As Leo and Mu Ryan took their seats after filling their plates, the atmosphere at the table turned unexpectedly tense. The three strongest cadets in the Elite Class—Leo, Su Yang, and Mu Shen—sat in silence, locking eyes in an unspoken battle of wills.
The rest of the mess hall immediately took notice. Whispers spread like wildfire, speculating on what it meant that the strongest students had aligned themselves together.
"Man, my shoulders hurt," Mu Shen finally broke the silence, rotating his shoulder blades with a wince. "Punched a damn shield with my bare fists today. My knuckles are fine, but my shoulder? Feels like it’s falling apart…..What a drag—"
Su Yang scoffed, running a hand over the thin cut on his cheek. "Tch. I can’t believe I let some bastard land a hit on me." His fingers traced the wound with irritation.
"Little shit spat poison mist in my eyes. Blinded me for just a second—and that was enough."
Mu Shen smirked. "Damn, even you got caught slipping?"
Su Yang’s jaw clenched. "Next time, I’m breaking his ribs. No—screw that. I’m shattering them."
His tone was casual, but Leo could tell he meant every word.
"What about you, Skyshard? How’d you get the black eye?" Mu Shen asked, finally turning to Leo.
Leo only chuckled, casually pointing toward Su Yang.
Mu Shen blinked. "Him?"
Su Yang frowned. "It’s nothing. It wasn’t a fair fight. I cheap-shotted Skyshard this time."
"But I’ve got a feeling that next time… it won’t be the same."
Leo’s grin widened at that response.
Su Yang could have bragged. He could have rubbed in the fact that he had beaten Leo black and blue that morning.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he chose not to consider that fight as legitimate—because Leo had been without his memories.
That small gesture earned Su Yang some respect in Leo’s book.
As for all his arrogance, it seemed like Su Yang still had his own sense of honor.
"Well, well," Mu Shen mused, alternating his gaze between the two of them. "Now that’s a fight I really want to see."
He turned back to his food, but the conversation was far from over.
"The fight between the three of you is going to change every week," Mu Ryan added, chewing thoughtfully. "Depends on how your Genetic Awakening goes and what skills you unlock."
Leo’s ears perked up at that. "When does that happen? We got tested for our genetic potential, but when do we start awakening it?"
Before Mu Ryan could answer, Su Yang spoke first.
"Next week. You get your first shot this Sunday. Depending on how fast you digest it, you will get another shot every subsequent week—or once you’ve fully absorbed the previous dose. Whichever takes longer."
He took a sip of water before continuing.
"Commoners only get one full-dose Genetic Awakening, which is far less effective."
Su Yang glanced at Leo, knowing he might lack the full context. So he took the time to break it down.
"Through extensive research, we’ve found that the best way to maximize the Genetic Awakening Serum’s effects is to take it in small, controlled doses over a year—while coupling it with intense physical training. The more you train, the faster you digest the serum, and the better your results."
He glanced around the mess hall, his expression darkening.
"The whiners in our class bitching about the academy’s hellish training don’t get it. They don’t realize this training is the only way to draw out the maximum potential in our genes."
He leaned back in his seat and met Leo’s gaze. "So if, at any point, you feel like the academy isn’t pushing you to your limits, start training more on your own, Skyshard. Because it’s going to be more important than you think."
Leo nodded in understanding. He didn’t need to be convinced to push his limits.
Becoming strong was his obsession.
With or without his memories, he knew that he wanted to become as strong as he physically could, and would do anything to get to that limit.
No matter how much sacrifice and hard work he needed to get there.
"Also, don’t forget—" Mu Shen added, "the higher your genetic potential, the greater your chances of experiencing ’Ghost Sleep.’"
The moment the words left his mouth, Su Yang visibly tensed.
A subtle, involuntary tremor ran through his fingers.
And Leo caught the reaction immediately.
"Ghost Sleep?" Leo asked, curious. "What’s that?"
Mu Shen turned to him with a weird look. "You don’t know?"
He let out a laugh. "Skyshard, how can you not know Ghost Sleep? Your father or mother must’ve told you about it countless times growing up!"
Leo didn’t react, only blinking at him in confusion.
Mu Shen kept laughing. "Hell, it’s practically all the old geezers in our families ever talk about!"
But when Leo still didn’t respond, the laughter slowly died.
And Su Yang took over.
"Ghost Sleep is when you tap into the memories of your ancestors, Skyshard."
He said it plainly, but there was something grim in his voice.
"It happens after you take the Genetic Awakening Serum.
You don’t know exactly when it will happen, but occasionally after you take the serum, you will find yourself slipping into a state called ’Ghost Sleep’ at night—where you start witnessing past events from your bloodline.
Events that left a deep imprint on its history."
Su Yang’s gaze darkened.
"These memories are almost always tied to extreme emotions—either immense joy or overwhelming hatred."
He exhaled sharply before adding, "But in the history of the Six Great Clans, I’ve never heard of a ’Ghost Sleep’ filled with joy. Not even once."
Leo didn’t speak, letting him continue.
"For us, it’s always something brutal. A gruesome assassination. A massacre. Or worse…"
Su Yang’s fingers clenched against the table.
"Watching your entire family being raped and slaughtered before your eyes."
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Leo didn’t move. Didn’t react outwardly.
But he absorbed every word.
"The likelihood of experiencing Ghost Sleep depends on how much of the progenitor god’s blood runs in your veins," Su Yang continued. "The weaker your divine blood, the less frequently it happens."
He met Leo’s gaze.
"But if you have thick blood, like we do, it’s unavoidable." he said, as he paused.
"We’re bound to experience it—maybe once or twice a month." he said concluding his speech, as he trembled once again.
Leo finally noticed it.
Both Mu Shen and Su Yang—two of the strongest cadets in the class—looked physically afraid of ghost sleep, as both of them had goosebumps just thinking about it.
These two men, who did not flinch at the sight of blood or physical pain. Trembled at the thought of these nightmares, which just went to prove how horrible they must be.
’Ghost Sleep…..’
Leo had no memories of it.
But if these two, as powerful as they were, feared it to this extent…
Then whatever it was—whatever they were destined to see in his dreams—
Was surely going to be hell.
"GOSH, let’s not talk about these depressing topics, it’s literally killing my appetite guys….." Mu Ryan said, trying to pull back the conversation to a more cheerful note, as the boys unanimously agreed to her suggestion.