After sending Barash and Ronin on their mission, William returned to his room and completed a few small chores that had accumulated over the past days.
He rearranged the scattered kitchen appliances, restored the slight disarray left behind by recent movements, and ensured that nothing in his dorm would seem disorganized, although the lazy-ass kitten left behind by his master always moved a few things from their original place and left its paw prints here and there.
Only when everything appeared normal did he allow himself to lie down. He slept before the sun rose; he did not want to leave any lingering sleep deficit. Even if he could afford to not sleep for months, he did not want sleeplessness to dull his judgment.
When morning arrived, he woke without hesitation and prepared for classes as usual.
As he left his room, he noticed that the academy corridors were already alive with movement. Students, staff, and workers murmured in low tones, and William noticed a slight agitation in their expressions.
As he walked toward the main building, fragments of conversation reached his ears, and he realized that news about the whole kidnapping and experiments had spread throughout the whole world.
Most of what he overheard was inaccurate. Few rumors seemed to align with reality, but even those sounded absurd when spoken in exaggerated ways, but that was expected. People always amplified facts about what frightened them, especially when details were scarce. Panic filled the gaps that truth could not occupy.
When William entered his classroom, he found it already full. He was not late; he had arrived precisely on time. However, most students habitually reached class tens of minutes early; he could never understand why.
But as he thought about it, it was obvious since discipline among the top ranks was consistent.
His class was S1, the section that contained the main cast except Maximus, who had been assigned to A1. The top forty ranked students occupied S1, and all of them were super competitive.
As he stepped inside, he sensed movement behind him and turned slightly. Head Professor Kevin entered the room, followed by their homeroom instructor, Blood Rose.
William moved toward the back of the classroom, intending to witness what was about to happen.
Unfortunately, the only empty seat left was beside Katherine. He felt a faint irritation in his mind. He did not want to speak to her.
Every time he saw her, the memory of his compromise with her resurfaced. Although she was bound by oath, the very fact that she knew something so critical unsettled him.
He did not hate her the way he hated demons, but her presence agitated him nonetheless. He felt like he needed to do something to get back at her.
There were no alternative seats, so in the end he sat down without acknowledging her.
Kevin stood at the lecture platform while Blood Rose recorded attendance and then quietly exited, leaving the floor to Kevin. As the murmurs faded and silence settled among the class, Kevin began addressing the class.
"You must have heard by now about the recent events," he said. "About the kidnappings and the heinous experiments performed by the Clayman cult that were uncovered in the southern regions of Aris. The Celestial Army..."
He summarized the situation without embellishment, avoiding dramatic exaggeration of any kind, and focused on facts. The clarity of his explanation only intensified the tension among students.
"Even one of your fellow students, Alfred Draconis from class B1, became a victim," Kevin continued. "I say this with a heavy heart. The academy failed him. Although he was rescued, the psychological scars may remain forever."
Kevin’s gaze then shifted briefly across the students before he added, "Not just that. Your Archon, William Kaiser, was attacked inside his own dormitory."
As the statement fell, several heads turned to look at William. He remained outwardly calm, though internally he felt exasperated over the mess that Tamasya had inadvertently caused.
"The student dormitories are the core of the academy domain," Kevin went on. "They are protected by multi-layered formations and countless measures. If an adversary breached even that, then our perception of the threat we are facing has been insufficient."
William’s eyes narrowed slightly. He understood where this discussion was heading before Kevin completed his speech.
"The World Academy Council, under Principal Andrea, and the Celestial Army’s Aris Wing, led by General Marcus, have initiated a full re-evaluation of the threats we face. This reassessment has been ongoing for days, and I am here to inform you that the curriculum of your four years at the World Academy is going to be revised soon."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the class. Fear and anticipation were the two most dominant emotions reflected on everyone’s face.
William exhaled slowly, hearing about the significant change.
The change in academy curriculum was not a minor administrative adjustment; it meant reshaping the growth trajectory of the continent’s strongest individuals.
The top five hundred powerhouses of Aris were products of this structure. Any alteration would influence the growth and shaping of these 500 leaders, directly influencing the future of Aris. Even though he no longer relied on the original plotline, such a shift would inevitably affect him as well.
Kevin continued, "The purpose of this revision is very simple. The purpose of the academy is to prepare for threats of demons from now on. That threat perception has amplified several times, and from now on you all will be prepared for a greater threat than before.
Practical experience will take major precedence over theoretical evaluations.
Support disciplines such as formation mastery, alchemy, blacksmithing, and artificing will be introduced much earlier, unlike before when they were introduced in the third year.
However, no one will be exempt from combat preparedness; even students choosing support professions will have to be involved in combat-related activities. There will be no pure academic paths. Every student must be battle-ready from now on."
He elaborated for hours, outlining general direction without revealing any detailed specifics. By the time he finished, the students understood that their peaceful academy life was about to end.
After Kevin left, Blood Rose resumed her regular lessons, followed by subsequent classes. William listened with moderate interest but did not immerse himself deeply.
His mind wandered on Kevin’s words rather than lecture content; he tried to imagine the changes the revision would bring.
By the time lunch arrived, the group of freshers gathered together as usual.
Seraphine’s absence was noticeable, and William did not express it outwardly, but her absence weighed more than he expected.
For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted toward her, wondering how long her physique awakening process would take and whether she was ok, whether she was taking care of herself or not.
He redirected his focus toward the remainder of his day and planned to spend six hours inside the Domain of Infinite (90 days) following his new timetable.
Additionally, he needed to restart his business operations. External income streams were necessary for long-term resource acquisition to help his new organization. However, leaving the academy himself would raise suspicion, especially after the so-called assassination attempt.
"I will have to send Amorphous," he muttered.
[Yes. Leaving the academy now will draw too much attention; you are always under watch, you know.]
William leaned back in his seat and looked out through the academy windows.
Several soldiers stood stationed along corridors and courtyards, carrying weapons with them and ever ready to engage with any threat.
Weapons, once forbidden within academy grounds, were now openly carried by Celestial Army personnel.
The atmosphere resembled a fortified military installation rather than an institution of learning.
Even the world academy had realized that era of complacency had ended.