Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

Kael almost let a smile slip when he saw Umbra, his faithful shadowy companion, making that childish gesture behind the director. It was so unexpected that, for a second, the tension of the moment dissipated. But he quickly regained his serious expression, refocusing on Altharion.

The director leaned back in his chair, his laughter gradually fading, though the glint of amusement remained in his eyes. "You are an interesting young man, Kael. Not just because of your strength, but because of your... charisma." He gestured lightly, as if carefully choosing his words. "Few arrive here with such audacity. And even fewer survive while keeping that attitude."

Kael crossed his arms, showing no sign of intimidation. "If I was afraid of dying, I wouldn't have made it this far."

Altharion raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard something particularly intriguing. "Hm... so your confidence comes from real experience and not empty arrogance. I like that." He tilted his head slightly, observing Kael as if analyzing a rare beast. "Tell me, young Kael... do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

Kael kept his gaze locked on the man before him. "Azalith. An academy where monsters become even more monstrous." He gave a slight smirk. "I'm just making sure no one tries to swallow me along the way."

The director smiled back, but there was a dangerous edge to his expression. "Well said. And you... do you intend to devour or be devoured, Kael Scarlet?"

Kael uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, his aura still heavy in the air. "I am neither a predator… nor prey. I am something they would call… a Hunter."

Silence took over the room for a moment, broken only by the faint sound of Umbra's muffled laughter as she continued making small mocking gestures behind the director. Altharion couldn't see her, but he was clearly sensing a strange presence disturbing the atmosphere.

"Good," Altharion said, turning his attention back to Kael. "I believe you have a lot to prove, boy. But I like that. I enjoy seeing people who don't just follow the rules, but bend them to their own will."

Altharion leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his sharp gaze fixed on Kael. "Tomorrow, your real test at Azalith begins. Until then… rest. You're going to need it."

Kael frowned, a flicker of suspicion crossing his eyes. "I thought—"

"That I would punish you or something?" Altharion interrupted with a smirk before letting out a rough chuckle. "Hahaha! You didn't do anything wrong, kid."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "I broke a professor in front of everyone."

"Yes, and he deserved it." The director shrugged. "If a mere student could humiliate him like that, then he shouldn't be here."

Kael stared at the man for a few seconds, trying to understand his logic. "So… no consequences?"

Altharion's grin widened. "Oh, there are always consequences, Kael. But in this case, you've simply drawn attention to yourself. Many will want to test the limits of your strength. That's the real problem."

Kael scoffed, crossing his arms. "Great. More vultures to crush."

The director let out a genuine laugh. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"

Altharion leaned back in his chair, his gaze studying Kael as if evaluating a rare gem. "You amuse me, boy. It's not often that someone so... bold shows up here."

Kael huffed, arms still crossed. "It's not boldness. I just don't take shit from anyone."

The director smiled, clearly satisfied with the answer. "Then let's see how far that attitude can take you." He then tapped his fingers on the desk, as if concluding the conversation. "Rest well tonight, Kael. Because tomorrow..." His smile grew, filled with malice. "The real game begins."

Kael kept his gaze firm, but he felt a subtle chill run down his spine. He didn't know exactly what to expect, but one thing was certain: this director was no ordinary old man, and Azalith was far more than just an academy.

Before he could say anything, the same intense light that had teleported him before shone beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye, he felt his body being pulled by the spell once again.

When the light dissipated, Kael found himself back in his dormitory, as if nothing had happened. He looked around, trying to process the conversation.

Umbra, who was casually sitting on Kael's bed, stretched her arms lazily and smiled. "So... how was your meeting with the big boss?"

Kael sighed and threw himself onto the bed. "This place is full of lunatics."

Umbra chuckled. "And you're the biggest one of them."

He turned his face toward her, exhausted but with a faint smirk at the corner of his lips. "Tomorrow, the real test begins... whatever that means."

Umbra tilted her head, thoughtful. "Whatever it is… it's going to be fun."

"I wouldn't say that..." Kael muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm so damn tired… and I still have to meet her later…"

"Her?" Umbra asked, floating slightly in the air. She still didn't know everything about Kael.

"A certain elf who almost killed me," he said before letting out a small laugh. "She's the one who gave me the Blessing of the World Tree." Kael recalled that moment vividly.

"Oh, the Dryad of the World Tree! I see! Yeah, keeping in touch with her sounds like a good idea," Umbra said with a grin.

"Well, I just need to rest a little. All of this was... troublesome." Kael sighed loudly.

But he barely had time to relax when a sudden noise caught his attention.

The sound of the bathroom door opening was immediately followed by a sharp, desperate scream:

"KYAAA!!!"

His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.

A stunningly beautiful woman, with long silver hair cascading over her shoulders, pale skin, and dazzling sapphire eyes, stood there wearing only a delicate black lace lingerie. Her sculpted figure and perfectly defined curves made Kael momentarily hold his breath.

He blinked, trying to process what was happening.

"What the hell...?"

The woman quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and fury.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!" she screamed, her wide eyes filled with both rage and humiliation.

Kael frowned. "Your room? This is MY dorm."

She froze, blinking in confusion, still clutching the towel against her body. Then, as if something clicked in her mind, her expression shifted from shock to irritation.

"N-NO! This is MY DORM! You're the one invading!"

Kael looked around, his mind spinning for a moment. This didn't make sense. The director wouldn't have sent him to the wrong dorm just to mess with him… right?

Umbra, who was sitting on the bed watching everything with an amused smile, sighed. "Kael, Kael... you really have a talent for getting into these kinds of situations, huh?"

Kael ignored Umbra's sarcastic remark and focused back on the woman in front of him.

"Look, I have no idea what the hell is going on, but calm down. Screaming like that is just going to cause trouble."

Amelia, still gripping the towel tightly, glared at him furiously.

"OF COURSE I'M GOING TO SCREAM, YOU PERVERT!"

Kael sighed, rubbing his temples as he felt an incoming headache.

"Alright… let's figure this out before someone walks in here and jumps to the wrong conclusions."

Without wasting time, he grabbed the map he had received after the admission test and unfolded it, pointing at the location of his dorm.

"Here, see? Building S, Dorm 1-A, penthouse."

He tossed the map toward her, and she caught it with trembling hands, her eyes scanning the information rapidly.

Then, suddenly, her expression changed. Her face turned pale, and her breathing grew unsteady.

"No... no, no, no... this can't be right..." she murmured, her voice filled with desperation.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "What? Did you finally realize that you're the one who made a mistake and that I'm not the problem?"

But Amelia seemed unable to answer. Her mind struggled to find an explanation, yet the reality was right in front of her.

She swallowed hard and looked at Kael, still in disbelief.

"W-W-We're... dormmates?" Amelia stammered, her wide eyes struggling to process the situation. "A man... and a... woman?... In the same room?"

She looked like she was about to have a meltdown.

Kael, on the other hand, just sighed, crossing his arms. "Relax, princess. I'm not gonna lay a finger on you. In fact, I'll fix this right now and ask to be transferred. If my presence bothers you that much, problem solved."

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and walked toward the door.

"If you wanna blame someone, blame the director. He's the one who put me here."

Kael swung the door open and, without any patience, slammed it shut behind him.

BOOONK!

Outside, Umbra appeared by his side, lazily floating next to him.

"Don't you think that—"

"I don't have time to be treated like that." Kael cut her off, irritation clear in his voice. "I'll just switch dorms and move on. Whatever. I'm already fed up with this."