After stepping out of the forest, Derek went straight to his room to take a shower. His injuries had healed, but his body was still covered in the foul stench of dried blood.
He took his time washing himself properly, even though he was already late for class. Once he was done, he headed directly toward the classroom without stopping for breakfast.
He slid the door open hurriedly.
"May I come in, sir?"
Inside, Paul, Billy, Harold, and Mia were practicing the first stage of Lightning Pace. The instructor stood nearby, watching their progress closely.
Hearing Derek's voice, the instructor turned toward him.
"Come i...."
He stopped mid-sentence.
More precisely, he froze.
'What in heaven's name…? His realm… increased?!'
He stared at Derek, speechless.
"D-Derek… by any chance, did your cultivation realm increase?" he finally asked, even though he could already sense the change.
Derek nodded. "Yes, sir."
The instructor stiffened.
So did the other four students.
