The sun crept through the window blinds, casting thin slivers of light across the dorm room. Dave, already awake, stood in the center of the room drenched in sweat. His breathing was heavy, and his muscles burned slightly with exertion. He had just completed his morning routine—30 pushups, a 3km run around the academy perimeter, and 20 sit-ups. It had become second nature to him over the past few days.
He wiped his forehead with the edge of his shirt and sat down on his bed to rest. Just then, a familiar ding echoed in his mind, and a blue screen blinked into existence in front of him.
> [Daily Quest Completed!]
+5 EXP: Push-ups
+5 EXP: 3km Run
+5 EXP: Sit-ups
Total EXP: 60/50
You have leveled up!
Level 2 Achieved!
You have received 5 free stat points.
Dave's eyes widened slightly as the system displayed the next message.
> Free Stat Points: 5
Current Stats:
Strength: 14
Speed: 14
Agility: 14
Stamina: 14
Abilities: 0
Skills: 0
Mana Pool: 0
He stared at the blue screen, then took a deep breath. This was progress. Tiny, but real. He hadn't told anyone—not even Stive—about the system. It was his secret. Whatever the box had triggered in him, it had changed everything.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath. "Let's not waste these."
He focused his thoughts on allocating the stat points, and the system responded instantly.
> +2 Strength
+1 Speed
+1 Agility
+1 Stamina
The screen shimmered and updated.
> Updated Stats:
Strength: 16
Speed: 15
Agility: 15
Stamina: 15
Abilities: 0
Skills: 0
Mana Pool: 0
Free Stat Points: 0
He felt it—the faintest buzz in his muscles. His body felt a little lighter, a little stronger. It wasn't some overwhelming transformation, but it was there. Tangible.
"Level 2..." Dave said quietly to himself. "Still a long way to go."
Outside, the bell rang—time for breakfast.
Dave changed quickly, heading out of the dorm room. As he walked toward the mass hall, his fists clenched slightly. He had lost in yesterday's sparring session, badly. The memory of the other students' mocking faces still burned in his mind. But that would change. He would get stronger, little by little.
After breakfast, the students of Class A-12 filed into their homeroom class. The room was buzzing with energy, chatter echoing from corner to corner. Some students were still boasting about their sparring matches the day before, while others excitedly debated which combat classes were the toughest.
Dave entered quietly, his tray now empty, and took his usual seat in the second row. His body still ached slightly from his sparring defeat, but the boost from his system this morning gave him a silent reassurance. He could feel the difference already.
A moment later, the classroom door opened, and all noise died instantly.
Ms. Gwen, their homeroom mistress, stepped into the room.
She was a tall woman in her mid-thirties, dressed in a sleek black uniform lined with silver trim. Her presence alone demanded silence. With long raven-black hair tied in a high ponytail and sharp emerald eyes, she had the calm but dangerous aura of someone who'd seen her fair share of battlefields.
Without greeting or pause, she walked to the front of the class and spoke.
"Listen up, all of you."
Every student sat up straighter.
"You've all had time to settle in. Some of you already think you're strong just because you won a few sparring matches." Her eyes swept across the room, pausing briefly on a few cocky grins.
"But strength isn't proven in a classroom. It's proven in the wild—against beasts that won't go easy on you."
A few students shifted nervously in their seats.
Ms. Gwen continued. "One month from today, your first outdoor assessment will begin. You will be deployed to the outer zones surrounding the academy, where low-rank beasts roam. You'll hunt in teams. And you'll be graded based on performance, survival, and decision-making under pressure."
The murmuring began almost immediately.
"A month?"
"Beasts already?"
Dave's heart skipped a beat.
She raised a hand, and silence returned. "You've been given time to train, to adapt, and to grow. If you step into the field unprepared… don't expect mercy from the wild."
Her tone was sharp, final.
"The top ten performers will be rewarded with points, weapon upgrades, and even access to the advanced training chambers. The bottom ten…" she smirked slightly, "…well, let's just say you'll wish you trained harder."
Dave swallowed hard.
A month?
He stared at the wooden desk in front of him, his mind racing. He was only Level 2. His stats had increased, sure—but against a real beast?
If they were anything like the ones described in class… he might not come back.
He clenched his fists under the desk.
No. I can't let that happen. I have one month. I'll train harder than anyone. I'll do more quests. I'll survive.
He looked up at Ms. Gwen. Her eyes seemed to land on him for just a second. Not mockingly, not with pity—just awareness.
"This is your first real test," she said. "Dismissed."
The students stood up, talking amongst themselves as they filed out. But Dave sat there a moment longer, his thoughts heavy.
He had one month to become someone that wouldn't die the moment he stepped outside the academy walls.
And he was going to use every second of it.
The sun was barely setting when Dave walked silently into the Beast Weapons Class hall. It was unusually quiet, the echo of his footsteps bouncing lightly off the walls. That wasn't surprising—after all, they had been given a full month break to prepare for their upcoming beast assessment. Most students took that as a chance to relax or train in private.
But Dave couldn't relax.
He had seen the look in Miss Gwen's eyes. That trip next month wasn't just an assessment—it was a life-or-death test. And right now, Dave knew he stood no chance.
As he stepped further into the hall, the metallic sound of blades clashing rang in the air. Someone was here.
Then he saw him—Daniel, the Beast Weapons instructor.
He stood alone in the training area, his long blade slicing the air with frightening precision. Each swing cut through with a sharp whistle, his body moving like it was one with the weapon. The man's movements were smooth yet deadly, flowing from stance to strike with no wasted motion.
Dave stood still, watching in awe.
Daniel finally paused, turning as if he had sensed Dave from the beginning. He rested his blade on his shoulder and raised a brow.
"You're here early," Daniel said, his voice calm, but strong. "Class doesn't resume for weeks."
"I know…" Dave hesitated before stepping forward. "But I had to come."
Daniel eyed him for a moment before sheathing his blade and walking over. "You look like you've got something on your chest."
"I do," Dave said, clenching his fists. "I… I'm too weak. If I go out there like this, I'll die."
There was a long silence between them.
Dave looked down, ashamed of admitting his fear out loud, but Daniel simply stared at him for a moment longer before speaking.
"You're not wrong," Daniel finally said, folding his arms. "Right now, if you face a beast, even a low-level Rank F, you wouldn't last long."
Dave flinched, but nodded.
"But… the fact that you came here alone to say that, instead of hiding behind excuses like the others... that takes guts."
Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly, the edge of a smirk tugging at his lips. "What's your weapon?"
"I use twin blades," Dave said without hesitation.
"Twin blades, huh?" Daniel said, looking thoughtful. "Fast, versatile, but requires precision and footwork. Not many pick that path... it's hard."
Dave nodded again.
"I use a single long blade," Daniel said, pulling it from its sheath. "But swordsmanship isn't just about the weapon—it's about the discipline behind it."
He spun the blade once in his hand and looked Dave directly in the eyes.
"If you're serious about getting stronger—truly stronger—I'll train you. I don't care if class is on break."
Dave's eyes widened. "You will?"
"I'll warn you though," Daniel said, walking to a wooden rack and grabbing a worn training blade. "I don't go easy on anyone. Especially not someone who wants to walk the path of blades."
Dave stepped forward without hesitation. "I'm ready."
Daniel tossed him a blunt twin training blade replica. Dave caught it with both hands, a mix of nerves and excitement brewing in his chest.
"Good," Daniel said, stepping into the center of the training area. "Then let's begin."
That night, while others rested or wasted time, Dave took
his first step on the real path to becoming strong.
And unknown to him, Daniel—the man who once stood on the front lines during the Vampire War—had just chosen him as a personal student.