"This will be all for today, try to prepare for the next lessons since more practical training is going to be involved," Professor Claire said before ending the lecture.

The students began leaving the arena hall, but the mood was different from usual as what had just happened still lingered in their minds, and many of them kept talking about it while walking out, their voices mixed with confusion and curiosity.

"Do you guys want to go check those special capsules designed for people who use the virtual reality bracelets?" Lucian asked as he looked at the group, clearly interested in trying something new.

"That sounds fun, I’m in," Jane replied as she turned her head toward Talia, who gave a small nod in agreement without saying anything.

"I’ll go too, I need something else to think about," Jaden said while holding the back of his neck, still bothered by what had happened earlier and trying to distract himself from it.

They all turned to look at Shadow, waiting for his answer.

He stayed silent for a moment, his thoughts moving quietly as he considered it.

’I’m not sure how safe these capsules are, and I don’t know if I’ll have full control over them, so if I can’t control them then it might not be a good idea to use them,’ Shadow thought, his eyes lowering slightly as he weighed the situation.

After a short pause, he spoke.

"Alright, let’s go."

They quickly checked the location of the capsule rooms and started heading there together.

Fortunately, the building wasn’t far from the arena, so they reached it within a short time without much effort.

It was a large structure, and once they stepped inside, they found themselves in a wide hall filled with rows of robotic capsules lined up next to each other in an organized manner, giving the place a cold and futuristic feeling. The outer surface of the capsules looked smooth and metallic, while the inside couldn’t be seen at all as it was completely sealed off.

Some students were already there, with a few stepping into the capsules while others were coming out of them, their expressions ranging from excitement to deep focus.

"Woah, this looks strange, it’s not like anything I’ve seen before," Talia said quietly, her eyes moving across the hall as she took in the sight, which was unusual for her since she rarely showed this much reaction.

Shadow walked closer to one of the capsules and placed his hand on its surface, his expression calm as he focused on understanding it rather than reacting to it.

’System, can you analyze the security and control mechanism of this device?’ Shadow asked internally.

[Analyzing]

[The capsule operates with a standard mechanism that can be controlled externally, however the host should not be concerned since I can fully take control of it if necessary and block anyone from accessing it from the outside.]

Shadow’s eyes shifted slightly as he processed the response.

’It seems like I’m starting to rely on you more, but I don’t really mind that,’ he thought, accepting it without hesitation.

"Should we try them?" Lucian asked, looking between them.

"I’m going first," Jaden said without waiting, as he walked toward one of the open capsules and stepped inside.

The moment he entered, the capsule responded immediately as its structure began to close around him smoothly, sealing him inside as a faint sound could be heard while it activated.

The others watched closely, their attention fixed on the capsule as they waited to see what would happen next.

A few seconds passed in silence before the capsule’s surface dimmed slightly, indicating that it had fully activated.

"Well, I guess it’s working," Lucian said, letting out a small breath as he turned toward the others.

"Wait, shouldn’t we ask someone for instructions first?" Jane asked.

A nearby student who had just arrived overheard them and casually joined in.

"Don’t worry, it’s actually pretty simple. The bracelet is linked to the capsule so once you’re inside, a system message will appear in front of you and guide you through everything."

"That seems convenient," Talia said as she looked around.

"Not just that, you can also join each other inside. Think of it like different public arenas where you can either participate or just watch from the audience, you’ll understand once you’re in," the student added before stepping into one of the capsules himself.

"I guess we’ll have to see it for ourselves," Shadow said before entering one of the capsules.

The others followed right after, each stepping into one of their own.

Once inside, faint lights appeared in front of their eyes, forming a holographic screen that slowly became clearer.

It displayed a list of students from the academy who were currently connected, as if all the capsules were linked together through the same system.

"So this is how they gather," Shadow muttered as he noticed the names of his group members already online.

"Since I’m not alone, I can’t explore much right now, so I’ll just join them," he said before accepting the invitation request Lucian had sent.