Chapter 2: First Day at Royal Academy as Reincarnated
Early in the morning, while Gray was still lost in a peaceful slumber, there came a sudden pounding on his door, accompanied by a gruff voice.
“Oi, you better be awake unless you're dead!”
The loud banging jolted Gray from his sleep. He groaned, half-conscious, dragging himself out of bed. The curtains remained drawn, casting the room in darkness, blocking out the morning light. He stumbled toward the door, his feet heavy with sleep.
When he opened it, he was greeted by a tall boy with an imposing physique, dressed neatly in the Royal Academy uniform. The look of disgust in his eyes was palpable.
“You sure slept a lot for someone who’s going to die today,” the boy spat.
Gray blinked, still shaking off the remnants of sleep, then stepped out of his room, facing him with a calm expression. His voice was hoarse. “Why do you care if I die?”
The boy, Ruble Lionheart, let out a furious growl at Gray’s words. His face twisted in rage as he grabbed Gray by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
“You worthless trash! Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” Ruble hissed through clenched teeth, his grip tightening.
Gray could feel the strength in Ruble’s grip, his throat constricting, yet he remained calm, his expression cold and unfazed. “Why are you here, Lionheart?” Gray asked, even as his feet dangled above the floor.
Ruble’s eyes narrowed at Gray’s indifferent response. Annoyed, he threw Gray to the ground in frustration. “You better not forget, today’s your duel, right?” Ruble's voice was full of arrogance as he stared down at Gray.
“Yeah, I remember very clearly,” Gray replied, slowly standing back up and rubbing his neck.
Ruble smirked at the sight of Gray’s frail figure. “Good. I just wanted to make sure you’re still alive, Third Prince,” he sneered, turning his back on Gray as he walked away, satisfied.
Gray watched him leave, his eyes narrowing slightly. After a deep sigh, he stepped back into his room and pulled the curtains open, letting sunlight flood the small, barren space. There wasn’t much—just an old bed, some worn books on a shelf, and a sword discarded carelessly on the floor. His academy uniform lay crumpled, stained with blood.
“I’ll make sure you remember this day,” Gray muttered to the empty air, his voice cold, filled with resolve.
He glanced at his trembling hands and clenched them into fists. His heart pounded in his chest, but whether it was from fear or excitement, he wasn’t sure. It had been so long since he felt this... thrill.
Determined, Gray straightened up and began tidying the room. His eyes landed on his uniform. The pants were still in decent shape, but his shirt and coat were torn and stained with blood. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath, focusing.
“[Skill: Recover],” he whispered.
A crimson magic circle appeared above the bed, glowing with red light. In an instant, his uniform was restored, the fabric whole and spotless once more. Gray looked at the perfectly mended clothing and smirked.
Feeling hungry and sticky from the warmth in the room, he decided to take a break.
“[Skill: Search]—Lake,” he murmured.
A slight dizziness followed the use of his skill, but Gray ignored it, teleporting himself to the lake. He emerged by the water’s edge. The lake was vast, its clear, glassy surface reflecting the dense forests surrounding it. Gray wasted no time; he stripped off his clothes and dove into the cool water, swimming for over an hour, feeling the refreshing sensation wash over him.
Afterward, he caught some fish from the lake and cooked them on the shore. He ate in silence, alone, before erasing any trace of his presence. He was in elven territory, and he knew all too well how much elves despised humans.
Returning to his room, Gray dressed himself in his clean, black pants, shirt, and white coat. He walked toward the academy, his eyes sharp, absorbing the world around him—the majestic dragon statues, the magical flowers floating in the air.
But before he could get far, a voice called out from behind. “Oh my, if it isn’t my ex-fiancé. Did you lose something—like your will to live?”
The words hit Gray like a blade. He turned slowly to face the girl. Olivia. Her dark hair and purple eyes glittered with malicious amusement, her slender frame surrounded by a group of sycophantic boys.
“What do you want, Olivia?” Gray asked, his voice steady, though his heart ached. Seeing her stirred something in him—a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest, as if his body remembered what his mind did not.
Ex-fiancé. That word alone sent a wave of memories crashing over him. The betrayal. The heartbreak. The image of Olivia and Ambrose Stewart—the very man he would duel today. His chest tightened as the memories settled.
Olivia sneered. “I just wanted to see your pathetic face one last time today,” she said with a cruel smile before turning and walking away, her entourage trailing behind her like obedient pets.
Gray watched her leave, his lips curling into a cold smile. Whatever connection they had in the past, it didn’t matter now. He would make sure they all paid for what they had done to the original Gray Redmoon.
He entered the academy, mentally preparing himself for the duel. Students gossiped around him, laughing about his impending defeat. Gray didn’t care. Their words were meaningless. Without so much as a glance in their direction, he opened the door to his classroom.
The interior was lavish, with polished desks and wide green boards covered in complex magic circles. He quietly took his seat, ignoring the stares of his classmates.
The professor arrived, starting a lecture on magic theory, but Gray barely listened. His mind was elsewhere, drifting into the familiar darkness that had accompanied him through his past life. It felt like an old friend, creeping back into his soul, pulling him under.
After the lesson ended, it was time for the combat training period—an opportunity for Gray to test his magic. The class buzzed with excitement as they made their way to the training grounds.
“Students, today we will practice combat magic. We’ll test your power against moving targets. Use everything you’ve got,” the professor announced, his stern gaze passing over the eager students.
One by one, the students demonstrated their abilities. Fire, wind, earth, and light magic filled the air, but the targets remained standing.
Then it was the turn of the academy’s prodigy, Alicia Grambell. She stepped forward, her confidence palpable. “Oh, mother of all elements, reduce my enemies to ash! Flare!” she chanted.
A massive fireball materialized before her, slamming into the target with such force that it disintegrated on impact. The class gasped, even the professor nodded in approval.
Gray, however, watched without emotion. He wasn’t impressed.
“Gray Redmoon, step forward,” the professor called.
Finally, it was his turn. Gray approached the field, ignoring the smirks and whispers around him. He raised his hand and began his incantation, modifying it slightly.
“Oh, child of hell, who burns all in his path, heed my command—INFERNO.”
For a moment, nothing happened. The class burst into laughter, mocking his incantation. But Gray smirked and stepped back.
The sky darkened as clouds rolled in. A massive crimson magic circle formed beneath the target. Suddenly, a hellish tornado of flames erupted from the ground, engulfing everything in its path. The sheer force of the wind uprooted trees, and the target was reduced to molten slag. The ground, once green, was now scorched, molten lava bubbling in its wake.
Silence fell over the students. Fear etched into their faces as Gray turned, his eyes scanning their reactions. The thrill of power surged within him once more. This was the same thrill he had lived for in his past life.
Alicia, who had been so proud moments earlier, now knelt on the ground, staring at the devastation in disbelief.
Gray smirked.
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