Chapter 69: Dungeon VI

As Ryan continued walking, he gradually realized that the academy was much larger than he had initially expected.

The stone pathways connected several buildings, each with its own architectural style. Some were ordinary classroom buildings, while others looked more like research facilities or libraries. There were also gardens, open courtyards, training grounds, and several large towers scattered throughout the academy grounds.

Students were everywhere.

Some walked in groups while discussing their lessons. Others hurried along the pathways with books in their hands, seemingly worried about arriving late. A few students were gathered around small floating spiritual creatures, practicing what appeared to be basic communication techniques.

Ryan even noticed a group of students sitting beneath a large tree, carefully drawing complicated symbols on pieces of parchment.

Everything looked surprisingly ordinary.

There were students chatting, arguing over assignments, complaining about difficult lessons, and occasionally laughing with their friends.

It didn’t feel like an inheritance trial.

It felt like he had genuinely been transported into another world.

Ryan slowed down as he observed his surroundings.

The academy buildings were made of stone and wood, but their designs were unlike anything he had seen in his original world. Small spiritual lights floated along the pathways, while several transparent barriers surrounded the training grounds.

Even the air felt different.

The spiritual energy here was considerably denser than what he had encountered outside the dungeon.

’This place is surprisingly realistic.’

He had initially assumed that the inheritance would simply create a series of memories and scenarios for him to experience.

However, everything around him seemed to have its own existence.

The students weren’t repeating the same movements or conversations. They were interacting with one another naturally, and Ryan could even hear different conversations as he passed them.

A few students glanced at him, but nobody paid much attention.

After walking for several minutes, Ryan arrived at a large building with a sign above its entrance.

Department of Soul Studies — First-Year Lecture Hall

Several students were entering the building.

Ryan checked the schedule again.

[08:00 — Basic Soul Theory]

He looked at the time displayed on the system interface.

It was 07:52.

’Looks like I’m just in time.’

He entered the building and followed the other students upstairs.

The interior was equally impressive. Several portraits of old scholars hung along the walls, and there were display cases containing ancient books, spiritual instruments, and small objects that appeared to contain preserved souls.

Ryan briefly stopped in front of one display case.

Inside was a small silver orb surrounded by thin strands of light.

[Unidentified Spiritual Object]

[Classification: Sealed Soul Fragment]

[Status: Preserved]

Ryan examined it for a moment before continuing.

He eventually found the classroom.

It was a large lecture hall with several rows of wooden desks arranged in front of a raised platform. Around thirty students were already seated, most of them reading books or talking with their classmates.

Ryan entered quietly and looked for an empty seat.

A few students glanced at him.

"Hey, Mika!"

A boy sitting near the middle row raised his hand.

Ryan turned toward him.

The boy had short brown hair and a cheerful expression. He was sitting beside a girl with long black hair, who was busy arranging her books.

"Over here!"

Ryan approached them.

The boy moved his bag from the empty seat beside him.

"You’re late today. I thought you weren’t coming."

Ryan paused.

’He knows Mika?’

The scenario had mentioned that his identity and circumstances had been integrated into the trial. It seemed the people here also had memories and relationships associated with the original student.

Ryan decided to respond naturally.

"I had a few things to take care of."

"Again? You should stop staying up so late. You’re going to fall behind at this rate."

The boy shook his head.

"I’m not joking. Professor Elric said today’s lesson would be important."

The girl sitting beside him finally looked up.

"Don’t listen to him. He’s just worried because he hasn’t finished his assignment either."

"Hey! I finished most of it!"

"Most of it isn’t the same as finishing it."

The two began arguing.

Ryan quietly sat down.

He looked at the boy.

"By the way, what’s your name?"

The boy stared at him.

"...Are you serious?"

Ryan maintained a calm expression.

The girl covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"You’re really something, Mika."

The boy sighed.

"It’s me, Daniel. Daniel Frost. We’ve been classmates since the beginning of the semester."

He then pointed toward the girl.

"And that’s Elara. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten her too."

Elara gave Ryan a curious look.

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"Something like that."

Ryan casually brushed off the question.

Daniel shook his head.

"Anyway, just make sure you pay attention today. Professor Elric doesn’t like students who fall asleep during his lectures."

Before Ryan could respond, the classroom door opened.

A middle-aged man wearing a dark blue academic robe entered.

The classroom gradually became quiet.

He had neatly combed silver hair, a pair of thin spectacles, and a small wooden staff attached to his belt. Several students immediately straightened their backs.

"Good morning, Professor!"

The students greeted him together.

"Good morning."

The professor placed his books on the desk and looked around the classroom.

"I’m glad most of you arrived on time. We will begin today’s lesson shortly."

He raised his hand.

A faint silver glow appeared above the platform, forming a large circular diagram.

Ryan immediately activated Soul Vision.

The diagram consisted of several layers of spiritual threads connected to a central structure.

[Spiritual Structure Detected.]

[Classification: Basic Soul Model]

[Complexity: Low]

Ryan examined it carefully.

The professor began explaining.

"Today, we will continue our study of the basic structure of the soul. Before we move on to practical applications, you must understand how spiritual threads are connected to the soul."

He pointed toward the diagram.

"Every living being possesses a soul. However, a soul is not a simple, solid structure. It consists of numerous interconnected spiritual threads. These threads maintain its stability, preserve memories, and allow the soul to interact with the physical body."

He moved his fingers.

Several threads in the diagram separated from one another, revealing a complicated network.

"An ordinary person cannot perceive these threads. Even most awakened individuals have difficulty understanding them. However, Soul Weavers possess the ability to observe and manipulate these connections."

Ryan listened carefully.

This was already different from the knowledge he had acquired from other inheritances.

He had encountered soul-related abilities before, particularly through his Fallen Priest and Vampire Baroness summons. However, those abilities mainly involved spiritual attacks, resistance, and perception.

Soul Weaving seemed to involve something much more fundamental.

"Professor, does that mean Soul Weavers can repair any damaged soul?"

A student near the front raised his hand.

Professor Elric nodded.

"To a certain extent. However, repairing a soul is considerably more difficult than repairing a physical body. If the spiritual threads are damaged, a Soul Weaver must first identify the damaged connections before attempting to restore them."

He paused.

"More importantly, you must never force two incompatible spiritual threads together. Doing so can cause further damage."

Ryan glanced at the diagram again.

’So it’s similar to repairing a complicated structure. I need to understand how everything is connected before attempting to change anything.’

The lecture continued.

Professor Elric explained the different types of spiritual threads, their functions, and how they interacted with one another.

He also demonstrated several simple techniques using the floating diagram.

Ryan paid close attention, occasionally making notes in his textbook.

He was surprised by how much information the professor covered.

The lesson wasn’t simply about memorizing terms. The professor frequently asked questions, presented examples, and encouraged students to explain their understanding.

At one point, he even asked everyone to identify a particular connection in the displayed soul model.

Several students raised their hands.

Ryan remained silent.

He was still learning the basics and didn’t want to answer without understanding the subject properly.

After a few minutes, the professor called another student.

"Daniel, explain the function of the central spiritual connection."

Daniel stood up.

"It maintains the stability of the soul and connects the surrounding spiritual threads. If it becomes damaged, the entire soul structure can become unstable."

"Correct. Sit down."

Daniel looked rather pleased with himself.

Ryan glanced at him.

’So he actually studies.’

The lecture continued until the bell rang.

Professor Elric closed his book.

"That concludes today’s lesson. Remember to review the first three Chapters before your next class. We will be conducting a practical assessment tomorrow."

The students began packing their belongings.

Ryan was about to leave when Professor Elric spoke again.

"Mika, stay for a moment."

Ryan stopped.

Daniel looked at him.

"Good luck."

Elara gave him a small smile before following Daniel outside.

Once the classroom had emptied, Ryan approached the professor’s desk.

Professor Elric examined him through his spectacles.

"I heard you haven’t been attending the additional study sessions recently."

Ryan paused.

He hadn’t expected the professor to bring that up.

"Is there a particular reason?"

"Nothing important, Professor. I was occupied with some personal matters."

The professor studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I see. However, you should be careful. Your understanding of basic soul theory is still behind the rest of the class."

He picked up a small booklet and handed it to Ryan.

"This contains several additional exercises. Complete them before the practical assessment. If you have difficulty understanding anything, you may visit my office."

Ryan accepted the booklet.

"Thank you, Professor."

Professor Elric nodded.

"That will be all. You may leave."

Ryan walked out of the classroom and looked at the booklet in his hands.

He had expected the inheritance trial to involve fighting powerful spiritual creatures or completing some unusual challenge.

Instead, he had just attended a lecture, met classmates, and received additional homework from a professor.

He glanced back toward the classroom.

’This really is like attending an academy.’

And the strange thing was that he was beginning to feel as though he genuinely belonged here.

The students, professors, lessons, and even the small interactions between classmates all felt natural.

For a moment, Ryan wondered whether this was merely a carefully constructed illusion or an actual alternate world created by the inheritance.

He couldn’t determine the answer.

However, one thing was certain.

If he wanted to obtain the Soul Weaver inheritance, he would have to learn everything this academy had to teach him.

Ryan placed the booklet inside his bag and checked the schedule.

[10:00 — Spiritual Thread Identification]

’Well, let’s see what the next class is about.’