Ma Feng had been walking for more than six minutes now, whistling softly. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he climbed the stairs. The map on the Erafel Device guided him toward his destination.
"I guess this is the place," Ma Feng muttered to himself.
He placed his hand on the door and opened it. As he entered the classroom, he was met with countless stares—every pair of eyes in the room was locked on him, with strange expressions etched on their faces.
"Uhmm... am I lost? Is this the Sorcery Department?" Ma Feng asked, scratching the back of his head. He turned to leave when a calm but authoritative voice echoed from the back of the room, causing him to sigh.
"Boy, this is the Sorcery Department. Who are you?" asked a composed old man, adjusting his glasses. He wore a white shirt and typical lecturer trousers, holding a digital tab in his hand.
"I'm Ma Feng, a new student assigned to the Sorcery Department by my proctor," Ma Feng replied as he faced the old teacher. The students were still watching him, but he couldn't care less—his face remained stoic and unreadable.
"Ma Feng? Are you, by any chance, under the supervision of Miss Sarah?" the old man asked.
"Yes sir. Miss Sarah is my assigned proctor, I guess. So... am I allowed to sit?" Ma Feng asked.
The old man nodded. Ma Feng gave a small nod back and walked toward the rear of the classroom to take a seat.
"Ma Feng, welcome to the Sorcery Department. I am Mr. Ronald, your History teacher," the old man announced. "Currently, we're discussing Ancient Mysteries: the most enigmatic creatures to ever exist."
Mr. Ronald—known among students as The Chronic Dictator—was feared for his unyielding discipline.
"Since you're here, Ma Feng, we'll start from the beginning. We are talking about the top three races in the magical world. One of them is the Dragon Race, from the ancient mountain of Argard."
"The Dragons inhabited the Mountains of Argard three thousand years ago. They were the children of the Dragon God, Ozel, and descendants of Ashraoth, one of the Ancient Deities. But Mountain Argard was destroyed three millennia ago."
"Destroyed? By whom?" Ma Feng asked.
All eyes turned toward him again, but he smiled faintly. Mr. Ronald cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back. He tapped a button on his Erafel Device, and a glowing screen appeared in the air.
"The Dragon Kingdom was once invaded by the Monster of Evil—whose name we do not speak. The Dragons, known as the strongest among the Seven Great Races, were almost wiped out."
"Ninety percent of them vanished. Sorcerers once hunted Dragons for their magic and turned their scales into medicine. But that practice was abolished by the New Sterling Federation."
"Yet not all dragons were eradicated. There are still rumors of survivors—especially one tied to the prophecy made by the Great One. We don't know the dragon's identity. His face wasn't shown."
"I bet he's already dead—probably rotting in one of our Mage Labs!" a boy in the front laughed, sparking laughter throughout the classroom.
A few students remained silent. Ma Feng folded his arms and exhaled deeply. He realized that finding a dragon to guide him wouldn't be easy.
"So... finding a dragon to teach me the ways of my kind won't be easy after all. I wish I had been reincarnated as a vampire or something less complicated. Maintaining this shapeshifted form is exhausting," Ma Feng muttered.
VIOLET: NOTICE — THERE MIGHT BE A DRAGON LOCKED INSIDE THIS ACADEMY. I CAN SENSE DRAGON AURAS, BUT I CAN'T DETERMINE THE SOURCE!
"Oh really? If there's a dragon in this Academy, it's probably chained somewhere. Humans are no different from the ones in my old world. Greedy. Cruel," Ma Feng replied under his breath.
"Ehmm... Mr. Ronald, right? Does the Sterling Federation have any dragons in their possession? And if they do, why aren't they released into the world?" Ma Feng asked with a smirk.
Mr. Ronald adjusted his glasses slowly.
"That's not the kind of question I expect from a new student like you, Ma Feng. But... even if the Sterling Federation did have dragons in their custody, releasing them would be far too dangerous."
"Why?" Ma Feng asked calmly.
"Because the Dragon Hunt was abolished a millennium ago. Any dragons held captive would be drowning in rage, vengeance, and chaos. Their release could spell doom for us all," Mr. Ronald replied.
"So... you're saying it's better to keep them in such a cruel state?" a girl's voice asked from across the room.
Ma Feng turned toward the voice. His demeanor remained cold and still, though his mind lingered on the strange familiarity of the girl's presence.
"Crystal... that's a fair question," Mr. Ronald said. "But for the sake of humanity, it is best. Once their anger has cooled... they may be released."
"He's lying. Right, Violet?" Ma Feng asked silently.
VIOLET: ABSOLUTELY. I CAN'T CONFIRM HOW MANY DRAGONS ARE UNDER THE FEDERATION'S CONTROL, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SEVERAL SCATTERED ACROSS THE WORLD.
"Oh, is that so? Then I guess staying in one place won't work. I'll have to find them. I have... questions," Ma Feng said quietly as he stared at Mr. Ronald.
Mr. Ronald was old, but Ma Feng could feel the sheer destructive aura pulsing from the man's body. He wasn't to be underestimated.
Ma Feng rolled his eyes and turned to look at the girl—Crystal. The blonde beauty sat by the window, her expression emotionless. She reminded him of himself. The Incarnation of Chaos.
Class ended as the bell rang. Mr. Ronald left the room, and the door opened again for the next period.
A woman walked into the classroom. Young, refined, and wearing stylish glasses. Her presence shifted the energy in the room.
Mrs. Faye—the Spectrum Teacher.
She dropped her books on the table beside her and faced the class. Clearing her throat, she looked toward Ma Feng.
"Greetings, young man. You're the new student, right? What's your name again?" she asked politely.
Ma Feng stood from his seat, smiling faintly. He bowed slightly to the striking teacher.
"The name is Ma Feng Ma," he said, and then sat back down.
"Ma Feng, I am the teacher in charge of Spectrum Lessons here in the Sorcery Department. My name is Mrs. Faye. You may remain seated—or perhaps, you're already seated... Now, students, shall we continue?" Mrs. Faye said, adjusting her glasses.
"Ma... is today the Exhibition Program for the Spectrum Lesson? Or have you decided to chicken out again?" Crystal asked as she stood from her seat. Her tone was calm, yet piercing.
Mrs. Faye took a deep breath, staring at Crystal, who remained still and unreadable.
"Crystal Rendevor, you may think of yourself as the self-proclaimed queen of this department, but remember—I am still your teacher. The Exhibition Program begins tomorrow. And for your insolent words... perhaps, a punishment is in order," Mrs. Faye said sharply.
"Hmph... whatever," Crystal muttered, rolling her eyes.
Suddenly, everything changed.
The room went still.
Everyone froze in place—including Mrs. Faye—frozen mid-expression as though time itself had stopped.
Ma Feng blinked, still fully conscious and mobile. He looked around in disbelief until his eyes locked with Crystal's.
She was the only other person moving.
"You..." she said, shocked. "Why aren't you affected by the Time Stoppage?"
"Time Stoppage? You mean halting the temporal flow of human biological function? Are you a Time Magic user?" Ma Feng asked casually, still seated.
Crystal stepped forward, her calm demeanor beginning to crack.
"You're... an interesting specimen. Not only are you unaffected by my magic, but you're breathing, moving—flawlessly. You're no ordinary human. No human has ever escaped my Time Stoppage."
"Well, Crystal... I don't have an answer for you," Ma Feng replied. Then, with a simple snap of his fingers, time resumed.
Mrs. Faye looked up in confusion, seeing Crystal still standing defiantly. She frowned.
"Crystal Rendevor, meet me in my office. Now," Mrs. Faye ordered, gathering her books and walking out.
Crystal shrugged and followed, but not before giving Ma Feng one last glance.
"Violet... what just happened?" Ma Feng whispered.
VIOLET: APOLOGIES. I ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATED THE COPY SKILL WHEN CRYSTAL UNLEASHED HER TIME MAGIC. HER TIME STOPPAGE WAS AUTOMATICALLY DUPLICATED BY YOUR ABILITY.
"So I copied her Time Stoppage magic unknowingly... and gained control over the flow of time. That's kind of... cool, right, Violet?"
The bell rang for the closing hour. Ma Feng rose from his seat and began walking out when a gentle hand grabbed him from behind.
He stopped and turned.
"What are you doing? Why are you holding me?" he asked calmly.
"You're the new student, right? I'm Rosemary. What about you?" a soft, feminine voice answered. A red-haired girl stood before him, smiling.
"I'm Ma Feng. But you shouldn't grab strangers like that. Would you mind letting go?" he said politely.
She quickly removed her hand. "Sorry… It's nice to meet you."
"Thanks. Nice to meet you too," Ma Feng said. He walked away, shutting the door behind him without another word. Before Rosemary could respond, he had completely vanished.
Ma Feng reappeared on the rooftop of the school building. A calm breeze blew as he stood facing the horizon, his mind wandering. Suddenly, he sensed a presence.
He turned swiftly—Crystal stood before him.
"You? I thought you were being punished by our teacher. Why are you here?" Ma Feng asked.
Crystal didn't reply. Instead, her body split—she divided herself into two identical forms. Her expression remained blank, emotionless.
"You broke through my Time Stoppage but didn't cast any spells in return. Being under Miss Sarah's supervision—a legend in her own right—I suspected you'd be an anomaly. So... what did you do?" Crystal asked.
"I'm not obligated to tell you my abilities, and you can't force it out of me. But here's a hint—your Time Stoppage became a replica."
With that, Ma Feng walked to the edge of the rooftop—and leapt off.
---
Meanwhile...
Ma Feng appeared at the doorstep of Dormitory A, Room 501. He placed his hand on the door, and his right battle eye activated.
He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes.
"That girl is powerful... I had to resist the urge to go into Battle Mode. Her murderous intent is always flaring. I'll need to be careful around her," he murmured.
He placed his thumb on the scanner. The door opened. Ma Feng stepped inside, collapsed onto his bed, and exhaled.
He rolled over, face down into the sheets.
"...I'm hungry."