The door clicked shut behind her.
But Lin Fang didn't move.
He stood there, staring at the space she'd just occupied—empty hallway, still air, no residual qi. Not even a shadow.
His system flickered again.
[Anomaly Logged]
Source: "The Eyeless One"
Classification: Unknown
Threat Assessment: Impossible to Measure
Suggested Action: Pretend you didn't see anything.
He exhaled slowly.
"Too late for that."
Back inside the classroom, the students of Class V had gathered. Not because they were called—but because the air in the dorms felt... wrong.
"I had a dream," Zeke said, uncharacteristically serious. "There was a mirror. It showed me. But it wasn't me."
Ember rolled her eyes. "Cool. I dreamed I married a phoenix and ate lava cake at the wedding."
Zeke didn't laugh.
Even Carlos was unusually quiet, cracking his knuckles against the wall instead of making jokes.
Lin Fang entered without a word. His aura was heavier than usual, like a thundercloud that hadn't chosen a target yet.
"Change of plans," he said.
"We're accelerating the curriculum."
[System Alert]
"Villain Curriculum: Stage III – Controlled Corruption"
New Feature Unlocked: Forbidden Elective – Student Evolution Paths
Warning: Side effects may vary. Student mental stability will fluctuate.
Activate now?
Lin Fang paused.
Then clicked: Yes.
At once, each student received a glowing sigil hovering above their heads—each a different color, shape, and texture. Ember's flared like wildfire. Zeke's pulsed like rubber and static. Carlos's cracked like bone.
Lira's didn't appear.
Hers was already inside her.
She looked up at Lin Fang and said, quietly, "You opened the gate."
He nodded.
"You'll each choose your evolution path by midnight. Or the system will choose for you."
Ember grinned. "That's hot."
Carlos flexed. "I was born to mutate."
Zeke whispered, "...I hope mine doesn't eat me."
Only Lira remained still.
She was already changing.
As the students processed what had just happened, the classroom lights flickered.
Zeke's sigil began to stretch unnaturally, spiraling upward into a tendril of translucent rubberized light. He stared at it, transfixed.
"Is that normal?" he asked.
Lin Fang didn't blink. "No."
Zeke's left eye started to glow. His voice dropped an octave.
"I can… see too much."
Ember jumped up. "Too much what?"
"Time," he said. "I think I'm seeing time…"
He passed out.
Carlos caught him before his head hit the floor. "Okay, this is officially more than I signed up for."
Ember looked at Lin Fang. "Are we... evolving, or breaking?"
"Yes," he replied.
[System Alert: Evolution Paths Initialized – 4/5 Selected]
Side Effects:
Carlos: Increased strength, decreased impulse control
Ember: Fire affinity increased, emotional volatility spiked
Zeke: Spatial awareness enhanced, cognition instability 32%
Lira: …Data corrupted. Monitoring required.
Recommendation: Proceed with first combat simulation within 24 hours.
That night, Lin Fang stood alone on the academy's outer wall, overlooking the forest beyond.
Footsteps approached.
"You're not hiding it anymore," came a voice. It was Instructor Shen, one of the few teachers who hadn't tried to report him—yet.
"No point," Lin Fang replied. "They're going to notice eventually."
"They already have," Shen said, handing him a black envelope. The seal on it shimmered with foreign magic—something not from this continent.
"A challenge?" Lin Fang asked.
"A warning," Shen corrected. "From Apex South. Their elites want to face your class. They say your 'Villain Curriculum' is an insult to cultivation."
Lin Fang opened the envelope. Inside was a list of names.
Seven students.
All marked "S-Rank."
At the bottom, written in crimson:
If they survive, we'll acknowledge your class.
If not—at least you'll die with purpose.
—Instructor Elara, Apex South
Lin Fang chuckled.
"Perfect."
[System Update]
New Mission: "Cross-Academy Survival Test – Class V vs Apex South"
Time: 3 Days
Objective: At least 1 student must survive
Bonus Reward: Unlock "Villain Reputation System (Global)"
Note: Difficulty: [Nightmare]
You may prepare your students. Or bury them early.
Lin Fang stared out at the horizon.
"They wanted monsters," he said quietly. "Let's make some."
The next morning, the academy was unusually quiet.
Word had spread.
Class V had been challenged by Apex South—the school infamous for "producing victors or corpses." No one had ever survived a full-team match against their elite squad.
In the dining hall, conversations stopped when Lin Fang entered.
Instructors whispered. Students stared. One bold kid tried to take a photo and dropped his phone when Lin Fang glanced in his direction.
He didn't need to say anything.
The pressure spoke for him.
Back in the Class V dorms, preparation was in full swing.
Carlos was tying metal plates to his arms with spiritweave cords. "I don't need armor. I need pain resistance."
Zeke floated upside down, whispering math equations to himself.
Ember was carving fire runes into her gloves, laughing to no one in particular.
Only Lira sat still, her eyes closed, lips moving silently like she was praying—or bargaining.
Lin Fang walked in, hands behind his back.
"We fight in three days," he said. "Survival is the only condition."
Zeke muttered, "That's not very motivating…"
Lin Fang raised an eyebrow. "Then here's motivation: the enemy doesn't want to win. They want to make an example of you."
He dropped seven photos onto the table.
Each showed a different Apex South student.
All smiling.
All covered in blood.
"These are who you'll face," he said. "And if we lose, your names become cautionary tales."
He looked around the room.
Silence.
Then Carlos stood.
"Let's make sure they spell our names right."
[System Update: Final Prep Phase Activated]
> Optional Mission Unlocked: "Betrayal Within"
Hint: Not all students want to fight. Not all students want to stay.
Outcome: If loyalty drops below 40%, a defection event will trigger.
Lin Fang narrowed his eyes.
He didn't say anything.
But inside, he knew:
The real test wasn't the fight.
It was whether Class V could survive... itself.