After observing how his students fared under his aura for some seconds, Instructor Valdin dispelled his aura, causing many to heave loud gasps and many to completely fall on their knees and hands with sweat dripping down their bodies.
Even Simon had his hands on his knees as he looked at the ground with sweat dripping into his mask from his face.
He so much wanted to remove his mask because it felt stuffy and he needed air, but he knew that doing this could get him punished or he could receive a warning from their Instructor.
It was stated in the academy’s rules and regulations that a student must always have their masks on, no matter what.
Failure to do so could result in punishment or a warning from the authorities.
’If possible, I should find a rune master that can place a cooling and ventilation rune on my mask so that I won’t suffer this again.’
Although Simon stopped himself from removing his mask, his classmates were not the same.
Unlike Simon who was mentally older than them, he had also read the academy rules, so he knew what would happen if he removed his mask.
And just as he expected, Instructor Valdin spoke and punished those who removed their masks.
"For those who removed their masks just because you were sweating, five merits would be deducted from you."
The eyes of those who removed their masks widened in disbelief, and they complained.
"What?"
"Why?"
"Isn’t it your fault?"
"Do you want us to suffocate to death?"
They all complained, and Instructor Valdin calmly listened and glanced at each and every child that complained.
A few minutes later, they all kept quiet and the surrounding was silent.
Everybody stared at their instructor, wondering why he was so quiet and what he was going to do.
For some reason, their instructor being quiet placed an unseen pressure in the minds of some of Simon’s classmates.
Some seconds later, Instructor Valdin finally spoke.
"For speaking when you were not allowed to and for causing a ruckus, all of you who spoke would have five merits deducted from you and you would spend a night in the abyss."
Those who were hearing the name "abyss" for the first time looked at one another with baffled expressions.
But for Simon, his eyes flashed as he recalled what the abyss was according to his Grave Mark.
’It’s a place of pure darkness, and it’s located at the depths of the academy. According to the information in my Grave Mark, the longer one stays there, the more fear and terror and experience.’
’I wish there was more information cause it seems like an interesting place.’
Those who were punished with a further five merit reduction and a night in the abyss wanted to speak up and complain, mainly because of the merit deduction.
One might think that five merits was little, and it actually was, but for them who were only spending their second day in the clan, it was not at all.
Without merits, their living conditions would worsen. They would not be able to purchase food, purchase clothes, buy weapons, buy armors, buy resources, and so much more.
Merits was money in the clan after all, and they had little of it.
Instructor Valdin could guess what was going on in the minds of those who were punished, and he inwardly shook his head.
They believed that the five merits deduction was the worst between the two punishments he gave them, not knowing that staying in the abyss for a night was the worst.
In fact, he expected to get an ear full from the head of the academy for giving out such a punishment on the first day of school.
But he didn’t care.
He had been told by the academy head who was told by the Grave Lords that this batch of Initiates were special, and that there were true talents amongst them.
The academy head made him the Head Instructor for a reason, and that’s because the academy head believed that he was the best instructor to turn these kids into true diamonds of the clan.
And he planned on starting from the very first day.
"Like I said, all of you are to behave like assassins, not barbarians or berserkers or any other demon. Silence, patience, control, and discipline is needed to become an elite assassin."
"If you can’t even do that, you’ll leave the academy before you even know it."
He then gestured at the statues behind him.
"For those of you who don’t know... That statue means- Enter without discipline, and the first thing you kill would be yourself."
"If you do not understand now, you’ll understand later."
This time around, none spoke or made a comment, and Instructor Valdin nodded.
"Good... Now, let’s get right down to business."
Instructor Valdin paused for a moment, took a glance at his students, then he continued.
"You guys are Year 1 Initiates of the academy. We also have Year 2 and Year 3 Initiates, and each of them are obviously stronger than you because they have been trained."
"However, just because we call it Year, 1, 2, and 3, does not mean you have to spend three years in the academy. If you have enough merits and achievements, pass certain tests, and last but not the least, survive, you can advance to a higher year earlier than the others or you can even become a Shadow Blade. But that’s just a pipe dream for you guys at the moment."
Instructor Valdin scoffed, then he continued while still looking around.
"I am meant to have eighty two (82) of you in this class, but right now, I can only count thirty three (33), which means that forty nine (49) of your classmates failed to arrive here on time and are currently undergoing their separate punishment."
"And yes, for those of you that have this question in your minds, those you saw fall from above did not die. They were saved by Shadow Blades and some guards of the clan."