Chapter 32

Those sons of bitches! They didn't even bother to take my opinion on this. Who does this guy think he is, daring to bully my sister? As soon as I find out who it is, I'll rip his head off with my own hands, even if he's only seven years old.

But I know who my first teacher will be now. After that mess, I headed to my class. The instructor hadn't arrived yet, but the atmosphere had definitely changed. Fear hung in the air, a clear reaction to what happened yesterday. Only a few seemed unaffected, like Erebus and that beastfolk kid.

"Hi, Sir Dajit. How was your day yesterday?" Erebus greeted me with a warm smile, oblivious to the tension.

"I've told you to just call me by my name. Don't you understand such a simple task? And you want to be my shadow, following and obeying me, huh?" My voice was cold as I glared at him.

"I, um..." Erebus stuttered, clearly confused and torn between wanting to please and not knowing what to say.

Before I could say more, Gaius approached. He looked mostly healed from whatever injuries he had sustained. "Hey, you kid! I heard you're the strongest of all. I want to fight you. Got it? Or I'll attack your friend!"

"HUH?! When did he become my friend?" I replied, more irritated than anything.

"Whyyy-" Erebus started to whimper, looking like he was about to cry again.

"Erebus, hold on. Let me deal with this short-pants-"

Before I could finish, Instructor Edward entered the classroom. We quickly went to our seats as he began the lesson.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, placing his materials on the stand before continuing. "Today, we will learn more about stars and their relationship to individuals as they progress through different stages of life, and about the system and skills."

I found this part particularly interesting, even in my previous life. The system and its mechanics were always fascinating to me.

"First, let's talk about the system before discussing skills," Instructor Edward began. "The system was created by the combined power of all eight gods, making it the most powerful entity in the world, beyond anyone's control. It provides each individual with one skill after their celestial emergence."

He paused, making sure everyone was paying attention. "Most of the time, this skill is predetermined and is granted immediately after celestial emergence. However, in special cases, the system analyzes an individual when they reach their limit and bestows a skill accordingly. Even late bloomers usually awaken by the age of 14."

Instructor Edward then moved on to explain the skills. "Skills are essentially the stats of your body, including attributes like strength and intelligence. For instance, one skill might make you ten times smarter than your normal self."

He continued, "There are also passive skills that remain active without any conscious effort, such as beast instincts. Interestingly, the same skill can be passive for one person and active for another. For example, a blind person might have passive Starforce Vision, while for others, it functions as an active skill."

The instructor pulled out a scroll and held it up for the class to see. "This is a skill scroll. Does anyone know how to acquire one or how to use it?"

Erebus eagerly raised his hand. "Yes, sir! I know that."

"Scrolls are found in dungeons. There are two types: one that you can absorb and one-time use scrolls, which allow you to use the skill just once. The most common scrolls are the one-time use types, making up 99.9% of them."

Instructor Edward clapped his hands, pleased. "Very good, Erebus. You're quite well-versed in this. However, you missed a few things. For example, there's a possibility that a permanent skill scroll might not be compatible with you. Also, you need mana to use most of the one-time scrolls. However, there are a few exceptions, such as self-imbued scrolls that can be used without mana."

He continued to discuss the different types of scrolls and individuals capable of using them. We were asked to take notes on the most important points, as this information would be crucial later on.

"There are special individuals who can create one-time scrolls; they are known as Rune Masters-" The bell rang, cutting him off, signaling the end of the class. 

I was in the middle of eating my lunch when I heard the sound of a scuffle nearby. Gaius and Erebus were at it again. Initially, I intended to ignore it, but something caught my attention due to my heightened senses.

"Leave me, you damn orphan, or I'm going to cut it off with my wind!" Erebus shouted. Just a few hours ago, he was crying, and now he's spouting such strong words. What's with this sudden personality change?

"Keep your damn mouth shut, or I'm going to pierce my spear through your heart!" Gaius snarled back.

"Hah, I'm so scared," Erebus mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What are you gonna do now? Call your beastfolk friends? Oh, wait, you don't have any because you're considered incompetent."

In a fit of rage, Gaius punched the ground, creating a shockwave that caused the earth to rise like a fist. It wasn't sharp enough to be lethal, but it would have broken a few bones if it connected. Erebus managed to dodge with a backflip and, in retaliation, used his wind skills to hurl a food plate towards Gaius. This time, the attack was lethal. The last thing I wanted was for my shadow to get involved in bloodshed and drag me into trouble.

I acted quickly, using my assassin's archery to throw a spoon, deflecting the plate before it could reach Gaius. Then, I stepped between them. "Erebus, I heard it. Apologize and come with me to class."

"But it was him who started it!" Erebus whined, his eyes welling up as he started to cry. Is this guy suffering from DID or something? How can he shift personalities like that?

"Hey, Dajit, you want to fight me? Say it to my face!" Gaius challenged, his anger not yet spent. "I'm not leaving him alone. I'm going to crush his face!"

"I just saved you—" I began, but before I could finish, a security guard arrived.

"Who are Erebus and Gaius?" the guard demanded. The students pointed them out as they raised their hands. Without another word, the guard grabbed them both by the collars and dragged them away.

"Let me go, you mammal! I'm going to settle my score!" Gaius shouted, struggling in the guard's grip. But before he could say more, the guard struck a vital point, knocking him unconscious.

With the commotion over, I moved to the ground where we saw five teachers standing, surrounded by every student from all the classes, and the principal herself.

"Hello, students," Principal Astoria began, her voice commanding attention. "I am your principal, and today we will divide you according to your professions. Remember, you can change your profession after one month, and top students will be allowed to take on more than one profession if they can handle it. Our goal is to prepare you for entry into good academies, even though you are commoners. We aim to help you achieve as much as 70% of what nobles can."

It was true. To enter any good academy at the age of 15-20, you should know your profession and be at least Level 4. Alternatively, you could be a Gemini; both paths would suffice for a commoner, who holds just 40% of the seats in top academies, despite making up 99.95% of the population.

"Present before you are your fifteen instructors," she began. "This year, we've brought in an additional teacher specifically for katana training. Ten instructors will focus on close combat techniques, reflecting its popularity in Faunara, where nearly every beastfolk masters the beastbound skill. Alongside them, there are experts in swords, spears, magic, alchemy, and archery. The archery instructor is a master of multiple weapons, and we also have a specialized shield instructor."

"Literature will be a shared subject for all, covering the essential knowledge required for the examination. If your performance doesn't meet a teacher's standards, they have the authority to remove you from their class and recommend you to another. Only the top students will be accepted by teachers like Rostan and the new katana instructor."

I am in Faunara, where beastbound is a skill almost every beastfolk uses, so close combat was a popular choice, which is why we have 10 close combat teachers.

"Moving forward," Principal Astoria concluded, "I hope you will do your best in your chosen fields as you grow. You can apply for observation or change classes if you wish."

After that, every student gave their name for the records. Mine was already predetermined. I noticed Seraphina and Luna both headed towards the close combat area, which I had somewhat expected after what happened yesterday. I wanted to ask them about the kid who attacked her, but I restrained myself. Drawing attention to her by having one of the top students talk to her would only bring more eyes on her.

As the selection process wrapped up, it became clear that over 90% of the students chose close combat, and almost all the beastfolk did it with few exceptions.