CHAPTER 182: CHAPTER 182 - A MONTH OF RYTHM

The month slipped by in quiet rhythm, days weaving together in a cycle of training, study, and fleeting moments of rest.

Morning Training

The sun had barely risen when Luca’s breath misted in the cool air of the training grounds. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he forced his body through the routine—push-ups, weighted runs, weapon drills.

"Again," he muttered under his breath, pushing past the burn in his muscles. His sabers sliced through the empty air, movements crisp, refined. Aura flared faintly around his arms, straining against his will.

His chest heaved, but his lips curled in a wry grin. One more lap. If I can’t push past this, how will I stand against what’s coming?

The baby dragon lay curled on the edge of the field, watching lazily, occasionally letting out a small encouraging chirp.

Classroom with Seraphina

By mid-morning, he was slumped at the back of Seraphina’s lecture hall, head bobbing as her clear voice echoed across the classroom.

"...and remember, the layered formation of runic inscriptions directly affects mana conductivity—"

Luca’s eyelids drooped. His quill slipped from his fingers.

Beside him, Eric nudged him with an elbow. "Hey. At least pretend to listen. She’s glaring this way."

Luca cracked one eye open. Sure enough, Seraphina’s piercing gaze swept the back row. She didn’t pause in her lecture, but the faint arch of her brow was enough of a warning.

"...I’m awake, I’m awake," Luca muttered, straightening. Barely.

Eric stifled a laugh, whispering, "You’ll get yourself killed one day, and it won’t be by a monster—it’ll be by her temper."

Divinity Class with Aldric

In stark contrast, Luca was wide awake during Aldric’s lessons. The old instructor’s presence carried a weight that demanded attention. His deep voice resonated as he explained divine harmonics and the proper channeling of faith energy.

"Divinity," Aldric intoned, "is not simply borrowed power. It is resonance. Synchronization between your soul and the greater flow. Write this down."

Luca’s quill scratched quickly across the parchment, jotting down every word. His brows furrowed in thought. So it’s not just about mana—it’s alignment. No wonder priests fail if they only chant without conviction.

"Good, Mr. Valentine," Aldric said suddenly, glancing at him. "You’re finally showing more diligence than drowsiness."

Eric snickered from across the aisle, whispering, "Teacher’s pet now, huh?"

Luca ignored him, tapping the quill thoughtfully against the desk. Conviction, huh... That’s something I need to figure out for myself.

Sparring Grounds

Evenings often found him back in the academy’s sparring facilities—an expansive hall filled with shimmering crystal chambers where students paid credits to engage in realistic, virtual combat.

Luca slid his card across the console, watching the screen flash: –20 credits deducted.

Inside, the world shifted. His opponent, a projection of a heavily armored knight, charged forward. Steel rang against steel as Luca’s sabers clashed with the phantom’s greatsword.

"Tch—faster!" He darted aside, aura flaring along his blades. Sparks flew as their weapons collided again and again.

When the simulation finally dissolved into motes of light, Luca was panting, sweat plastering his shirt to his skin.

Worth it,

he thought, leaning against the wall as the cooldown timer ticked. Every fight sharpens me a little more. Even if it’s fake, the pressure feels real enough.

Hero Research Club

The Hero Research Club’s meeting room buzzed with activity. Scrolls, tomes, and projections littered the long table. Each new member had been assigned to present a fact related to the past heroes.

Luca stood, flipping open his notes. "The hero army wasn’t just a loose coalition. They were organized under the name ’Saviour Camp.’ Their command structure was tighter than most kingdoms’ armies—strategists, priests, vanguard units. That’s why they could face the Devil Emperor head-on."

Across from him, Eric leaned back smugly, presenting his own on a different faction, while Lilliane spoke hesitantly but passionately about her own historical fact, her hands fidgeting with her quill even as she tried to keep her voice steady.

She seemed to be enjoying herself

The cycle continued—morning training, classes, sparring, repeat. Each day blending into the next, yet carrying its own quiet progress.

The days passed in rhythm, each one stacking upon the other until weeks blurred into one. Training, lessons, sparring, study—it all became a cadence Luca fell into, a quiet discipline that slowly sharpened him.

Tower Master’s lesson

One midnight, amidst that steady cycle, the air inside Luca’s Dorm shifted. A faint hum of mana filled the room as tower master herself appeared, robes trailing like starlight, her presence pressing down on him with an authority that no instructor in the academy could mimic.

"Your foundation in space and time is... passable," she remarked, eyes narrowing as she peered at the flow of mana around him. "But you’re stumbling over the same knot. See—" She raised her hand, distorting the space between them like a ripple in a pond. "Space is not distance. It is relation. Time... is not flow. It is perception. If you cannot understand this difference, you’ll never reach stability."

Luca absorbed every word, his brow furrowing. Then, without preamble, she revealed something new. From the air, she conjured a crystalline core, faintly pulsing with a golden aura. "This artifact will serve as a vessel for your aura. Pour it inside."

Luca obeyed, focusing, channeling his aura into the orb. It drank it greedily, glowing brighter with each pulse until it radiated like a miniature sun.

Her lips curved into the faintest smile. "Good. This will be the artifact for future mass production storage devices."

He smirked faintly. "Feels like I’m being used."

"Of course," she said, as if it were obvious. Then she disappeared without waiting for his response, leaving the faint hum of the crystal in his hands.

Late night date with Aurelia

Night fell over the academy gardens, and Luca’s rhythm softened. Aurelia walked beside him, their fingers intertwined, the quiet crunch of gravel beneath their shoes the only sound between them. Fireflies hovered lazily around the hedges, casting faint glimmers like drifting stars.

"Feels rare, doesn’t it?" Aurelia murmured, her amethyst eyes reflecting the lamplight.

"What does?" Luca asked, glancing at her.

"Moments like this. Where nothing’s trying to kill us, and it’s just... quiet."

He chuckled softly, squeezing her hand. "Yeah. I could get used to it."

Her lips curved into a small, genuine smile—the kind she rarely showed others. "Maybe I’ll let you."

For a while, they simply walked, hand in hand, letting the silence speak.

***

Morning sunlight spilled into the academy courtyard as Luca adjusted the strap of his bag, heading toward Class A. His boots clicked against the polished stone as his thoughts wandered. A whole month already... training, sparring, research, even quiet walks with Aurelia. Feels like I’m finally finding a balance. But... it’s never this calm for long.

The tall doors loomed ahead, Seraphina’s classroom waiting. He pushed them open, the familiar scent of ink, parchment, and faint mana flooding over him as he stepped inside.

Luca leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms as Eric slid into the seat beside him. The faint chatter of the classroom filled the air until Eric broke it with a lopsided grin.

"Well, congratulations."

Luca blinked, tilting his head. "What are you talking about?"

Eric’s grin only widened, his elbows resting lazily on the desk. "You didn’t cause any huge commotion for over a month. That’s gotta be your personal record, right?"

Luca raised his chin slightly, almost puffing out his chest with pride. "Yeah, that’s true. I am quite enjoying the peace. Let’s hope it continues."

Eric groaned dramatically and slapped his forehead. "The jinx has spoken again..."

Before Luca could retort, the sound of the classroom door creaking open silenced the room. Seraphina swept in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, her sky-blue hair gleaming under the lights. Her presence alone straightened spines and muted whispers.

Her gaze swept over the students like a hawk sizing up prey. "I have an announcement to make."

Luca felt his right eye twitch. W-what is happening now?

Seraphina’s tone was crisp, leaving no room for nonsense. "Next week, we will be having the final assessment. This time, it will not be a written exam. As you were informed before, it will be a dungeon subjugation."

The classroom erupted in murmurs, half excitement, half dread.

Luca slumped in his chair, letting out a long sigh that matched Eric’s beside him. Together, they spoke in unison:

"Here goes my peace..."