"Good morning, idiots."
Professor Owen's voice sliced through the air as he stepped into the classroom, forcing every student to straighten their back. He scanned the room, looking at each face with a sharp, calculating gaze before letting out a dry laugh.
"For the first time in three years, none of you look like you're dying of sleep deprivation when I walk in." He glanced at his wristwatch, then out the window at the overcast sky. "The time is the same. The weather is just as grey." He turned his attention back to the class. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why is everyone wake up?"
He toyed with a pen for a moment, flipping it between his fingers before suddenly hurling it through the air. "Robert, wake up! We're in class!" he barked.
It was a shout they all knew by heart. Over the last three years, he had yelled it hundreds of times. But this time, Robert—the student notorious for napping—simply reached up and caught the pen with effortless grace.
The pen hadn't been aimed at him; it would have hit the wall behind his head, waking him with the soft thud of the bounce.
"Professor, cut the nonsense," Robert grumbled. "Don't play games on such an important day."
Owen smirked. "If even our sleepy bear Robert is awake, I suppose the rest of you are too." His gaze swept over them again, ending in a slow, approving nod. "It's been three years..."
His voice carried a hint of nostalgia, a rare tone that caught the students off guard. It was the first time they had heard him sound almost human.
"And I must say," he continued, his voice turning fierce and blunt, "that I am not at all proud."
The brief hope for a motivational speech vanished instantly.
"You are a disappointment. Three years, and not one of you has managed to summon a beast. I've never seen anything like it. But I refuse to leave this academy thinking I spent three years teaching a pack of failures." He stared them down. "At least one of you has to succeed today. This is your last chance."
Owen spoke as if it were merely a matter of personal pride, but the students knew better. The teacher was using bravado to mask the gravity of the situation.
Beast Masters ruled this world. They possessed enviable power, capable of sustaining entire nations with the abilities granted by their summons.
They were forged in battle, evolving alongside their beasts to reach god-like heights. Without a beast, there was no access to the Magic Network, no physical strengthening—no future.
Failing meant being relegated to the lowest rungs of society, a life of backbreaking labor just to afford a daily meal.
In a world plagued by the relentless advance of the Cursed Lands and the monsters within, a normal human was nothing more than prey.
For these young dreamers who wanted to reach the heavens, weigh the clouds, and hold mountains in the palm of their hands, and venture into the Cursed Lands, summoning a beast was absolutely necessary; it was also necessary if they wanted to live.
Especially for the poor.
Among the fifteen students, Edward Lux was the quietest. He wasn't naturally antisocial; his mind was simply too crowded.
He had transmigrated into the body of Edward Lux a year ago, and since then, life had been a constant uphill battle. He possessed zero talent. Despite his father's grueling shifts in the dangerous mines to pay for his education, Edward remained "unawakened."
The previous Edward had tried and failed. The "new" Edward had tried and failed again. This was his final shot, and the anxiety was etched into his face.
Suddenly, a heavy hand pressed onto his shoulder. Edward flinched, jerking his head back just as a fist whistled past his eyes, stopping inches from the desk.
He looked toward the front of the room, but Owen was gone. The professor had already stepped out. The bullies had seen their opening.
"You bastard, Lux! What did I tell you about dodging my punches?" Robert roared, lunging to grab Edward's collar.
Edward broke free with a practiced, agile movement.
Robert wasn't alone; three others flanked him. They called themselves the "Enemies of Lux"—not because of a personal vendetta, but because of the surname he carried.
The Lux surname was a legend turned curse. Once the rulers of the world, the Lux Empire was now blamed for the emergence of the Cursed Lands and the beasts that ravaged the world.
'And they're responsible for my misfortunes too,' Edward thought bitterly. He had no connection to those legendary figures, but the surname alone was a brand of shame.
Sensing his distraction, Robert attacked again while another student kicked Edward's knee from behind. Edward managed to sidestep the frontal blow, but without eyes in the back of his head, the kick connected. His balance shattered. He stumbled forward, narrowly avoiding a face-plant, but he was left completely exposed.
SWOOSH—SWOOSH!
Two sharp sounds were followed by a double thud and a small explosion of dust. Robert and his cronies clutched their heads in pain, spinning around to see Professor Owen standing in the doorway, eyes piercing.
"Do you want a taste of my 'Hundred Chalk-Sticks Per Second' technique, you little punks?"
"No, sir! We're coming!" they scrambled out of the room.
Edward gave the professor a brief, grateful look, but Owen remained stoic. He wasn't acting out of kindness; he was simply enforcing the rules.
'He didn't do it to help me, he just enforced the academy rules.' Edward sighed and followed the crowd.
-
The group arrived at the Academy's Summoning Hall. Out of five classes, thirty students had failed their previous two attempts; half of them came from Owen's class.
The hall was a cavernous space of dark stone, illuminated by flickering red torches and a massive chandelier. In the center stood a single, jagged rock with water flowing from its core.
"Thirty of you remain—third-year students who have yet to see what destiny has in store." The Academy Director stepped from behind the rock.
He was an elderly man, his face lined with wrinkles and his hair a short, iron-grey. Despite his calm demeanor, his presence exerted a crushing weight on the students' shoulders. He was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom of Linnava.
"Today is your final opportunity. If you wish to rise above the heavens and claim glory, let your destiny prove it," he declared. "The test is simple. Your first three steps into the Water of Awakening will determine if you can summon a beast. If you fail, you are expelled. If you succeed, the Rock of Awakening will reveal your talent in this path."
He looked at the nervous faces. "Proceed. Three at a time. You know the order."
The first three students stepped forward, their shadows stretching long against the dark stone.