The large-built professor stood proudly before us, his muscular body drenched in sweat.

A long scar stretched across his face, granting his features an intimidating presence.

We stood lined up behind one another in the wide training field, while the sunlight reflected off his bald head, releasing a bright glare that forced me to narrow my eyes temporarily.

I glanced at the people around me... and contrary to expectations, I was able to recognize the main character immediately.

Ethan Kalmon.

He stood at the front steadily, naturally emitting an aura of confidence.

His short black hair fell over his forehead, and his black eyes resembled the darkness of the night itself.

He was staring at Professor "Raphael" with intense focus, as if he were obsessed with hard work.

And he was right to be.

Raphael had managed to break through the limits of his talent without any outside intervention... through effort alone.

"...Tskk— damn, he’s handsome."

I knew Ethan was good-looking, but not to this extent.

I couldn’t even compare myself to him in the first place.

I mean... I already knew I was ugly, and it didn’t bother me that much, but after looking at him, I realized that heaven truly wasn’t fair.

I was born rich... but with an ordinary face.

As for Ethan, he was poor... and ridiculously handsome.

" Hah? "

I felt several gazes directed toward me, enough to make me uncomfortable. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

My eyes met one of them.

She was a girl with clear crystal-like blue eyes, and long blue hair flowing smoothly down to her waist, while her calm features granted her a cold yet elegant aura at the same time.

Serene Drakalin.

One of the main characters.

She was born with a golden spoon in her mouth, just like me... or rather, like "Neron."

She was also the daughter of one of the four great families, holding the same status as the Stitlas family.

She probably wanted to talk to me.

After all, "Neron" was her childhood friend... even though they hadn’t met for five years.

Fwoosh—

"Oh?"

I snapped out of my thoughts suddenly and shifted my attention back toward Raphael.

He was holding a glowing blue sphere, calmly flipping it between his hands... before suddenly throwing it with all his strength.

Fwoosh— Crackkk!

The wall of the hall shook violently when the blue sphere collided with it, before embedding itself inside, leaving a deep crater at the point of impact.

Silence spread for a moment.

Shock was obvious on the faces of those present, while "Raphael" slowly turned toward us and said:

"You saw what I just did... didn’t you?"

"Yes."

"Yes!"

"Good. Every single one of you must do the same thing." He paused for a moment before smiling a frightening smile. "You may think it’s easy... but let me warn you, it will not be."

He raised one of the blue spheres with one hand as though it weighed nothing.

"These spheres are far heavier than they appear. And whoever succeeds... will be exempt from attending the next class."

The moment they heard that sentence, murmurs quickly spread through the hall, and the students’ gazes turned into excitement as though they had seen salvation before them.

They must have experienced his hellish training in the previous class.

How glad I am that I didn’t attend from the beginning.

And how could I not be... when I had survived a hell itself?

In "Raphael’s" dictionary, the word "moderation" does not exist.

That man does everything in the hardest way possible.

I let out a quiet sigh, then walked toward one of the tables placed at the side of the hall, filled with blue spheres.

I grabbed one of them. Its texture felt strangely smooth.

Thuddd—!

The moment I lifted it— it immediately fell from my hand and slammed heavily against the ground, causing the floor tiles to crack slightly.

I stood there stunned for a moment, before the same scene repeated itself all throughout the hall.

Sounds of falling, screaming, and impacts filled the place.

"Hahahahaha!" Raphael burst into loud laughter.

"I wasn’t joking when I said they were heavy! And yet... you can still do it! Bathe yourselves in your sweat, and give it everything you have! In the end... you will be rewarded for it!"

A chill ran through my body. That man truly enjoys this...

"Keep trying! We still have plenty of time left!"

...

...

...

After a period of time I didn’t know how long it was, I was sweating heavily, to the point that a small puddle had formed beneath me.

And every time I tried to lift the sphere, it would slip from my hands and fall violently, to the extent that I barely escaped having my bones shattered each time.

And in the end...I gave up.

I collapsed onto the hard floor, breathing with difficulty as though my lungs were burning.

"If this is... just the first day...then how am I supposed to stay alive until the end?"

"Exter" Academy treated its new students kindly at first... only to make them feel safe.

Then... it would show its true face later.

’It was fun when I was outside this world... damn myself, and damn that cursed writer...and damn the demons inside me. Why did we make all those poor children suffer like this?’

"The training for today is over."

"Raphael’s" voice echoed throughout the hall, interrupting my thoughts.

"And unfortunately... none of you succeeded. Next time, put in more effort." He paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

"Oh... and the students who stopped halfway through.I’m watching you."

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance while slowly getting up, then cast a glance around me.

And there... I was able to see "Ethan" standing beside two people I knew very well.

The first was a girl with long, soft pink hair flowing smoothly down to her waist, while the lights reflected within her crystal-like eyes, granting them a charming sparkle.

Aris Volgar.

As for the other, he was a young man with neatly arranged short black hair, and black eyes carrying obvious coldness.

Ravian Astor

’So... they’ve already become friends.’

Well, I expected that to happen.

In the original story, their relationship was supposed to form during the academy period...

But this seemed a little faster.

Was the reason because I didn’t participate in the test?

’Haaah... and who cares if something changed?’

"It’s been a long time... Neron."

"Hah?"

I froze for a moment, then turned toward the source of the voice.

And damn it... why is she here?

A girl stood before me who looked as though she were radiating a golden glow around her.

Her green eyes were as clear as autumn fields, beautifully contrasting with her long blonde hair that flowed behind her back like strands of sunlight.

Larchia.

The princess of the Solinyar Empire.

"Do you have time to talk for a bit?"

"..."

Was she... talking to me?

There is no one behind me as far as I know, right?

"Why are you standing there spaced out like that? Hello? Is anyone still in there, Neron?"

Larchia said that in a mocking tone as she approached me more and more, until her face was so close to mine that I could clearly hear her breathing.

Which immediately made me grab her shoulder and push her back a little.

"Please maintain personal space between us."

Is this old hag trying to seduce me?

Unfortunately, I know her true nature well.

It’s true that she looks like a young girl who recently turned seventeen... but that was only her outer appearance.

In reality, she was a woman who had lived hundreds of years before being reborn as the empire’s princess.

Wait. Aren’t I the same as her too?

No, no, we are not similar at all.

But what exactly does she want from me to get this close?

As far as I know, her relationship with "Neron" wasn’t that deep, aside from their frequent encounters in childhood.

Tap— tap

"Is anyone still in there, Neron?"

She was tapping my head lightly with her finger while speaking, something I was quickly starting to lose patience with.

"Please stop."

Tap

"Didn’t you hear me—"

Tap

"...Fine, I surrender. You win. We can talk however you want."

A wide smile lit up Larchia’s face, then she suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the training hall with frightening speed, to the point where I was surprised by how fast we left.

...

...

...

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

I said while chewing on a small piece of strawberry cake.

It was absurdly delicious.

Honestly, I never expected the academy cafeteria to be this good, to the point where I couldn’t stop eating.

That was already my fifth cake.

Why is she still silent like this?

It can’t be that she brought me here just to watch me eat.

I raised my gaze toward her.

She was slowly taking a small bite of a biscuit, before saying calmly:

"You really have changed."

"..."

"The last time I saw you... you looked extremely depressed. You always had that face that said: come closer and I’ll kill you."

"..."

"I mean, you still do, of course." She took a small sip of tea, "But there’s something strange I noticed the moment you entered the class today."

"It felt... like you were no longer the Neron I know."

"What are you trying to get at?"

And at that moment... her gaze completely changed.

The playfulness disappeared from her face, replaced by a coldness that froze my body for a moment.

I even stopped chewing instantly.

"You are not Neron... are you? Did you possess his body?... Who are you?"