"Hey, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Someone said from beside him.

Azrael did not need to turn. He already knew who it was.

"Yo, Zephyr, how are you doing?" Azrael asked, walking toward the door that led to the next class.

Zephyr fell into step beside him with a smile as both of them shook hands.

"Hey, Nyx. Malaric," Azrael waved at the two.

Malaric nodded.

The nod felt oddly poetic to Azrael, but he said nothing about it.

Nyx replied with a raised eyebrow, making it obvious enough for Azrael to catch.

Azrael creased his brows and nodded slowly back, genuinely unsure how to respond to that.

"Let’s go, weren’t you in a hurry just now?" Zephyr asked, already walking toward the exit.

Azrael followed quickly.

Nyx and Malaric came shortly after.

Soon they were back at the same spot they had stood before being transported to the combat class.

"She could appear from anywhere," Zephyr whispered close to Azrael’s ear.

"I know," Azrael whispered back.

"Hello everyone," the voice came from above.

Every head tilted upward on instinct.

Their eyes caught something plummeting from the sky like a meteorite.

The floor beneath her cratered on impact, web like cracks spiralling outward.

Yvonne ignored it entirely, rising from one knee as she looked at the students.

"Those of you owing me points, continue with your drills," she said, her voice as calm as ever.

As they turned to go, she spoke again.

"Remember, you owe me double whatever was remaining yesterday," she said, raising two fingers.

She turned and took a soft leap.

Her body launched high into the sky, twisting mid air before she landed on top of a branch.

Like a feather, the branch did not so much as tremble under her weight, let alone snap.

Zuriel, Sirris, and Malaric turned toward the needle like platforms, already calculating how to approach their drills.

"Forty eight laps today," Zuriel muttered as he stared at the platforms.

Without hesitation, he lunged, landing atop the first one.

His body wobbled, tilting to the side from the imbalance.

He steadied himself, then jumped smoothly to the second.

"Four points, I should be done in under twenty minutes," Malaric said with a smile.

He jumped to the first platform, finding his balance quickly by resting both feet close together.

Sirris said nothing.

Her gaze was fixed on the platforms before she leapt forward like a feline.

"The rest of you can relax," Yvonne said from the top of the tree.

"What about the next course?" Azrael asked with furrowed brows.

"You cannot move to the next course without the rest," Yvonne replied, unbothered.

Azrael looked around.

"So we just wait for them to finish?" He muttered.

His body dropped, landing on the floor with a thud as he sat.

"Let’s play a game," Zephyr said, looking down at Azrael.

Azrael furrowed his brows.

"What game?"

"A quick race. You create a construct using your essence, and I create mine. The first to reach the finish line wins."

Azrael was still processing the idea when Zephyr had already walked to the far end of the area and drawn a line on the ground.

"What are the rules?" Azrael asked, rising from the floor.

"No rules. Just reach the finish line first. The creator cannot interfere directly either."

Azrael’s eyes flickered with mild surprise.

"I will join," Nyx said, raising her hand as she walked over.

"You are welcome to," Zephyr shrugged.

Azrael nodded, then his gaze drifted to Valdren, who stood quietly at the edge of the group.

’Why is he always so nervous?’ Azrael wondered.

"Would you join us?" Azrael asked him.

Valdren looked around as if checking whether Azrael was actually addressing him.

"You," Azrael said with a sigh, pointing directly at him.

Valdren bowed slightly as he walked over.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"You go first," Azrael said to Zephyr.

Although he spoke with confidence, the truth was that he had no idea essence could be used to create constructs. He had not known it was possible until this very moment.

"Just admit it. You did not know essence could create constructs and give them temporary life," Zephyr said, rolling his eyes.

"Huh?" Azrael smiled. "Who said so?"

Zephyr gave him a flat look.

"If neither of you wants to go first, I will," Nyx said, cutting the argument short before it could stretch further.

Her essence surged under her control.

Shadows coiled outward, forming a single leopard like creature that solidified before them.

Nyx stroked the leopard gently with her palm.

"I am waiting," she said calmly.

Zephyr glanced at Azrael and grinned.

"What is wrong with you?" Azrael muttered, already pulling at his own essence.

He tapped into the essence of his Coin Generation skill.

It responded immediately, flaring outward.

Azrael’s hand moved slowly, shaping the essence mid air.

"This is actually impressive," he murmured to himself.

But the others were not looking at the construct.

They were looking at him.

"You have reached tier two," Zephyr said, his voice barely above a whisper. His entire worldview seemed to shift in that single moment.

He was not alone.

Nyx’s leopard fizzled out as she lost hold of her concentration.

Even Valdren, as reserved as he was, took a step back, his eyes wide.

"You are all making me uncomfortable," Azrael said, stepping back and dispersing the essence he had been shaping.

"We should be the ones saying that," Zephyr said, his composure finally breaking.

[You reached tier two in three days. That is not normal. Their reaction makes complete sense.]

’Since when did you start speaking like that?’ Azrael replied in his mind.

The system said nothing.

"I know this is about how quickly I reached tier two," Azrael said with a sigh, stepping toward Zephyr.

"The thing is, I have been trying to hold my talent back, which is why I delayed my awakening for so long. But now that I have awakened, there is no stopping it."