Chapter 74: Chapter 74: A good little servant Rhian smiled as he walked toward his dorm building. The campus was quieter than usual, which made sense.
Everyone had just returned from the portals—some were still resting, others probably too hungry or tired to be out.
He stretched, wearing only a tank top now, already planning to hit the showers.
His dark, tattoo-like scales ran across his shoulders and arms, catching light with every movement.
Paired with his eyes and hair, it made him stand out more than he liked, but he was getting used to the attention.
His gaze dropped to his left hand. It was still paler than the other, but for the first time in years, it didn’t bother him.
Compared to the rest of him—the scales, the eyes—it didn’t seem so strange anymore.
That was probably why he hadn’t rushed to cover it with a glove like he used to after his parents died.
He also understood and agreed with what Liane had told him before they were sent into the portals. If he couldn’t accept himself, who would?
As he passed through the hallway on the first floor, the atmosphere was calm.
Just up ahead, he noticed four guys leaning against the wall.
Everything about them—from their clothes to their haircuts—looked expensive. Even the way they laughed had that arrogant weight to it.
Rhian recognized them. He’d seen them hanging around Kai a few times.
They weren’t from his class, so he couldn’t guess their ranks, but judging by their appearance, they probably came from families like Aras’s.
That kind of privilege usually came with early awakenings and private training. Maybe they were E Rank, possibly even D.
As he walked past, he overheard their voices—loud, careless.
"Where’s that damn rat? I asked for a drink ten minutes ago," one of them complained, sneering.
Another followed up with a louder laugh. "He better show up soon. I swear, if I have to wait another minute, I’ll shove that bottle down his throat."
Then one of them gestured in Rhian’s direction. "Who gives a shit about that cursed freak? Anyway, I’m saying, I want to fuck that girl from the mystical class. The tall one."
Rhian kept walking. He shook his head and said nothing, though his thoughts lingered.
He did wonder where Kai was.
He didn’t have to wonder long. As he turned the corner, he saw Kai struggling to carry a tray of drinks.
It was awkward, clearly not something he was used to. Rhian looked at the scene, then back toward the group behind him—and it clicked.
The "dirty rat" they mentioned was standing right in front of him.
Kai didn’t notice him until they were a few steps apart.
Rhian stepped into his path.
"Kai?"
Kai flinched before forcing his face into a neutral expression. "What?" he muttered.
"You good?"
"I’m busy," Kai said. He tried to sidestep him.
Rhian didn’t move. "This what you do now? Serve them?"
Kai’s jaw clenched. "It’s none of your business."
"It kinda is," Rhian said, holding his ground. "Your dad asked me to look out for you."
Kai’s eyes met his for a moment. Regret flickered there—brief, unsure—but it vanished as quickly as it came.
"I don’t need anything from a cursed."
He brushed past Rhian, hands still steady on the tray, and walked back to the group like it meant nothing.
Rhian stayed where he was. The boys in the corner burst into laughter again, louder than before.
He shook his head and kept walking. He didn’t feel angry or even surprised. Just disappointed. Kai had made his choice.
Behind him, the group’s laughter started up again. Like knives dressed up as jokes.
Kai forced himself to laugh along, but it came out strained and hollow. One of the boys raised a hand, and Kai instinctively flinched. His shoulders tensed, head dipping slightly.
The hand came down hard, a backhand to the side of the neck. Loud enough to echo in the hall. Sharp enough to sting.
Kai froze.
"You deaf, you fucking rat?" the boy sneered. "I said seven minutes ago. And this—" He yanked the cup from Kai’s tray, sniffed it with mock drama, then dumped the contents on Kai’s shirt. "—this isn’t what I asked for."
The others burst out laughing again. One of them grabbed the tray and flung it down the hall. Cups clattered and rolled, spilling across the floor.
Kai stood there, soaked, eyes wide, breath shallow.
"Pick it up," one said, tone almost bored. "All of it."
Kai dropped to his knees without a word. His fingers trembled as he reached for the scattered cups, trying to steady himself.
None of them helped. They just watched. Grinning.
.
.
.
Rhian finally reached the third floor and stepped into his dorm apartment—that’s what he’d started calling it. The place was quiet. No one else was around since his dormmates would probably meet up later on.
He walked straight to his room and collapsed on the bed, arms stretched out, eyes on the ceiling.
Since coming to the academy, everything had changed. He had friends now. And he was growing stronger.
But in the back of his mind, there was always that memory of the monster that had killed his parents.
He looked at his hands.
They’d been D and C Rank hunters. That meant the creature must’ve been at least a C Rank, maybe even B. And if they couldn’t survive it, where did that leave him?
Still weak.
He sighed and sat up slowly, thoughts dragging. It was obvious now that as an anomaly, his path wouldn’t be normal.
Everything about him—the core, the seals, his powers—seemed to demand something more.
He didn’t even know what the seals were.
He wondered if the academy would open the portals again soon, or if it had just been a one-time event for first-years.
If so, how long would he have to wait before he got another chance?
Rhian clenched his fist. He didn’t want to wait. He didn’t want to rely on a schedule or some random assignment. He wanted to get stronger now.
And they couldn’t even leave the academy during attendance on it.
His thoughts drifted toward the outside world—the old lands beyond the city borders.
Dangerous, wild, and filled with monsters. He’d only heard about them, but part of him wondered what it would be like to live out there. What kind of strength would it take to survive?
He let those thoughts fade.
Right now, he had more immediate problems.
His abilities were good—but limited. He couldn’t rely on his core speed alone. His combat technique needed serious work, and his knowledge about himself, his limits, and his advantages was lacking.
Luckily, he had an advantage. The new ability that would be helping him learn faster the more he trained—was probably his biggest asset right now. He needed to make use of it.
He also needed to figure out how to fight with wings.
He’d barely scratched the surface, and while he could use them for movement, actual combat was a different story.
Aerial control, close-range attacks mid-air, how they affected his balance—it was all untested.
Then there was his aquatic adaptation. He hadn’t even thought to explore that.
If he could function underwater, maybe even fight down there, that would be a huge advantage. Most people couldn’t.
With all that on his mind, his body finally gave in. He rolled onto his side, and sleep hit him hard.