I woke up slowly, my body aching all over.


    Every little move hurt. I groaned and forced my eyes open to face the day.


    Sunlight streamed through the curtains, making stripes on my bed. Iy there for a moment, thinking about my nightmare. I couldn''t remember much, just dark shapes and a feeling of danger.


    It still left me feeling uneasy.


    With a sigh, I sat up, wincing as my musclesined. Then I realized something: Professor Valerius hadn''t called me to train today. I felt relieved but confused. Why did he let me rest?


    Not that I wasining.


    I needed this break.


    I smiled, remembering something I''d heard before, "Rest helps you grow." In a ce where we''re always pushing ourselves, sometimes it''s smart to take a step back. But the fact that I haven''t even started was another matter…


    Anyway, I swung my legs out of bed and grabbed my watch. Its weight felt familiar on my wrist, the ticking soundforting. It was just past 7 AM. A whole dayy ahead, full of possibilities and probably some challenges too.


    Standing up, I stretched carefully, feeling every sore spot. Even though it hurt, I felt proud. Each ache showed how hard I''d worked in yesterday''s training, how much progress I''d made.


    I looked in the mirror and saw my messy hair and tired eyes. Definitely time for a shower. It would clean me up and help me feel ready for the day.


    As I got my shower stuff together, I thought about my sses. What would I learn today? At the Favored Ones Academy, even normal lessons could turn into wild adventures.


    Feeling a bit excited now, I headed to the shower. Time to wash off the night and get ready for whatever the day might bring.


    **


    It was Friday, the fifth day of the week, and not very surprisingly, the academy had decided to start with the sses of the freshmen instead of waiting for the Monday.


    Anyway, my first ss was "Essence Maniption and Control." Since this was the semester''s first official ss, everyone was excited.


    I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t, but I managed to keep it to myself.


    The ss was scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM, and it was currently 9:20 AM. I had already arrived after a quick breakfast and taken my seat in the third row from the back, close to the wall.


    It was a strategic spot, allowing me to go unnoticed by the professor in case I dozed off during the lecture, which had a very high probability considering this would be the first theory ss that I would be attending in my life, literally! Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    As the minutes ticked by, familiar faces began to fill the ssroom. Unsurprisingly, Lyssandra, Toby, and Ryn were among the attendees.


    They were well-known for their natural affinity for essence-rted abilities, so it wasn''t a surprise that they chose this ss - Essence maniption was pretty popr and the most picked elective of all afterall.


    However, one more face in the group caught my attention.


    ''Huh?''


    I couldn''t determine why, but I was instinctively drawn to a certain person.


    ''What is this?''


    I don''t know why, but the red-haired girl sitting at the corner of the first bench felt oddly familiar.


    ''Have I seen her somewhere?''


    I thought, but I couldn''t remember any instance where I could have encountered a girl like that. She had bright red hairplementing her ruby-like eyes that gleamed with so much positivity they were almost blinding for someone as gloomy as me.


    But there was something about her that was very... familiar.


    ''Was it my imagination?''


    Considering there were 500 freshmen, it was highly likely that I may have passed by her somewhere - I couldn''t be sure.


    But I didn''t have much time to dwell on my thoughts as suddenly, the once-murmuring ss fell silent. I noticed the change and quickly adjusted myself in my seat. There was only one reason why a noisy fish market of a ssroom would abruptly be quiet.


    ''The instructor has arrived.''


    As I turned my gaze toward the door, I saw the professor, and for a moment, I was frozen in awe. Her long, flowing blonde hair cascaded down to her hips, framing a beautiful face that exuded elegance. Her emerald-green eyes caught my attention, but there was another distinctive feature that stood out even more—she wore a badge of A Heavenly Eye on her chest.


    ''Truthseeker?''


    The professor who entered the ssroom was a follower of the Truthseeker God!


    It was the second time I had encountered a follower of the Truthseeker, the first being Maya, the investigator who had interrogated me when I first came out of paradise.


    And seeing as she was in the position of an instructor, she would definitely be in a higher position than Maya, at least a Pdin or a Temr.


    This was troubling! Nothing good came from having close rtions with the Truthseeker followers; after all, I couldn''t lie in front of them. They were the worst type to be near - I made a mental note to avoid getting noticed by this particr instructor.


    Nevertheless, the sight of a beautiful instructor surprised me. It seemed I wasn''t the only one taken aback; all the students were equally dazed by her presence. Some of the boys even appeared to be mesmerized by her ample bosom.


    There was no need to even mention a slum rat like me…I was beyond mesmerized, of all the women I have seen, she seemed to be the most beautiful yet!


    "Good morning, students," she greeted as she walked towards the podium.


    "Good morning, madam!" came the enthusiastic chorus from the students, with the boys'' voices being particrly dominant.


    "I hope you''ve all had your breakfast, as we will have ss until the afternoon. I hope no one has any objections," she said, winking mischievously at the students.


    Who would dare to have objections to such a beautiful teacher? I even found myself questioning if there were any fools who hadn''t chosen this ss. Maybe they would be regretting it if they could see her face.


    "Before we begin, let me introduce myself. I am Zephyr, and I will be teaching the elective subject, ''Essence Maniption and Control.'' We will be spending a year together, so I hope we can get along," she announced.


    The students erupted into loud cheers, their support seemingly directed towards her and her hourss figure.


    With the quick introduction out of the way, the ssmenced.


    "Before delving into the topic, let''s see how much you all know about Essence. Can anyone here exin what essence is?" she inquired.


    A moment of silence passed before a hand rose among the ss. It was the red-haired girl who raised her hand.


    "Ma''am! Aurora," she introduced herself.


    "Yes, dear, go on~," the instructor acknowledged.


    "Essence is energy in its purest form. It can be converted into various types of energy using appropriate mechanisms and spells. In its natural state, essence is invisible and shapeless, but users with sufficient mastery can give it any shape or form they desire," Aurora exined confidently.


    "Excellent!" the instructor praised, causing Aurora to swell with pride.


    Out of curiosity, I nced at Lyssandra, who was seated just behind Toby. As expected, her face remained expressionless.


    She didn''t seem to care about things like this at all.


    Anyway, Aurora wasn''t done yet. "We first discovered essence when we went to paradise. While opening the portal, the essence flowed from paradise to Earth and thus things began to change."


    The instructor nodded, satisfied with her answer. Aurora still seemed to have more to tell but the instructor told her to stop politely.


    "You may sit down now, dear," the instructor said, waiting for Aurora to take her seat before continuing.


    "As your ssmate just mentioned, essence is energy in its purest form, often referred to as magic energy. Going further into the topic, essence is a fundamental substance that gives rise to various fields of magical energy. These fields exist alongside other fundamental forces of science, such as gravity and maism. Certain creatures and objects possess the ability to manipte these fields in various ways, resulting in spectacr effects. The key lies in how individuals manipte essence. These acts of shaping and channeling essence out of the body are known as magic."


    ---***---


    Sorry for thete updates - Things are hectic and I am going through some personal troubles, I hope you guys can understand - Thank you!