The sharp sound of ringing echoed through the demolished room.
A deep groan rumbled from Ryuk's lips as he peeled himself off the cracked wall, landing heavily on the ground.
His hand instinctively clutched his head, where a brutal headache pounded like a sledgehammer striking repeatedly. But what drew his attention the most was the pulsing energy vibrating through his right arm.
His gaze snapped to his Apex watch, where a flashing notification caught his eye.
{Apex Energy Studies Class Begins In 3 Hours}
{Time Left: 58 Minutes}
"Oh," Ryuk muttered, rubbing his temples. "Fifty-eight minutes... I still got some time left."
But right before his eyes, the countdown shifted to 57.
'Maybe not so much time…' he thought, forcing himself to his feet.
The sky outside was beginning to lighten, and now he could fully take in the devastation around him.
Claw marks marred the floors, shattered glass crunched beneath his feet, and the broken remains of tables and sofas were strewn against the walls. The most striking damage, however, was the massive cracks webbing across the windows.
The entire room was a disaster.
Luckily, MadWhite had deducted some points to cover part of the damages.
Ryuk recalled that the mentioned repairs would be handled soon—his glass would be replaced, and the living room reassembled.
But as soon as he thought about the destruction, his mind drifted back to the real danger from last night.
'Yesterday... I almost fought the instructors.'
Ryuk clutched his head in disbelief.
Last night, he had been forced into an impossible choice.
Give up Isha to the Academy?
There was no doubt about what they would have done to her. Most likely, it would have been the last time he ever saw her.
And what could he have done after that? Nothing.
The Academy would have fed him some excuse about how she "disappeared" or was "disposed of," and that would have been the end of it.
Faced with such a choice, there was no way in hell he was giving Isha up.
Not even for a second.
So, in the end, he had two options:
1. Hand Isha over, return to his room, and sleep soundly.
2. Stand his ground, fight, and possibly get crushed.
Thinking back, his choice seemed like a really dumb one. What the hell was I thinking?!
But even now, Ryuk didn't regret it. If he were put in that situation again, he would still make the same decision.
Because he Ryuk never abandoned his contracted beasts. No matter the circumstances.
Fortunately, his stubbornness had lasted long enough for MadWhite to intervene and save his ass.
"But if MadWhite never showed up..."
[Then Host would most likely have been beaten into the ground and locked away in some dungeon.]
The system's voice chimed in bluntly.
Ryuk rolled his eyes but quickly refocused.
'Speaking of MadWhite… That attack… it was just supposed to be a lesson, yet my scythe was shattered, my arms ripped apart—'
It was as if a mountain had been hurled at him, crushing every bit of his resistance. Was this the true power of the instructors?
Ryuk shivered at the memory.
He had sensed MadWhite's attack just in time, which allowed him to twist mid-air and slash out with his scythe. But even then, he was sent flying. His Nano Reaper scythe barely resisted before his arms burst apart, his chest caved in, and his entire body crumpled like a ragdoll.
MadWhite hadn't even hit him directly—he had just stretched his hand in his direction.
The sheer difference in power was terrifying.
'I'm still so far from their level…'
Ryuk clenched his fists.
All of this could have been avoided if he had known that Isha would transform upon her evolution.
Not only did he almost lose her, but he also nearly lost his life.
Who knows what would have happened if MadWhite hadn't stepped in?
And speaking of Isha...
Ryuk's gaze darkened.
The air distorted, and in an instant, a massive creature materialized before him.
Before he could react, THUD!
His body was slammed onto the floor beneath a set of massive claws, a long tongue slathering saliva all over him.
"Get off me, you snaky bastard!" Ryuk growled, shoving Isha's massive head aside as he climbed to his feet, dripping with drool.
A deep, rumbling growl escaped Isha's throat. The moment Ryuk shot her a disgusted glare, she quickly looked away, avoiding his gaze.
"What the hell came over you last night?" Ryuk demanded, folding his arms.
Isha let out another low growl, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.
[Host need not worry. A beast only undergoes the hostile evolution effect once. Now that she has been tamed, her wild instincts have fully settled. To her, last night will feel like nothing more than a dream.]
Another low growl rumbled from Isha's throat, but then—
The words rang directly into Ryuk's mind.
His entire body stiffened.
His eyes darted around the room in alarm.
"Who's there?" he asked cautiously, his senses sharpening.
It was a small voice—gentle, yet eerie. And it had come from behind him.
"It's me… your nightmare, Ryyyuuu... Ruuuukkk..."
The voice carried a ghostly tone, snarky and playful.
Slowly, Ryuk turned his head—
Isha sat there, her massive claws covering her lips as she snickered mischievously. But the moment he stared at her, she stopped, tilting her head in innocent confusion.
"...Don't tell me..."
Then, realization hit.
For a brief second, Ryuk wanted to scream in excitement. But then he remembered the absolute disaster of last night—
And instead, he just let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"You know what?" He turned away, rubbing his temples.
"I have a class to attend."
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In and Out_SnowySmoos