The air conditioning in the lecture hall made the temperature and humidity quite comfortable, though the vibrations it generated were somewhat distracting. Therefore, I chose a front-row corner seat, as far from the air conditioner as possible.


    The seats fanned out from the central podium, rising in height as they moved away from the center. This arrangement always reminded me of the design of ancient Greek theaters. It was said that to protect the young wolves'' eyes, the lecture halls were not equipped with electronic light-emitting screens.


    I glanced up at the projection screen and then at the students in the back of the hall, many of whom were propping their chins with one hand while scrolling through their personal terminals with the other.


    "Classical geneticists noted that the principles of segregation and independent assortment could not explain all the variations in trait frequencies between parent and offspring. It wasn''t until the advent of epigenetics that there was another significant leap forward in the field..."


    A small paper ball hit my ear and then rolled to the side, joining several other paper balls on the floor.


    Sometimes, their persistence amazed me.


    "...Inheritance that does not involve changes to the genetic code! Who could have imagined, the golden rule..." Master Faurik''s voice trailed off as I looked up from my book to see a wolf raising his right hand, his tail held high.


    "Yes, Aptur?" Faurik raised an eyebrow, clearly curious why a usually uninterested wolf was suddenly so enthusiastic.


    "Master," Aptur''s mock respectful tone almost made me gag, and he even lowered his ears. "So, what kind of inheritance do mutt have?"


    I didn''t even bother rolling my eyes. Could they show a bit of logic and creativity?


    "What?" The elderly wolf clearly didn''t understand Aptur''s implication, tilting his head in confusion as he looked at the white wolf feigning innocence. By now, most of the students in the hall had given up stifling their laughter, beating their thighs or desks in uproar.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Academic masters often had this problem, too immersed in their own world to notice the changes around them.


    Faurik scanned the noisy lecture hall, his gaze finally landing on me, his slightly widened eyes showing a look of realization.


    Ah yes, welcome to my world.


    "Aptur!" The master scolded the young wolf angrily, beginning a lecture that was drowned out by the rowdy laughter in the hall. I couldn''t hear a word he was saying, only seeing Aptur''s deliberately lowered ears and the slowly swaying high-held tail. I was sure he shot me a sidelong glance, grinning and baring the tips of his canines.


    I turned my attention back to the content in my book, trying to escape the meaningless noise and continue my reading. Fortunately, that was easy; their pitiful whispers were no more distracting than the air conditioner''s hum.


    "Richter." The master called out to me as I packed up my things in the nearly empty lecture hall.


    "Master?" I asked submissively, lowering my eyes and ears.


    The old wolf walked over to me, opening his mouth slightly but hesitating to speak. Most of his white fur had lost its luster, looking a bit... scruffy against his flannel plaid shirt. But I knew those deep gray-blue eyes always shone with a wise light.


    "Your last report was very well done," the master said, clearly changing the topic. "The essence of taxonomic nomenclature." I noticed the master''s slight smile.


    "Thank you." I scratched my ear unconsciously, feeling a bit embarrassed by the compliment.


    "I think you have great potential." He continued with that faint smile. "Tell me, what do you think about museums?"


    "Master?" I sensed the possible direction of this conversation but was too surprised to organize my thoughts properly.


    "I showed your report to my colleague at Oceanus Procellarum University. He found it very interesting." The master tilted his head, seemingly amused by my reaction. "He hasn''t taken on students for many years, but who knows, a smart and promising intern..." He emphasized the last few words.


    "The Lunar?" I couldn''t suppress my excitement, raising my voice as my tail and ears stood straight up. Realizing my gaffe, I quickly scanned the lecture hall with my mind, relieved to find only the two of us there.


    "You still have three years of basic education, right?" The master chuckled at my reaction. "Think it over carefully and use this time to further develop yourself."


    "Thank you!" I jumped up, almost hugging the old wolf, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Ahem... I mean, I won''t let you down, Master." I controlled myself, lowered my gaze and ears, and tried to speak calmly.


    Master Faurik patted my arm encouragingly, then left the lecture hall with a slight wag of his tail.


    Suddenly, I noticed a strange feeling I had never experienced before.


    It was a cool breeze blowing past my calves.


    I turned to look back, only to see my white tail swaying rapidly, the fur at the tip brushing against the desks with a swishing sound.


    In the empty lecture hall, I immersed myself in this rhythmic sound, sharing such a foreign emotion with myself.