10 minutes before the gathering of the teachers at Layla's office, Levi was currently locked in a moment that seemed like his life was flashing before his eyes.

  Raika was currently inches away from him moving at a speed even the voice of a person would struggle to follow.

  With an outstretched arm curled into a fist , he charged with force, aimed directly at Levi’s face. In that instant, the world slowed. Not literally, but perceptually.

  It was as if Levi’s brain stretched time itself to process the sheer speed and weight of what was coming. Like a man witnessing the final moments of his life.

  Levi was able to follow these movements. Raika’s face colored with a smug confidence. The flash of yellow sparks running around his body.

  But reacting was a different case, he leaned backwards hoping to dodge but it was hopeless. He reacted, but it wasn't enough. His reaction, though present, was insufficient. He knew the punch would land.

  All of a sudden, both of their movements came to a halt. Raika was hanging just a few inches from Levi, with the back of his shirt bunched tightly in the grip of a strong hand.

  Another hand was pressed gently against Levi’s back, halting him mid-step. Both boys were stunned, eyes drifting up slowly to see the tall figure between them. Garrion.

  "He stopped the match?" Levi thought as he stared at Garrion's face. "Probably saw I was about to get destroyed and saved me the disgrace..."

  But the look on Garrion's face was quite contradictory as a backup to Levi's thought.

  There was no hint of playful scolding or his usual teacher-like smirk, and lighthearted rebuke.

  Instead, Garrion’s face was stern.

  This stern expression however, faded as quickly as it had appeared. It disappeared, like it had never been there, as if it were a cloud passing in front of the moon.

  He gently released Raika, setting him back on the platform without force, then removed his hand from Levi’s back and took a step backwards.

  “Sorry for interrupting,” Garrion said with a soft smile. Although it seemed forced compared to his usual. “But it seems something… uh, important has come up.”

  Then, without another word, he turned away.

  Levi exhaled heavily. Even he did not realize he had been holding his breath. The tension bled out of him as he dropped his shoulders.

  “That was wayyy too close for comfort,” he whispered.

  Just then, the blue screen appeared in front of him again.

  [Main Quest: Pass the Bearer Test 2/2 - Complete]

  [Condition: Engage in real-time combat scenario]

  [Reward Granted: Passive Skill - Enemy Detection]

  [Skill Description: Automatically alerts user to hostile intent within a 10-meter radius.]

  Levi squinted at the notification, still breathing hard. “Wait… that was it? That counted as the second test?”

  He blinked, complete dumbfounded. “Almost getting my ass handed to me in front of a crowd? Seriously?”

  Before he could dwell on it further, Garrion’s voice snapped his attention back to the room.

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  “No one’s permitted to leave until I return. I’ll be back in twenty minutes,” he said, already by the exit.

  Levi turned around and watched as the sliding doors parted and Garrion stepped through them without looking back.

  There was a brief pause before one of the students at the back muttered, “Well… that was sudden.”

  The room was now engulfed in low murmurs, students exchanging confused glances and half-spoken questions.

  Levi turned back toward the ring and caught Raika’s expression.

  The cocky smirk he wore earlier was gone.

  Now, his lips were pressed in a tight line, his brows drawn together, and his eyes locked onto the edge of the platform right where Levi was still standing.

  Then it hit him. He looked down and realized he was standing at the edge.

  Levi’s heels were practically brushing against it. If Garrion hadn’t stopped them, and the match had continued even a second longer, he would’ve been thrown clean off.

  But then, Raika was also in a similar trouble.

  He had charged so aggressively, and blindly, that if Levi had just dodged better, the momentum alone might’ve hurled Raika out of the ring.

  And judging from the subtle clench in his jaw and the twitch of his fingers, Raika knew it too.

  He wasn’t just frustrated with Levi. He was frustrated with himself.

  And that only made his glare sharper.

  Levi swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Raika, who was now walking towards him slowly.

  His body tensed instinctively, unsure whether to brace for more conflict or words. But Raika simply walked past him without stopping.

  “Tch…” Raika scoffed, brushing past Levi’s shoulder. “You won’t be so lucky next time, Star fake.”

  Then he leapt down from the ring and disappeared into the murmuring crowd.

  Levi stood still, eyes on the ground.

  A wave of relief washed over him. Yes, it was over, but it didn’t feel like a win. His hands curled into fists by his sides.

  “And I’m supposed to be the guy who gets stronger… the one who protects his friends,” he thought bitterly. “Yet I couldn’t even defend myself from a brute at school.”

  “Hey!”

  A voice snapped through his thoughts like a slap, making him flinch. He spun around quickly.

  Standing there was Kyle, arms crossed and a smile on his face.

  Levi slapped his palm against his forehead. “Are you trying to give me a freaking heart attack?”

  Kyle shrugged and cleared his throat dramatically. “Well, it was either that or wait another hour for you to return from wherever your brain wandered off to,” he said, tapping the side of Levi’s head. “Seriously, you space out more than my grandma’s old TV.”

  Levi opened his mouth to respond, but Violet’s voice cut in as she bounded up onto the platform.

  “I wonder if you can go ten full minutes without disappearing into that head of yours,” she teased, placing her hands on her hips.

  “You know—” Levi started, but then stopped.

  So did Violet.

  Suddenly, her posture stiffened. Her pupils dilated, and her nose twitched ever so slightly. The brightness in her expression drained away like water down a crack.

  Kyle noticed it too. “Violet?” His voice dropped. His head turned, scanning the space around them. “What is it?”

  Levi stepped toward her, and spoke in a tone filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

  Violet didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes slowly moved toward the sealed entrance.

  "Blood...” she said at last, her voice low.

  Levi blinked. “Huh?”

  “I smell blood,” Violet repeated, louder this time. She turned fully to face the door, her gaze distant, like she was looking far beyond the room.

  Her voice dropped even further, now laced with urgency.

  “It’s far… but… it’s a lot.”

  “I don’t… What are you saying?” Levi turned to Violet, his brows furrowed. “What do you mean you—”

  “She’s a blood demon,” Kyle cut in, his voice quieter now, but clear enough to snap Levi’s attention.

  Levi blinked. “Eh?”

  Kyle exhaled and scratched the back of his neck like he was trying to find the right words. “Okay, how do I explain this...?”

  He snapped his fingers. “Ah! You know those creatures you guys call vampires in your world? Pale skin, allergic to sunlight, obsessed with necks?”

  "Okay?" Levi nodded slowly, still unsure where this was going.

  “Yeah,” Kyle continued, “that’s Violet. Kind of. Except she doesn’t combust in the sun, and she’s not sneaking around trying to drain blood like some horror movie lunatic.”

  Levi’s eyes drifted back to Violet, but before he could voice anything, Violet spoke again. Her usual gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

  “Guys…” she said, her voice a bit tighter than usual, her posture slightly tense. Her eyes didn’t blink as they stayed locked on the door across the room. “There’s something in the building. It just… killed the guards at the building's entrance.”

  Levi glanced at Kyle, who now looked just as serious.

  Then it hit them.

  When Garrion stepped out earlier talking about something "important," was that what he meant?

  Levi’s mind reeled back to Garrion’s expression mid-match. The way his entire demeanor shifted for a second.

  Garrion had probably felt it just like Violet had.

  Something dangerous was inside the school.