Lesson in the Shadows
The joyous news that every single first-year and second-year student had survived raced through the academy like wildfire. Morale soared among the entire student body, and everyone threw themselves into their duties with renewed vigor. Yet reports soon reached Logan that a portion of the fourth-years were growing complacent, displaying excessive confidence in their own abilities and slacking off in training. He immediately convened a meeting with the instructors.
“I’ve received reports that the fourth-years’ attitudes are becoming a problem. Is it true?”
“Yes, sir. It hasn’t reached a critical level yet, but we’re concerned their behavior might spread to the rest of the class.”
Logan handed each instructor a request form.
“Assign external commissions to every fourth-year student.”
The instructors nodded without a word, as though they had anticipated this exact order. Not a single objection was raised. They simply accepted the forms and unfolded them in unison.
“I will personally take the five fourth-years with the worst attitudes. Everyone prepare immediately and depart.”
“Yes, Dean!”
At the entrance to the abandoned northern mine, the five fourth-year students were initially tense about accompanying the Dean himself. But their bravado quickly returned.
“This is our chance to show the Dean what we can really do!”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
Logan handed a crystal orb to the mercenary priest and ordered him to wait on the surface.
“We’ll be inside for forty-eight hours.”
He led the five students into the mine.
“Once we successfully subjugate the target, we leave immediately.”
The fourth-years gripped their mana lanterns and cautiously advanced deeper into the darkness. Thirty minutes in, a massive shape suddenly materialized from the shadows. A huge, four-legged half-man, half-beast the size of a horse. Its entire body was pitch-black shadow, and in its right hand it wielded a colossal spear of darkness.
“Hold formation! Brighten the lanterns!”
Whoosh—!
The shadow minotaur swung its enormous spear. One student groaned and staggered backward.
“Ugh!”
A gash opened on his arm, and a small mark appeared over the wound. When the other four charged, the creature retreated and melted back into the shadows.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
The face of the student bearing the mark stiffened instantly, fear flooding his eyes. Two hours later, the shadows on the wall rippled like water. The shadow minotaur emerged once more, swinging its massive spear.
Swoosh! Boom!
Two students raised their swords to block, but the impact sent them skidding backward. The creature struck another, then vanished into the floor’s shadow before they could pursue.
“Catch it! I said catch it!”
One student slashed at the darkness, but his blade cut only empty air. They were forced to wait once again in the silent gloom for the next ambush. Exhaustion mounted. Their blocks grew sloppy. Wounds multiplied across their bodies. Those marked by the creature began to grow stiff, one by one.
Sixteen hours later, sleep was impossible, the pain was excruciating, and terror had begun to devour them. At the twenty-four-hour mark, one student could only mutter the same words over and over.
“I’m going to die… I’m really going to die…”
When the shadow minotaur charged again, one boy screamed and collapsed. From that moment, the rest either fell to their knees or felt their legs give out, unable to grip their swords properly. Even as the creature slowly advanced, their fear-frozen bodies refused to move.
Is this the attitude they showed with skills like these?
Seeing them crumble in less than twenty-four hours—far short of the planned forty-eight—Logan’s anger flared white-hot. A single slash of his blade bisected the enormous shadow, which dissolved into smoke. He sheathed his sword and looked down at the students, their faces drenched in despair and terror.
“There is only one reason you brats have grown lazy! You don’t know what death truly is!”
Logan’s roar echoed through the cavern. The fourth-years emerged from the mine with their heads hung low, received healing from the priest, and returned to the academy in silence. The image of the Dean slicing an A-rank monster in a single stroke replayed endlessly in their minds.
Back in the dean’s office, Logan sat at his desk listening to the instructors’ reports.
“All thirty fourth-year students have completely changed since that day. They now arrive first for dawn training and even encourage one another.”
“Good. Keep watching them closely until graduation.”
The next report followed.
“These are the re-evaluation results for the eleven fifth- and sixth-year students who failed the previous monthly assessment. Every one of them scored above the average of seventy points and has now passed.”
Logan nodded.
“In that case, this month’s evaluation will use a ‘losers’ bracket’ format.”
“A losers’ bracket, sir?”
“One-on-one duels. The winner advances. The loser receives healing and fights again. We continue until five students remain from each year.”
Logan looked at the instructors.
“When you create the matchups, pair students with the greatest skill gap first. Later matches should be between those of similar ability. Those who remain until the very end will receive two additional weeks of training.”
The instructors answered in a thunderous chorus.
“Understood, Dean!”
The large training grounds of Lumen Academy were filled with the dry scent of dust stirred by the wind. A circular arena had been prepared at the center, surrounded by combat instructors and the sixth-year students who had not yet entered the losers’ bracket. They watched with tense expressions.
The early matches ended in under five minutes each. By pitting students with large skill disparities against one another first, the instructors quickly thinned the field and raised the intensity for the later bouts. Defeated students walked out of the arena, received recovery magic, and retreated to the back of the waiting line with bitter faces.
“Next! Sixth-year Layman versus Gareth!”
When he heard Layman’s name, Logan narrowed his eyes. His opponent was Gareth, who had placed fifth in the entrance examination.
Layman stepped into the arena, his black hair disheveled. Gareth, a noble by birth, stood half a head taller and wore a confident smirk.
“I’ll finish this quickly. You should start thinking about your next opponent.”
Layman said nothing, simply settling into his stance. The balanced muscle definition in his forearms and thighs had developed far beyond what he possessed during his adventurer days.
Gareth pressed forward with raw power from the start. Layman held his sword at an angle like a shield, deflecting and redirecting the attacks with fluid ease.
Not bad.
After several clashes, Layman didn’t miss the moment Gareth’s sword swung too wide to the left. He dropped low and slipped beneath Gareth’s center of gravity. Gareth frantically tried to bring his blade down, but Layman struck his wrist with pinpoint accuracy. The unexpected shock nearly made Gareth drop his weapon. Layman seized the opening and swung at Gareth’s opposite arm.
“Kgh!”
Even with a practice sword, the impact was real. A crack formed along Gareth’s arm and he staggered, but he forced himself back into stance with his remaining good arm. Layman continued targeting the injured side. Gareth could only focus on defense. Each time his guard crumbled, another wound appeared. Finally, unable to endure the pain, he collapsed to the ground.
“Gareth is unable to continue! Winner, Layman!”
Layman exhaled heavily and slowly lowered his sword. Only after wiping the sweat from his brow did the realization sink in. A quiet glow of accomplishment filled his eyes.
Outside the training grounds, Ella, who had been secretly watching, covered her mouth with both hands. A tiny whisper escaped.
“...My son… you did it.”
He had defeated a noble student who had placed fifth in the entrance exam—despite having entered the academy himself through special admission. She clutched her basket tightly, fidgeting with quiet joy. Then, her face radiant with happiness, she watched Layman join the group of passers, laughing and chatting with his classmates, before she turned and left.
Logan observed the scene from afar. Seeing Ella so overjoyed brought a warm, unconscious smile to his own face.
The duels continued without pause. The number of defeated students grew. Those who lost received healing and rejoined the losers’ pool, their expressions growing fiercer with every defeat. Ten students were ultimately selected for additional training. Though their clothes were filthy with dust, their eyes burned with life.
One instructor stepped to the center of the arena and announced in a loud voice, “The monthly evaluation is now over. All who passed, rest immediately! Those selected for additional training, report to the auditorium after evening hours!”
At eleven o’clock that night, Lumen Academy was wrapped in silence. Inside the dean’s office, only the faint glow of a desk lamp illuminated the room. Logan was focused on organizing paperwork more intently than usual in preparation for his departure to the royal capital.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking broke the quiet. Logan paused, then pressed the lock release beside his desk. With a soft click, the door opened. It creaked open just enough for Ella to slip inside cautiously.
“I’m sorry for coming so late, Dean.”
“What brings you here tonight? I thought I’d already received all your thanks.”
Ella approached his desk with slow, deliberate steps.
“Thanks to you, I was able to have a wonderful meal with Layman at that lovely restaurant… I heard the money came from you, Dean…”
Logan waved his hand dismissively.
“It was distributed as vacation funds for those who passed. Don’t concern yourself with it.”
“And today… I saw my boy defeat a student from a prestigious family. Even watching from a distance, I can’t express how relieved I felt.”
When Ella’s eyes curved into a seductive smile and the mood grew intimate, Logan gave a light, reassuring gesture as if to say it was nothing.
“Truthfully, I must leave for the capital at dawn tomorrow. I need to finish these documents by midnight, but the accumulated fatigue is making it difficult for my body to keep up. Your feelings alone are more than enough, Ella.”
Ella slowly knelt before him.
“Dean… you don’t have to do anything. Today… I will take care of everything.”
She slid her body beneath the desk. Logan raised an eyebrow slightly. From his vantage point he could see the top of her head and the soft valley of her cleavage. Her hand crept slowly up his thigh. Warm fingertips brushed over his trousers. Logan’s body tensed for a brief moment, then relaxed as the front of his pants gradually began to swell.
Ella sensed the change and lifted her gaze. Even in the shadows, her eyes sparkled.
“...The Dean’s body is very honest.”
“Ahem.”
Logan cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. Ella’s fingers deftly unbuckled his belt and undid the buttons of his trousers. Soon his pants slid down to his knees. She carefully wrapped her hand around the bulge straining against his underwear, stroking it with soft, warm caresses. When his cock grew even larger, she pulled the fabric aside without hesitation and took him into her mouth.
The sudden rush of pleasure made it impossible for him to stay silent.
“Ha… ah…”
Logan placed his left hand on the desk and gripped the pen tightly in his right. Beneath the desk, Ella’s long brown hair swayed gently against his thighs. Each time it brushed his skin, the warm scent of soap and feminine warmth tickled his nose. Yet far more intense was the feeling of her soft, persistent tongue coiling around his length, sucking him deeply into her mouth.
Slurp… sluuuurp.
Every time her tongue swept up from the base, Logan’s left hand pressed hard against the desk while his right hand stabbed the pen into the paper as if trying to pierce it.