Chapter 43 - Biology

Monday morning rolled around, and with it came the dreaded biology class.

But this wasn't your average high school biology class—no, this was military academy biology, which meant we were studying the races of Fantasia.

And today's topic? Vampires.

The instructor for this particular class was Major Janet Josip, a retired soldier who looked like she could still bench-press a tank if she wanted to.

She had a no-nonsense demeanor and a voice that could cut through steel.

As we filed into the lab, I couldn't help but notice the giant glass tube in the center of the room.

Inside was a humanoid corpse, pale and lifeless, with sharp fangs and elongated nails.

A vampire.

I recognized it immediately. Vampires were one of the more dominant races in Fantasia, and for good reason.

They were insanely strong, fast, and had a natural affinity for magic.

Unlike other races that had to channel mana to enhance their physical abilities, vampires were just born with it.

They were hard to kill, especially the noble ones, and they had a reputation for being both terrifying and elegant.

Janet started the lecture, her voice commanding the room as she explained the basics.

Most of the class was paying attention, scribbling notes and nodding along. But me? I was barely listening.

Why? Because I already knew most of this stuff from the novel, and honestly, I was still shaken from the dream I'd had about Liza.

It had been six years since I last dreamed about her, and now, out of nowhere, it was back. The memory of her smile, her warmth, and then... her lifeless body. It was too much.

I tried to distract myself by looking around the lab.

This wasn't your typical high school biology lab—it was more like something out of a sci-fi movie.

There were holographic displays, advanced microscopes, and shelves filled with jars containing... well, things I didn't want to think too hard about.

I then wandered over to one of the displays, pretending to be interested in a 3D model of a vampire's circulatory system.

I then felt Natasha tap me on the shoulder, and as I turned to her, I saw her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her voice low so as not to draw attention.

I gritted my teeth and nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired."

It was a lie, and it made me feel like crap. I hated lying to Natasha, but I couldn't exactly tell her the truth. Not here, not now.

She gave me a skeptical look but didn't push it, turning her attention back to Janet's lecture.

Janet was still going strong, her voice filling the room as she explained the weaknesses of vampires. "Vampires are pseudo-immortal," she said, pacing in front of the glass tube.

"They have insane regeneration abilities, but they're not invincible. Their first and most well-known weakness is the sun.

Regardless of how strong or weak a vampire is, direct exposure to sunlight will cause them to burn.

This is due to a unique biological reaction between their cells and ultraviolet radiation, which essentially causes their bodies to self-destruct at a cellular level.

At least its what we theorized. It could still just be nature at work."

She paused, letting that sink in before continuing. "Their second weakness is toxin—specifically, the toxin extracted from a dragon's fangs.

Dragon toxin is incredibly potent and difficult to obtain, but it's one of the few substances that can permanently kill a vampire.

And finally, the most straightforward method: destroy their heart or decapitate them. Do that, and they're dead for good."

I rolled my eyes, already knowing all of this. I also knew that the Vampires were ruled by a king, with six dukes serving under him.

They were powerful, sure, but they weren't invincible. And I was already so sick of hearing things I already knew that I decided to tune out entirely.

I pulled out my headphones and plugged them into my ears, scrolling through my playlist until I found something loud enough to drown out Janet's voice.

I was halfway through a song when I sensed something rushing toward me at high speed.

My instincts kicked in, and I tilted my head just in time to dodge a pen that whizzed past my face and embedded itself in the wall behind me.

The class went silent, and I slowly turned to see Janet staring at me, her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face.

"Cadet Hunt," she said, her tone sharp enough to cut glass. "Care to explain everything I just said?"

I froze, my headphones still dangling from my ears. Well, crap. This was going to be problematic.