As the first rays of dawn spilled into the bedroom, Sulu slowly opened his eyes. Despite a full night’s rest, the weariness lingered—his limbs ached, numbness clinging to them, and moving seemed like an impossible task.

He recalled the events of the previous night—the café, the date, Beatrice, the shadow of murder, the corpse maiden... it all felt as though it belonged to a distant dream.

"Attributes panel."

He muttered the words silently, conjuring a glowing screen visible only to him:

Name: Sulu Portelli
Occupation: None
Class: 0
Title: None

Strength: 1.1 | Agility: 1.2 | Constitution: 0.6 | Spirit: 1.6

Skills: Corpse Maiden Creation lv1

Passives: General Hebrew lv3, Basic Physics lv4, Demon Hunting Knowledge lv1, Ancient Greek lv2

XP: 0

"Constitution dropped by a third, but Spirit increased by 0.1. Was my spirit refined by successfully casting the spell last night?"

The changes in the attributes panel laid bare the evidence of everything that had transpired.

Sulu remained silent for a moment, but ultimately chose to accept reality.

‘Though I used dark magic to escape the murder accusation, the true killer will surely catch on soon...’

‘And Beatrice… I don’t know how far she will go with the orders from last night. That’s another mess to deal with...’

‘Right now, I actually wish Rod would show up sooner.’

His older brother was clearly more knowledgeable about demon hunting, perhaps even having become a true "Demon Hunter" by now—exactly the kind of person needed to deal with these extraordinary occurrences.

‘I can’t put my hopes in anyone else. I need to gain power on my own.’

Sulu stared at the attributes panel.

"Corpse Maiden Creation" was undeniably powerful, but last night’s ritual had proven one thing: he was not yet a true spellcaster. If he recklessly used his magic again, the price might be far more than he could afford—his very life force could be drained.

One spell consumed 0.3, and with a few more, he might very well be done for.

‘How do I unlock the mana bar? That’s the key. It all seems to come back to the same question… How do I advance and become a true professional?’

The Portelli family had records on Demon Hunters, but they were of little immediate use.

Sulu sluggishly got up, dressed, and made his way to the shared living room.

"Wow! Sulu, what's wrong with you? Your face looks so pale!" Sean, who had been admiring himself in the mirror, was startled.

"Oh?"

Sulu looked into the mirror and realized his face was gaunt, his dark circles were deep, and his hair was dry and unkempt. He looked somewhat frightening.

"Bro!" Sean hesitated for a moment before slapping Sulu on the shoulder. "It's normal for young people to indulge every now and then, but you still need to take care of your body."

"Get lost!!!"

Sulu rolled his eyes and began considering the priorities at hand.

'My body has taken too much damage; I need to replenish it... Also, the investigation into last night's events might start with Molly, the one who left me the note...'

'That mastermind might still be after me, so I need to acquire some real strength.'

'Also, the strange incident during my last spell—it still bothers me... I should look up some information.'

Sulu thought for a moment. "Maybe I can go to the library for some research and join the martial arts club for training?"

Students at the White Eagle Federation university had a lot of free time after classes, which they could use to participate in various interest groups and clubs.

Sulu hadn’t been interested before and spent most of his time at the library.

Now, however, he realized that joining the martial arts club would not only help him improve his physical condition, but also teach him some self-defense skills. Though he wasn’t sure how useful they might be, at least they could help him build some confidence.

With this in mind, he approached Sean and punched him playfully. "Hey, Sean, I need to ask you for a favor! Do you know Molly?"

"You mean the one who follows Instructor Catherine? Molly Aibo? Of course, I know her!" Sean’s eyes twinkled, and a lewd smile appeared on his face. "Could it be that you're into her type? I personally prefer Catherine, though—mature and sexy..."

"What are you talking about?"

Sulu shook his head. "I... uh... okay, I like her. I need all the information you can get on her. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course, who are we? We’re brothers!" Sean patted his chest, grinning broadly and showing off his white teeth, his thumb rubbing against his index finger.

"I understand. Don’t worry, the budget won’t be a problem. I’ll pay you after the fact!"

Sulu felt like his wallet was going to take a hit again but gritted his teeth and agreed.

The research institute had set his start date for September, so there were still two months left.

In the meantime, maybe he should find a way to make some money?

"Deal!"

Sean and Sulu slapped hands, but then Sean glanced at the coat rack and suddenly looked suspicious. "Did you... wear my formal suit yesterday? That was the one I had planned to wear on my date with Mary."

"You're imagining things. It's all in your head!"

After enjoying a sandwich for breakfast, Sulu made his way to the Combat Club at St. George University.

“Hiya!”

“Ha!”

In the expansive gym, dozens of young men and women, all dressed in the Combat Club's standard uniform, were either sparring with one another, diligently practicing their routines, or working up a sweat on the gym equipment.

Everything appeared quite professional. At the very least, it was affordable—much cheaper than the training programs available outside the university…

Sulu thought to himself as he walked further into the arena.

A girl with a ponytail and warm, wheat-toned skin approached him immediately. “Excuse me, can I help you with something?”

“I’m Sulu Potterly, and I’d like to join the Combat Club for some training!” Sulu explained politely.

“Right now?”

The girl raised an eyebrow for a moment, then her expression softened. “Normally, the Combat Club recruits new members at the beginning of the semester, but there are still some people training during the break. I’m the vice president and part-time coach here. You can call me Angela.”

As Angela led Sulu on a quick tour of the Combat Club, she explained, “We offer free access to St. George University students, but you'll need to cover the costs of clothing and equipment. We have three public classes each week. If you'd like private sessions with a coach, there's an additional fee… 20 copper per session.”

“That sounds quite reasonable!” Sulu had already looked into it. This price was half of what outside training programs charged—an excellent benefit for students. “I’m a bit pressed for time and would prefer to hire a coach to quickly learn some essential combat skills.”

“No problem at all!” Angela immediately agreed. “The president is often away, but we have three coaches here, so you can pick whoever you like. By the way, what year are you in?”

If one of the coaches ended up training him privately, Angela would earn a commission, which made her a bit more eager.

Sulu gave a slight smile. “I’ve already completed all my credits and am about to graduate…”

“Cough, cough…”

Angela coughed a few times, trying to mask her sudden embarrassment. “Oh, so you're not a sophomore but a senior... What made you want to start learning combat now?”

“Because only now have I realized that fighting is my true passion!” Sulu replied, his face full of sincerity.