Morning sunlight filled the massive lecture hall.
Rows of stone seats stretched upward like an amphitheater.
Nearly two hundred first-year students gathered inside.
Some chatted excitedly.
Others nervously reviewed their notes.
The first official class at Eclipse Hunter Academy was about to begin.
Mana Theory.
Lysander sat near the back row.
Taro sat beside him, already half asleep.
"Why do we have classes this early…" the beastkin muttered.
Lysander didn't answer.
He quietly observed the room.
Leon sat near the front, relaxed but attentive.
Elara sat two rows away, reading a thick magical textbook.
Caelum leaned against the wall with arms crossed.
And near the center—
A girl with long pale-blue hair sat alone.
Her posture straight.
Her expression cold.
Valeria Frostborn.
One of the strongest first-year students.
Ice element.
Future elite swordswoman.
But right now…
She didn't even glance at Lysander.
Perfect.
The doors opened.
An older instructor entered.
White hair.
Sharp eyes.
Heavy mana presence.
"Good morning."
The room immediately quieted.
"I am Professor Ardent."
"I will be teaching Mana Theory."
He wrote a single word across the large stone board.
MANA
Then he turned toward the class.
"Everything you will become as hunters begins here."
He raised one hand.
A small sphere of blue energy appeared above his palm.
"Mana exists in all living beings."
"Most people never learn to control it."
"But hunters do."
The sphere split into several smaller ones.
Each a different color.
Red.
Blue.
Gold.
Green.
Purple.
"These represent elemental affinities."
Fire.
Water.
Light.
Wind.
Void.
Lightning.
Students watched carefully.
Lysander noticed something interesting.
Void mana flickered differently than the others.
Darker.
More unstable.
Professor Ardent continued.
"Your elemental affinity determines your combat style."
"Mages channel mana externally."
"Warriors reinforce their bodies."
"Swordsmen combine both."
His gaze moved across the room.
"Understanding your element is the first step toward power."
Then the professor clapped once.
The colored mana spheres vanished.
"After this lecture you will register for academy clubs."
"Your real training begins there."
Excited whispers spread through the hall.
Clubs were where students actually developed their combat skills.
Taro leaned toward Lysander.
"Which club are you joining?"
"Swordsmanship?"
Lysander nodded.
"Probably."
Taro grinned.
"Same."
"But I'm also joining the Hunter Expedition Club."
"That's where the real action is."
Lysander's eyes sharpened slightly.
Good.
That was exactly the club he needed.
In the original story…
Several students died during an early expedition mission.
Including someone important.
If the timeline stayed similar—
That mission would happen soon.
Professor Ardent finished the lecture.
"Class dismissed."
Students immediately stood and began leaving the hall.
The academy courtyard quickly filled with groups discussing club registration.
Large boards displayed club names.
Swordsmanship Club
Mage Research Society
Artifact Workshop
Strategy Club
Hunter Expedition Club
Lysander walked calmly toward the registration tables.
Suddenly someone bumped into his shoulder.
Hard.
Lysander turned slightly.
The student didn't even apologize.
Just kept walking.
Valeria Frostborn.
Her cold blue eyes never even looked at him.
Like he didn't exist.
Lysander watched her walk away.
Then shrugged.
Perfect.
Being ignored was exactly what he wanted.
At the club registration table, Lysander wrote his name.
Swordsmanship Club
Then another.
Hunter Expedition Club
The instructor looked at him briefly.
"Two clubs?"
Lysander nodded.
"Yes."
The instructor shrugged.
"Your choice."
As Lysander stepped away from the table—
The system appeared again.
Future Event Probability Detected
Hunter Expedition Club Mission
Risk Level: Moderate
Potential Fate Deviation: Possible
Lysander's eyes narrowed slightly.
So the first deviation opportunity was already approaching.
Somewhere in the academy…
The story was about to start moving again.