Amon and his friends were punished… again. Eh, life was tough. What could he do? Bro Code clearly stated "Thou shalt not ditch thy homies to face the guillotine alone," so he took the wrath of Awakened Rock right alongside them.

They stood there as Rock unleashed hell.

"For Spell's sake! I have never! never had students as troublesome as you three!"

Amon stared blankly at the wall, counting the bricks. Medici zoned out somewhere between "For Spell's sake" and "students," while Luna was actively calculating how many points she could get by selling Rock's chair on the black market.

After about ten minutes of verbal artillery fire, Rock finally seemed satisfied, like a man who'd just emptied a week's worth of emotional garbage into their souls.

They were dismissed without ceremony. Amon smirked to himself. This was classic teacher behavior, he'd seen it in his old world too. First they roast you alive, then they feel better about themselves and toss you out like expired bread.

Now they were sitting in cafeteria and eating their fill but something was really strange about all this.

He looked up and noticed that a lot of Sleepers were gathered around the large screen hanging on the wall of the cafeteria, their faces filled with excitement and awe. On the screen, a list of names was displayed, ranking the new batch of Sleepers from weakest to strongest, most likely deduced from the results of the interviews.

Amon didn't care much about rankings, if he was honest. Still, he noticed his name somewhere in the middle. He'd only told them about his Superior Observation, and maybe the academy knowledge he'd picked up helped too.

But the noise around him… yeah, that was too loud to be about just rankings.

Curious, he glanced up. The Sleepers were restless.

"How… how can this be?!"

"I'm not seeing things, right?"

"What kind of monsters are they?!"

"Not one but three!? Who are those kids!?"

Amon frowned. The hell were they talking about? Did Sunny reveal his real name? But… that guy said three.

One is definitely Nephis, but the other two...

His gaze slid toward his friends. They sat there trying way too hard to look cool and casual. Medici was leaning back like a mafia boss in a cheap movie. While Luna stared into space with a faint smirk like she was about to drop the hottest Soviet diss track of the year.

Amon stared at them blankly…You dumb fucks.

Amon's gaze drifted back to the screen, scanning the glowing words that greeted him. His expression didn't change until it did, a long, weary sigh slipping past his lips.

1. Nephis

True Name: Changing Star

2. Luna

True Name: True Creator

3. Medici

True Name: Blood Son of Heaven

His eyes lingered on the list before dropping, mouth tightening into a thin, resigned line. So… you guys wanted to aurafarm?

"Why," Amon asked flatly, "did you two pull that level of stupidity?"

Luna just blinked at him, then gave a lazy shrug. Her half-lidded eyes radiated smugness as she waved a hand like she was brushing away a fly.

"I'm the True Creator, Amon. I need followers, you know? Aurora Order type shit."

Medici leaned back, boots on the table, arms crossed. His long crimson hair spilled down like a lion's mane.

"What kind of Blood Emperor... damn it! I mean Great God of War would I be without an army?"

Amon grimaced, rubbing his temples. Corny-ass kids… They don't even understand the allure of the mystery pathway. Amateurs.

Amon hadn't planned to reveal his True Name this way, if he was honest. He was going to be patient. They didn't know what real aura farming was about. All he had to do was wait… and when the time came, his reveal would be spectacular. Hehehe… scammer pathway on top.

The trio kept laughing like idiots, each lost in their own "master plan," when Caster suddenly approached Nephis and shattered the delusion.

He stopped in front of Nephis, giving a small, respectful bow.

"Lady Nephis. I am Caster of the Han Li clan. I see your trial went well?"

Nephis tilted her head, looking mildly puzzled. After a moment of thought, she smiled warmly and shrugged.

"It is what it is."

Caster smiled back, clearly floundering.

"I see. I'm glad you returned unharmed. Uh… not that I doubted your abilities."

"Thank you," she replied simply.

The trio grimaced in unison.

Luna turned away like she'd just bitten into a rotten fruit.

Medici narrowed his eye with visible irritation.

Amon was silently dying inside trying not to laugh.

"So…"

"Yeah," Medici muttered, "let the girl aurafarm in peace, man."

"Pffthhh-" Amon finally broke, trying to disguise his laugh as a cough and failing miserably.

Sure, Amon laughed, but his Superior Observation caught the flicker of hostility in Caster's gaze when it drifted over their group. And Nephis… yeah, she was staring too. And it wasn't friendly, more like blank, piercing gaze.

Amon didn't even need to speak. One glance at Luna. One glance at Medici. And their eyes locked in silent understanding.

Persevere. Do not laugh!

Time to unleash the ultimate survival technique: Fang Yuan's Legendary Expressionless Face!

In perfect unison, the three leaned back in their chairs like they were posing for a portrait, eyes closed, mouths set in an unreadable, ancient-sage neutrality.

To the outside world, they looked calm.

On the inside?

Luna: If I twitch an eyebrow, I'm done for.

Medici: Hold the line. No smirking. War gods don't smirk.

Amon: The scammer pathway demands discipline! Breathe like you've been cultivating for 800 years.

Nephis frowned, tilting her head.

Why did they suddenly look like statues guarding a forbidden temple?

"What a bunch of weirdos."

Someone muttered as they approached Amon and his crew, eyeing their stiff postures and blank expressions. They hadn't exactly aurafarmed, but hey, at least they were alive. The war was won… but at what cost?

Some time later, Medici swaggered into the dojo with Luna and Amon trailing behind like his loyal lackeys.

Today was supposed to be legendary. The day their lovable edgelord would utterly wreck his opponents, drop a painfully corny one-liner, and vanish in a dramatic exit.

In reality? They were just bored out of their minds and pulling off every ridiculous stunt they could think of. Well... Though, that wasn't all.

The Sleepers were taking turns delivering their strongest punches to a wide plate connected to a special measuring machine. After each strike, the device flashed a number that represented the Sleeper's physical strength.

Most scores hovered between ten and fourteen. Solid results, only achievable by the most athletic among them. But several Sleepers, especially those with enhancing Aspects, smashed the scale with scores of fifteen or even sixteen.

Amon wasn't sure what number he'd get. Probably nothing impressive… until it hit him. Wait, I'm a monster! I have a second core! How could he forget that? He facepalmed with a grimace.

Then it was Nephis's turn. Honestly, Amon didn't care much about her or the main cast. He wasn't their biggest fan. From Shadow Slave, he liked Noctis, Weaver, Kai, Jet, BeastMaster… hmm… Morgan? Eh, maybe a little. Skinwalker was cool too. And Saint Tyris, he liked her a lot. The only saint he truly respected. Not just because she was cool, but because she was responsible and mature, like a cool auntie.

Nephis's result was sixteen. Then it was Caster's turn. He vanished for a moment before delivering a crushing blow to the machine at ridiculous speed.

Amon frowned. Hmm... I can't see, but with Superior Observation, I can probably predict this. Still, he knew his lack of training would probably get him killed. Sure, Liparik had guided him, but it wasn't enough, these kids had been training since they were toddlers.

Caster's result flashed: twenty-one.

Gasps echoed through the room as people shot admiring glances at Caster.

Meanwhile, Medici sat with a serious expression, and Amon wiped sweat from his forehead before massaging Medici's shoulders.

"Go get 'em, tiger!" Amon said.

Luna nodded, handing Medici a bottle of cold water with a grin.

"You know what to do. We trained for this!"

Medici stood up, tossed the towel back to Amon, and swaggered toward the machine. His fist clenched tightly, he unleashed a brutal punch that made the whole device vibrate and shake.

His strike wasn't polished or refined like the others. It was raw, wild, and savage, just like Medici himself. After all, he was a street fighter from the outskirts; finesse wasn't his style.

The machine blinked. The result: twenty-three.

Another wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.

Amon wasn't surprised. Medici had absorbed a ton of soul shards, and his Aspect was all about combat and destruction. If Nephis had absorbed that many shards, maybe she'd hit similar numbers.

Rock smiled and nodded, saying in pleased voice.

"Not bad. Now, we will move to sparring and evaluate your general level of training. I need two volunteers to begin."

Nephis was the first to step forward and walk to the center of the ring. A couple of seconds later, a tall and extremely muscular Sleeper followed and faced her.

"The rules are simple. Make your opponent's back touch the floor or throw them out of the ring. Use whatever abilities and techniques you find appropriate."

The tall guy attacked without wasting any time. His muscles bulged, threatening to tear the soft fabric of his white dobok. He advanced like an unstoppable mountain, sending a vicious kick flying.

… A second later, he was lying on the floor with a dumbstruck look on his face. Nephis didn't even change her stance.

Instructor Rock gave her a cheerful look and grinned.

"Next."

What followed could only be described as a massacre. One after another, Nephis managed to defeat almost every single Sleeper present in the dojo. She didn't seem to be faster or stronger than them, but each time someone entered the ring to fight her, they would inevitably end up beaten and thrown to the ground.

After a while, Amon grew bored and let out a big yawn. Yep, just like in the novel, Nephis annihilated them all. Still, a nagging unease settled in. What kind of monster was she? Was this just main character power? Plot armor? Fate? Ugh, who knew.

Whatever it was, one thing was clear: Medici had to win.

Caster stepped forward, ready to make his move, but Medici beat him to it.

Now this is where the fun starts, Amon thought, munching on popcorn and sprawled out on Luna's stomach. She lay back on her elbow, sipping juice with mild amusement.

They were a little excited, after all. Their friend's butt was about to get handed to him.

Eh, Medici. Keep your delusions in check, my friend.

But to everyone's surprise, Medici wasn't destroyed instantly. He dodged Nephis's crushing blow with a swift elbow redirection. Then, crouching low, he flashed his fist toward her solar plexus but Nephis stepped back just in time.

In raw strength, Medici held the advantage.

Nephis cracked her neck, her piercing gray eyes locking onto Medici with an aloof, unbothered air.

Medici grinned, cocking his head mockingly.

"Hey, I know you want to act all cool and mysterious, but honestly? You look like some autistic kid trying way too hard. Sorry, I guess."

Nephis's eyes widened briefly in disbelief, but then she composed herself. Strangely, his words actually annoyed her.

Medici smirked, cracking his fingers.

"What's the matter? Eh, what can we do? You've fought so many people by now, you probably smell like a bum… and are no fun~"

Popcorn flew out of Amon's mouth as Luna's eyes went wide. Was that… a Provoker? They both shot to their feet, disbelief and glee mixing on their faces. Their bro was officially digesting his provoker potion! Hell yeah!

Nephis's expression grew colder, steeling herself. Medici struck with savage glee, throwing punch after punch, but Nephis expertly blocked and dodged each blow. At one point, she sidestepped his kick and her fist flashed like a serpent's strike.

Medici glanced down at the blood dripping from his nose, fury spiking. He charged forward but then switched tactics entirely.

No more boxing. Instead, he relied on endurance and durability, aiming to wear her down with raw persistence.

Medici loved fighting even back in their old world. He wasn't a pro, but after all his scrapes in the outskirts, he knew one thing well, wrestlers always beat strikers.

At least, that's how it usually went in UFC.

It was a solid strategy, and Amon couldn't help but admit it as he watched Medici absorb blow after blow. His body was bruised and battered, sure, but still standing.

"Persevere!"

"Get that bum out of the ring!"

Amon and Luna shouted with wide eyes and clenched fists, cheering their friend on like mad.

No matter how slick Nephis's technique was, she was physically outmatched by Medici. And don't forget, she wasn't even allowed to wield a sword.

Medici's plan was clear: push Nephis out of the ring or slam her down on her back. So he pressed forward with relentless force.

Just as Nephis was about to be forced out, Medici grabbed her arm. But she twisted mid-air, landing on his shoulder and yanking him back toward the ring, aiming to slam him onto the floor.

Medici narrowed his eyes, twisted his leg, and locked her body in a grip that could break her arm. Nephis frantically grabbed her own arm with her free hand to prevent the break, but Medici's hold was ironclad.

Sweat made her fingers slip, though she still managed to lock them together. At that moment, Medici stood and hoisted her into the air, ready to crush her down with savage strength.

And he did.

But Nephis was flexible, she twisted mid-fall and landed on her shoulder instead of her back.

Before Medici could recover, she delivered a brutal kick, sending him crashing outside the ring.

Nephis had won.

Medici looked up, fury burning in his eyes, but his body wouldn't obey. All he could do was clench his fists in frustration. Nobody likes losing and Medici's flaw made his anger feel like a child's tantrum on full blast.

At that moment, Luna and Amon grabbed him. Amon holding one hand, Luna the other.

"Noooo! Bro... all your aura... it's gone."

Amon's voice cracked, tears threatening to spill. Yet Medici's face stayed serious for a moment, then twisted into a knowing smile.

"Aura can be recovered. What matters is inspiring new generations to aurafarm no matter what."

And just like that, he lost consciousness.

"Aurafarmer! Nooo!"

The Sleepers stared at them with a mix of confusion, some avoiding eye contact altogether, others just blank-faced, clearly unsure what to make of the trio.

Nephis wasn't any different. Who the hell are these people? she wondered. Are they mentally unstable? Hmm... there's no way these idiots would ever be sent to assassinate me.

Instructor Rock's face twisted into a grimace before he marched over with a stern glare.

"Get out, you clowns! Now!"

"But we're not from Fool's pathway."

"I said get out!"

"Okay, fine."

Without another word, Amon and Luna carefully lifted Medici up and quietly slipped away before their asses got kicked too.

At that moment, a shadow lingered near the dojo, not cast by light, but alive and moving.

Sunny felt a twinge of discouragement. Not just from the other Sleepers, but from Nephis as well. She was too strong, too skilled.

Medici's fight, on the other hand… wasn't bad, but far from impressive. Brutal strength with zero finesse.

If it weren't for the academy's training and those soul shards, Medici would've been crushed before he even landed a hit.

Sunny was satisfied with everything he had seen. Then his shadow flicked to the left, allowing Sunny to spot the same unassuming young man who, just yesterday, had spoken such cruelty to Cassie and himself.

A dark smile curled on Sunny's lips as he watched him, his eyes glinting with spite. But suddenly, those eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in disbelief and shock.

The young man had glanced directly at Sunny's shadow, as if he knew exactly what it was, and that Sunny was controlling it to spy on the fight.

Then, with an unsettling smile, he brought a finger to his lips.