The commotion surrounding the Main Cafeteria quietened down as quickly as it was brought up. Danroy Frithron was carried out by his friends while the Freak of the Dundlewoods disappeared from sight. The most surprising aspect of the short battle was that there were no consequences that fell upon the two youths. Neither of them was punished or even reprimanded for summoning out their Spirits in a public setting. The only outcome that had come out was the fact that the Freak of the Dundlewoods had solidified his place as one of the top contenders for first place among the entire cohort.

The following few days of the orientation week was rather uneventful. Shin and the twins had confirmed their school lesson schedule and were delivered the relevant resources by the faculty. Since they were in the combat course, over eighty per cent of their modules all centred around practical combat, such as basic hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Naturally, since the twins had awakened the Ice Bow Spirits, they had a mandatory class about long-ranged combat, something that Shin had lacked in his timetable. However, the one thing that they all had in common was the water-elemental cultivation class.

Being the studious information sponge that he was, Shin had spent orientation week reading through every single textbook given to him so that he could prepare himself for the school year ahead. Compared to learning the complexities about the healing path, the freshmen literature was something that Shin could easily ace with one of his eyes closed. Thus, five days into the orientation week, the black-haired youth had already memorised all the theoretical aspects of his course to an expert degree. In fact, Shin was confident that he would be able to score full marks on any test that the academy might throw at him.

Yet, the young prodigy still wasn’t satisfied. During the first day of orientation week, he had witnessed two of the strongest freshmen in his year and became well aware of the vast disparity that existed between them. Even though Shin was at Rank 18, he was still much weaker compared to those monsters that dominated anyone who was placed before them. Every night, he would take laps around his dormitory and cultivate without rest, just so that he could have a slight edge when the school year starts. And now that he had mastered the academic side of the curriculum, he could focus all of his efforts into improving his physical state.

The twins, on the other hand, didn’t take such a hardcore approach. Perhaps it was because they were beautiful girls, there were many students, boys and girls alike, that wished to befriend them. Emma’s soft and feminine allure made her seem to be extremely approachable while Ella’s sharp and robust demeanour gave the impression that she was a dependable person. In just a matter of one week, the twins had already befriended everyone in their dorm and were acquaintances with a large portion of the boys.

With Shin being cropped up in his room, he barely was able to make any friends, with Isadore being his only contact due to how close their rooms were. While the rest of the freshmen, including Isadore, had formed many close bonds and social cliques, Shin was left alone because of his antisocial first week. Which leads to the situation of the first class of the school year…

‘Arghhh, I shouldn’t have stayed in my room last week!!!’ Shin mentally screamed out as he sat in the corner of the room of his homeroom class.

Although each student had differing classes to attend, all pupils had a homeroom class in their curriculum, which was typically the first lesson of the week. There, students could take some time to communicate with their homeroom teacher about their troubles in studies and simply discuss the matters around the school. For some odd reason, all of Shin’s acquaintances were in a separate class, leaving Shin to deal with the sea of freshmen that had already created their own social groups. Not to mention…

‘Why am I in the same homeroom class as so many famous individuals?!’ Glancing around the spacious study hall, Shin could spot many recognisable faces. Firstly, there was the all too famous Freak of the Dundlewoods, who had already found a comfortable location to nap his hours away. His eyes were shut tight, and he was far away from any of the other students, just like Shin, hinting to the fact that he was not part of any group yet as well.

Secondly, there was a brawny tall man, who seemed nothing like a fifteen-year-old sitting at the back of the class with a group of adolescent boys flocking his desk, making them look like servants attending their young master. His chiselled face that seemed to lack even the slightest bit of fat and the muscles that were bulging out from his way too tight robes made him look incredibly fit and robust. Naturally, with the walking encyclopedia that was Isadore constantly narrating by his side, Shin had come to recognise all the famous faces that graced the freshmen year. The sinewy, sunburnt man was the eldest son of Lieutenant General Mathias, one of the top military personnel in the country. Coming from a lineage of generals, Suji Lasgeor was by far, the latest talent in the Lasgeor family.

The next prominent individual in the room was the youthful and cheery girl that was bouncing from clique to clique. Her pure white hair that differed from the norm, made her stand out from the crowd and her rosy cheeks made the girl a joy to be around. Once again, through the helpful encyclopedia, which for some reason happened to enter the same homeroom class as the twins, Shin was immediately able to discern her identity. Daughter of the affluent Terlus Zedcris, Elrin Zedcris was literally born with a silver spoon in her mouth, with her first taste of milk being fed to her using a Mythic Armament that was shaped like a spoon. Using the blessing that had been granted to her, she cultivated at an exponential rate once she awakened her Spirit, and had become one of the most talented children amongst the new generation of Spirit Users.

Finally, there was the black-haired and ruby-coloured eyes beauty that all the males in the Empire lusted for. The Witch of the South, Kanari Saniela, was sitting within a horde of students that hoped to etch their names firmly into her memory. Her friendly smile that was unlike her status made Kanari seem much more approachable as compared to a regular aristocrat.

‘Did they gather all of the most prominent figures into one class?!’ Shin felt an immense headache forming in the depths of his brain. In fact, the regular students that didn’t have monikers given to them were not small fry. Eavesdropping on their conversations, Shin could determine that many of them were children of nobility or talented individuals that the academy had scouted. And just when Shin thought that his school life had begun with a despondent start...

“Alright maggots! Take your seats, I’m going to start the lesson!” Entering the room with a miserable yet irritable face, a tanned lanky man grimaced while bellowing out.

‘Arghhh, fuck! Of course, that asshole is my homeroom teacher!’ Shin felt his headache intensifying as he recognised the scoundrel that stood at the front of the room.

With ‘honourable’ intentions, Principal Erudito had assigned Mychael, who had been teaching Shin for the past four months to become the young man’s homeroom teacher. Naturally, there was some pushback by the faculty of having Mychael mentor such a distinguished group of students, but it was all hushed by the bronzed-face scholar.

“...”

The moment Mychael entered the room, the entire class fell into silence. Many of the students were squinting their eyes in discontent, and even the infamous Witch of the South couldn’t hide her displeasure. Evidently, the scoundrel’s reputation precedes himself.

“So you sons of bitches are part of this year’s Star Class huh…” Mychael gave a brief scan of the room and identified all of the famous names in the class. The elegant but slack jawed Witch of the South, the hefty-sized behemoth Suji Lasgeor, the adorable creature that was named the Freak of the Dundlewoods and even perhaps the most prosperous daughter in the entire Capital. All of those individuals were people that would go on to do big things for the Empire. Yet, Mychael’s undivided attention lay on the black-haired youth that had managed to drag him down from the position of the Chief Instructor of the fourth-years to homeroom teacher of the notorious bunch of freshmen.

“To start off, some introductions are required. My name is Mychael Dryttimria! I will be your homeroom teacher for the next six years… Unfortunately...” Spitting out a mouthful of saliva, the tanned skin scoundrel scowled in annoyance.

“As many of you know, the homeroom classes for each year follows a hierarchical structure. The ones who barely passed the entrance requirements are assigned to the common classes. Those that are above average would be allotted to the Elite Classes, while those who are the top talents of the cohort are brought to this class… The Star Class.”

‘I didn’t know that!’ Shin mentally retorted. Now he was finally aware of why he was surrounded by the best of the best in the academy.

“Members of the Star Class are expected to become some of the best figures the Empire has ever seen. Many of your alumni had made a mark for themselves in the illustrious history of the Himmel Empire. Some have become exemplary warriors in the battlefield that tear through battalion after battalion.” While Mychael said those words, he shot an annoyed look at Shin’s direction.

“Some have gone on to become generals that could lead an army into a thousand victories.” This time, he fervently stared Suji down.

“Some have even become great powerhouses that defend the Empire from their foes.” Changing his sights to the sleeping Freak of the Dundlewoods, Mychael let out one final sigh.

“And some… Have reached a threshold that no mere Spirit User could pass... They became Spirit Saints.” Stopping his speech in the direction of Kanari’s seat, Mychael forced the usually amicable black-haired beauty to jerk slightly.

“So I hope that you guys live up to your reputation as those in the Star Class. If you are not up to par, at the end of each year, someone from the Elite Class might take your place. For your own benefit, I hope that you don’t become complacent because of your current talents. Imperius Academy houses some of the best talents that the Empire has. Just one slip-up and your status as a member of the Star Class would be in serious jeopardy.” Ending his sermon with a bitter warning, the lanky man sat on the teacher’s table and started his next topic for the day.

“Self-introductions! Since all of you are going to become classmates for the next year, the least you could do is remember everyone’s name. When I call out your name, stand up and give a short introduction of yourself.”

“Teacher! What do you mean by short introduction?” A curious student raised her hand to ask.

“Hmmm, how about this? State your name, which course you’re in, and obviously...” At that moment, Mychael shot a sinister smile down Shin’s direction, sending a cold shiver to run down the black-haired youth’s spine. “What cultivation level you’re currently at.”

‘That asshole!’ Shin mentally cursed the scoundrel vehemently when he heard his words. In Imperius Academy, the strong were targeted, and the weak were preyed on. Even though Shin had one of the highest cultivation levels in the room, he was undoubtedly weaker than many of the combat-oriented Spirit Users. Especially after witnessing the ‘fight’ between the Freak of the Dundlewoods and Danroy, Shin didn’t want a horde of fame-hungry freshmen, trying to obtain a win over him when he was still too weak.

“Of course, don’t you dare lie. I know all of your cultivation levels so I’ll call you out.” Not giving Shin even a semblance of hope, Mychael wore a malevolent grin, as he waited for the black-haired youth the self-destruct so that he could have his petty vengeance.

‘Arghhh!!! This fucker will be the death of me!’