Selene calmly observed the reactions before continuing.

"The ranking system inside Special Class is absolute."

"Higher-ranked students possess greater access to academy resources."

"Better training rooms. Priority entry into Origin Gates and higher-grade techniques, including the option for private instructors and exclusive missions."

"And..."

Her crimson eyes narrowed faintly.

"The right to challenge upper-years."

That single sentence caused the breathing of several students to become heavier.

Upper-years.

The true monsters of the academy.

Most freshmen wouldn’t even dare look them in the eyes properly.

Yet Special Class students possessed the qualifications to challenge them directly.

Selene suddenly raised her hand, and the holographic screens instantly shifted once more.

This time—

Images appeared. No. Not images. Recordings.

The classroom lights dimmed slightly.

Then suddenly—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed throughout the room.

The footage displayed a battlefield drenched in crimson flames.

Students.

Dead students.

Bodies torn apart across shattered ground.

Several first-years instantly stiffened.

One girl’s face even turned pale.

Logan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Origin Gate footage.

Selene’s cold voice echoed throughout the room.

"Three months ago."

"A second-year team entered an A-rank Origin Gate."

The footage continued.

A gigantic creature covered in black armor suddenly lunged forward at terrifying speed.

Screams echoed.

Blood splattered, and one student was ripped apart instantly.

Another student lost both arms. The brutality was horrifyingly real.

Then—

The footage froze.

The giant creature remained paused mid-motion on the screen.

Selene’s eyes swept across the classroom.

"This..."

She spoke coldly.

"...is reality."

"The academy is not raising heroes."

"It is raising weapons."

Silence filled the room.

Even the previously relaxed black-haired young man no longer smiled.

Then suddenly—

The footage changed again.

This time—

A young man covered in lightning could be seen standing atop a mountain of corpses inside an Origin Gate.

The surrounding terrain had been completely destroyed.

Thunder roared endlessly around him.

One hand casually held the severed head of a gigantic monster.

Behind him—

Countless students stared with worship and fear.

Selene spoke calmly.

"Third-Year. Rank Two. Leon Draven."

The room instantly erupted.

"THAT’S Leon?!"

"The Lightning Tyrant?!"

"He cleared an A-rank gate almost alone?!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Logan’s eyes narrowed faintly.

Leon Draven.

One of the future pillars of the academy who, unfortunately, was filled with pride...

He was undeniably a genuine monster.

He continued staring at the screen as the display changed once more.

This time, a girl calmly walked through an entire battlefield while space distorted around her body.

Every monster approaching her instantly split apart into dozens of fragmented pieces.

No movements.

No attacks.

They simply died.

The scene looked almost surreal.

Several students unconsciously held their breaths while Selene’s voice echoed once more.

"Third-Year. Rank Two. Avery Adams."

The atmosphere became even heavier.

The footage ended shortly afterward, and the lights returned to normal, but nobody looked relaxed anymore.

The reality of the academy had finally become clear.

This wasn’t school.

This was a battlefield disguised as one.

Selene slowly turned around.

"Do you understand now?"

"Why Special Class students possess the highest mortality rate?"

Nobody answered.

They didn’t need to.

The overwhelming pressure placed upon them was enough for them to understand the terrifying truth.

Then suddenly—

Selene moved toward the center of the arena.

The massive holographic screens surrounding the classroom immediately disappeared one after another, causing the atmosphere to become noticeably quieter.

Her crimson eyes swept across the students calmly.

"You’ve already seen enough pointless displays."

"Now we begin the actual lesson."

The students subconsciously straightened slightly.

Even Logan’s eyes narrowed faintly.

This...

was one of the reasons Selene Vale became feared throughout the academy.

Unlike many instructors who wasted time on theory and academy politics, Selene focused on one thing only.

Survival.

She raised a single finger.

"Tell me."

"What is the greatest weakness of Origin Ability users?"

The classroom fell silent briefly.

Then the emerald-haired girl hesitantly raised her hand.

"Origin energy exhaustion?"

Selene glanced at her.

"Wrong."

Another student spoke.

"Ability compatibility?"

"Wrong."

"The lack of combat experience?"

"Still wrong."

Each answer was immediately rejected.

Eventually, Selene’s gaze slowly swept across the room before landing on Logan.

"You."

Logan leaned against his seat calmly.

"Themselves."

For the first time—

A faint smile appeared on Selene’s face.

"Correct."

The classroom became slightly quieter as Selene began walking slowly across the arena.

"The majority of Origin users become obsessed with their abilities."

"They rely on them."

"Trust them."

"Build their entire combat style around them."

Her gaze sharpened faintly.

"And the moment those abilities fail..."

"They die."

Several students’ expressions changed subtly.

Selene suddenly raised her hand.

Without warning—

A dagger appeared in her palm.

Then—

She threw it.

BOOM.

The dagger pierced directly beside one student’s head before he could even react.

The boy froze completely, and cold sweat instantly covered his face.

Meanwhile, the dagger itself continued vibrating violently from the force behind it.

Selene’s expression remained unchanged.

"You didn’t react."

The boy’s lips trembled slightly.

"I-I..."

"If that was an enemy, you’d already be dead."

Silence filled the room.

No one doubted her words.

Selene calmly continued.

"Power means nothing if your body cannot keep up with your thoughts."

"Many of you possess strong Origin Abilities."

"But your instincts..."

Her crimson eyes swept across them.

"...are garbage."

The pressure inside the classroom became heavier once more.

Then suddenly—

Selene tapped lightly against the metallic floor beneath her feet.

Instantly, dozens of combat weapons rose mechanically from hidden compartments around the arena.

Swords.

Spears.

Daggers.

Firearms.

Even bows.

The students looked visibly stunned.

Selene spoke calmly.

"Today’s lesson is simple."

"No abilities."

The classroom immediately erupted.

"What?!"

"No abilities?!"

"Is she serious?"

Even Ethan frowned faintly.

Selene’s gaze turned cold instantly.

"The moment you lose access to your abilities inside an Origin Gate..."

"What then?"

"Will you beg the monsters to wait patiently while your Origin energy recovers?"

...

Author’s note: I’ve got something special planned for the academy arc, I promise it won’t be boring. If you enjoy the novel so far, please do consider supporting it. I appreciate you all for following along so far.

What do you think about Logan challenging all the first-years? Would it be an interesting sight?

Just to add, the students might not seem like much for now, but I promise they are actually quite strong and possess an interesting set of Origin Abilities!