another divine beast?” “Don’t you fucking jinx me, mutt.” Ryan pinched his mouth shut. Sphinx snarled and bit his hand. “MUTT?! I'm a fucking wolf-lion hybrid, you dirty, horny ape!” “Ow, ow, ow! Abuse! Human rights violation!” Ryan tried to yank his hand free. But the bite was soft—playful. Despite all the posturing, Sphinx held back. Their absurd banter paused when Ryan caught a glimpse of a particular student across the courtyard. “Hmm?” “What now?” Sphinx followed his gaze. “Let me guess. Tits.” “No, not just that,” Ryan whispered. “Look at her presence.” Sphinx squinted. “She looks like every other girl here.” “You uncultured divine bastard. Cold gaze, untouchable aura, porcelain features… she’s textbook heroine material.” “You really think you're in a storybook,” Sphinx muttered. “Ever consider the real pain? The screaming? The missing limbs?” “More often than you think.” Ryan’s tone shifted. “I once cried for ten minutes after stubbing my pinky toe on a bedframe. I can’t even fathom getting stabbed.” “Then stay. Learn. Survive,” Sphinx said, eyes narrowing. “You have power now. Fucking use it.” Ryan’s smirk returned. “You’re surprisingly motivational when not threatening to eat my balls.” “Hmph. Get strong. Then you can chase women, fight gods, and maybe not die like a cunt in the dirt.” “Exactly! A proper goal drives progress. That’s what every cultivation novel says.” Sphinx sighed in exasperation, half-serious in wanting to bite him again. Before he could, Dan approached, his tone brisk. “Ryan. You’re to come with me. The Vice Headmistress wants a word.” Ryan and Sphinx shared a look. The bait was taken. The fish had bitten. Now, it was time to reel the whole damn academy in.
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