The classroom buzzed with quiet anticipation. Everyone was seated, ready for the first official day of classes at the Academy.
Well—almost everyone.
Rai sat at his desk, absolutely radiating fluffy, sparkly enthusiasm. He bounced in his seat like a toddler high on sugar, eyes wide with wonder and a grin plastered across his face as if this were the best day of his life.
Gale, seated beside him, was visibly struggling to keep Rai from combusting into a chaotic tornado of energy. His hands were locked around Rai's shoulders like a human seatbelt, whispering, "Please. Just. Sit. Still."
A few seats behind them, Baruss was slouched low in his chair, trying his best to appear as uninvolved as possible. His internal monologue was clear: "I don't know them. I've never seen them in my life. I am not associated with those buffoons."
And at the very front, the ever-poised and elegant Rose sat with perfect posture. She hadn't said a word, but her mere presence commanded attention. Without lifting a finger, she had already become the center of the room's gravity. The rest of the students couldn't help but sneak glances at her with admiration—or envy.
Outside the classroom door, Kromus was having second thoughts. He stood awkwardly, peering through the keyhole like a reluctant soldier preparing for battle. What he saw on the other side made his soul sag.
"Just as I feared," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
Resigned to his fate, he took in a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The room instantly went dead silent.
It was so quiet you could hear your own blood pumping in your ears.
Except for one person, of course.
"WOOOOOW THIS PLACE IS SO SHINY—"
Kromus didn't even flinch. With a flick of his arm, a cold pulse of magic surged through the room and encased Rai in a thin shell of glimmering ice—comedic in design—with only his ears exposed. His body was frozen mid-wiggle, his mouth stuck in a wide "O" of excitement.
"You can listen," Kromus said without looking at him, "but you will not be speaking."
Gale sighed.
Baruss grinned.
And the entire class silently thanked the heavens.
"Alright then, students," Kromus began, his voice rich with authority, "this will be your first class of your academy life. Today, you will learn one of the most crucial techniques: summoning."
The room buzzed with excitement. There was an electric atmosphere in the air—an eagerness that couldn't be hidden. These were students who had heard the stories, seen the battles between powerhouses like Mammoth and Rai, and had witnessed the awe-inspiring display of the World Serpent. Now, they stood on the precipice of learning how to summon creatures of their own.
They were ready. Hungry for it.
Kromus's eyes flicked across the room, sensing the collective surge of magic and energy in the air.
"Line up," he said, his voice a firm command, "and follow me to the summoning arena."
Without a moment's hesitation, the students moved swiftly into position. Gale, ever the responsible one, was tasked with carrying the still-frozen Rai in his arms. Rai's eyes were darting all over, but his body remained perfectly still under the ice, like a statue of boundless enthusiasm.
They made their way through the corridors, eventually arriving at a massive, open arena, its vastness designed to accommodate even the greatest of summons. The ground shimmered with latent magical power, every stone and corner pulsating with raw energy.
Kromus stepped into the center of the arena, his presence commanding immediate attention. He raised one hand in the air, the other gripping a staff that seemed to vibrate with the energy of the land itself.
"Now, I am only going to do this once," he said, his voice calm but undeniably grand. "So watch closely."
The students lined up, their eyes wide with anticipation, knowing that they were about to witness a master at work. Kromus closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, his aura expanding as magical energy swirled around him. The very air seemed to thrum with excitement, the ground beneath their feet pulsing in time with the magic he was about to unleash.
The air around them began to thicken with magic, a palpable tension that sent chills down the spines of every student present. A hush swept over the arena as Kromus, standing at the center, slowly raised his hand and closed his eyes. This was it—the legendary summoning ritual passed down through generations.
He took a breath. Not of nervousness, but reverence.
Kromus began to channel his mana—a sacred force distinct from mana. Unlike mana, the life force shared by all beings, Prana resided deeper, closer to the soul. Those with magical eyes could not wield its full potential, but even a fragment of Prana could command wonders.
A silent stillness blanketed the arena. Then—
Kromus's eyes opened.
They shimmered—no, blazed—with the mingling essence of mana and Prana, a radiant hue mirroring the cold majesty of his Frost magic. The students watched, captivated, as a glowing summoning circle emerged beneath his feet. Its shape, its lines, its ancient geometry—it was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Like a fingerprint, no summoning circle was ever the same, for it was an echo of the soul.
And then—
A single teardrop of Prana formed in his eye.
It fell.
The moment it touched the summoning circle, the entire arena erupted in light. The circle ignited, humming with power beyond comprehension. Kromus raised his voice—not loud, but resounding, like a divine decree whispered across time.
"By eye's flame and soul's cry, let thy name echo through realms unknown—O Glaceryon, heed my call."
The incantation echoed across the arena, as if reality itself had paused to listen.
And then… it emerged.
A thunderous roar shattered the silence.
From the glowing circle surged a titanic serpent-dragon hybrid, its body sheathed in crystalline ice scales that shimmered like shattered moonlight. Massive, translucent wings unfurled from its back—each one shaped like intricate snowflakes, not for flight, but for channelling pure arcane force. Frozen mist coiled in its wake with every movement, and ancient runes pulsed within its glowing eyes, whispering of a forgotten era.
The students could hardly breathe. Some gasped. Others stepped back. Even the wind seemed to stand still.
This was summoning.
And this… was only the beginning.
The colossal beast stood with quiet majesty beside Kromus, its crystalline body shimmering beneath the sun-drenched dome of the arena.
Kromus turned to the class and proclaimed, "This, students, is Glaceryon, the Frostborn Leviathan. That... is how you perform a summoning."
A collective gasp of awe rippled through the crowd. Eyes gleamed. Hearts pounded. Anticipation surged like a storm.
Excitement broke out like wildfire. Students were bouncing with energy, whispering to each other with starry eyes, thrilled by the chance to call forth something of their own.
Gale, more fired up than anyone, had already begun striking dramatic poses, muttering under his breath, "Alright. Hands like this… stance strong… lightning in my gaze…" — completely in his own movie.
Rose, by contrast, sat rigid. Her expression was calm as ever, but a thousand thoughts whirled in her head like a hurricane.
"What if I summon something horrifying? Or worse… nothing? Or what if it eats someone and I get expelled before I even start?"
She began to murmur frantically, her elegant façade cracking ever so slightly as anxiety gnawed at her composure.
Baruss tried to keep his cool, arms crossed in his usual too-cool-for-this pose, but unfortunately, Glaceryon had moved far too close for comfort. Its massive, rune-glowing eyes loomed beside him. His body remained still, but his legs—trembling like twigs in a thunderstorm—betrayed him. The Leviathan exhaled softly, releasing a frigid mist that brushed against Baruss's face. A visible shiver jolted down his spine in a completely comedic, exaggerated fashion.
And then there was Rai.
He was utterly lost.
He blinked, tilted his head, then casually strolled up to the Frostborn Leviathan. The towering beast bent its head slightly, curious. Rai, oblivious to the tension in the air—or perhaps simply immune to it—grinned, reached out…
…and patted the ancient creature's snout like a puppy.
"Who's a good boy?" he said with an affectionate, innocent voice.
A pause.
A long, painful silence.
The entire arena fell still.
Every student, Gale, Rose, Baruss, even Kromus—everyone—held their breath and thought the exact same thing:
"Oh no."
The beast growled—a deep, earth-rattling sound that shook the arena's pillars. It was not amused.
Clearly, it did not enjoy being treated like a common mutt.
Rai blinked, unfazed, and casually wiped the icy spit from his face.
"Damn, brush your teeth, man."
Dead silence. Again.
Even the leviathan paused. Its reptilian brows—if it had any—would have furrowed. The beast's runic eyes slowly turned toward Kromus, as if to say, "Is this guy serious?"
Kromus avoided eye contact.
The leviathan looked back at Rai, who now stood with that same childish grin—radiating pure, blinding, oblivious joy.
Rose, Gale, and Baruss—along with the rest of the class—were slack-jawed. One kid in the back even dropped his spellbook.
And then, the mighty Glaceryon the Frostborn Leviathan—summoned from ancient frozen realms of myth—just sighed. It slumped its head forward like a weary office worker dealing with his 12th meeting of the day.
Kromus stepped forward and gently patted its icy flank.
"I know how you feel, buddy."
Gale darted forward and scissor-kicked Rai straight into the wall, sending him flying across the arena like a ragdoll. The entire class—including Kromus and even his titanic summon—tracked Rai mid-air like a tennis match.
"Oof."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, that's gotta hurt."
The crowd winced in perfect unison as Rai smacked into the stone wall with a satisfying crack.
Without missing a beat, Gale bowed deeply to the Leviathan. "I am so sorry. Please don't eat us. Goodbye."
He then sprinted to the very back of the crowd, hiding behind a taller student like a guilty puppy.
Kromus, after a long sigh, clapped his hands to regain some semblance of authority.
"Alright, students… and dimwit." His eyes flicked to Rai, who was now peeling himself off the wall like a wet sticker.
"Are you ready to do your summons?"
The crowd erupted in excited cheers, buzzing with anticipation. Rai, on the other hand, stood up like nothing had happened, brushing dust off his shoulder with all the interest of a bored cat.
Kromus observed the enthusiasm, nodding.
"Now then—what are you going to summon?"
A strange, awkward pause followed.
Silence. Blank stares. Not a single hand went up.
Even Kromus's Leviathan let out a chuckle, shaking its head as if mocking the clueless students.
Then, like a delayed thunderclap of stupidity—
"I'm gonna summon… meat."
Rai's voice echoed through the arena with all the confidence of a madman.
CRACK!
Once again, Gale kicked him into the wall without hesitation.
This time, no one reacted.
Not a single gasp. Not even a blink.
Kromus pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Anyways. Since none of you have a single clue what you want to summon, your first task is research."
He paused, as if expecting applause.
Silence.
"…You'll be spending the rest of the day in the library. Get cracking."
A groan of collective despair filled the arena.
No one had signed up for studying. They had expected monsters, magic, and chaos—not homework.
The students began slowly filtering out toward the academy library, dragging their feet like prisoners to execution. Rose was still in her spiral of hypothetical failure, whispering things like,
"What if I summon a demon goat…? Or nothing at all… or something with teeth on its eyelids…"
Meanwhile, Baruss avoided all eye contact with the Leviathan, but the beast seemed to enjoy messing with him—casually tailing him like a bully trailing a nerd in the lunchroom.
Back in the arena, Gale pulled Rai out of the wall again. This time, Rai's pupils were spinning like a slot machine.
"Meat…" he murmured dreamily.
Floating around his head were imaginary chunks of steak, grilled ribs, and roasted drumsticks. He reached out to grab one before collapsing flat on his face. Gale then carried him off.
And so, with confusion, fear, and meat-induced hallucinations, the class headed off—onward to the Library of Summoning Lore, where the true challenge awaited: figuring out what the heck to summon.