BZZZZZZT
The alarm buzzed for the third time, but the room remained silent. Kirito stood near the door, arms crossed, already dressed in the academy's sleek dark-blue uniform. Miranda and Zane were at the doorway, peeking into the room with curious eyes.
Zane let out an exaggerated yawn. "You sure your roommate isn't dead?"
Kirito didn't even blink. "If he is, I'm not cleaning up the body."
Miranda frowned. "That's not funny."
Zane smirked. "Come on, it's his first academy class and the guy's still knocked out? What's next, he sleeps through graduation too?"
Kirito stepped aside. "Fine. You wake him up, Prince Charming."
Inside the room, Alex lay on the bed, tangled in his sheets. His face was pale, his breaths shallow. His body twitched slightly as a sharp pain tugged at his gut.
A dull sound echoed in his mind.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
Hunger: 58%
Energy: 32%
Condition: Fatigued
Recommendation: Feed to recover energy.
Alex's eyes cracked open.
Ugh...
His muscles ached, his body felt heavy. It was as if every cell in him had been drained overnight.
He sat up slowly, his vision slightly blurred. So this is what low energy feels like... damn.
Another sharp cramp hit his stomach.
He clenched his teeth. This hunger… it's getting worse.
Knock knock knock!
"ALEX!" Zane's voice thundered through the door. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! The Voidspawn aren't gonna wait for you!"
"Coming…" Alex rasped, forcing himself off the bed. He stumbled toward the bathroom to splash water on his face, trying to snap out of the fog.
Kirito raised a brow as the door finally creaked open. "He lives."
The lecture hall was a wide, circular room with glowing mana orbs embedded in the ceiling, softly illuminating the space. Students filled the seats, chatting and laughing. At the center was a raised platform, where a tall instructor with short silver hair and a jagged scar across his jaw stood, hands behind his back.
"Quiet down."
The room immediately hushed.
"I am Instructor Cain Voss. You are in your first year, meaning you're average. Nothing special... yet." His voice was cold, matter-of-fact. "Today, we begin with something that'll keep you alive longer than your stupid pride: knowledge."
He tapped on a glowing panel behind him. A holo-screen flashed into existence, showing an image of a grotesque bear-like creature with glowing red veins.
"This is a mutated beast. Some call them mana beasts. Most of them used to be normal animals—lions, wolves, reptiles—but after the Great Shift, mana exposure changed everything humans started gaining ability,animals started undergoing mutation"
The image shifted to show a crystalline object within the beast's chest.
"This—" Cain pointed, "—is a mana crystal. Every beast has one. The stronger the beast, the purer the crystal. They're ranked from: F-tier to S-tier."
Zane leaned over to Miranda. "S-tier beasts are the stuff of nightmares."
Cain continued. "We humans didn't always have powers. But after the first alien invasion by the Voidspawn, normal weapons—guns, tanks, nukes—proved useless."
The screen displayed images of ruined cities, crushed tanks, and inhuman creatures cloaked in dark, misty armor.
"Then we discovered mana crystals. Their energy output changed everything—weapon crafting, defense systems, even power grids. Crystal-based weapons turned the tide."
The class remained silent, eyes wide.
Well… almost everyone.
Alex sat hunched at his desk, eyes distant. His stomach twisted again.
Raw meat…
Raw flesh…
His mouth felt dry. His vision blurred for a split second. The hunger was becoming unbearable. He glanced down at his hands. They were trembling.
I can't keep going like this…
Then, an idea hit him. Wait... I'm a halfling, right? What if I try raw steak?
He rubbed his jaw, slowly. That's not actual human flesh... it might just work.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Note: Raw meat may temporarily satisfy ghoul hunger.
A flicker of hope returned to his eyes.
Alright then. Lunch plan sorted.
"Mr. Kairo?"
Alex snapped out of it. Cain was looking directly at him.
"Glad to see you're awake. Care to explain the purpose of a mana crystal?"
A few students chuckled.
Alex cleared his throat. "Uh… energy source… and weapon crafting?"
Cain nodded. "Barely passable. Don't daydream again in my class."
Alex nodded weakly. Yeah, yeah. Just let me survive until lunch.
Class ended an hour later. Cain tapped the holo-screen off.
"Your next class is your combat practical. I suggest you go prepared. Some of you may not leave in one piece."
Zane stretched, looking pumped. "Finally. Time to fry something."
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Calm down, lightning boy."
Kirito glanced at Alex, who was gathering his things sluggishly.
"You good?" he asked quietly.
Alex forced a smile. "Yeah. Just… didn't sleep well."
Kirito stared at him for a moment but didn't push further.
As they walked out of the class, Alex's eyes lit up at the thought of the cafeteria.
Time to test my theory.