Rhian got dressed in his clothes, the same old ones he had brought from the outskirts.
Except now… they felt different.
Not exactly tight, but definitely not as loose as before. The way the shirt fit around his shoulders and chest, the way his pants hugged his legs it all felt like his body had quietly grown while he was unconscious.
A bit taller too.
He rolled his shoulders, stretched his arms.
'Weird... shouldn't I be struggling with this new strength or something?' he wondered, glancing down at his hands. 'People in stories break doors or crush stuff by mistake... but I feel in control.'
That thought lingered a little.
Maybe it was because of his Ragnarok Physique. His body adapted naturally, even to growth. Or maybe cursed types didn't lose control like people always assumed.
'Hah... cursed or not, this feels good.'
With the Academy box tucked under one arm, Rhian stepped out of the room.
Turns out, this place wasn't just any random building.
It was the Academy's personal medical wing. Clean, quiet, and way more advanced than anything he'd ever seen in the outskirts.
The walls were sleek, the air smelled like medicine and faint energy residue, and everything here looked expensive.
Walking down the hall, he followed the signs on the walls, pointing toward Exit.
Students in clean uniforms occasionally passed him, some sparing him a glance, but no one said anything.
The uniform was rather beautiful, the color theme was blue and white, with the clothes looking more durable than normal ones.
Rhian was smiling.
That kind of stupid grin like a guy who just hit the jackpot.
Because in a way, he had.
Rhian finally made his way to the dorm section of the Academy.
And that's when it hit him.
'Wait... I have no idea where I'm supposed to stay.'
He stood there for a second, looking around like the answer might float down from the ceiling. It didn't.
With a small sigh, he placed the box down on a nearby bench and flipped the lid open.
Right at the top, neatly placed, was a card.
He picked it up.
His eyes twitched.
His picture stared right back at him.
'When the hell did they even take this?' he thought, inspecting it closer. 'I don't remember sitting for a photo... creepy bastards.'
The card wasn't just for show either.
Printed neatly under his name, Rhian Locke, was his date of birth, his ID number, some code that probably meant nothing to him but everything to the system here, and the big one… Dorm Key Access.
Attached behind the ID was another card, this one smaller but heavier. The dorm key.
Clear as day it showed:
> Building: 5A
Floor: 3
Room: 27
'Well... guess that solves that.' Rhian thought, pocketing the cards.
He looked at the rest of the stuff in the box, probably uniforms, maybe the school phone, laptop, and other essentials, but honestly?
He'd check it later.
Right now, all he wanted was to see the room, drop his stuff, and finally breathe without roots trying to strangle him or mist messing with his head.
Box under his arm, grin still half-formed on his face, Rhian headed toward the elevators.
Reaching the 3rd floor felt like a small victory on its own.
Mainly because... well, Rhian had stood in front of the elevator for an embarrassingly long time, staring at the buttons like they were ancient runes.
'Where's the damn lever or rope when you need it…?'
Thankfully, luck, or pity, was on his side. Another student arrived, casually stepping into the elevator like it was second nature. Rhian quickly followed after them, acting like he knew exactly what he was doing.
"Hey, can you hit 3 for me?" he asked, as calm as possible.
The student nodded, none the wiser.
'Smooth... real smooth.' Rhian told himself, hiding his small internal win.
Soon enough, the doors opened and he stepped into the hallway of the 3rd floor.
It was quiet. Clean. The lighting was soft, the floors were polished, and everything smelled like… air freshener. Fancy.
Walking down the corridor, Rhian couldn't help but wonder.
'How big are these rooms anyway? Tiny? Cramped? Or am I about to live like those rich city kids?'
His eyes scanned the numbers on the doors until finally—
Room 27.
He stood there, staring at the door.
Simple. Metal frame. Card scanner just to the side.
This was it.
His new home... for however long he survived this crazy school.
Rhian grinned to himself, swiping the key card and hearing the soft click of the door unlocking.
He pushed it open and stepped inside.
The moment he did... he froze.
'What... the hell.'
It didn't look like a dorm room.
It looked like a small apartment.
A table sat neatly in the middle of the entrance space, the archway ahead leading deeper into the room. There were windows, shelves, even a small kitchen space.
'How much money did they pour into building this place…?' Rhian wondered, slightly amazed.
But that thought didn't last long.
Because a sound from deeper inside caught his attention.
Footsteps.
Then, coming out from what was probably a bedroom, was a beautiful girl.
Ashy blonde hair fell past her shoulders in soft waves, her eyes a striking orange that practically glowed under the lights. She looked confident… until her eyes landed on Rhian.
Everything changed in an instant.
Her expression twisted into absolute horror mixed with disgust.
Like she had just found a cockroach standing in her kitchen.
"YOU—!!" she screamed, voice loud enough to rattle his soul. "YOU PERVERTED CREEP! BURSTING INTO A GIRL'S ROOM LIKE THIS?! ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FERAL ANIMAL?! OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU CRAWLED OUT THE TOILET!"
Rhian stiffened like he'd just been struck by lightning.
Panic hit hard.
'Wrong room!? Did I walk into the wrong room?!'
He spun around so fast it was almost embarrassing, hands up in surrender, voice cracking.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean—! I thought—! This is room 27—!"
His hand reached for the door handle like it was the only thing that could save him from instant death.
But then—
A calm male voice cut through the chaos.
"Ash… cut it out."
Firm. Relaxed. Almost bored.
Rhian froze, mid-reach.
Slowly… he turned his head.