After tucking Riruru in on one side of the bed, Skyler quickly went to take a bath.
He was elated to see a built-in bathtub in the bathroom. Luckily, he didn't fall asleep in there and managed to drag himself out before crawling under the bed covers.
"Lights off..."
He muttered, and the lights in the room went off automatically. Skyler was only in his boxers, with nothing else covering his damp body. But knowing that no one could enter his room, he just fell asleep.
Perhaps it was because his body didn't sense any threat, or maybe he was a deep sleeper, or perhaps a combination of both. Skyler didn't wake up even when a brilliant light illuminated the entire room.
The only thing that brought him to a semblance of awareness was a sudden, cold sensation that made him shiver as something icy touched him from behind.
His ears twitched slightly when a faint, unfamiliar voice sounded behind him.
"Sky... Skyr..."
The voice was soft and fragile, as if the owner was learning how to speak.
In the fog of his semi-consciousness, Skyler noticed a pair of glowing red eyes framed by long white hair, staring at him from above.
'A dream?'
He muttered inwardly and closed his eyes. That was it. The next instance, he was jolted awake, tumbling out of bed by the sound of the restless pounding on his door.
"What the heck..."
He cursed under his breath, but his eyes widened when he noticed the morning light filtering through the gaps between the curtains that covered the window.
"Shit! I am late on the first day!"
He hastily pulled a pair of pants from his storage ring, slipping them on as he rushed to open the pounding door. There, standing outside, was Charles, clad in his uniform, a deep-purple shirt printed with two golden words, 'Starlight Academy', on the front, wearing a dark expression on his face.
Skyler's eyes shifted nervously.
"Umm... I forgot to set the alarms."
Charles scoffed, but instead of wasting time, he pulled out a uniform from his storage ring and pushed it toward him.
"Our measurements are the same. So, I got your uniform as well from the first floor. Get ready, we're already late for the first class."
Skyler's eyes widened, then he smiled.
"Thanks! Just give me a minute!"
He turned toward the bed, spotting the familiar white snake staring back at him.
"Oh, good, Riruru is awake. Charles, you stay with her. I will be back!"
He rushed into the bathroom as the gray-haired man entered his room behind him. Charles' eyebrow twitched the moment he noticed a jacket lying on the floor.
"Here, I thought he was a clean freak."
He sighed as he picked up the jacket and tossed it on the bed. His eyes met Riruru's twinkling red eyes, making him chuckle.
"Why do you look so happy?"
Settling next to her on the bed, he reached out to touch her head, but she moved back. He swore her eyes looked annoyed at him.
"What? Is only Skyler, his mom, and older sister Jenny allowed to touch you? That's clear discrimination!"
Riruru narrowed her eyes.
She understood what he said.
It was because yesterday, after hearing Miss Lorian talk so much, she had picked up the basic words of their language.
Charles was stunned and also somewhat speechless when the white snake nodded her head to tell him that, yeah, only Skyler and his family were allowed to touch her.
"Can you understand me..."
His words trailed off when he noticed a bright strand of long white hair on the bed.
"What is this?"
Picking up the hair, he stared at it with a frown. Confused as to where it came from, since Skyler's hair was clearly ash-brown.
"It looks like a woman's hair."
His eyes widened. Before he could delve deeper into his observations or notice the look of panic in Riruru's eyes, Skyler ran out of the bathroom, tucking his shirt into his pants. It was clear he had just splashed some water on his face and changed.
Even his shoelaces weren't tied yet.
He watched as Skyler dashed toward the bed and tied his shoelaces before running his fingers through his messy hair to fix it.
"I am ready! Let's leave!"
Charles could only shake his head and follow behind as the man picked up Riruru and rushed out of the room. Skyler locked his room, and they ran downstairs.
On the first floor, no students were around. However, the aroma of food wafted through the air as an elderly couple cleared the dirty plates from the many tables. It was clear that the first-year Elite Class A students who lived in the building had already left.
Skyler's footsteps halted as his stomach decided to betray him. They had not eaten anything yesterday after breakfast, except for a few snacks. The elderly lady clearing the plates noticed him and Charles. She wore an apron over a loose-fitting dress.
The old lady checked her watch.
"You are both late. Considering I haven't seen you around before, it's clear you are new here. Would you like some breakfast? I will make an exception for your tardiness since it's your first time being late."
Hearing her, Charles paused in his steps. He looked back and facepalmed when he saw Skyler standing still, deep in thought.
"No, ma'am. Thank you, but there is no need. We're already late, so we can't."
His decision was clear, but the blue-eyed man had other plans. He pointed at Riruru, indicating she was also hungry, and then quickly settled into a nearby table.
"We are already late. So, what's a few more minutes? Let's just grab something light!"
A vein throbbed on Charles' forehead. He wanted to abandon the snake and human, but when the old lady went to get food for them, he gritted his teeth and sat down.
"Fuck! I am late all because of you!"
***
It was a bright morning when Professor Sinclair entered the first-year Elite Class A classroom. Her tall figure exuded authority, and the moment she appeared, everyone in the classroom fell silent. Immediately, the students all stood up in respect.
She stood on the podium, her eyes scanning the faces of the students before her. The projector in the class sprang to life, casting light on the wall behind her as she placed the files in her hand on the table.
All one hundred students were present in class, standing in their usual places. She lowered the glasses perched on her nose.
"Sit down, class."
The students nodded, and sat down.
Professor Sinclair's eyes wandered. Her gaze paused on Jenny, and she sighed.
"Miss Ironhart. You are finally back? You missed the first week of classes. I won't repeat the lectures I gave. Therefore, just come to my office if you want any help."
Jenny nodded and muttered an apology to the professor. She was seated in the front row with Max, Elena, and Austin.
Professor Sinclair's gaze traveled toward Zack, who was seated at the very back.
"I see many students are on their phones."
He almost dropped his phone, startled by her sudden words. Then he quickly ducked his head low, hoping to avoid her attention.
He was just a transmigrator trying to blend in so the protagonist wouldn't notice him.
So, no need to give him attention!
Sinclair called out to a few more students who were trying to sleep, even though the first morning class hadn't even begun yet. Soon, her brows creased visibly.
"That's strange. I received news that two new students would join our class today. Why do I see no new faces around?"
Her words surprised the students. New students? In Elite Class? That was unheard of. Whispers rippled through the classroom as they wondered how could the academy just let newcomers enter their ranks when the selection had ended a week ago.
Zack frowned too. He didn't remember anything like this happening in the book. Why were new students joining them?
Amidst everyone, only Jenny seemed genuinely shocked. Her expression was noticeable, so Max looked at her face.
"What happened, Jenny?"
Jenny shook her head, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's nothing."
She uttered, but her mind was in turmoil.
Two new students will be joining them? Was it Skyler and Charles? Impossible!
Professor Hawthorne and Noire would not let them join the academy, let alone join the Elite Class. Moreover, even if they somehow managed to get in, they would be placed in the first year class, not the Elite class.
This was just too bizarre.
Witnessing the commotion, Professor Sinclair raised her voice sternly.
"Silence, class! Perhaps I received incorrect information about new students. Open your notebooks. We will begin the lectures."
With ease, she controlled the projector, displaying the first slide of her lecture.
"Now, where were we? Ah, yes, the third level of Battle Royal. It's not different from the first two levels. It's also not particularly challenging as long as you avoid disturbing the monsters sleeping there. The beasts on the first five levels of Battle Royal are quite sluggish, especially the dragons and trolls. Think of these levels as opportunities for you to explore, find hidden treasures, and locate the Gate leading to the next level...."
Thirty long minutes into Sinclair's lecture, the classroom door creaked open, revealing two pairs of nervous eyes peering inside.