Chapter 60: A Dean’s Introduction and Academy Policies

Gern, too, was utterly infuriated by the fellow. He took several deep breaths, forcing the anger simmering within him to subside. Had they not been in Theoviga Academy’s plaza, surrounded by so many onlookers, he would have long since taken matters into his own hands and silenced Leon permanently. Having been a member of the Heretic God Cult in his previous life, he knew at least nine—a full nine different ways—to dispatch Leon.

‘Hmph,’ he thought, exhaling sharply. ‘Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. He’s just a scoundrel. Why waste my breath on him?’ Gern was in the midst of calming his fury when the memory of Leon’s condescending attitude while questioning his father suddenly resurfaced, making him utterly unable to restrain himself any longer.

“Damn it! This is beyond endurance! Leon, right? You just wait!”

“Gern, are you alright?” Lilia asked, observing his flushed, agitated state with a worried frown.

She had also just learned that Gern’s father had once served as a minor commander in the Klett Kingdom’s army. This, however, presented a new conundrum: for Gern’s father to hold a command in the Klett Kingdom, he must have been human. ‘Could Luoya be a human-dragon hybrid?’ she mused. These questions would have to wait; for now, their immediate priority was to soothe Gern’s temper.

She patted Gern’s shoulder, a hint of apology in her eyes. After all, strictly speaking, she was indirectly responsible for this situation and felt she ought to make amends.

“Gern, don’t be angry,” Lilia whispered conspiratorially, leaning in close to his ear. “Tonight, I’ll come to your dorm room to compensate you.”

Hearing her words, Gern’s fury immediately dissipated by half. It wasn’t a pleasant surprise, but sheer terror. The thought of the demoness who had dismembered him in his previous life coming to his dorm room that night filled him with dread; he dared not even imagine the consequences. He desperately wanted to blurt out, ‘Oh, please, no, Grandma! Don’t come to my dorm!’

But Lilia had already walked away, almost as if she knew Gern would refuse, denying him any chance to object. He opened his mouth, then ultimately let out a helpless sigh.

The other two exchanged knowing glances and patted Gern’s shoulder.

“Good luck,” one said.

“Just don’t make a baby with her. But if you do, remember to come find me; my elven race has quite a bit of research on such matters.”

Dark lines appeared on Gern’s forehead. At that moment, he felt an urge to punch Hera.

‘Hmph,’ he huffed. ‘Can’t get angry, can’t lash out.’ Gern strenuously tried to compose himself, feeling as though he was on the verge of spitting blood from all the frustration these people had caused him throughout the day.

Just then, the opening ceremony finally commenced. Several figures ascended the high platform situated at the front of the plaza. Looking closely, two familiar figures stood on the stage: one was Snow, and the other was Eliza, the Dragon Girl, who had just recovered. Miss Snow on the stage seemed to sense Gern’s gaze and glanced in his direction. Gern waved back at her, unsure if she had noticed.

Soon, under the watchful eyes and urging of numerous senior students, the crowd in the plaza settled into silence. Once the area was quiet, the woman standing at the very front of the stage, clad in witch’s attire, began to speak.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Mengxi, the Dean of Theoviga Academy. You may address me as Dean, or as the Dream Witch.”

The woman’s voice was clear and cool; even by voice alone, one could tell she possessed striking beauty. Unfortunately, Gern was too far from the platform, only able to discern a vague silhouette and not the woman’s full appearance.

Following this were some perfunctory remarks, none of which held much importance. What truly mattered to the ordinary students were the upcoming assessment system and holiday schedule.

The academy’s assessment system involved evaluations conducted once every month. These would include both written examinations and combat trials. The written exams, naturally, would cover theoretical knowledge. The combat trials, on the other hand, referred to practical exercises, akin to arena duels or expeditions for experience.

Notably, the academy would assign a practical exercise for both midterm and final exams. Students specializing in Knights, Mages, and Priests would each have distinct examination focuses. These were genuine, life-or-death endeavors, involving either resolving conflicts in neighboring nations or pursuing matters related to the Heretic God Cult.

Under such a rigorous examination system, it was inevitable that some students would perish during each midterm and final examination. This was an unavoidable reality, though these concerns primarily fell to the senior students. Newly admitted students like themselves, however, were granted a full year for study and cultivation. Only after a year, once everyone had discerned their chosen path and adopted suitable martial arts and cultivation techniques, would the academy promote them to second-year students.

Furthermore, the academy was broadly divided into three main factions: Knights, Mages, and Priests. These three corresponded to the world’s predominant cultivation systems. More niche paths included Elven Druids and Necromancers, which were not considered mainstream cultivation routes. For such specializations, one had to possess innate talent and rely primarily on self-cultivation, as the academy’s guidance for these paths was rather limited.

Most students chose to study a single discipline. However, there were also those with monstrous talent who dual-cultivated two subjects, such as Lilia in his past life, who cultivated both physical and magical arts. Eliza was another such case; this was a characteristic of the Dragon race, who were naturally endowed with dual-cultivation abilities, requiring no deliberate study.

As for cultivating three powers, Gern had never encountered such a phenomenon, neither in his past life nor his current one. Such a genius likely existed only in theory. For students pursuing dual cultivation, the academy would specifically separate them for individual assessments. After all, students capable of dual cultivation possessed exceptional innate talent and were individuals the academy was obligated to nurture vigorously.

Having concluded the discussions on assessments and course selection, the eagerly anticipated holiday schedule was next.

Theoviga Academy offered three months of vacation per year, with students typically taking their break during winter. Winter in this world was particularly harsh, and in the northern regions, a ‘cold poison’ would run rampant. While this cold poison posed little threat to cultivators, its intrusion into the body could be troublesome.

For an ordinary person, or someone severely injured, an internal infection of cold poison, especially without nearby medical aid, could be life-threatening. Coincidentally, winter also marked the unified Divine King’s Commemoration Day across various nations, so the academy conveniently scheduled its holidays during this season. The academy would resume its sessions once the cold poison had completely subsided.

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