The Royal Division learned very quickly that Instructor Gareth Thorn had a cruel sense of timing.
Not humor.
Timing.
There was a difference.
The morning after Professor Selene’s lesson on Instinct Bleed, every student entered the training grounds expecting another round of footwork drills.
Instead…
Gareth stood beside a line of weighted training packs.
Rex stopped walking.
“No.” Adrian glanced at him.
“You don’t even know what we’re doing.” “I know enough.” Gareth looked toward the group.
“Take one.” Rex sighed.
“I knew it.” — Each pack looked simple.
Canvas straps.
Metal frame.
A Beast Crystal embedded in the center.
Kael lifted one.
The moment the straps settled across his shoulders— The weight increased.
His knees bent slightly.
Interesting.
A normal pack that size should have weighed perhaps ten kilograms.
This felt closer to twenty-five.
Rex nearly dropped his.
“What is inside this thing?” Gareth answered without looking at him.
“Nothing.” Rex stared.
“That’s worse.” Professor Hale, standing nearby, chuckled.
“The crystal alters gravitational pressure within a limited field.” Kael looked down at the device.
Localized gravity manipulation.
Using Beast Crystal technology.
This world continued to surprise him.
On Earth, technology like this would have rewritten entire industries.
Here…
It was gym equipment.
— Gareth walked along the line.
“Today is Physical Conditioning.” Several students visibly regretted enrolling.
“Your Beast Soul can strengthen your body.” He stopped.
“But Beastification does not excuse weakness.” His gaze moved across the class.
“If your untransformed body lacks endurance…” “Your transformed body will consume energy inefficiently.” He tapped one of the packs.
“You will run.” Silence.
Rex raised his hand.
“How far?” Gareth looked toward the distant Academy wall.
Then beyond it.
“Until I tell you to stop.” Rex lowered his hand.
“I shouldn’t have asked.” — The course began at the eastern training grounds.
It wound across the Academy campus before continuing through a controlled forest located behind the northern wall.
No monsters.
No dangerous terrain.
Just hills.
Stairs.
Bridges.
Mud.
And apparently…
An instructor determined to destroy every first-year student’s legs.
“Begin.” The students started running.
Some sprinted immediately.
Kael didn’t.
Neither did Adrian.
They settled into steady paces.
Aria ran several steps behind.
Rex began beside them.
For approximately thirty seconds.
Then he accelerated past everyone.
“I’ll see you at the finish!” Adrian watched him go.
“There is no announced finish.” Kael nodded.
“He’ll learn.” — Five minutes later…
They passed Rex.
He was breathing like a dying furnace.
“Don’t…” He gasped.
“…say anything.” Kael continued running.
“I wasn’t going to.” Adrian nodded.
“Neither was I.” Aria passed him.
“I was.” Rex stared after her.
“You’ve changed!” — The first section of the course was easy enough.
Stone pathways.
Gentle inclines.
Wide courtyards.
The challenge came from the weighted packs.
Every few minutes, the Beast Crystals pulsed.
The pressure increased slightly.
Students who hadn’t noticed the pattern struggled the most.
Kael adapted his pace.
Breathing through the nose.
Controlled exhale.
Shorter stride uphill.
Longer stride downhill.
Marcus had taught him endurance drills.
Earth had taught Ethan something else.
Never waste energy you might need later.
That lesson applied surprisingly well here.
— Around the twentieth minute, the class reached the northern wall.
A massive gate stood open.
Beyond it stretched dense woodland.
Rex stared into the trees.
“That wasn’t part of the campus tour.” Professor Hale stood beside the gate.
“Students don’t see everything on their first day.” Rex pointed toward the forest.
“Are there monsters?” “No.” “You’re certain?” “Mostly.” Rex stopped.
“Mostly?” Hale smiled.
“Run along.” Rex looked betrayed.
— The forest trail was harder.
Roots crossed the path.
Loose stones shifted beneath their boots.
Mud covered several sections from recent rain.
Students slowed.
That was exactly what Gareth wanted.
Kael realized the lesson was no longer simply endurance.
It was movement under fatigue.
Again.
Everything connected.
Footwork.
Balance.
Falling.
Now stamina.
The Academy wasn’t teaching separate skills.
It was building layers.
— A student ahead stumbled over a root.
He pitched forward.
Instead of extending his arms— He tucked.
Rolled.
Returned to his feet.
Gareth, running effortlessly beside the class, gave a single nod.
“Good.” The student smiled despite his exhaustion.
Yesterday’s lesson.
Already useful.
Kael liked that.
— The trail narrowed.
Students naturally formed smaller groups.
Kael ran beside Adrian.
Aria remained close.
Rex had recovered enough to follow behind them.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Rex gasped: “I hate forests.” Aria looked over her shoulder.
“You said yesterday you wanted to become a Hunter.” “Yesterday Rex was naive.” Adrian almost laughed.
“Yesterday Rex was you.” “Exactly.” — A steep hill appeared ahead.
The class groaned collectively.
Gareth pointed upward.
“Top.” Rex looked at the hill.
Then at Gareth.
Then back at the hill.
“I have a question.” “No.” “You don’t know what I was going to ask.” “No.” Rex sighed.
“Fair.” — Students began climbing.
Running became impossible for some.
Kael leaned slightly forward and shortened his steps.
The pack pulled heavily against his shoulders.
His legs burned.
Sweat ran down his back.
He continued.
Halfway up…
Something stirred inside him.
D-Rex.
Strength.
A simple instinct rose.
Push harder.
Kael noticed it.
Professor Selene’s lesson returned immediately.
Notice.
Understand.
Choose.
The impulse wasn’t dangerous.
But it wasn’t intelligent either.
He could use more strength.
Partial Beastification would make this hill easy.
That wasn’t the point.
So he ignored it.
Not suppressed.
Ignored.
There was a difference.
D-Rex grumbled.
“We are stronger than this.” “I know.” “Then use it.” “No.” “Why?” “Because strength isn’t the lesson.” D-Rex became quiet.
A moment later— “Humans enjoy suffering.” Kael almost laughed.
— Near the top, Aria’s pace slowed.
She didn’t stop.
But her breathing had become uneven.
Kael glanced toward her.
“Shorter steps.” She looked at him.
“What?” “Don’t fight the hill.” He demonstrated.
“Shorter stride.
Keep your breathing steady.” Aria adjusted.
After several seconds, her rhythm improved.
“Better?” “…Much.” Rex heard them from behind.
“What about me?” Kael looked back.
“Stop talking.” Rex stared.
“That feels personal.” “It’s efficient.” Adrian laughed.
— At the hilltop, Gareth finally allowed them thirty seconds of rest.
Thirty.
Not thirty minutes.
Rex fell onto the grass.
“I’ve seen death.” Aria leaned against a tree.
“You say that often.” “This time it waved.” Adrian remained standing, although he was breathing heavily.
Kael sat on a nearby stone.
His legs felt hot.
His shoulders ached.
But he wasn’t exhausted.
Not yet.
That concerned him slightly.
D-Rex’s disguised influence had altered his physical baseline.
Marcus had already noticed he was stronger than expected for a Common Rank.
If Kael performed too well here…
Others might notice too.
He needed to manage that.
Not pretend to be weak.
That would look unnatural.
Simply avoid appearing exceptional.
— Gareth watched the students.
His eyes briefly paused on Kael.
Kael deliberately rolled one shoulder as though loosening soreness.
Then drank from his water flask.
Gareth looked away.
Good.
— “Thirty seconds.” Gareth turned.
“Move.” Rex stared upward from the grass.
“That was thirty?” “Yes.” “I disagree.” “Your opinion has no effect on time.” Professor Hale appeared farther down the trail somehow holding a cup of tea.
Rex pointed at him.
“Why does he have tea?” Hale took a sip.
“Seniority.” Rex looked devastated.
“I want seniority.” “Survive four years.” “…That’s a long time.” — The second half of the course changed again.
They encountered low walls.
Balance beams.
Rope climbs.
Shallow streams.
Not individually difficult.
Together…
After nearly an hour of running…
They became miserable.
At one obstacle, students had to cross a narrow wooden beam above a muddy trench.
Nothing dangerous.
Only embarrassing.
The first student moved carefully.
Then another.
Adrian crossed without difficulty.
Aria followed.
Rex stepped onto the beam.
He spread both arms.
“I was born for this.” Kael stared.
“No, you weren’t.” “Believe in me.” Rex took three steps.
Four.
Five.
Then the gravitational crystal in his pack pulsed.
The weight increased.
His expression changed.
“Oh.” He tilted sideways.
“No.” His arms windmilled.
“No no no—” Splash.
Mud exploded.
Silence.
Rex slowly sat up in the trench.
His entire uniform was brown.
Aria covered her mouth.
Adrian failed to hide his laughter.
Kael didn’t bother.
Rex looked at them.
“I trusted you.” Kael shook his head.
“I specifically told you not to.” — Even Gareth gave Rex a moment to climb out.
“Continue.” Rex wiped mud from his face.
“Instructor.” “What?” “Can I remove the pack?” “No.” “Can I remove the mud?” “No.” “Can I remove myself from the Academy?” “No.” Rex sighed.
“Very strict school.” — The course finally ended nearly ninety minutes after it began.
Students staggered back into the eastern training grounds.
The moment Gareth said— “Stop.” Half the class collapsed.
Rex fell face-first onto the grass.
Nobody moved him.
Kael lowered himself carefully onto the ground.
His breathing remained heavy enough to look normal.
Adrian sat beside him.
Aria dropped onto the grass opposite them.
For almost a minute…
Nobody spoke.
Then Rex’s muffled voice came from the ground.
“I’ve made a decision.” Adrian sighed.
“Another career change?” “Yes.” “What now?” “Scholar.” Aria looked toward him.
“You said your brain hurt yesterday.” Rex remained face-down.
“I forgot.” — Professor Hale walked among the exhausted students.
“Congratulations.” Several students groaned.
“You’ve completed your first conditioning assessment.” Kael looked up.
Assessment.
So it had been a test.
Not a graded one, probably.
But the instructors had been watching.
Gareth held a crystal tablet.
He had recorded something throughout the run.
Pacing.
Recovery.
Balance.
Maybe decision-making.
Kael wasn’t sure.
That meant his attempt to appear ordinary had been necessary.
— A student raised her hand weakly.
“Professor…” “Yes?” “Did anyone fail?” Hale smiled.
“No.” Confusion spread.
“But some people didn’t complete every obstacle.” “Correct.” “Some walked.” “Correct.” “Then…” Hale looked around.
“The purpose of an assessment is to discover where you are.” “Not punish you for not already being where you’re going.” The students became quiet.
Gareth lowered the tablet.
“Those who struggled with endurance will train endurance.” “Those who struggled with balance will train balance.” “Those who rushed…” His eyes moved toward several students.
Including Rex.
“…will learn patience.” Rex raised his head slightly.
“I feel targeted.” “You should.” — Professor Hale continued.
“Your bodies are different.” “Your Beast Souls are different.” “Your starting points are different.” He gestured toward the training grounds.
“So your training will eventually become different.” “But fundamentals remain universal.” He pointed toward the packs.
“Remove them.” Never had an instruction been followed faster.
Students practically tore the straps from their shoulders.
Kael removed his.
The pressure vanished instantly.
His body suddenly felt impossibly light.
He stood.
For a moment…
His balance changed.
Interesting.
Gareth noticed several students wobble.
“That sensation matters.” He said.
“You’ve adapted to additional weight.” “Now your body must readjust.” He looked toward them.
“Transformation creates similar problems.” Kael’s attention sharpened.
“When Beastification changes your body…” “Your center of gravity may shift.” “Your limbs may become heavier.” “Your height can change.” “Your senses can become stronger.” “Power without adaptation creates instability.” He tapped one pack with his boot.
“These teach your body to adapt.” Kael looked at the Beast Crystal.
So even this wasn’t just exercise.
Everything had purpose.
— After class, the four walked slowly toward the dining hall.
Very slowly.
Rex had changed into a spare Academy uniform after someone took pity on him and showed him the cleaning station.
He still smelled faintly like mud.
Aria looked toward Kael.
“You weren’t very tired.” Kael’s gaze shifted to her.
“I was.” “Not as much as most people.” She wasn’t accusing him.
Just observing.
That was arguably worse.
Kael shrugged.
“My father trained me before the Academy.” Adrian nodded.
“That explains some of it.” Aria accepted the answer.
Thankfully.
Rex pointed at Kael.
“I knew you were suspicious.” “You sprinted at the beginning.” “That was tactical.” “It was stupid.” “Those things can overlap.” Adrian stared at him.
“No.” — They reached the dining hall.
Rex immediately recovered half his strength.
“Food.” Aria shook her head.
“Your instincts are incredibly predictable.” Rex stopped.
His eyes widened.
“Instinct Bleed.” Kael almost smiled.
“You might actually be learning.” Rex looked proud.
“Professor Selene would be impressed.” Adrian glanced toward the enormous meal Rex was already collecting.
“Or horrified.” — After lunch, Kael had Monster Ecology.
The class was quieter.
Less physically demanding.
Exactly what everyone needed.
Their instructor, a middle-aged woman named Professor Helena Ward, spent the first lesson explaining the basic difference between Beast Souls and monsters.
“Never confuse the two.” She wrote the words across the crystal board.
BEAST SOUL ≠ MONSTER “A Beast Soul is part of a human.” “A monster is an independent living organism.” She displayed images of several creatures.
Horned wolves.
Crystal-backed lizards.
Massive insects with metallic shells.
“Some resemble known Beast Souls.” “Others do not.” “Never assume a monster behaves like a Beastifier simply because they look similar.” Kael listened carefully.
This subject mattered.
Eventually…
Field missions would place them outside Academy walls.
Monster knowledge would mean survival.
— Professor Ward displayed the image of a large wolf-like monster covered in gray armor plates.
“Stonefang.” She pointed toward its jaw.
“What do you notice?” Hands rose.
“Armored head.” “Correct.” “Short rear legs.” “Good.” “Large shoulders.” “Very good.” She smiled.
“So where would you attack?” Several students immediately answered.
“The legs.” “The sides.” “The eyes.” Professor Ward nodded.
“Perhaps.” Then she changed the image.
The Stonefang turned.
Its tail ended in a heavy bone club.
Several students groaned.
“Exactly.” She smiled.
“Nature dislikes obvious answers.” Kael liked this professor too.
— By the end of the day, the Academy bell felt like mercy.
Students poured through the gates.
Some complained.
Some laughed.
Some compared injuries that barely qualified as injuries.
Kael walked home with his friends until their paths separated.
Rex limped dramatically.
Aria looked at him.
“You’re exaggerating.” “I suffered.” “You fell into mud.” “Emotionally.” Adrian shook his head.
“I wonder how long before we stop listening to him.” Kael answered immediately.
“Probably never.” Rex smiled.
“Friendship.” “That’s not what he meant,” Aria said.
— When Kael reached home, Noah ran toward him.
“Did you fight today?” “No.” “Did you transform?” “No.” “Did you learn magic?” “No.” Noah frowned.
“What did you do?” Kael thought about it.
“I ran.” Noah stared.
“That’s school?” “Apparently.” Noah looked deeply disappointed.
Kael laughed and ruffled his hair.
— That night…
Kael stood alone in his room.
His muscles ached.
A good ache.
Proof that his human body still had limits.
He looked at his hands.
Physical conditioning.
Instinct control.
Beastification theory.
Monster ecology.
The Academy was giving him foundations.
But there was one thing he still hadn’t tested.
That strange heat from his right arm.
Kael closed his bedroom door.
Locked it.
Then sat cross-legged on the floor.
His breathing slowed.
His awareness turned inward.
Darkness.
Then— The inner world opened.
D-Rex stood within its territory.
Mosasaurus moved beneath endless black water.
Quetzalcoatlus rested high above.
The Queen watched from her throne.
Kael looked at them.
“I want answers.” D-Rex rumbled.
“You always want answers.” “Yes.” Kael raised his right hand.
“Yesterday, during weapons training, this became hot.” The Queen’s expression remained unreadable.
“What was it?” Silence.
Kael waited.
Finally, the Queen spoke.
“Adaptation.” “Explain.” “Your body is learning how to carry what exists inside it.” Kael frowned.
“Without Beastification?” “Not exactly.” She leaned forward slightly.
“Your human body and your Beast Souls are not disconnected switches.” “Transformation is not simply on or off.” Kael remembered Aria’s explanation.
Layered interaction.
Small changes happening throughout the body.
“So the heat was…” “Your body responding.” “To D-Rex?” The Queen smiled faintly.
“Partly.” That word bothered him.
“Partly?” No answer.
Of course.
Kael sighed.
“Is it dangerous?” “Not yet.” That answer was even worse.
“Not yet?” The Queen’s smile widened.
“You’re learning.” “I preferred when you said nothing.” “No, you didn’t.” Unfortunately…
She was right.
Kael looked toward D-Rex.
The enormous creature stared back.
Then toward Mosasaurus.
Quetzalcoatlus.
Finally the Queen.
Four Beast Souls.
One body.
Professor Selene had said deeper synchronization improved control.
But what happened when synchronization involved four different Beasts?
Kael didn’t know.
Neither did any textbook.
Probably.
He opened his eyes.
The inner world vanished.
Moonlight entered through the bedroom window.
Kael slowly flexed his right hand.
No heat.
Nothing unusual.
For now.
He stood and looked toward his Academy uniform hanging beside the desk.
Tomorrow would bring another lesson.
Another piece.
Another question.
And for once…
Kael didn’t mind not having every answer.
He was sixteen again.
A student.
He had time to learn.
That, more than strength or Beast Souls or mysterious transformations…
Might have been the greatest gift this life had given him.
Time.
«End of Chapter 24»