Alex narrowed his eyes slightly.

Strong.

Extremely strong.

Not like the average instructors walking around campus.

This woman felt dangerous.

Ravenna scanned the hall calmly before speaking.

"Welcome to Artorious Academy."

Her voice echoed effortlessly throughout the chamber.

"You are here because you survived the entrance trials."

No introduction.

No smile.

Straight to the point.

"Some of you believe yourselves talented."

Several nobles visibly straightened.

"Some believe yourselves important."

Now a few students looked uncomfortable.

Ravenna folded her arms.

"None of that matters here."

The atmosphere grew heavier instantly.

"At this academy, strength determines value."

Adoff’s voice echoed quietly in Alex’s head.

I like her already.

"Figures."

Ravenna continued speaking calmly.

"This academy exists for one purpose."

Her golden eyes sharpened.

"To create hunters capable of killing Demons."

The room fell silent.

Even the more arrogant students stopped whispering.

Because everyone knew what Demons were.

Not monsters.

Not beasts.

Disasters.

Entire cities had disappeared because of them.

Ravenna slowly looked across the students.

"Many of you will fail."

No hesitation.

No comforting words.

"Some of you will die."

A few students visibly paled.

"And some," she continued calmly, "may become strong enough to matter."

Then her gaze shifted upward.

Directly toward Alex.

The entire hall followed immediately.

And there it is, Adoff sighed internally.

"Student Alex Thorn."

Alex lazily raised one hand.

"Yeah?"

Whispers exploded instantly.

"That’s him?"

"The Demon survivor?"

"He looks normal..."

Ravenna ignored all of it.

"The incident during the final trial remains under investigation," she said calmly. "However, one fact has already been confirmed."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"This student engaged a Demon-class entity and survived."

Silence.

Then chaos.

"What?!"

"A REAL Demon?!"

"That’s impossible!"

Even several beasts throughout the hall became restless hearing the word Demon.

Leon quietly rubbed his forehead.

"...Now the rumors are definitely getting worse."

Ravenna raised one hand slightly.

Boom.

The pressure alone silenced the room instantly.

"Due to this encounter," she continued calmly, "Alex Thorn will bypass standard first-year restrictions."

The hall exploded again.

"What?!"

"He’s skipping restrictions already?!"

"No way!"

Ravenna ignored the noise completely.

"He will participate in upper-division combat evaluations beginning next week."

This time even Leon looked surprised.

"...Upper division already?"

HAHAHAHA, Adoff immediately laughed inside Alex’s head. You’re screwed.

Alex sighed deeply.

"...This academy really is trying to kill me."

Several nearby students stared at him in disbelief.

One noble-looking student scoffed openly.

"You should feel honored, idiot."

Alex glanced toward him briefly.

"...You should mind your business."

The noble’s expression darkened instantly.

Before things could escalate, Ravenna spoke again.

"Strength earns privilege."

The room quieted.

"If any student disagrees with academy placement decisions—prove otherwise in combat evaluations."

That immediately shut everyone up.

Because no one wanted to challenge someone who survived a Demon encounter.

At least not publicly.

Ravenna continued the orientation without another glance toward Alex, explaining combat rankings, class structures, and academy laws.

Most students listened carefully.

Alex nearly fell asleep halfway through.

Wake up before she notices, Adoff warned.

"She already noticed."

Fair point.

Eventually, the orientation ended.

The giant hall erupted into movement as students began separating toward their assigned classes.

Floating screens appeared overhead displaying schedules and classroom directions.

Leon stood first.

"My Mana Theory class starts in ten minutes."

Alex glanced upward toward his own schedule.

[Advanced Combat Fundamentals — Arena Hall 3]

Instructor: Ravenna Voss.

"...That sounds aggressive."

Leon looked genuinely concerned now.

"That’s not a normal first-year course."

Translation, Adoff said internally, you’re about to get beaten unconscious.

"Motivating."

Leon adjusted his gloves before looking at Alex seriously.

"You should be careful."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"You think I can’t handle it?"

"No," Leon replied honestly. "I think Instructor Ravenna enjoys breaking arrogant students."

Oh, this is definitely gonna be entertaining, Adoff laughed.

Alex sighed quietly before turning toward the massive arena towers visible through the hall exit.

"...I miss killing Demons already."

That is the most concerning sentence you’ve said today, Adoff muttered inside Alex’s head.

"That’s because you have low standards."

The crowds slowly separated as students headed toward their assigned sectors. Some moved toward the enormous lecture towers while others headed for the outdoor training fields alongside their beasts.

Alex followed the signs pointing toward Arena Hall 3.

Leon walked beside him for a little longer before eventually stopping near the central staircase.

"My class is in the northern tower."

"Good luck surviving."

Leon adjusted his gloves calmly. "I should be saying that to you."

He’s right, Adoff added. That instructor feels dangerous.

Alex shrugged.

"So did the Demon."

Leon stared at him for a moment.

"...You compare everything to that fight now?"

"It was yesterday."

"That somehow makes it worse."

The two split off shortly afterward.

Adoff remained quietly beside Alex as they headed deeper into the combat division sector.

The atmosphere gradually changed the farther they walked.

The academy’s central areas had felt elegant.

This place felt brutal.

Massive arenas lined the pathways.

The sounds of clashing weapons echoed constantly through the air while mana explosions erupted from distant training grounds every few seconds.

Students here looked different too.

Older.

Sharper.

Dangerous.

Several upperclassmen openly glanced toward Alex as he passed.

Some recognized him immediately.

Whispers followed.

"That’s the first-year."

"The Demon survivor?"

"He looks smaller than I expected."

I can bite them if you want, Adoff offered helpfully.

"Tempting."

Eventually, they reached Arena Hall 3.

The structure alone dwarfed the surrounding buildings.

Black steel walls towered overhead while massive reinforced doors stood partially open. The sound of combat echoed from inside like distant thunder.

Alex stepped through the entrance calmly.

The interior resembled a professional gladiator arena more than a classroom.

Several combat platforms surrounded a central battlefield while students filled the observation seating above.

And unlike the first-years—

These students radiated confidence.

Upperclassmen.

Many of them stopped talking the moment Alex entered.

Adoff’s ears twitched slightly.

...Well that’s not intimidating at all.

A loud crack echoed across the arena floor.

Boom!

A student slammed violently into one of the reinforced walls below after being kicked across the battlefield.

The entire arena shook.

"Too slow," Ravenna said coldly from the center platform.

The boy groaned painfully before forcing himself back upright.

Ravenna didn’t even look winded.

She noticed Alex almost instantly.

Golden eyes locked onto him.

The pressure in the room subtly shifted.

"You’re late," she said calmly.

Alex glanced toward the giant clock overhead.

"...By thirty seconds."

"And?"

"...Fair point."

A few upperclassmen snorted quietly hearing that.

Ravenna gestured toward the battlefield below.

"Come down."

Adoff immediately paused.

Oh, this is bad.

Alex walked down the metal steps toward the arena floor without hesitation.

Every upperclassman watched him now.

Some curious.

Others openly skeptical.

One large student near the railing scoffed.

"That’s the Demon survivor?"

"He’s smaller than the rumors said."

"Probably luck."

Alex ignored all of them.

Ravenna stood across from him with her arms folded behind her back.

"You survived a Demon encounter," she said calmly.

"So I’ve been told."

"And now the academy believes you deserve upper-division placement."

Alex shrugged slightly.

"Apparently."

Ravenna studied him silently for several seconds.

Then—

Boom.

Her aura exploded outward without warning.

The pressure crashed into the arena instantly.

Several nearby students stiffened.

Even Adoff lowered himself slightly beside the wall.

Alex’s clothes shifted slightly beneath the force.

But he didn’t move.

Interesting.

Ravenna’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Most first-years would’ve collapsed instantly.

Alex simply stared back calmly.

"...Not bad," she admitted.

Adoff blinked.

Wait, that was just a test?

Ravenna continued.

"Upper division isn’t based on talent."

Her voice echoed throughout the arena.

"It’s based on survival."