"Already expected," Alice said.
"Do you think there's a chance they'll come after us in the academy?" Ana asked.
"Maybe that woman could hold some grudge, but I think the most that will happen is they'll chase us in the first week inside the dungeon!" Lucca affirmed.
"The first week is definite, but as the presence of first-years in the dungeon becomes more frequent, I doubt they'll come after us again," Alice agreed.
"I agree. But next time, we need to be prepared to escape! We can't afford to be caught off guard again," Ana declared with a firm resolve in her voice.
"I agree. Well, it's not like we can do anything about it. Let's do something better, like, let's check our schedule?" Lucca suggested.
"Sure!" Ana responded, a hint of determination still lingering in her expression.
They got up and headed to the entrance of the academy, entered the foyer, and went towards a board where papers listed the members of each class and their schedules.
They found their class, and Lucca asked, "Do you know anyone?"
"People, no! But I know some family names that carry incredible influence just in the weight of their nicknames," Alice said.
"Is there someone prominent?" Lucca asked curiously.
"How could there not be? Only the child of the person who's taking care of the old capital of the human empire!" Ana asserted.
"The first one?" Lucca asked.
"The first and only," Alice said.
"All right! What are we going to do?"
"I want to go eat!" Ivy said.
"Me too," Nolan agreed. With that said, everyone headed to the cafeteria to eat something. Afterward, the group split up, some returning to their rooms, and others started exploring the academy. Lucca was one of them. He began walking around the academy, looking for talents and getting better acquainted with the academy.
Lucca stopped in front of the gravity tower and thought to himself, "It's been four days since I did my daily training! Let's see how this works!"
As he entered the tower, the moment he stepped inside, he felt a strong pressure on his body, causing him to lower his head and struggle to breathe. He thought to himself, 'Is it starting like this? Damn, I just walked in!' Lucca was taken by surprise.
Inside the tower, Lucca was greeted by a surprising sight. The circular interior defied expectations, presenting a series of interconnected floors spiraling upwards. On both sides, an elegant spiral staircase encircled the edge of the tower, leading occupants from one level to the next. The stairs were made of a translucent material, like crystal, giving the impression that they floated in the air. Soft and bright lights were embedded within the steps.
To test it out, Lucca began to run, feeling not too much difficulty in doing so. He decided to climb the stairs, and with each step, gravity increased, and the pressure on his body intensified. He thought to himself, 'I'm already regretting underestimating this damn of tower! He could barely reach the top step, and once on the second floor, he saw no one and thought, 'I need to get used to this gravity; otherwise, I won't be able to complete my training!'
After about four hours, Lucca finally exited the tower, drenched in sweat and his hair soaked. 'shit, I stink! I need to go to the dormitory and take a shower.'
After finishing his shower, it was time for dinner, and he went to the cafeteria. Shortly after, he headed to his room and fell asleep.
The next day, Lucca woke up earlier and had breakfast with his group. After finishing breakfast, the group headed to their first classes. Lucca sat in the last row of the classroom, and when the group followed suit, Ana asked, "Why did you choose to come up here? Isn't it better down there?"
"Haha, of course not! You'll see it's much better back here," Lucca said and thinking to himself, I didn't miss the routine of coming to school. Yet, here I am again'
Lucca asked his group, "What's the first class?"
a serio? perguntou ana
"Historia!" Nolan replied.
"Starting the first class with history is torture. It couldn't be something like combat!" Ivy exclaimed, irritated.
"Maybe you enjoy history, Ivy!" Alice affirmed.
"Why? In my view, there's zero chance of that happening!" Ivy responded.
"Of course, you only like things related to combat!" Ana retorted dryly.
"Because this professor is known as the school's lunatic!" Alice said.
Curious, Lucca asked, "Why?"
"He says senseless and crazy things!" Ana responded.
"To add to what Ana said, I remember he claims that someone altered our history, or that historians don't do their job correctly, things like that!" Alice added.
'The famous conspiracy theory professor. Let's see how crazy he really is,' Lucca thought and replied, "Got it."
After a few minutes, an adult entered the classroom, descended the stairs, and reached the podium, saying, "Good morning!"
The class responded in kind to the professor, and he continued, "Today is the first day of classes, so I'll introduce myself, and you'll introduce yourselves too. I'll give a brief overview of what we'll cover in these classes. Well, my name is George Walker. I've been a professor at this academy for over 15 years, and my endearing nickname in this academy is the mad professor."
Professor George had graying hair, old-fashioned glasses, and a silver beard. He was approximately 1.80 meters (5'11) tall.
A student in the front row asked, "Why, professor?"
"Because they say I only speak crazy and nonsensical things." As soon as Lucca heard this, he looked at Ana with a smile on his face, just like the whole group, and she simply looked down.
"But let's leave that topic for later! Let's introduce ourselves, starting from here," he pointed to the student near the wall in the first row. The students introduced themselves until a certain student caught Lucca's attention.
"Hello, plebeians. For those who haven't had the privilege of meeting me yet, I am Arthur Clark. My family oversees the ancient capital of the human race. I am here to absorb all kinds of knowledge this place can offer, although I doubt there is much to learn among you.
'The famous arrogant fool,' Lucca thought to himself.