The dormitory hall smelled faintly of disinfectant and old sweat. Lucas followed the student guide up three flights of stairs, the weight of his duffel bag digging into his shoulder. He wasn't sure what he expected for his room, but the metal-plated walls and reinforced door at the end of the hall felt more like a bunker than student housing.
"Room 317. Your gear's already inside," the guide said, giving a curt nod before heading back the way they came.
Lucas pushed open the door.
Daron was already there, propped up on his bed with a book in hand and his massive shield leaning against the wall beside him. He looked up and grinned.
"About time. Was starting to think you got chewed up by another monster on the way here."
Lucas dropped his bag on the opposite bed and snorted. "Would've been a better welcome than the orientation."
"No kidding," Daron said, tossing the book aside. "That headmaster's got issues. Dropping a Rank 1 on a bunch of unranked kids? Guy needs therapy."
Lucas sat down on the mattress. It was stiff, but clean. "Still, we made it."
"Barely. And now we get to live like soldiers."
Lucas nodded, glancing around the room. It wasn't much—two beds, two desks, a shared wardrobe, and a small window overlooking the training fields. But for now, it was home.
He leaned back, exhaling, and pulled up his system interface.
It flickered into view, invisible to anyone else but him.
[Upgrade Points: 0][Traits: Minor Recovery Boost][Skills: None Equipped][Skill Card Available: Common – Use Now?]
Lucas hesitated, then mentally confirmed.
The card dissolved into blue mist and funneled into his chest. A soft ping echoed in his ears.
[Skill Gained: Overdrive Strength][Temporarily grants +10 Strength for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 2 hours.]
A rush of heat filled his limbs, the temporary power surging through him like an electric current. The feeling vanished after a few seconds, but the knowledge remained. That kind of boost could be life-saving if used right. Not enough to win a battle outright, but enough to tip the scales.
Just as he was closing the interface, a new section flickered open in the corner of his vision.
[Upgrade Tree Unlocked: Combat Path – Kill-Based Growth Available][New Source of Upgrade Points: Monster Kills]
Lucas blinked, then focused on the new feature.
A branching diagram unfolded, pulsing with soft white lines. Most of the nodes were greyed out, but the one marked "Kill-Based Growth" now glowed faintly.
That was new.
Until now, his Upgrade Points had only come from quests. But if the system rewarded kills directly, then the path forward was clearer than ever. It meant progress wasn't tied only to missions—it was tied to action. To survival. To victory.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, heart still beating a little fast from the new development.
The world hadn't given him a cheat. Just a push. A way forward if he was willing to fight for it.
He could work with that.
The next morning came fast.
Lucas woke to the sound of Daron's alarm buzzing through the dorm. Both of them rose early to beat the crowds to the showers. After a quick breakfast in the academy mess hall, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and surprisingly good coffee they made their way to their first real class.
Room B-112 was a large training hall converted into a lecture space. Steel paneling lined the walls, and thick blast-proof windows looked out over a sand-covered sparring yard.
Half the students were still bruised from orientation, their expressions ranging from anxious to deadpan.
Lucas kept to himself, eyes scanning the room. He spotted the girl from orientation—the one who'd helped during the chaos, her expression calm and unreadable as she leaned against the far wall. No one approached her, and she didn't seem to mind.
Then the teacher walked in, and the room snapped to attention.
She wore a reinforced black Delver's coat, tight-fitting armor beneath it, and a pendant shaped like a crossed sword and flame. Her expression was cold but focused, her gray hair tied back in a sharp ponytail.
"Name's Instructor Vale," she said without pause. "Rank 4 Delver. I'll be teaching you how to survive your first four years, assuming any of you make it that far."
She clicked a remote. A projection flared up behind her, showing an image of a dungeon entrance jagged, organic, almost like a wound in the earth.
"Let's get something straight. Dungeons are not playgrounds. They are not stages for your self-worth. They are apex predators. Living ecosystems designed to kill, mutate, and evolve faster than we can study them."
She began pacing slowly.
"There are different types of dungeons: Wild, Stable, Seeded, and Unknown-Class. Each has its own quirks, behaviors, and kill conditions. You screw up the classification, you die. You assume it's like the last one you cleared, you die."
Lucas listened carefully. Her voice was hard, precise, the voice of someone who had bled more than she'd talked.
Daron was scribbling notes furiously beside him. Others, less engaged, seemed to struggle to keep up.
Vale continued, now pointing at the projected image.
"Stable dungeons regenerate slowly, and their layouts don't shift as often. Wilds change every cycle. Seeded ones grow from a core implanted by a monster. And Unknown-Class?" She gave a dry, humorless smile. "We don't know enough about those. If you're unlucky enough to walk into one, don't bother sending a distress beacon."
Lucas leaned forward slightly. This wasn't just valuable, it was survival.
"The Rank system we use is based on dungeon clears. Rank 1 means you've cleared one solo. That's your goal this year. Rank 2 the next. All the way to Rank 4 by graduation. Fail to clear, you don't advance. Period."
A few students visibly tensed at that.
Vale let the silence stretch before continuing.
"I'll be covering more than types. We'll train. We'll run simulations. You'll learn how to manage rations, gauge monster types, maintain equipment, and when to abandon a run."
Lucas nodded to himself. This was what he needed. The System could give him an edge, but this was the foundation that would keep him alive.
"As of today, you're cadets. Fresh meat. Your journey starts here."
The projection faded, leaving only the quiet hum of overhead lights.
"Dismissed for now. We start practical's tomorrow. Bring gear. Bring grit."
Students began to file out, some talking quietly among themselves, others rushing to record notes before they forgot.
Lucas didn't rush. He stayed seated a moment longer, eyes lingering on the now-black screen. Something about the image—the jagged wound in the earth—reminded him of how his life had split into two pieces the day he woke up in this world.
He wasn't sure who he was becoming yet. But he knew what he had to do next.
And for now, that was enough