The sound of heels clicking on the floor echoed, drawing the attention of all the students. The moment they saw who was entering the hall, they sat up straight.
"She's really a beauty," whispered Eugene, the Warhammer.
Echo didn't say a word but nodded in agreement. The newcomer was one of their professors, Beatrice, a renowned top Hero in Sentinel City.
She stood at 5'6", with brown wavy hair reaching down her back, deep black eyes, a finely sculpted nose, and full lips—a true beauty. Beatrice's figure was impossible to hide; she had an hourglass shape, her uniform hugging her hips in a way that tempted many of the men. But what drew even more attention were the two prominent curves in front, straining against her Celestus black suit with silver lining.
"I want to dive into those," Eugene murmured.
"You wouldn't fit in there. She'd probably try to dive into yours," Echo replied with a chuckle.
"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Eugene laughed, only to cut his laughter short when their professor slapped her hand on the table.
The loud smack echoed through the hall, jolting the men whose eyes were still glued to her "weapons."
"Eyes up here," Beatrice commanded, pointing to her own eyes. Seeing the lecherous stares stop, she nodded. "I'll start by introducing myself. I'm Beatrice, one of the professors at this academy. My Hero name is Ener, which stands for Energizer. I'll be one of your professors until you graduate and officially register as Heroes. And let me make one thing clear before we begin—I am no pushover and will not tolerate laziness! If you don't want to pass, then get the hell out."
Her voice thundered through the room. Seeing no reactions from the students, she nodded again. She slid a finger across the table in front of her, and a holographic screen materialized behind her.
"Even though a tragedy occurred two weeks ago and buildings are still being repaired, that doesn't mean the Academy will stop teaching its students," Beatrice said as the hologram behind her flashed. "We'll cover a range of subjects, from combat tactics, strategy, power mastery, and control, to hero ethics and responsibilities, Untamed Physiology, Villain Psychology, and much more. But since you all aren't blessed with superpowers, you'll have to work harder than the gifted. Anyway, let's begin with the Untamed."
Echo and the others turned to the massive holographic screen. It displayed an image of a black dog, but it wasn't an ordinary animal. It stood at least two meters tall and weighed as much as a small car.
A description beside the image read: Black Spike—a creature with fur as sharp as razor blades, teeth capable of cutting through diamonds, and claws that can tear through nearly any metal.
"I'm sure most of you are familiar with this creature," Beatrice continued. "It's a common Untamed that frequently attacks cities and plagues certain World Rocks. But even if it's classified as common, its strength is such that a normal person wouldn't stand a chance against it. None of you would survive a bear attack, let alone a creature like this."
"I can fight a bear head-on," Eugene muttered.
"Sure you can," Echo commented dryly.
Beatrice continued her lecture, covering information that Echo and the others were already familiar with.
"Why don't we just jump into Practical Training? We already know this stuff," Eugene whispered as Beatrice's voice echoed in the background.
"Because they're the ones who get to decide what we learn, not us," Echo replied, glancing toward the door.
"This is boring... but no matter how dull the lecture, as long as I can see those t*tties, hehe," Eugene chuckled, his eyes locked on their professor's chest.
"You there," Beatrice nodded in Eugene's direction, raising an eyebrow. "What are the weaknesses of Black Spike?"
"Crap," Eugene muttered, hurriedly standing up under Beatrice's intense gaze.
"Crap? Is that a weakness?" Beatrice asked, her expression severe.
"N-no," Eugene scratched the back of his head. "Common Untamed have common weaknesses, so it's their heads and hearts, right?"
"Yes, but that only applies to those with superpowers. What about you? Can you crush their heads and hearts?!" Beatrice's voice echoed through the hall, and Eugene clenched his fists.
Echo watched their professor, contemplating. Beatrice, also known as Ener, had the power to Energize herself, boosting her strength so she could shatter rocks with a punch and move at incredible speed. She could channel her energy to make someone else stronger too, though with less effect than on herself. Her mastery over her power had made her a formidable Hero. By energizing just her feet, she could run as fast as a cheetah, or by focusing power in her fist, she could not only break rocks but demolish a vehicle.
A support fighter and a powerhouse.
She was also a Hero with a fiery temper and a bit of an ego, only respecting those she considered equals. Some people couldn't stand her, but not Echo—he simply glanced at her chest as Eugene responded to her question.
"I can't," Eugene admitted, staring seriously at Beatrice. "That's why—"
"That's why what?!"
"That's why I'm going to sit down and listen carefully!" Eugene quickly took his seat, causing the chair to creak under his weight.
"You men! If you keep trying to become Heroes with your d*cks, you won't even last a second against a Black Spike!" Beatrice shouted, glaring at each of the men in her class before focusing on Eugene. "The weakness is their *ssholes, got it?!"
"Got it! I'll shove my hands deep inside their *sses and rearrange those dogs' guts!" Eugene responded with a salute, prompting some of the students to chuckle.
"Quiet!" Beatrice slammed her hand on the table, and the image on the screen shifted to another Untamed creature.
"She's quite the b*tch, isn't she?" Eugene whispered to Echo. "She's clearly underestimating us. If I had my equipment, I could tear those dogs in half."
"Yeah," Echo replied with a grin.
"Hehe, that's what I like about you, man. You're on my side," Eugene said, raising his arm to sling it around Echo's shoulders. But the moment he did, Beatrice caught his movement.
"Hey, you! Do you have something to add?" she asked, noticing Eugene's raised hand.
"Nothing! Just stretching!" Eugene quickly put his hand back down. "By the way, you're an Engineer and your weapon's a gun, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Echo asked, curious while still listening to the lecture.
"I heard Dianne's savior was holding a gun when he rescued her..." Eugene's words trailed off as he looked at Echo with realization. "Don't tell me... you didn't go to the bathroom during the attack!"
"Nah, you're overthinking it," Echo replied with a wink.
But the moment the lecture ended and Beatrice left, a quietness fell over the room as another person entered the hall.
"Where is Echo Maxwell?" the newcomer asked, her monotone, cold voice echoing through the room. The students turned to look in one direction as her words settled.