"Son, I want you to recall everything your mother and I have taught you over the past ten years," Raphael said the moment he and Kranos arrived at the assembly hall. "This is where you and I will part, and remember, no matter what happens, your life is more important."
"I understand, Father," Kranos replied solemnly. Raphael proceeded to brief Kranos with a few key pieces of information about the lower realm and important notes regarding its explored regions.
First, the explored regions were divided into grades based on their difficulty, ranging from F-grade, which was the weakest, to S-grade and above, where even monarchs would perish.
Secondly, their identity as someone from a higher plane needed to be kept a secret so it wouldn't bring all sorts of trouble for him, and so on.
Once their conversation concluded, Raphael turned and left. Watching his father's retreating figure, Kranos let out a soft sigh. This will be my first time venturing into the outside world... and I'll be doing it alone. He couldn't help but feel melancholic. He could imagine how dangerous the outside world is. Will I be forced to take a life?
In his previous life, Kranos had never killed anyone. The very thought of being forced into such a situation distressed him deeply. But he knew there was no other choice. I have to steel my resolve for what is to come.
With that, Kranos stepped fully into the assembly hall. The spacious room was already filled with students around his age.
The atmosphere buzzed with noise. Understandable—they were all children, after all. As Kranos walked toward an empty seat, he glanced around at their faces. Their expressions varied: some were gripped by fear as they didn't know if they might encounter death in the lower realm.
Others were brimming with confidence because of their strength; a few looked nervous, while some remained expressionless.
Eventually, he found a seat in the front row beside a boy with dark brown hair and matching pupils. The boy kept scanning the crowd as if analyzing everyone present. Kranos chose not to disturb him and waited patiently for the principal's arrival.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.
A loud, booming voice echoed through the hall, interrupting everyone's thoughts. "Everyone, take your seats," the principal said as he appeared atop the elevated stage. Although he spoke calmly, his voice resounded effortlessly across the hall.
Within moments, the entire assembly had fallen silent and taken their seats. The principal began addressing them. "As you all know, following the enrollment process is the Descent. Each of you will be transported to the lower realm, where you must earn points to prove your worth."
"These points are earned by eliminating beasts and other abominable creatures that threaten humankind and also by how large the impact you make on their civilization is," he paused, sweeping his gaze across the hall. "The fact that you're here means you already know something about the Descent—and that you're prepared. Remember: the more points you earn, the greater the rewards the academy will grant you."
"Now, regarding your badges. You'll carry them with you during the Descent. Place a drop of your blood on your badge to bind it to you—it will then be able to track your location and return to you if lost. Within the academy, the badge can also be used for communication and so on. In the lower realm, your score will only be recorded if you possess it."
The principal went on to explain several other important details—such as the academy's history, its values, and its goals. When he finished, he gestured toward a man standing at the door.
"Follow Teacher Amos," he instructed. "He will guide you to the teleportation chamber."
After the principal finished speaking, Kranos, along with the others, followed Teacher Amos. Soon, they arrived in a room that resembled a mechanical chamber—possibly an elevator. Various intricate devices lined the walls, catching Kranos's attention.
At the front of the room stood a middle-aged man with a thick brown mustache, dressed in a sharp, corporate-style blue robe. He gave the students a warm smile before speaking.
"Alright, everyone. The teleportation process is random. Pray your luck is good—you don't want to end up in one of the more dangerous zones," he said with a chuckle. "Then again, the greater the danger, the greater the points, right?"
Despite his cheerful tone, something about the man felt off to Kranos. That impression only deepened as the man continued, "Thankfully, your badges are equipped with a teleportation rune. If you ever find yourself in a hopeless situation, you can activate it using your mana."
A collective sigh of relief spread through the students but it seemed that everyone celebrated too soon. "Unfortunately," the man added, "activating the rune means forfeiting your place in the academy."
When the man finished speaking, most of the students felt the sudden urge to punch the man. Why couldn't he just say that all at once instead of toying with everyone's emotions?
The man began selecting students one by one. "You go first," he said to a boy at the front, then operated the machine and sent him in. With the next few, he no longer needed to adjust anything—it seemed he had preset a location for the first group.
Time passed, and one after another, the students were sent off. Eventually, it was Kranos's turn. He had kept count and knew he was the twenty-third student—so he assumed he'd be sent to the same place as the others.
Since he changes the location every fifty people, I guess I will be sent to the same location as the others, but just as Kranos entered, the man began pressing on the buttons again. This time, however, he changed the destination from "Safe Zone: North/East/West" to "Danger Zone: S-Grade." Unfortunately, Kranos didn't realize any of this as the man immediately changed it back to the "safe zone" before anyone could realize it.
…
After all the students had been sent off, the middle-aged man walked into a side room. Inside, another man sat tied to a chair, his face was gagged and bruised to a large extent, and he was staring at the imposter who just walked in with a mixture of fear and anger.
The imposter walked over and knocked the real guard unconscious once again. Then, he removed the disguise and changed out of the academy robe, revealing a face that was all too familiar…
Eric.
"I hope this is enough to get rid of you, nephew," he muttered with a cold chuckle. His viper-like eyes darted around the room, gleaming with malice.
What do you think, dear readers?
Will Kranos survive the brutal world he's been thrown into? Or will he have to rebirth to save himself once again within twelve hours…? That's if the rebirth would be successful this time… Mwahahahahahaha!