Later that night, Victor sat cross-legged at his desk in the corner of their dorm room with his head bent over his phone.
He edited snippets from the morning's brutal rock climbing routine and his lectures, especially the floating platform exercise.
The edits weren't raw footage, of course. He digitally masked everyone's faces, added animated overlays, and converted the whole thing into a stylized 3D reenactment that gave the illusion of a fictional battlefield training.
Just as he was piecing together his intro transition, the door clicked open.
Victor's eyes widened. He swiftly cloaked his phone and camera with a soft layer of qi and moved a notebook over the device just as Kairo stepped in.
Kairo looked exhausted but composed. He glanced at Victor, then narrowed his eyes.
Victor stretched lazily. "Just organizing my lecture notes. You disappeared yesterday."
Kairo grabbed a towel and wiped his face. "B-ranked students get access to personal training lounges. I took advantage of the extra time."
"No wonder I didn't see you at all."
"Still," Kairo approached Victor's corner. "You look a little too relaxed."
He felt like Victor wasn't even trying hard and wonder how he intended to be excellent in the Academy this way.
Victor chuckled. "It's the only time I get peace. Morning routines beat the rest of the energy out of me."
Kairo hovered nearby for a second longer than necessary but said nothing more. He tossed his gear in the corner and collapsed onto his bed.
Victor exhaled in relief.
The camera and phone remained cloaked beneath the notebook.
In a flash two days had gone by.
Each morning, Camp 11's routines continued as usual just like the others.
Wednesday challenge was swimming which many found difficult especially if their cities didn't have a body of water. Victor was amongst the many who didn't know how to swim so he had to be taught from scratch but he performed terribly.
Thursday's challenge was a complicated obstacle course that tested agility, upper body strength, and balance. Victor performed admirably.
His lectures became more refined. Theory merged with practice. Combat partners rotated frequently.
Victor had even done a few duels but nothing serious.
The instructors on the other hand were starting to take notice of students who were doing remarkable.
Each night, Victor logged into Ascendant Realms and spent long hours cycling qi through his meridians and pushing toward a breakthrough. Despite his low realm in comparison to the trials awaiting him, he felt every hour of training mattered.
His cultivation level had now reached Core Formation Realm (81%).
He was getting closer.
And now, it was Friday.
Exactly one week had passed since the first-years arrived at the Academy.
Victor stood at the dorm room window that morning while staring out at the training fields and lecture towers.
Countless more to go.
The sky above the Awakened Academy's dome glowed in the soft lavender hue of early morning. Victor arrived at Camp 11's assembly point with a stretch and a yawn, surprised to find that the atmosphere was unusually relaxed.
There were no weights today.
No instructors screaming.
No floating obstacle gauntlets or cliffside death traps waiting to test their endurance.
Just quiet chatter, groggy eyes, and relieved expressions.
Victor exchanged a glance with Rylan.
"Is this a trap?" He whispered.
"If it is," Rylan replied, "I'm okay with it."
Victor cracked a grin.
It seemed like they were only required to jump today and it was pretty fun as well as laxed.
Not long after, the students were guided toward the main educational building, but this time, not to the usual combat halls or strategic theory rooms. Instead, they were led into one of the most pristine and aesthetically pleasing lecture theaters Victor had seen since arriving at the Academy.
High-arched crystal windows that reflected gentle golden light and smooth floors that displayed ones reflection. Tiered seating arranged in a soft spiral, all directed at a single stage decorated with calligraphy.
All first-year students, from warriors to summoners, mages, necromancers, assassins, healers, and even berserkers, were present.
Victor found a seat near the front.
Reed spotted him first.
"Well, well," he grinned while flopping into the seat next to Victor. "If it isn't Mr Hero. How's Camp 11 treating you? Still training with pebbles?"
Victor smirked. "Still louder than a mana explosion, I see."
Aria slid into her seat a row ahead while flipping her hair. "If Camp 11 was supposed to prepare you for greatness, you might want to ask for a refund."
"You been practicing that line in the mirror?" Victor replied.
"I don't need practice," she said smoothly, "I was born above you."
Kai walked past and took his seat beside Aria. Calm and composed as always. His only acknowledgment was a small nod in Victor's direction.
Reed leaned closer and whispered, "Kai speaks once every hundred years. Treasure that nod, man."
Victor chuckled under his breath just as the new instructor arrived—
He didn't march or stride like the others.
He looked young—early thirties, maybe. Lean but not frail. Long brown hair tied into a neat ponytail, soft features, thin glasses and a loosely worn robe instead of the standard instructors uniform.
A warm smile lit up his face.
He looked like a librarian who'd gotten lost on the way to a poetry recital.
He stood on the stage with his hands folded.
"Good morning, students," he said gently with a calm and warm tone.
"My name is Instructor Harel. You may call me Harel if you prefer. Today marks your first lecture in a subject simply titled Insight Studies. It is the only class you will take once a week that also mixes all Awakened types together."
"Why is this class so... different?" An assassin girl inquired.
Harel nodded. "A good question. All your other instructors are harsh, aren't they? Intense. Disciplined. That is because they are all Mana Defense Officers. Veterans of the frontlines. Fighters who have seen cities fall, comrades die, and beasts devour the land."
Murmurs followed. Some students exchanged knowing glances.
"They have been sent here to train the next generation," Harel continued. "Every three years, they rotate back to the battlefield. Then new ones arrive to take their place. This rotation ensures you are always learning from the very best—from those who are surviving in the very world you will one day step into."
Another student raised a hand.
"But then... why are you different?"
That question hung in the air.
Harel chuckled softly. "Because I am not a Mana Defense Officer. And I am not an Awakened."
Everyone stared in awe and confusion.
"I am a normal human."