After extending his contract, Renny's thoughts turned to Druvash. Facing the beast without a proper weapon was a death wish. 500 CP was too little to acquire anything worthwhile, if his 350 CP dagger had shattered so easily against Seraphine, what chance would a 500 CP weapon have against a monster like Druvash? He wasn't even sure which was stronger: the grade 5 demon or the beast. But one thing was certain... he couldn't afford to discover the truth mid-battle. That mistake would put him in the same state he'd been last year, and Kev might not be there to drag him back from the brink a second time.

As for his hand-to-hand ability, he was confident, though not without doubt. The branch-level power of his royal eye had boosted him, but without testing it against a real powerhouse, he couldn't measure its true strength. Seraphine had denied him that chance, overwhelming him before he could activate it.

He considered waiting until their next meeting on the 20th to force a test, but the gamble was too steep. If his royal eye wasn't enough to match a grade 5, his journey here would likely end. Tela was no option, he had his own royal struggles to worry about.

No, the safest path was to test it against Druvash first. That way, whatever the outcome, he'd know where he stood before he ever thought of leading Seraphine into the garden.

***

The next day, Renny was due at his first class as a grade 1 demon. The campus sprawled wide, a labyrinth of buildings, each reserved for a different grade. He kept his head down on the way to the grade 1 hall, careful not to draw the attention of any grade twos. The only ones he wouldn't mind crossing paths with were Kev or Morrin Omekro, but he hadn't seen either. Nor had he encountered anyone from his old grade.

He slipped quickly into the grade 1 building and found the lecture hall already buzzing. Sixty-three demons in total, far more than the last set of initiates. The place was alive with voices, the weight of so many forms and auras pressing together in one room.

Renny drifted to the back and claimed a seat, keeping quiet, observing. He'd barely settled when the door opened again.

Baro Rimein stepped inside, his figure unmistakable, hat tilted low, walking stick tapping against the floor, black suit and red tie neatly framing the sky-blue shirt beneath. His gaze swept the hall once, then landed squarely on Renny. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and sat down beside him.

Renny glanced up. "Old man Baro," he said with a faint smile.

"Renny boy. Good to see you again." Baro adjusted his hat as he sat, his walking stick resting against the chair.

"When last did you even take a lecture?" Renny asked.

Baro chuckled, low and gravelly, shaking his head. "Eh, I can't even remember the last time I saw a school, you know? This place... " he spread his hand lazily, "...too much like Earth. You stay here long enough, you forget you even died to get here."

Renny gave a small laugh. "I get that. It's already been a year for me, and I'm… gradually forgetting my life on Earth."

Baro nodded, lips curling into a faint smile. "Mm. I can see that happenin' to me too. In fact…" he tapped his walking stick once against the floor, then corrected himself with a sly grin, "next week, I won't even be a man no more. I'll be… a full demon." He let out a short, husky laugh, like he found the whole thing amusing.

Renny shook his head. "Seems like you're already starting to like hell."

"Too soon to talk about what I like, eh?" Baro leaned back, adjusting his hat. "Give me some time, Renny boy. I'll get back to you with… my review."

Both of them laughed together, the easy sound cutting through the noise of the hall, until the atmosphere shifted. A heavy presence rolled into the room, commanding silence. The lecturer had arrived.

Renny's gaze sharpened as he recognized the face. One of the council members. Grade 5.Tavren Korav.

He walked up to the podium in front of the hall, silent, composed, carrying himself like a real lecturer.

Baro leaned closer with a quiet chuckle. "Eh, look at him… all stiff, like a board. You'd think the man's never smiled in his life. I wonder, maybe all those grade fives are like that, huh? Even the president... same thing. Walkin' around like somebody stuck a rod up his back." He smirked, shaking his head. "The boy should loosen up a little, eh? This is hell, not church."

Renny stifled a laugh, but it slipped out anyway. Maybe it was just Baro's delivery. Or maybe it was because back on Earth, he'd aged so fast, he often found himself sitting with old men just to blend in. Whatever the reason, the old demon's subtle humor hit him harder than it should have.

Tavren picked up a piece of chalk and wrote two words across the board in bold strokes: Soul Key. He underlined it once, firmly, then turned back to the hall.

"You must have heard about this during your contract briefing," he said, his tone even but carrying weight. "And for those of you with… terrible memories... " his gaze lingered over the room, "...the soul key is ownership. Control. To wield it is to command the soul itself. This is the foundation of every demon contract. Once you obtain this from your target, you've succeeded. At first glance it sounds simple… but until you attempt to take it, you'll understand how difficult it is."

He paused, then raised his hand and pointed toward the back of the room. "Ask the repeating demon back there."

Every head in the lecture hall turned. Renny stiffened under the sudden weight of sixty pairs of eyes. He wished he could sink into the seat and vanish. Even old man Baro tilted his head, looking at him as though he'd just learned something new.

Renny shot him a look, almost pleading, as if to say, What? You knew already… didn't you?

But Baro didn't glance away. He kept his gaze fixed on Renny, lips pursed around the faintest hint of a smirk... like a man who'd just seen his young associate caught red-handed and was waiting to hear how he'd talk his way out of it.

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