Demon Being System

It had been a month since Kaden had begun attending the academy. Days blurred into weeks as he immersed himself in the lectures, martial arts training, and endless attempts to gather knowledge in the library.

As the lecture wrapped up that day, Mr. Duke stood at the front of the class, his pride filled voice echoing through the room.

"Next week, we'll be having your first practical test," he announced, his gaze scanning the room. "You will be traveling to another planet to hunt beasts."

The classroom erupted in chatter. Some students cheered at the opportunity to gain beast crystals and test their abilities, while others exchanged nervous glances, whispering about the dangers that awaited. Kaden sat quietly, his mind flooded with memories. Every encounter he'd had with beasts had been disastrous, taking pieces of his life he could never get back—his parents, then Lira. The thought of stepping into that chaos again made his stomach churn.

After the lecture, Kaden made his way to the cafeteria for lunch. The usual buzz of students barely registered in his ears as he ate mechanically, lost in thought. He was barely done when it was time for martial arts class.

---

The martial arts arena was alive with energy. The students had been divided into pairs for light sparring sessions, a chance to test their skills and improve before the upcoming test.

Kaden found himself paired with Jace. The two faced each other, circling cautiously before engaging. Kaden's movements had improved significantly over the past month. His punches were sharper, his footwork precise, and his reflexes quicker. Jace, though skilled, found himself struggling to keep up.

"You're getting better," Jace said between breaths, his lips curling into a grin as he blocked another punch.

"So are you," Kaden replied, stepping back and resetting his stance.

Before their spar could continue, the teacher called for the students' attention.

"Enough!" the teacher called out, clapping his hands. The students stopped, breathing heavily as they turned their attention to him.

"You'll be going to hunt beasts next week," he began, his tone serious. "This is your chance to obtain beast crystals and prove your worth. But remember, this is not a game. Beasts won't hesitate to kill you, and neither should you hesitate to protect yourself."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "And understand this—there is no doubt that some of you will die. Just make sure you're not the one."

The weight of his words hung in the air as he dismissed the class. Kaden and Jace exchanged a glance before parting ways.

---

Kaden headed to the library, a place he had been frequenting in his free time over the past month. His search for information about demons had been fruitless so far, but he had learned much about beasts, portals, and the world itself. Despite not being able to find out much about the Demons, the system has rewarded him bye increasing his intelligence stat from 0.05 to 0.1.

However, Kaden didn't feel any smarter. His latest test results were filled with reds as if it was a battlefield, and he still couldn't help Y find it X.

When he reached the top floor of the library, his usual retreat of silence was disturbed. Faint noises came from one of the shelves in the corner. Kaden sighed. Occasionally, students came up here to engage in things better left unsaid, taking advantage of the floor's usual emptiness.

"Those horny idiots," he muttered.

Rolling his eyes, he picked out a book and sat at a table far from the commotion. But the female voice grew louder, breaking his concentration. He muttered under his breath, "Can't they keep it down?" before trying to focus on the pages in front of him.

It was futile. The girl's voice rose again, louder and more grating than before. Annoyed and frustrated, Kaden slammed the book shut and marched toward the source of the noise.

"Can't you keep it dow.…" he said sharply as he rounded the corner.

What he saw made his words die in his throat. The girl leaned against the shelf, her shirt discarded and her skirt haphazardly folded up. Her face was flushed, but it was the figure standing behind her, his trousers down and his stick inside the girl that froze Kaden in place.

"Mr. Duke?" Kaden blurted out, his eyes wide in disbelief.