Reincarnated with SSS-Rank Trait and Unique Ability-Chapter 15: Changes

A muffled sound stirred the quiet.

Then, clearer this time, the rhythmic knock echoed through the room.

Ares' eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the unfamiliar surroundings of his new room.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

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"What's with the commotion?" he muttered, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and landing softly on the thick rug.

The knocking didn't stop. He trudged to the door, irritation building.

He flung it open, a deep frown already etched across his face.

"What?!" he barked, not even checking who was there.

Alys stood on the other side, startled but composed.

"The Headmaster told me to make sure you wake up. Your first lecture starts in five minutes," she said coolly, already turning away down the narrow hall. "Don't be late."

"Huh?!" Ares turned sharply toward the window, where golden sunlight streamed across the floor.

"Shit!" he cursed, slamming the door shut behind him and rushing to throw on his new uniform.

Dressed in under a minute, he bolted out of his room and darted through the halls, aiming for his lecture—or so he thought.

Despite the tour he'd received yesterday, the academy's corridors blended together like a maze. Everything looked familiar, yet nothing felt right.

He was lost.

"I could've sworn it was around here..." he muttered, glancing around.

He now stood outside in the main courtyard, surrounded by four towering buildings. He'd already checked two of them—nothing. Each hallway, each doorway, mirrored the last.

Everything looked way too similar.

"Are you okay?"

Ares' head snapped toward the voice.

A girl, about his age, stood just a few steps behind him. Raven-black hair framed her face, and her matching dark eyes were calm but curious. She wore the same uniform as him.

"Are you lost?" she asked again, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh... not really... well, maybe a little," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck as he glanced around in defeat.

She let out a small chuckle. "If you're heading to Combat Speciality Class, then you're in luck—I'm headed there too."

Ares quickly checked the top of his crumpled schedule.

"Combat Speciality Class."

His gaze returned to the girl, and he gave her a grateful nod.

"I'm Selene," she said with a quick smile. "Let's go—we don't wanna be late."

The two set off together, weaving through the corridors until they reached the lecture hall.

She slipped inside without hesitation, but Ares lingered at the entrance for a beat.

He took a deep breath and stepped in.

The lecture hall was massive—easily fit for two, maybe three hundred students. Tiered rows of seats stretched upward, filled with students quietly taking in the booming voice of the man at the podium.

As the doors closed behind him, the room dipped into silence.

The lecturer paused mid-sentence, eyes narrowing slightly as they locked onto the two late arrivals.

Selene hurried to the nearest empty seat, shrinking slightly under the weight of the attention.

Ares, on the other hand, took his time.

He scanned the room, deliberately slow, as though weighing the vibes of each seat. A few students shifted uncomfortably under the growing tension.

Finally, he made his way to the back row and sat down—unbothered and unapologetic.

If he was trying to rile up the lecturer... it was working.

"Well then," the lecturer's voice thundered across the hall, "I believe everyone is here now. As I was saying—"

SCREEECH.

The wooden door groaned open once more, interrupting him mid-sentence.

In the doorway stood a small boy, probably younger than the rest. Brown hair stuck out in every direction, and his green eyes widened as they scanned the sea of faces. His uniform was a mess—his shirt was half-untucked, his collar was lopsided, and one shoe was barely on.

The lecturer's jaw tensed, his glare sharp enough to cut stone.

The boy visibly shrank under the weight of that stare. Without saying a word, he bolted toward the nearest open seat, tripping slightly as he scurried past the rows.

A wave of muffled laughter rippled through the hall.

Even Ares cracked a slight smirk.

"At least I'm not the last one in," he thought, glancing at the lanky student now hunched in his seat.

"There have been changes to this year's curriculum!" the lecturer suddenly announced, his voice cutting through the lingering laughter and grabbing everyone's attention.

"Traditionally, the Academy prioritized knowledge and safety over rapid growth and raw strength," he continued, pacing slowly across the front of the hall. "But as most of you already know... we are at war."

A hush fell over the room.

The old man's eyes swept over the crowd, cold and steady.

"Starting this year, students will be divided into groups of five. Along with a supervisor, you'll be deployed into the Wildlands to gain real combat experience. No more books. No more padded practice."

A heavy silence followed.

Some students paled. A few gasped, and one even fainted.

But Ares? He smiled.

"Finally, " he thought.

Real experience. Real danger.

His blood thrummed at the thought.

"Maybe attending this academy wasn't such a bad idea after all."