"What are you talking about?" The question slipped out of my mouth before my brain could even catch it.

My eyes went wide. I was clearly shocked by her bizarre request, but deep down, it wasn’t exactly surprising.

Everyone in the freshman class already knew Kiara was a vampire.

Her noble family had been openly siding with humans for a very long time, actively fighting alongside the army ever since the great war ended decades ago.

They were integrated into society.

But asking to drink my blood out of nowhere, especially in the middle of a crowded training hall when we barely knew each other, was crazy.

"Come on, please," Kiara pleaded, lowering her wooden sword slightly.

"I really need it to level up my core and prepare for the cave excavation next month."

"That is why physical training exists in this academy," my response was quick and sharp.

Taking a quick step forward, my wooden sword struck hers a little harder than necessary.

The solid hit made her arms shake slightly, forcing her to step back and regain her balance.

"But training requires so much effort," Kiara whined, rubbing her wrists and pouting like a spoiled child.

’Is this girl for real right now?’ My mind spun in disbelief.

’She is blessed with a top-tier vampire bloodline, and she is just too lazy to swing a sword properly.’

"No," my answer was completely flat.

"Pleasseeee," she dragged the word out, giving me a pathetic, begging look.

We exchanged a few more basic attacks to keep up appearances for the instructor.

Our wooden blades clacked together loudly.

"What would be in it for me?" My tone shifted, testing the waters.

"What do I get if I decide to help you with this habit?"

Kiara fell silent for a full minute.

She parried my next strike automatically, her eyes staring at the floor as her brain worked through the problem.

Then, her face suddenly lit up brightly.

"Do you have anything specific you want?" she asked, blocking another hit and stepping closer.

’Is that really the best offer you could think of after pondering for so long?’ A grimace crossed my face.

Honestly, having a noble like Kiara in my personal debt would help me out in a big way.

She is a powerhouse by herself, and her family holds a lot of political sway in the capital.

Having her back me up during the upcoming faction wars would be a huge advantage.

But giving away my blood for free was out of the question.

Blood is life force, and giving it away drains mana.

"How about this deal?" my voice dropped to a low whisper, making sure no one else could hear our conversation.

Her blonde eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"I need a list of medical supplies and rare medicines delivered to my family’s home every single month," the terms were laid out clearly.

"They are quite expensive and hard for a commoner to get quickly. If you use your noble connections to help me with that delivery, I will let you drink a small amount of my blood every month."

Kiara is rich beyond belief.

Her family literally owns half the medical supply chains in the eastern territory.

Paying for some rare herbs meant absolutely nothing to her bank account.

She immediately nodded her head, agreeing to the terms without even taking a single second to think about the cost.

"Sure, sure, that is a totally fair trade. Now show me your neck," she demanded eagerly, stepping right into my guard and reaching for my collar.

"Not here, you idiot," my hand quickly swatted her fingers away.

"Wait until the evening. Come to the hall up on the ranker’s hill after dinner."

"Tch. Alright, fine," Kiara clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed she had to wait, but she raised her sword back into a proper defensive stance.

"Focus on the duel, students." Instructor Grace shouted from just a few feet away.

"YES, MAM."

Her voice forced us to shout out a quick acknowledgement.

We immediately resumed exchanging loud blows to make it look like we were taking the sparring session seriously.

While parrying Kiara’s lazy strikes, my eyes naturally lingered toward the sides of the large room.

The hall was packed with students practising their forms. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Zephyr was actively training with Lucien.

The golden-eyed hero was easily deflecting the speedster’s fast slashes. Then, my gaze shifted to the far corner.

’Huh?’ A frown formed on my face.

Melissa stood in front of Ray Evenheart.

They were carefully trading methodical blows with their wooden swords.

But his facial expression seemed significantly worse compared to how he looked during the morning magic class.

Ray was sweating buckets, his pale skin looking almost grey under the bright lights.

’Why is she sparring with the most unstable kid in the class?’ my thoughts raced, trying to figure out her angle.

’Is she trying to push him toward his breaking point early, or does she actually know something about his mother’s kidnapping?’

Everything Melissa did had a hidden purpose.

Seeing her interact with a ticking time bomb like Ray gave me a terrible feeling in my gut.

After the combat class finally ended, the loud bell rang across the campus.

Instead of following the hungry crowd moving toward the messy cafeteria, my feet took a different path.

Walking quickly across the green courtyard, the grand academy library came into view.

It is important to register my club interest upfront today.

Securing a spot in a quiet, non-combat club is the best way to stop the arrogant senior factions from pressuring me to join their violent groups.

"Oh, Student Shane," a familiar voice called out softly.

Yvenne, the green-haired senior from yesterday, waved at me happily from behind a tall counter.

She adjusted her round glasses, looking relieved that I actually showed up as I promised.

Walking past the front desk, the interior of the library was absolutely gigantic.

It was really, really huge.

Lakhs of books and ancient scrolls filled the place.

Tall wooden shelves stretched all the way up to the painted ceiling, completely packed with knowledge.

The entire building was protected by permanent spells cast by the high priests of the capital.

It’s magic kept the air perfectly dry and kept every single page in pristine condition, preventing rot or dust from ruining the texts.

Looking up, two other older students were floating gently near the top floor.

They were using basic levitation magic to rearrange stacks of books on the highest shelves.

"You actually came to register?" Yvenne asked, pulling out a ledger and a feathered pen.

"Of course I did. I gave you my word yesterday," a polite smile crossed my face.

Signing my name on the dotted line felt like a huge victory.

The library was what my current plan required.

It is officially time to grind for new skills.

Spending hours reading restricted combat manuals and ancient spell books in this quiet sanctuary should eventually trigger some hidden system achievements.

I desperately needed those tickets to unlock the next level of my skill tree.