Novel Full Chapter 222: Second Years Return
Chapter 222: Second Years Return
“Indeed,” Kaiser said, reading the realization on Damian’s face. “You’ve been unconsciously dumping all your negative emotions into the Domain. Using it as a psychological trash bin for everything you don’t want to feel.”
His voice became pitying.
“Do you think your Domain is a convenient dumping ground for trauma? That there’s really such a good thing in the world – where you suddenly gain control over your emotions AND get a killer weapon against enemies? With no cost?”
He shook his head.
“Let me tell you the truth: the more you avoid your emotions, the stronger the backlash will be when you enter your Domain. What you’re doing isn’t controlling negative emotions.
You’re postponing them and compressing them. And when you next activate the Domain, they’ll all come crashing back with compound interest.”
Damian’s voice was quiet.
“…Then what should I do?”
Kaiser sighed, genuine sympathy showing.
“Who would have thought you’d move in this direction. Mental Domains are rare for good reason – most people aren’t willing to pay the cost.”
He met Damian’s eyes directly.
“In order to gain control of this power, you need to feel and understand despair more deeply. Not avoid it or suppress it but actually experience it, process it and master it. Also, increase your willpower more, it will help.”
His words were blunt, uncompromising.
“In other words: you need to suffer to gain more power in your Domain. Since it’s based on negative emotions, you must intimately understand those emotions. Not just intellectually, but experientially.”
Damian put on a helpless smile, recognizing the trap he’d built for himself.
“What about right now? What do I do immediately?”
Kaiser’s voice became instructional again.
“Stop dumping emotions into the Domain. Feed it your negative feelings, yes – that powers the construct – but also stay inside your Domain to understand and feel those emotions. Sit in your Domain for hours. Meditate within despair until the emotions don’t control you, but you control them.”
Damian’s hands clenched, but he said nothing.
’Power… is not attained without any cost.’
Pat Pat
Kaiser patted Damian’s shoulder like a grandfather comforting a child.
“Don’t worry too much about it. When you lose control, just become a madman. It’s often the madmen who survive in this world. Just chop off heads until the crisis passes.”
Damian looked at him silently.
“…Is this how you comfort people? Also, what’s with you and your head-removal fetish?”
Kaiser raised an eyebrow.
“You’re the one talking about fetishes? What’s with you and hands? You’re the famous serial killer named ’The Collector’ who cuts off hands as trophies, Kid.”
“That was ONE TIME for a specific purpose!”
“You literally cut off your own Mafia’s squad leader’s hand tonight in front of hundreds of witnesses.”
“That was different! That was punishment for–”
“Sounds like a pattern to me.”
“You must have decapitated entire enemy battalions when you were active!”
“Efficient, quick and humane compared to your torture methods.”
“HUMANE?! You just showed me despair so deep I tried to rip out my own heart!”
“Educational experience and character building.”
“CHARACTER BUILDING?!”
Kuro watched them bicker back and forth like this was normal, his bird brain trying to process why both of these humans seemed completely insane.
’Master is crazy! Old man is crazy! Both of them are crazy together. I’m the only sane one here!’
The raven decided to just accept this reality and went back to grooming his feathers, letting the two madmen argue about whose killing methods were more reasonable.
In the distance, the moon continued its arc across the sky, indifferent to the conversation between a legendary monster and his equally monstrous disciple.
Both of them planning horrors, sharing techniques for inflicting suffering and discussing the nature of despair and death and power.
And somehow finding time to mock each other’s choice of body parts to collect.
Because apparently, that’s what passed for normal in their world.
****
[Stormhold Academy – Main Entrance – Morning]
A convoy of military transport buses rolled through the Academy gates, their armor showing scorch marks and impact craters from recent combat.
The second-years were returning from their mandatory battlefield missions.
Students gathered along the entrance path, watching with mixed curiosity and concern as the buses came to a stop in the main courtyard.
But something was immediately and horrifyingly obvious.
Around four hundred students had departed for the missions some weeks ago.
But… Approximately three hundred and thirty stepped off the buses.
Seventy students were missing with seventy empty seats. Seventy families who would receive notification that their children weren’t coming home.
“…”
The returning second-years wore grim faces – the expression of people who’d seen too much death, who’d watched friends die and who’d been forced to make choices no teenager should face.
But the moment they entered the Academy grounds proper, their expressions shifted to confusion.
The campus looked… different.
Groups of commoner students practiced advanced techniques in the training yards openly, without hiding or seeking permission.
Nobles and commoners trained side-by-side in several areas, the hierarchical separation seemingly dissolved.
Professors were actively teaching classes rather than the usual pattern of lecturing without demonstration.
’What happened while we were gone?’
They pulled out their communication devices, reconnecting to the Academy forum after weeks of battlefield isolation.
The flood of information was overwhelming.
[MASSIVE REFORMS IMPLEMENTED]
[78 STUDENTS EXPELLED, 200 SUSPENDED]
[ALL SKILLS AND WEAPON ARTS NOW ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS]
[VICTOR CROSS AND SELENA HART REMOVED FROM STUDENT COUNCIL]
[NO SECOND-YEAR REPRESENTATION IN COUNCIL ANYMORE]
[DAMIAN VALCOR APPOINTED VICE PRESIDENT]
The shock rippled through the returning students as they read, their faces showing disbelief mixed with growing understanding.
’The entire Academy structure changed. While we were fighting Monsters, someone staged a revolution here.’
****
[Academy Courtyard – Confrontation Begins]
The second-years gathered in the courtyard, standing in clusters divided by background and experience.
The commoner students wore expressions of barely controlled rage, their eyes fixed on specific Noble students with pure hatred.
The tension was immediate and palpable.
A tall commoner boy – Marcus Reed, whose best friend had died on the mission – stepped forward, his voice carrying across the courtyard.
“SEVENTY PEOPLE DIED! SEVENTY OF OUR CLASSMATES! AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ALL HAD IN COMMON?!”
His finger pointed accusingly at a group of Nobles.
“Every single one of them was a commoner who’d signed subordinate contracts! Every single one was used as a MEATSHIELD to protect Noble students who thought their lives were worth more!”
The courtyard exploded with shouting.
“MY BROTHER DIED PROTECTING THAT BASTARD!”
“They ordered us into suicide positions!”
“Made us draw Monster aggression while they stayed safe!”
“We’re taking this to the Student Council! Justice will be served!”
The accused Nobles responded with cold disdain, their voices showing no guilt.
“Everything was in the contracts your friends signed! They agreed to provide protection in exchange for resources!”
“We did nothing wrong! It’s not our fault they were too weak to survive!”
“They should have felt honored to die protecting their betters!”
The situation escalated rapidly, Auras beginning to flare, fists clenching, violence about to erupt.
Then four figures appeared, moving with practiced coordination.
Edrin, Fiona, Ariana, and Victoria – all wearing Aura Jamming bracelets that glowed with activation.
The devices created a suppression field across the entire courtyard, forcing everyone’s Aura to compress, making combat impossible.
“ENOUGH!”
Edrin’s voice carried authority despite being only a first-year.
“Everyone calm down. Whatever grievances exist will be addressed properly through the Student Council. Violence in the courtyard solves nothing.”
Victor Cross – former Student Council member, Cross Imperial family heir, SS rank talent – stepped forward with face twisted in rage.
“SILENCE, YOU FILTHY COMMONER! How DARE you use Aura Jamming devices on your seniors! How dare you give orders to people above your station!”
His brown Aura tried to flare despite the suppression, his body tensing to attack.