Chapter 364 — That’s All

"..."

For a second, only silence filled the hall.

Then someone in the commoner section stood up, his voice cracking with emotion.

"VICE PRESIDENT!"

Another stood, then five more, then twenty and then fifty.

The entire commoner section rose to their feet, students shouting, crying, raising fists in the air.

"DAMIAN!"

"WE WON’T WASTE IT!"

"THANK YOU!"

The noise built like a wave, crashing over the hall, first-years caught up in it, older students joining in, the sound becoming deafening as hundreds of voices merged into one roar of determination and gratitude.

Damian raised one hand.

And the hall went silent in seconds. Everyone sat back down, watching him with faces full of emotion too complex to name.

"But make no mistake." His voice went cold again, cutting through the lingering energy. "Everyone in this Academy is equal now. Noble or commoner, I don’t care. I don’t want problems, I don’t want chaos, and I don’t want anyone thinking they’re above the rules because of their family name."

He didn’t finish the sentence as he didn’t need to.

Everyone had seen what happened to Jorah. The message was carved into their minds in blood.

"Remember this." Damian’s voice carried across the hall like a command. "When you’re on battlefields, which every single one of you will be, Monsters won’t ask if you’re Noble or commoner. They won’t care about your family name or your bloodline or your talent ranking. They’ll only see if you’re human. And they’ll try to kill you all the same."

He paused, letting that truth settle.

"Our fates are tied together whether we like it or not. You all heard Chairman’s speech after the ACC stadium tragedy. After thousands of people died because someone in power lost control. Because systems failed."

The hall stayed quiet as everyone remembered that broadcast.

"So be smart." Damian’s tone shifted slightly, becoming almost conversational again. "Focus on getting stronger, focus on surviving and focus on being ready for what’s coming, because it’s coming whether you’re prepared or not."

He looked at the first-years specifically.

"Now... this orientation has taken long enough... Explore campus today, get familiar with where everything is, figure out where you’ll train, where you’ll study and where you’ll push yourselves past your limits." He paused. "Classes start tomorrow."

He started to turn away, then stopped.

"One more thing." His voice stayed flat. "Unlike previous years, all of you will be training in the forests behind the Academy starting next week. Real combat against real beasts. Your homeroom teachers will supervise, but the danger is real and the consequences are real too."

First-years exchanged nervous glances, hands gripping armrests.

"You’ve probably heard about Stormhold’s high fatality rate." Damian’s voice carried no emotion. "I won’t repeat those numbers. But understand this, it’s better you face life-and-death situations here, where professors can intervene, than on second-year battlefields where nobody will save you. Where you’re just another body that didn’t make it home."

He walked back toward where Luna stood, hands sliding into his pockets.

"That’s all... You’re dismissed."

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then students began standing, conversations exploding across the hall like wildfire. First-years turned to neighbors, grabbing older students’ arms with questions spilling from their lips. Nobles sat quietly, processing what they’d just heard.

The whole massive space dissolved into controlled chaos.

Damian walked past the Mafia members toward the stage exit.

Luna followed without being asked and the others fell in behind them.

As they left, the Great Hall filled with the sound of more than a thousand students processing what they’d just heard, what they’d just seen and what it meant for their futures and their lives.

****

Students poured out of the Great Hall in waves, conversations building as they hit open air.

"Did you see–"

"I can’t believe–"

"He actually–"

A group of first-year commoners walked together, their faces showing a mix of awe and determination.

"So it’s true then." A girl with brown hair gripped her friend’s arm. "Everything they said about Damian Valcor is real."

"More than real." Her friend’s voice shook. "I thought the stories were exaggerated. I thought maybe people made him sound more intense than he actually was."

"After watching him tear that guy apart?" A boy nearby laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. "The stories were toned down if anything."

"But the speech though..." Another girl spoke up, her eyes distant. "When he said we could achieve anything. That the only limit is our minds." She looked at her hands. "I believed him. I actually believed him."

"Of course you did." An older commoner student walked past, overhearing. "Everything he said was real. He never lies."

The first-years watched him go, then turned to each other.

"Should we–"

"Train harder?"

"Way harder."

They headed toward the training grounds without needing to discuss it further.

****

In the Noble section, the conversations were quieter, more careful.

"Well." Leonard Ashford’s voice came out flat. "That went exactly as terrible as expected."

Micheal sat on a bench, still covering his face. "He had to mention the orientation speech... Of course he did."

Iris stood nearby, arms crossed, her blue eyes tracking where Damian had disappeared. "He’s B- rank now... Did you notice?"

"Hard to miss." Leonard’s ash-grey hair fell across his eyes as he shook his head. "Before the portal he was C+. Now he’s stronger than some fourth-years."

"Than almost all fourth-years," Micheal corrected, finally lowering his hands. His golden eyes were resigned. "Jorah was B+... He didn’t even slow Damian down."

Ruby Fray walked up, dark pink hair bouncing, her usual smirk absent. "So what’s the plan? Keep pretending we can compete? Or actually accept reality?"

"What reality?" Iris’s voice carried edge.

"That he won." Ruby shrugged. "He changed the Academy, gave commoners everything and proved they could match us given equal resources." She looked at Iris. "And now he’s so far ahead that even working together we probably couldn’t take him."

"Probably?" Leonard’s laugh was bitter. "Definitely couldn’t. Did you see how fast he moved? Jorah didn’t even see it coming."

Micheal stood slowly. "So we train harder and get stronger... Maybe we will never catch up to him." His jaw set. "But we can at least stop embarrassing ourselves."

The others looked at him.

"When did you become reasonable?" Ruby’s smirk returned slightly.

"After all that has happened, I would be a fool to not see the reality." Micheal’s voice came out dry. "Really puts things in perspective."

****

Near the Academy gates, older students gathered in larger groups.

"Forest training for first-years." A third-year commoner shook his head. "Damian’s not wasting any time."

"Good." Another third-year, crossed his arms. "They need it... We went to battlefields unprepared. At least these kids will have real combat experience before second year."

"Assuming they survive."

"They will." The previous student’s voice carried certainty. "Damian doesn’t do things halfway. If he’s sending them to forests, professors will actually be supervising. Not like when we got sent to missions with nobody giving a fuck if we died."

A fourth-year joined them, his mature face marking him as one of the oldest. "You know what the craziest part is? We almost graduated under the old system and watched everything change right before we left." He laughed, but it sounded painful. "The next generation gets everything we dreamed of."

"You bitter about it?"

"No." The fourth-year’s voice went quiet. "Just wish it happened sooner. Wish..." He trailed off.

They stood in silence for a moment.

Then the third-year clapped him on the shoulder. "At least it happened... That’s something."

"Yeah." The fourth-year looked back at the Academy building. "That’s something."