"Where am I?" Derek muttered, staring up at the ceiling in confusion. "Wasn't I in the cavern?"

"You're awake?! Finally! You gave us a hell of a scare," came a relieved voice from beside him.

Turning his head slowly, Derek saw Henry sitting nearby.

"How are you feeling?" Henry asked.

"I'm… okay," Derek replied weakly. "But where am I?"

"You don't remember?"

"I do, but everything feels like flashes. I was fed something and then…" Derek's words trailed off as fragments of memory resurfaced. His eyes widened suddenly. "What… what happened to that girl? And Leo? What about him?" He sat up abruptly, his heart racing.

"Senior Emma is safe," Henry said, his tone heavy. "But Leo… he's dead."

Derek froze. "He's dead? What happened?"

Henry lowered his gaze. Though he had never liked Leo — and Derek hadn't either — knowing that someone from their own class had died still left a knot in his chest. No matter how arrogant Leo had been, it wasn't easy to accept that he was gone.

"I don't know the full details," Henry admitted. "But you can ask the housemaster. He arrived long before we did. He witnessed almost everything, if not all of it."

"I need to talk to him." Derek swung his legs off the bed, trying to stand.

"Don't you dare move, brat," came another stern voice.

It was the healer.

"Your condition might not be critical, but according to those who were with you, you were fed something extremely dangerous," she said firmly. "You were unconscious for two whole days, too. So, before you go anywhere, let me check if everything's truly fine. Only after I'm satisfied can you move."

Derek didn't argue. Deep down, he wanted answers too — especially how he was still alive. Or more accurately… still human. He could still recall Leo's horrifying transformation after swallowing that crimson core. But after he was forced to consume his own, all he remembered was unbearable pain....

and then darkness.

Henry stood up from the stool beside Derek's bed to make space for the healer.

She sat down and placed her glowing hand over Derek's chest, closing her eyes in focus. Minutes passed in silence.

Then she finally opened them again. "Nothing abnormal," she said. "Aside from your energy level, which has increased by leaps and bounds, everything seems perfectly normal."

"Energy what?" Derek asked, looking confused as he glanced down at his hands and slowly clenched his fists.

'This strength…!' His eyes widened in disbelief. 'What the hell happened to me?'

Only now did he realize how drastically his strength had increased. His body felt lighter, yet denser — his Qi flowing more vigorously than ever before.

'I need to check my cultivation realm,' he thought, but then shook his head. 'No… first I have to talk to the master and figure out what's going on. What was that instructor doing colluding with demons? And more importantly… how the hell are demons already here? They shouldn't have appeared this early!'

A dozen questions spun through his mind, each one heavier than the last.

"You can move now," the healer said, snapping him out of his daze. "But take care of yourself. If you suddenly feel unwell, don't hesitate to come here immediately."

"That means I can leave?" Derek asked, glancing at her.

"Yes, go on," she replied. "Just remember what I said."

Derek stood up from the bed and bowed politely. "Thank you very much."

With that, he left the infirmary, Henry following close behind.

The healer watched his retreating back in silence, her brows slightly furrowed.

'What tremendous energy… but his cultivation realm seems to be only at F-class,' she thought, perplexed. 'How is that possible? Is he… concealing his true realm?'

Her expression grew more serious as she fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, Derek hurried toward Yami's chamber.

When he reached the door, he turned to Henry. "Let's talk later, okay? I need to discuss something with the House Master first."

"Alright," Henry nodded. "But after that, you're going to tell us what really happened, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay. See you soon." With that, Henry walked away, and Derek knocked on the door.

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?" Yami's voice came from inside.

"Master, it's me, Derek."

Derek could hear quick footsteps approaching, followed by a soft click as the door opened.

"Huh… It's really you," Yami said, his tone carrying a mix of relief and curiosity. "Good to see you back on your feet."

"Thank you, Master. I have something I need to discuss with you. May I come in?"

"Of course. I have a few questions of my own," Yami replied, gesturing for him to enter. "Come in."

Derek stepped inside, and Yami closed the door behind him.

As Yami walked back to his seat, he pointed toward an empty chair. "Sit."

Derek nodded and quickly took his place.

"Now then," Yami began, leaning back slightly. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know everything — everything that happened after you arrived," Derek said firmly. "And that instructor… I think his name was Peter. Is he alive? I need to talk to him."

Yami stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking. "When I arrived," he began slowly, "Emma, the fourth-year student, was about to be force-fed the same crimson core that both you and Leo were given. I was lucky to have arrived in time… though I wish I'd arrived sooner. If I had, Leo might still be alive."

He paused briefly, then continued explaining everything that had taken place. As a victim himself, Derek had every right to know.

Yami recounted how he fought and killed one of the demons, how Peter had tried to cooperate with them and attack him, only to fail miserably. Then he described how the other demon and Leo's monstrous, beast-like form were both obliterated by mysterious black flames that had burst out from a rift that had suddenly appeared in midair.

The more Derek listened, the deeper his frown grew. When Yami finally finished, silence filled the room as Derek tried to process everything.

"Do you know what happened to me?" Derek asked after a long pause. "I thought I was going to turn into a monster too."

Yami exhaled softly. "No. When I first saw you, I thought you were....." He paused. " I thought you were dead," he admitted. "But then… something strange happened. Your body started growing taller, and your energy level continued to increase as well. I don't know what caused it, but whatever it was, I'm just glad it saved you — you didn't end up like Leo."

"Huh? Taller?" Derek glanced down at himself, realizing for the first time that his clothes barely fit — his sleeves and pants were stretched short across his limbs. Just like his newfound strength, he hadn't noticed this either, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts of demons, their ability to turn humans into beasts, and their premature appearance in the world.

"You really didn't notice such a major change?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Well… no," Derek admitted awkwardly.

The room fell silent again.

"What about that instructor?" After some time, Derek asked. "Is he still alive? If he is, where is he now?"

Yami studied him for a moment before answering. "I'll tell you that," he said evenly, "but first, I need you to answer some of my questions as well before that."

Derek hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Alright."

"What do you know about those creatures — the ones that looked like beasts but could talk?" Yami's gaze sharpened. "According to Emma, you called them demons. Do you actually know about them? And if so… how?"

Derek fell silent at the question.

'What should I say? That I know about them because I was reborn — or maybe returned in time — or whatever it was? No way… Master would never believe that. He'd probably think I've lost my mind.'

After a moment of internal struggle, he decided to come up with something more believable.

"I… I know what they are," Derek said finally. "They're called demons, and they're not from around here."

"Not from around here?" Yami frowned. "What do you mean by 'not from around here'? Are you saying they're from another kingdom?"

"No," Derek replied, exhaling softly. He could already feel the storm of questions that would follow his next words. "They're from outside this world. From another planet."

Yami was stunned — so much so that he stared at Derek as if he were looking at a ghost.

"From where?" he demanded, his voice edged with disbelief. "Derek, you do realize how serious this is, don't you? Don't spout such absurd nonsense."

"I'm not, Master," Derek replied firmly. "They really are from outside this world."

"Seriously? And where did you learn this information from?" Yami asked.

What Derek said sounded utterly ridiculous. Yet, for some reason, he wanted to believe it. There was something in Derek's eyes that told him this wasn't a lie. Derek wasn't the type to say something without a reason, nor did he seem like some spoiled brat trying to sound important.

"It's because one of the demons told me."

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