The students cautiously approached Nehora, their confusion only growing when they noticed the glint of something unusual on his chest. One of the boys whispered, "Wait... How does he have a Diamond Badge?"


    Another student''s voice shook with disbelief. "But there''s only one Diamond Badge in the entire forest! It''s only awarded after defeating Karo, the strongest animal in the forest!"


    A girl student''s voice trembled. "So, you''re saying that… he defeated Karo?"


    The boy shook his head, eyes wide. "That''s impossible! No one has ever defeated Karo—not even the most experienced hunters."


    The other boy frowned, considering the possibility. "What if he did?"


    Another student nodded, his face serious. "Then he must be incredibly strong and talented."


    "But wait," the girl cut in, "what was that about the Citok? Why did he carry him here?"


    "I don''t know…" The words hung in the air, unanswered.


    A moment later, a doctor arrived to check on Nehora''s condition. He examined him carefully, listening to his heartbeat and checking for injuries.


    Katsegawa, the instructor, stepped forward with a concerned look. "How is he, Doctor?"


    The doctor nodded, reassuring them. "He''s fine. He just fell asleep. No injuries, at least none that are visible."


    The instructor turned to face the students. "Times up," she announced. "Alright, students, attention!"


    There was a collective murmur of confusion, but Katsegawa raised her hand to quiet them. "These are the students who made it to the final selection this year. You are now officially the final students of this academy."


    One of the boys spoke up, his voice full of disbelief. "Final? It''s over?"


    A girl stepped forward, still confused. "But... ma''am, what about the badge counting? Didn''t the results come from the badge counting?"


    Katsegawa smiled, though there was a seriousness in her expression. "Your badgees have already been counted. You''ve earned enough badgees to qualify for selection. Only those with the passing badgees are allowed to cross the line. Anyone with fewer badgees is blocked by the invincible wall."


    The girl blinked, then nodded, the realization dawning on her. "Oh, okay."


    The faint hum of the Academy''s speakers buzzed to life, filling the air with a crisp, formal tone. A voice echoed across the hall, cutting through the buzz of anxious students, all wondering what awaited them in the next phase of their trials.


    "Congratulations to all students for passing the test. From this moment forward, you are officially students of CON Academy." The voice paused as if allowing the gravity of the announcement to settle in. "You may now see the Clack."


    The students, still recovering from the intensity of the forest test, exchanged confused glances.


    "Clack? What is that and where is it?" one girl whispered to her friend, her voice tinged with uncertainty.


    "Is it another creature from the forest?" another girl muttered, her brow furrowed.


    The voice from the Academy''s speakers continued, unfazed by the murmurs. "Clack is a robot, standing before you. Please follow it to your dorms and get some rest. Classes will begin tomorrow."


    "Robot?" A boy in the back, who had been zoning out, snapped back to attention. "A robot?"


    The realization struck the students like a wave of confusion. The test had been brutal, and now, the mention of a robot? Some thought it might have been a trick, another test of sorts.


    "Huuu," another girl sighed, rolling her eyes. "I thought the test wasn''t over yet."


    The voice on the speaker didn''t wait for the students'' further confusion. "Clack will guide you to your dorms. After your medical check-up, follow it to your rooms, and get some rest. Your classes start tomorrow."


    The students, still blinking in a haze of exhaustion, reluctantly followed the instructions, many too tired to even fully comprehend what was happening. They lined up, one by one, heading toward the automated guide—the "Clack"—which stood like an indifferent sentinel at the edge of the hall.


    The medical assistants checked over the students as they filtered through the facility, ensuring everyone was in a stable condition. After the grueling trial in the forest, it was no surprise that some students needed immediate attention, though most were simply fatigued.


    Nehora, still in a daze, followed the flow of the crowd, his mind racing with fragmented memories of the trial. He could barely remember the events that led him here. He had barely managed to stand up after the fall in the valley. And yet… he had a Diamond badge now? How had that happened?


    Before he could contemplate further, a metallic voice broke through his thoughts.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Follow me," Clack said, its voice unnervingly calm and robotic, but there was a subtle authority to it, as if the tiny robot considered itself above everyone else. It gestured toward a corridor with an elegant motion of its tiny mechanical arms. "You''re lucky to be in my presence. I don''t waste time on the unimportant. So, don''t delay."


    Without thinking, Nehora followed, his exhaustion weighing heavily on his legs.


    As a few other students hesitated or attempted to argue, Clack''s head swiveled toward them, its eyes glowing brightly, filled with disdain.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" Clack asked coldly. "Do you think the rules are different for you? I''m invaluable here. The fact that I''m wasting my time on you should be enough of an honor. Follow me now, or I will leave you behind—it''s not my job to babysit."


    One of the students, a tall boy with an arrogant air, tried to speak up. "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do like that?"


    Clack''s mechanical eyes narrowed, and its voice dropped lower, colder. "Who am I?" it repeated, as if the idea of explaining itself was beneath it. "I''m Clack. You''re lucky to even be addressed by someone of my caliber. You think I have time for your questions? I''m here to guide you, not hold your hand. Keep testing me, and you''ll find out how quickly I''ll end this little charade for you."


    Another student, a girl this time, shook her head in disbelief. "This is ridiculous. You can''t just talk to us like that!"


    Clack didn''t even flinch. It simply tilted its head, the light in its eyes intensifying. "Oh, I can. I''m not here to indulge your fragile egos. If you want to get anywhere in this academy, you''ll follow my lead without questioning. Believe me, you''re not important enough for me to explain myself any further. So either keep up or stay out of my way. Your choices are your own, but don''t waste my time."


    The student who had been arguing fell silent, clearly taken aback by Clack''s arrogance.


    Clack turned back toward the corridor, its tone returning to a more clipped, dismissive tone. "It''s simple: follow the instructions and don''t make things difficult. I don''t expect you to be able to do anything on your own yet, but at least follow the basic rules."


    "I have far more important things to do in the academy, but every year, I''m stuck babysitting these amateurs humans. such a pain in the charger." clack.


    " Hey you human heads see that place over their go right their that is your dorem go and rest your butt''s over their tonight " clack.


    The morning sun pierced through the high windows of the dormitory, casting long shadows across the tiled floors. The air was thick with anticipation, students gathered in clusters, murmuring about the strange new rules of the academy.


    "Whaaaat!? We have to share the dorm with boys?"


    Lisha Keata, a tall girl with sharp eyes and an icy demeanor, slammed her fist down on the wooden table. Her usually cold expression was now a mix of disbelief and frustration.


    Her outburst didn''t go unnoticed. A few boys exchanged glances, some snickering under their breath.


    "What!? I have to live with those girls?"


    Seko, a lanky boy with an unmist air of arrogance, stood up dramatically, shaking his head in mock horror. "I''d rather live with the animals in the forest than share a dorm with them!"


    His exaggerated reaction made a few of the boys laugh, but in reality, it was all a lie. Seko, despite his harsh words, was the biggest pervert among them, and his mind was already imagining... less-than-innocent scenarios.


    "Why is he overreacting?" Hiro Eiko , a quiet and unassuming boy with a mild demeanor, thought to himself as he watched Seko flail his arms. "Isn''t it just a dorm? We''re here to study, right?"


    "Like we agree with that." Keata muttered, clearly not willing to entertain the idea any longer.


    Seko raised his hand with a dramatic flourish. "Alright, boys, raise your hands if you agree with me."


    His voice dripped with overconfidence, as if he had already won the battle in his mind. "Then I''ll head to the forest, and the girls will beg me to stay."


    In the back of his mind, Seko was already imagining the scenario unfolding exactly as he had planned—his departure to the forest would send the girls scrambling to convince him not to leave. They would need him, after all.


    The girls, on the other hand, weren''t amused.


    "Please stop. If you leave, all the boys will go with you, and if that happens, the teachers will expel us all from the academy! We don''t want that, do we?" Nisa pleaded, her voice soft but urgent.


    "No, just as I said, I can''t stay here." Seko''s voice was firm, almost dismissive.


    "We can do anything!" The girls'' voices rose in unison.


    "Okay, fine, but there''s one condition." Seko''s eyes glinted mischievously as he crossed his arms.


    "What? Just say it. We can do anything." Nisa replied, exasperated but clearly willing to do whatever it took to avoid conflict.


    Seko''s smirk widened. "Show me your panties."


    "What panties!? But that''s—anything else?" Akasin balked, clearly uncomfortable with the request.


    "Okay then, I''ll take my leave. Boys, let''s go!" Seko turned toward the door, ready to make his exit.


    "Wait! Only one time, okay?" Nisa''s voice softened, realizing she had no choice.


    "It''s fine. Just show me already." Seko replied with a grin.


    In reality, not a single hand was raised. The entire scene had been a game to Seko, a way to assert dominance in a situation where he had no real power. He had hoped to provoke the girls into begging.


    Seko, having momentarily enjoyed the chaos, leaned back against the wall with a lazy smirk on his face. His mind wandered into its usual perverted territory as he imagined all sorts of unpleasant scenarios.


    "Hehe..." Seko chuckled under his breath, his grin widening as he let his thoughts run wild.


    The other boys around him exchanged wary glances, knowing full well that the smile on Seko''s face wasn''t just because of the dorm arrangement.


    "He definitely imagining something pervert right now." One of the boys whispered to another, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Seko.


    "We don''t have a problem with that." Eiko said stepping forward.


    "Yeah, same here." Nisa added, . Unlike the others, she seemed completely unbothered by the whole situation.


    For Nisa, the idea of sharing a dorm wasn''t an issue. After all, they were all here to study, right? And it wasn''t like the academy was going to provide personal housing for each student.


    "Just what''s the problem with sharing the dorm? We''re here to study, aren''t we?" Nisa''s voice was calm, yet firm. She didn''t see why this was such a big deal. "And it''s not like the academy''s going to give a personal house to every student. I don''t see any problem with sharing a dorm with boys, right girls?"


    Keatadidn''t say much, just an almost imperceptible shrug. The rest of the girls in the room, nodded along.


    "Yeah, same for us." Eiko added, his voice neutral, like he really couldn''t care either way.


    Orasaki, however, was a different story. She wasn''t about to let anything slide without her opinion being known. Orasaki was known for her seriousness, and she took every situation like it was a matter of life and death. Especially in her case, being a top-tier Karate student. Her sense of discipline and control over the situation was practically palpable.


    "As long as they don''t peek at our side, I agree." Orasaki''s voice was low, but everyone could hear the dangerous edge to it.


    The others didn''t need her to elaborate. The warning was clear. Orasaki had no patience for perverted boys who didn''t know their place.


    To be continue......