Sylvester’s eyes drifted through the class, gazing at each student calmly before he finally faced the board again.

"We will continue our discussion on essence today," he said.

"I spoke briefly about the Celestial Army yesterday since I knew you were going to face them in the True Awakening," he added.

He looked at them, at their confused faces.

"The illusion you went through is known as the True Awakening in our clan," he explained.

As if he had finally brought them to the same page, the students nodded.

"Before we move to the next topic, which concerns our arch nemesis, I will explain how demons farm skills using their cores."

He slowed down, then continued.

"Our cores have an innate trait called Cannibalism."

The screen changed, displaying a pair of large fangs.

"By devouring dead beings that possessed essence, the core accumulates energy continuously until it produces a fruit."

He looked at the students.

"You do not have to look so unsettled. It is something you will all be doing soon enough."

A grin seemed to flash across his lips, subtle enough that none of the students caught it.

"Now, let us move to angels."

As he spoke, the board lit up, displaying seven differently colored rings.

"This is called a Halo. It is the grade differentiator among angels."

He pointed at the board as he continued.

"There are seven grades: Brown, Black, Blue, Purple, White, Golden, and Aurora."

Each Halo highlighted itself as its color was named.

He slowed down, turning back to look at the students.

"Any questions?" He asked.

He already knew it was unlikely anyone would have one at this stage. Everything covered so far had been foundational.

But contrary to his expectation, a hand went up.

Sylvester nodded. "Your question, Azrael."

Azrael stood, resting both hands on the table before speaking.

"Have there ever been any Aurora grade angels produced?"

Sylvester looked at him.

It was only a momentary glance, but it was enough to reveal his interest.

Azrael sat back down, waiting for the answer.

"I am sure you all encountered Michael in the illusion," Sylvester said.

All of them nodded simultaneously.

"He is said to be the incarnation of the Angel God, and is the only being who has ever awakened an Aurora grade Halo."

Sylvester turned back to the board.

"When we cover the Celestial Army in detail, you will learn more."

He did not turn back, but he could already tell without looking that Azrael’s hand was raised again.

"You can save your question for later, Azrael," he said, without looking.

The words came out slow and deliberate.

Azrael lowered his hand and chose to wait.

"Now, for the angel equivalent of our skill fruits, they have something called Dominance."

The screen shifted.

It showed an angel standing in a landscape that breathed fire, trees rising and falling around him, mountains growing with each step he took.

Sylvester glanced toward a corner of the room with a quiet sigh and removed the video, returning the screen to a plain display.

"Unlike us, an angel’s Halo grade only determines their cultivation ceiling."

The screen populated with a table.

[Brown: Tier 5]

[Black: Tier 7]

[Blue: Tier 10]

[Purple: Tier 12]

[White: Tier 15]

[Golden: Tier 17]

[Aurora: Tier 17]

The students read through it, but their eyes slowed at the bottom, noticing that Golden and Aurora shared the same cap.

"Since you have noticed the discrepancy, let me explain the difference between Golden and Aurora," Sylvester said.

"Causality."

A single word. Nothing more.

"I am certain you all experienced your heads being destroyed before Michael’s spear physically reached you," he continued.

"That is the difference. At stage seventeen, an Aurora grade Halo grants the ability to collapse cause and effect into a single point."

The students listened without a sound.

"That sounds terrifying," Azrael muttered, not quite meaning to say it aloud.

"It is. Michael is the sole reason the angel race still exists as a force in this universe. He alone can hold back the top five of the Infernal Army simultaneously."

Sylvester’s gaze swept across the students briefly.

"Now, the Celestial and Infernal Armies."

The board divided into two halves. One side radiated pure golden light, the other pure darkness.

"The Celestial Army is led by Michael, as you all now know."

The golden side expanded.

"Michael is known as the Beacon among the soldiers of the Celestial Army. Beneath him are the seven strongest members, each one called a Pillar."

He paused to catch his breath.

As if connected to his thoughts, the board shifted as he turned back, the dark side expanding while the golden side receded.

"Unlike the Celestial Army, the Infernal Army is led by the Council of Seven."

He did not elaborate further on the council. The implication was clear enough, one seat per clan.

"Every year, each clan is required to enlist a fixed number of soldiers under their respective council seat."

His eyes moved across the students quickly.

"After completing the mandatory twenty years of service, soldiers may either leave the Infernal Army and return to their normal lives, or remain and gain full access to all of the Army’s resources."

"I will now take questions for the next thirty minutes."

He turned back fully, eyes settling on the students.

On Azrael in particular.

’I have completely forgotten the question,’ Azrael thought as he held Sylvester’s gaze.

[Your next skill should be something that improves your memory.]

The system said in his mind, accompanied by a facepalm emoji.

’You could always give me one from the shop for free,’ Azrael replied.

[You might as well bring a weapon to rob the system shop.]

The system retorted.

Azrael did not respond, choosing instead to focus on the class and try to recover the question before the window closed.

"Nothing is coming," he muttered under his breath.

Sylvester turned back to the board.

"Since there are no questions, you may all leave," he said.

The students looked at him for a moment before bowing lightly.

Azrael was the first to rise.