Rolex tried his best, but no matter how much he focused, he couldn't sense any energy around him. Most of the students were in the same situation, struggling just like him, but a few had managed to sense something.
"That's it for today," Camon said as he turned to leave.
"Sir."
A voice called out. It was a young man with light gray hair, who looked to be in his early twenties.
"Hmm?" Camon turned to him and asked, "What?"
"Sir… yesterday, someone died…" Before he could finish, Camon raised his hand, silencing him instantly.
"I have said this before, but I will say it again. Your life is in your hands. If someone dies, they die. Don't ask me about it again." His tone was strict, his gaze cold. "If you're so afraid of dying, leave now."
His words sent a shiver through many of the students, but Rolex simply smiled. He understood that leaving the academy meant a life of slums, hunger, and loneliness. He had already made up his mind—he would live or die here. That was why, when he saw the corpse yesterday, he didn't think much of it.
"Be careful," Camon warned before walking toward the forbidden side of the forest, where students were not allowed to step.
Sham stretched lazily before glancing at Rolex, who was still trying to practice the breathing technique.
"Hey, don't push yourself too much. If you overdo it, you won't be able to sleep at night." He patted Rolex's shoulder, stopping him and a few others from continuing.
"Okay…" Rolex sighed, feeling a little disappointed that he still couldn't sense the Natural Energy.
"Your talent seems… pretty average," Sham said, running a hand through his messy black hair. "Normally, it would take about an hour to sense Natural Energy for someone who has an affiliation of more than 50%, but it's been over two hours for you, and you have sensed nothing."
"…"
"I don't mean to insult you or anything." Sham grinned. "You don't have to be a genius to learn the Way of Sigils, so don't worry too much about it. Haha."
"Oh? Tell me more about it," Rolex said, lying down on the grass.
"The Way of Sigils relies more on external energy than internal energy. You see, Sigils are nature's symbols. If you draw a Fire Sigil with your energy, external fire energy will gather, and flames will be born. Just like that, there are thousands… no, tens of thousands of Sigils, just for the basic elements alone. I don't know much, but I want to learn more…" Sham said, lost in thought.
"That many?" Rolex was surprised.
"That is just outside knowledge. We don't know if they are more or less." Sham shrugged.
"Wow… Even though I went to school, they never taught us anything about this."
"Of course. I only learned this from my uncle. I know a little about the Way of Looms, the Way of Pinnacles, and… the Way of Severances…" Sham's voice softened at the last part.
Sensing the shift in mood, Rolex quickly changed the subject. "Ah, anyway! Let's go eat something. I'm starving."
"Hmm." Sham nodded, following along.
They set out to hunt and were lucky to find wild animals nearby. Outside the academy, finding meat was rare due to the harsh environment. Forests were dangerous, as Dimensional Beasts lurked within, and people avoided them at all costs.
By the afternoon, Sham was taking a nap, having nothing better to do, while Rolex sat deep in thought, trying to figure out how to absorb Natural Energy.
'Sham was trained by his uncle before… so he's already a few steps ahead.' it didn't take him much time to know that as he had suspected it during the morning class, but he confirmed it when he saw Sham kill a rabbit with just a snap. 'I need to work harder…'
As he pondered, his gaze fell on a young man sitting alone nearby. Rolex recognized him instantly—his light gray hair was unique.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided to approach. With a friendly smile, he walked over. "Hello, my name is Rolex."
The young man lifted his head slightly, his eyes scanning Rolex's face. "What do you need?"
"Haha, nothing. I just wanted to talk." Rolex chuckled.
"Huh… Well, my name is Cherry," the young man replied with a faint, weary smile.
"Oh? What are you doing alone?" Rolex asked as he sat down beside him, occasionally looking at Sham.
"Well…" Cherry rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "I wasn't alone. The guy with me yesterday… he was killed…"
Crack.
A sudden, sharp sound shattered the silence.
A cold shiver ran down Rolex's spine and his survival instincts screamed at him—run! Without a second thought, he ran without even looking in the direction of the sound.
Cherry did the same, reacting instantly. He was fast—speed had saved him yesterday, and it would save him today too.
Rolex leaped toward Sham, trying to kick him awake. But before his foot could connect, Sham moved on instinct, rolling away and snapping his eyes open.
"What..." Sham was about to curse, but then he saw them.
Two men in black robes, their faces hidden beneath their hoods, were slowly approaching.
"Shit!" Sham cursed, immediately springing to his feet. Rolex was already gone, not bothering to look back, and Sham wasn't about to waste a second either. He took off after him.
"These kids are good," the man on the right muttered. His voice was rough and unnatural, his deep black eyes glowing faintly.
The other figure remained silent, watching the boys disappear into the trees.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke. "Leave them for the sacrifice."
The man on the right chuckled darkly. "Hoho… understood."