After a scrumptious meal, Leo took a bath, checked his system for no reason, and then had a well-deserved sleep.

Currently, he had just finished getting dressed in the academy’s uniform, preparing for his second day at the academy. Lucien was already dressed, waiting by the door for Leo to finish.

Leo went to his own closet, checked if his diary was still intact, then closed it back.

As Lucien opened the door, the two roommates almost bumped into Yin Li.

Yin Li was the chubby boy from yesterday with a robust, almost puckered face and yellow-white skin.

He had a panicked expression on his face as tiny sweat beads formed on his forehead and nose. Aside from that, his uniform had stains of dirt and blood all over it.

Leo raised an eyebrow, unable to fathom what might have happened to the boy. Lucien, on the other hand, frowned.

"They... they’ve taken Brak and the rest."

’Who are they?’

Yin Li wanted to continue speaking, but Lucien just walked away from in front of him, his hands in his pockets. His expression was also different from the calm type Leo was almost getting used to.

Lucien was infuriated.

Leo glanced at Yin Li one more time, then hurriedly closed the door to meet with Lucien.

"Who are they?" Leo asked.

Yin Li swallowed nervously before quickly following after Lucien.

"The gangs," he said hurriedly. "One of the academy gangs took them."

Leo frowned while matching Lucien’s pace through the dormitory hallway.

"Gangs?"

Yin Li looked at him in disbelief for a second.

"You seriously don’t know?"

Leo blankly stared back at him. "...Should I?"

Yin Li looked like he wanted to say many things before eventually sighing in defeat.

"This academy isn’t just about classes and rankings. The students practically rule half the island themselves." He lowered his voice slightly. "Especially the upper ranks."

Lucien remained silent ahead of them, his hands buried inside his pockets as he walked through the corridor without slowing down once.

Yin Li continued speaking quickly.

"There are dozens of gangs throughout the academy. Smaller factions, dormitory groups, regional alliances, noble circles... stuff like that. Most only control tiny areas or extort weaker students for resources and points."

Leo blinked. "...Resources?"

"The academy rewards students constantly. Training points, Aura materials, access rights, combat privileges, private chambers. Stronger students naturally gather followers and start taking control of things."

Leo frowned slightly.

’This place is basically a miniature kingdom.’

"But among all the gangs," Yin Li continued carefully, "there are only five recognized as Great Gangs."

Even Lucien’s expression darkened slightly at that.

"They’re the strongest organizations in the academy. Each one is controlled by powerful upperclassmen, Royals, or heirs with terrifying Volumes."

Yin Li’s voice lowered further.

"They basically own parts of the academy."

Leo stayed quiet, allowing him to continue.

"The lesser gangs are still dangerous, but the Great Gangs are different. Most students avoid offending them entirely."

Ahead of them, Lucien suddenly turned a corner sharply.

Yin Li hurried after him before continuing.

"Lucien never cared about gangs though. Last year, only a week after we resumed, one of the weakest Great Gangs tried dragging me into their faction because they thought I’d be useful for logistics."

Leo glanced at Yin Li’s round face.

"...Logistics?"

"I cook."

Leo glanced at him for a while with a weird expression, then nodded. "...Understandable."

Yin Li looked personally offended. "That’s not the point."

Leo shrugged lightly. ’It definitely sounded like the point.’

Yin Li quickly continued. "Lucien told them no."

Leo blinked. "Just no?"

Yin Li nodded rapidly.

"Just no."

"And?"

"And they tried beating us up."

Leo looked ahead toward Lucien again. The pink-haired boy still hadn’t said a single word since leaving the room.

Yin Li swallowed.

"Then Lucien and Brak completely destroyed them."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"The Great Gang?"

"The weakest one, yes. But it still didn’t matter. A Great Gang is still a Great Gang. Normally, even strong students avoid fighting them because it causes problems with the seniors backing them."

His expression became slightly excited now despite the tension.

"But Lucien seriously mopped the floor with them. Brak too, obviously, but Lucien was terrifying. He beat their executives so badly the academy infirmary ran out of recovery tonics."

Leo stared at Lucien’s back silently. Honestly... he could somehow imagine it.

"The whole thing became famous throughout the lower ranks," Yin Li continued. "New students started following Lucien after that. Especially Capricorns who were tired of getting pushed around by older students."

"And that’s how your gang started?" Leo asked.

Yin Li nodded proudly. "The Capricorn Rebels."

Leo almost stumbled mid-step. "...That’s the name?"

Yin Li looked confused. "It’s cool though."

Leo looked toward Lucien. Lucien sighed without turning around.

"I didn’t choose it."

’Thank the universe.’

Yin Li continued talking excitedly despite the situation.

"The Rebels aren’t officially a Great Gang yet or even an official gang, but everyone in the lower ranks already knows us. Most Capricorns naturally gather around Lucien now."

Leo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So what exactly happened this time?"

Yin Li’s expression immediately darkened again.

"This morning, some members of the Crimson Cross cornered Brak and the others near the western combat sectors."

Leo frowned.

"The Crimson Cross? Okay, who’s naming all of you?"

"One of the Five Great Gangs," Yin Li answered immediately, ignoring the last remark. "They’re ranked fourth overall currently."

That finally explained Lucien’s expression.

Yin Li lowered his voice slightly.

"They’ve hated the Rebels since last year. Especially after Lucien humiliated them publicly."

Leo glanced ahead again.

Lucien finally spoke. "They touched my people." His calm voice carried an unusually cold tone.

That single sentence alone made Yin Li immediately shut up. Even Leo slightly raised an eyebrow.

’Interesting. Very interesting.’

"Do the academy officials know about this?" Leo asked, a grin already forming on his face.

"Yes," Yin Li replied. "This school was meant to train us to battle each other later in the future after all but when you’re engaged in it, it must not affect the academy itself in any way. You’ll be punished for...not doing a clean job."

’Makes sense.’

Yin Li raised an eyebrow. "Why exactly are you grinning?"

Leo’s grin widened and he didn’t reply. Yin Li shrugged slightly.

A few seconds later, Lucien suddenly stopped walking.

The corridor ahead opened into a massive training intersection filled with students.

At the center of it stood nearly twenty students wearing dark crimson academy coats and white smiley-faced masks.

And kneeling on the ground beside them was Brak, bruised heavily but still glaring upward with murderous eyes.

There were at least ten other students who were in the same predicament as him.

Noticing Lucien, the students paved a way for him to pass. Yin Li and Leo, on the other hand, had to squeeze their way to the front.

The Crimson Cross group noticed Lucien and then one of them sent a deadly kick to Brak’s chest, making him roll to the feet of Lucien.

Without glancing at his friend who was at his feet, Lucien stepped forward.

"Yin Li." He called out. Yin Li, understanding what he meant, immediately carried Brak and ordered two students who were also of the Capricorn Rebels to take him to the school’s medics.

"Veyyyyttthhhh." A voice called out, dragging the name ridiculously. The voice was taunting and fearful at the same time, its ending word almost sounding like he was singing a high-pitched song.

From the midst of the Great Gang, the owner of the voice stepped out.

He had long purple hair. His academy clothes were like an Eastern hanfu, and instead of a crimson coat, he wore a dark crimson belt with a cross at its center. There was an eye patch covering his left eye, and on his face was a maniacal, taunting grin.

"Youuu areeee lateeee. How about you allow ussss to spill your bloooddd on the ground as a punishmentttt?"