《The Perfect World.》 The beginning after the end. Two thousand years ago, a war broke out, one that humans still take pride in to this day. A war that united all the kingdoms of the world against a single kingdom known as Angels. A tyrannical kingdom with unimaginable power. The war lasted for years until the streets, rivers, cities, and even the seas turned red. The alliance of kingdoms emerged victorious, and the Kingdom of Angels fell. With its fall, five kingdoms rose and became known as the Five Great Kingdoms: Anastasia, Elvan, Ogrulia, Great Nest, and Varsian. These five kingdoms were the greatest in Shinta. Shinta is an energy that has existed in the human body since the dawn of time. It is the cause of everything. And two thousand years after this war, in the Kingdom of Anastasia, two seven-year-old boys sat atop a green hill, a gentle breeze blowing as the sun set. Despite being twins, they did not look alike. Leo looked at his brother Sai with sharp, slightly angry eyes. "Damn him. He has no right to mock us just because of some silly money we don''t have!" Sai glanced at him for a moment before returning his gaze to the ground. "He has more money than us. He wasn''t wrong," he said in a quiet voice, his eyes sad. Leo looked at him with the same firm gaze and an annoyed tone. "No! He was completely wrong! Who is he to judge us and say such things in the first place... what a ridiculous world." "This always happens anyway." Sai then sat down on the grass. Leo looked at the moon, and a big smile appeared on his face. He had an idea. "What if one of us became the Sacred Warrior? Then we would be incredibly strong, and everyone would love us! And then we would change these circumstances!" Sai''s eyes sparkled, but he immediately shook his head. "Villagers like us cou¡ª" Before he could finish his sentence, Leo interrupted him. "That''s nonsense! There are no empty dreams, Sai!" Leo stepped toward his brother, extended his hand, and said, "Take my hand and stand up. This is how we''ll declare the beginning of our shared goal!" Sai felt everything around him in that moment. The chirping of insects, the blowing wind, the moonlight, the interwoven stars¡ªbut the most important thing he felt was his brother''s determination at that moment. A small chuckle escaped him as he said, "Our shared goal... Let''s see which of us reaches it first!" Sai took Leo''s hand. Years later, after Leo and Sai graduated from middle school... Leo Vitalite I heard my name being repeated¡ªabout three times¡ªbut eventually, the voice stopped. Then, I was suddenly drenched in water, forcing me awake. I slowly opened my eyes to see my brother Sai, annoyed by how late I was in waking up. Despite being twins, we do not look alike. The only thing we share is our fair skin with a slightly tanned undertone. His hair is shiny brown, and his eyes are bright blue like the sea. He has an average height and a well-defined jawline, which is why they call him "the protagonist" at school. On the other hand, I am his opposite. My hair is pitch black, without even a faint shine, and my eyes are sharp, dark brown, nearly black. The only things I surpass Sai in are my sharper jawline and that I''m slightly taller¡ªbut that doesn''t really matter. Who would want every girl on the street to stare at them anyway? After getting ready, we said goodbye to our parents and headed toward our awaited destination: the academy entrance exam. I carried a wooden sword, while Sai wore simple protective gloves. "You studied for the paper exam, right?" The moment Sai said those words, I hesitated. I slowly turned to him. "...No, I didn''t." Sai chuckled and patted my shoulder gently. "It''s not like you need the paper exam anyway. The practical exam is enough for you." Seeing him laugh, I couldn''t help but laugh too. I didn''t understand why we were laughing, and I doubt Sai did either¡ªbut maybe it was because of our nervousness? We were about to face the world. Because I had woken up late, we arrived just as the exam was about to begin. The director, Yarasu, announced to everyone, "We will begin calling your names in a few moments." We sat quietly, waiting for our turn. The atmosphere was sharp and serious¡ªso intense that I felt like we were about to fight each other. But, of course, it would be like this. This exam would determine the future of many people. Sai spoke amidst this tense atmosphere. "Will we pass?" I smiled with great confidence. "Of course." My name was called next for the test. I gripped my wooden sword tightly and entered the exam hall. It was an empty space with only a single training dummy and two supervisors. Yarasu spoke with a small, reassuring smile. "All you have to do is strike the dummy three times." That''s it? I suppose that''s enough. I used my ability¡ªdarkness¡ªon my sword, making it sharp and shadowy. I dashed toward the dummy, and in a single moment, I cut it into three pieces that fell to the ground. The dummy was solid, unusual¡ªor rather, infused with Shinta. The supervisors'' expressions did not change at all. Was my performance bad...? "You may now leave and proceed to the paper exam hall." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Are they robots? I left the hall and immediately entered the paper exam. Let''s not talk about it... a complete disaster. After the exam ended, I reunited with Sai. We thought we would have to wait a long time, but the results were announced quickly. "The top three in the practical exam are: First place: Kinto Shinga! Second place: Leo Vitalite! Third place: Sai Vitalite!" "And the top three in the paper exam are: First place: Sai Vitalite! Second place: Kinto Shinga! Third place: Mary Litari!" "You got second place, Leo! Congratulations!" Sai said with a broad smile. "Second place...? I should''ve been first... And I ranked fifty-third in the paper exam..." This is really frustrating. Sai tried to console me. "It''s okay. At least you passed." "True..." Our conversation was cut short when two people suddenly appeared in front of us. Without any introductions, one of them spoke. "Hello, Sai and Leo. We will take you to the director ''s office." Sai asked, "Did we do something wro¡ª" A portal suddenly opened beneath us, and we fell into it, landing in the office of director Yarasu. "To be honest, that was surprising," I said as I brushed the dust off my clothes. There were two others in the room with us¡ªa boy and a girl. The boy spoke. "You should remain silent in the presence of those superior to you." I glanced at him for a moment. "Who is this now? Where have I seen you before...?" Sai answered, "That''s Kinto Shinga, the first-place winner in the practical exam and second in the paper exam. And that''s Mary Litari, third place in the written exam." The moment Sai mentioned ''first place,'' I shot Kinto a sharp look and a confident smile. "So you''re the one who took first place." He glanced at me from the corner of his left eye. "You really have no respect for those above you, do you?" He had black hair with three red streaks, sharp eyes like a hawk, and blood-red pupils. He was clearly taller than me and carried two daggers. A distinctive look, to say the least. "We really don''t need any racism right now," Mary said, crossing her arms. A silver-haired elf girl with tied-up hair and green eyes. She carried an ordinary bow and was of average-to-short height. "What did you just say?" I said to Kinto. He stood up from his seat. "Are you deaf, or what?" I stepped closer to him and looked him straight in the eye. "You seem awfully arrogant for someone who was just born special," I said with obvious sarcasm. He stepped closer too. "You have the audacity to say that to my face?" "Guys, can we calm down a little?" Sai said, trying to separate us. Mary immediately agreed. We ignored them completely. Before Kinto could reply, we heard a loud clap. "Why don''t we settle down a bit, just as Sai and Mary said?" Director Yarasou had entered the office. We didn''t pay much attention to him and went back to arguing. I wish I hadn''t done that... "Do you really think insulting me with words is a good idea?" Kinto said after his eyes returned to me. I replied as I placed my hand on the wooden sword, "Not just a good idea, but the be¡ª" My words were cut off by a Shinta pressure unlike anything I had ever experienced. I felt every muscle in my body contract in an instant, and my lungs were crushed under the overwhelming force. This is inhuman. If this pressure continues even a little longer, I''ll pass out! The pressure finally stopped, and Yarasou spoke a single word: "Sit." After we sat down, Yarasu continued, "Now, I will explain some things to you. You have been chosen to enter the global academy, Limitless." I had never been more shocked in my life. Judging by the expressions of the others, they felt the same way. I... am going to enter Limitless Academy? Seriously? Before we could dive deeper into our shock, Yarasu spoke, "Let me explain the situation you will be in once you enter the Limitless Academy: 1- There will be student dorms, and each room will have two students. 2- You will have lectures from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. 3- Your lectures will be both theoretical and practical. Theoretical lectures will be on certain days, and practical ones on other days. 4- The academy will provide everything you need. 5- The academic year will be 8 months, and the break will be 4 months. That''s all you need to know for now." Yarasu handed us a map showing the secret location of the academy. "Why doesn''t the academy just take us there?" Mary asked. "You should be grateful we gave you a map," Yarasu replied. No one said anything after his words. I mean, what could we say? "Mary, Kinto, we must go together since we have one map," Sai said. Oh, you stingy director, I have to go with this arrogant guy because of you... Kinto closed his eyes and said, "No other choice." Mary sighed after his words. I stood about four steps away from everyone and raised my hand slightly, "Beatless." After saying the name, a shadowy creature that resembled a small dragon began to form. "Let''s go." Mary and Kinto were astonished when they saw it. I''m sure that damn Kinto couldn''t do something like this! "Wow, Beatless!" Sai said as he hugged it. We all mounted Beatless, and it started flying. In the director''s office, his assistant Crystal was preparing some Nescafe for him. After she made the cup, she asked, "Why did you act like that, director? We could have just calmed them down easily." Yarasu took a sip of the Nescafe and said, "They seemed very confident in themselves, so I had to show them there are people stronger than them to make them a little more cautious." Crystal nodded and left the office. Yarasu looked calmly at Beatless flying in the sky from the window. "You said something, Rivan. You said something." "The director''s aura was stronger than anything I''ve ever seen in my life. There may be stronger people than us at the academy, but certainly not as strong as the director, because they''re just students, but they will still be stronger than us... I''ll surpass them all and become the Sacred Warrior." After a few minutes, we got closer to a large forest. "We''re almost there, but there''s no sign of the academy," Sai said as he checked the map. Kinto was about to say something, but suddenly, Beatless vanished, and we fell into the forest. Luckily, the trees reduced the damage from the fall. Mary crawled out of the pile of leaves. "Seriously?? Why did your bird vanish like that?" "I-I don''t know." I was a bit nervous since this had never happened to me before. Despite the situation, Kinto remained completely calm. He placed his hands on his hips and looked up. "It''s possible flying is prohibited here. We can still use our powers, so nothing prevents us from using Shinta." "Should we continue forward?" Mary asked. Tension was evident on her face. "Is there anything else we can do?" Sai replied to her. But unlike her, his expression was relaxed. He always wore a smile to make those around him feel comfortable. The four of us continued walking through the forest until Mary spotted a rabbit on the path. She stopped to play with it. "How cute you are." It was a peaceful moment. But in the midst of the calm, the rabbit opened its mouth, and its mouth grew much larger. This was a Shinta beast trying to devour Mary. Mary didn''t have enough time to retreat, but Kinto quickly stepped forward, using one of his daggers to stab the rabbit in the neck. Mary fell backward in surprise, and fear began to show on her face. Kinto cut off the rabbit''s head before saying, "It seems like this forest wants us dead." Sai placed his hand on Mary''s shoulder. "Be more careful next time, Mary." Mary nodded, thinking things had calmed down for a moment, but I saw something we didn''t want to see now. "I don''t think the next danger is far off." I drew my sword, and Kinto drew his daggers. Then, beasts the size of humans appeared beside a giant. "I''ll handle these small ones. You take care of the giant," Sai said after using his ability, Physical Enhancement. At the same time, Mary prepared her bow. I covered my sword with darkness. When Kinto saw me do this, he smiled and said, "You''re not the only one who can cover his sword. I''ve covered my daggers with poison." Sai launched at the beasts with an unusual speed and strength, easily decapitating one. Sai''s abilities increased by 5%. Sai was injured, but he healed instantly. He looked behind to see that Mary had shot him a healing arrow. Before we rushed forward, Kinto said while carefully inspecting the giant''s body, "I need to find a gap in this beast. Can you distract it for a bit?" I smiled confidently, boasting. No one can blame me for this. This jerk admitted he needed my help. "Of course, fighting beasts was my morning routine before you knew about daggers." Kinto''s face showed annoyance, but he did nothing. I lunged at the giant, and I was about to strike its foot, but the giant anticipated this and tried to stop me. I spun around its foot and attempted to strike it from behind, but I stopped and drove my sword deep into its foot. Kinto attacked the giant after it focused on me, he stabbed it three times, letting the poison spread into the giant''s body. I jumped on the giant while it was focused on Kinto, who retreated, and stabbed its eye before backing off. "It''s in a frenzy, be careful. The poison will take 20 seconds to kill it," Kinto said. This will take a while. I rushed at the giant and sliced the flesh of its back foot to make it fall on its knees. I jumped and stabbed its other eye. Kinto rushed to cut the tendons in the giant''s hands. He then whispered into its ear, "Zero." The giant was killed. I heard Sai''s voice behind me, "So, it looks like you''re done too." Sai was covered in the beasts'' blood. His clothes, face, and hair were all soaked in blood. Seeing him like this made me feel something strange. Even though we''ve killed beasts in the wild many times, this feeling was new to me. I shook my head and smiled. "I don''t think this means the end. There could be more beasts in this forest." We continued our way through the forest until we encountered more beasts. This was going to be a bit of a long journey. After an hour and a half of fighting and walking, we reached a place with a lake, and a person was standing in front of it. As soon as we saw him, we quickly grabbed our weapons and prepared to use our powers. But he pulled out a card showing that he was the guard of Limitless Academy before speaking in a calm tone and offering a welcoming smile. "Welcome, new students. Congratulations on crossing the forest. I''m Sylan." Kinto pressed his daggers harder. "Was this a test?" Sylan simply and clearly answered, "Yes." That''s why they didn''t take us to the academy themselves. They wanted us to go through this test. But is such a test enough to qualify us for entry into the Limitless Academy? Before we could ask, Sylan pointed toward the lake and said, "The academy is here. Jump into the lake to reach the academy." We had no reason not to believe him at this point, but I felt a little uneasy. We jumped into the lake and, indeed, emerged on the other side, standing in front of the academy. We floated to the ground. The ground below us looked like the sky, and above us, the sky resembled the sea. The academy had a magical, royal, eye-catching appearance. Its colors were white and gold... the gold turned into purple... and then back to gold. Its size was strange. It felt small at first, but then, after a while, it felt huge. Is this the true nature of Limitless Academy? Shinta source. When my feet touched the ground... or was it the sky? I felt like I was going to fall, but I stood up naturally. There was someone waiting for our arrival. He spoke in a tone of complete indifference, as though he felt nothing special from us. I thought we were very different because we were students of the Limitless Academy. "Welcome, I am Langst, a teacher and your guide for the day." A man in his late twenties, he clearly exuded strength and solidity. His features were sharp, and his gaze was vacant, calm, and devoid of any emotion. His hair was brown, leaning towards black. It fell over his forehead from the front, and was somewhat thick at the back. He was taller than us, about the same height as Yarasu. He continued, "Please follow me." We followed Langst in silence until he spoke again, "Since you''re not in your best condition, please enter." He opened the door for us to enter. We showered, ate, and then Langst took us to what they called the "Hall of talk." Sai spoke while we followed Langst, curious, "Kinto, you haven''t spoken to us since we arrived." Kinto looked at him from the corner of his right eye in a superior manner, "Don''t think that just because we crossed the forest together, we¡¯re friends. It''s impossible for me to befriend people like you." Sai''s smile faded, and his gaze turned away. I hit Kinto on the back with the hilt of my sword forcefully, "Unfortunately, I can''t kill you in a place like this, poison factory." Kinto turned to strike back, but Langst stopped him. "We have arrived, please calm down." He then opened the door for us to enter. Once inside, Mary, impressed by the place, said, "This is truly a beautiful place." It was like a theater. There were elegant tables and chairs, and at the far end, a stage that resembled an execution platform. The lights were dim, and the atmosphere was tense. There were 16 other students here, or rather 17, since Kinto had gone to sit alone. We took a table and sat down, waiting for what would happen. Finally, someone appeared on the platform and began speaking. "Welcome, you twenty students of this year. I am Karon, the official speaker of the Limitless Academy. I have been assigned today to explain the system of the academy, so let''s begin." 1. "You will have lectures from 7 AM to 2 PM, and Fridays will be a holiday." 2. "The academic year will last 8 months, and after it 4 months of rest." 3. "There are three stages in the academy." 4. "The academy will provide you with food, drink, clothes, equipment, and more." 5. "There will be shared housing, with two people per room, and the assignments will be random." 6. "There will be tasks from time to time supervised by one of the task leaders in the academy." 7. "You will have a physical trainer at the school who can help you lose weight and build muscle." "These are all the things you need to know. Now, let''s move on to the classification stage." A strange device rose from the platform beside him. He continued, "When you stand here, this device will measure your control over Shinta, and this will help us classify you. You will also need to provide the information requested by this device. Now, please step forward, one by one." The students began to step up until it was my turn. I stood on it, and it asked for my name, age, and ability. I provided all the information, and the device began measuring my control over Shinta. I didn¡¯t feel anything, to be honest. When it finished, I stepped down, and after a few moments, the results were ready to be displayed. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Now, we will announce your ranks," said Karon. Mary Litari, rank 20 Sai Vitalite, rank 19 Kinto Shinga, rank 18 Leo Vitalite, rank 17 I was in rank 17? Just that? I had been training since my childhood, and in the end, I was in rank 17? And Sai was in rank 19? And Mary, who¡¯s an elf, was in rank 20? And this arrogant Kinto, in the end, was in rank 18? My shock didn¡¯t end there, as Karon continued, "There are two classes, Class A and B. From rank 1 to rank 10 will be in Class A. From rank 11 to rank 20 will be in Class B. And when you move to the second year, you will be reclassified to balance the power of the classes. You will find a board at the front of the academy displaying your room assignments. That¡¯s all. I wish you three happy years at the Limitless Academy." I entered full of confidence and left with disappointment and questions. When we reached the board and I found my room, I immediately separated from the others. I just wanted to sleep. "So, this is room 12." I knocked on the door, and a voice said, "Come in." I opened the door and entered to find that my roommate was a girl. Who thought something like this would be normal?... I introduced myself, "I¡¯m Leo Vitalite." "Although we saw our names on the board, it¡¯s nice to formally meet you. I¡¯m Beatrix Linlin," she said. She had strange hair. For the first time in my life, I saw red hair. Short red hair and almost ordinary brown eyes, with a physique that made you notice her strength at first sight. "It¡¯s nice to meet you too." I then lay down on the bed. Beatrix spoke, "I¡¯ve never heard of anyone who controls darkness." "It¡¯s an element of nature. You also control an element of nature, wind." "Doesn¡¯t darkness symbolize evil?" she said jokingly. "In children¡¯s stories, yes," I replied, and Beatrix laughed. I then covered myself and fell asleep. 6:00 AM Beatrix woke me up so we could go to our first lecture. I met Sai there, and we entered the classroom together. When we entered, we saw Mary sitting, clearly deep in thought. "Mary! How are you?" Sai said. When Sai spoke, she snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, Sai, I''m fine, how about you guys?" "We''re good," Sai replied. There was a boy sitting in the chair next to Mary. When Sai noticed him, he asked, "Is this your roommate?" At the mention of this, Mary seemed uncomfortable. "This... yes." I approached her roommate, but before I could speak, he said, "If you guys are friends with this elf, I don''t care about people like you at all. What annoys me most is the sound of the weak." He was a boy with shiny, wavy black hair, sharp eyes, but they were also half-lidded in a peculiar way. His pupils were a strange green, and his strength was clear from his body. From his sitting position, I could tell he was as tall as Kinto, or maybe slightly taller. His face was permanently scowling, with no trace of anything but that. I would have thought he was royal if I didn''t know his clan was the Winn. Even though he wasn¡¯t in Class A, he spoke like this. Our conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Professor Langst, who asked us to sit. It didn''t seem like we were going to have a "get to know you" day. "For your first lesson, I will explain the source of Shinta," Langst said. Beatrix asked curiously, "Source?" Langst began explaining, "You''ll understand what I mean now. Shinta is a power connected to the brain, meaning it flows from the brain. We know the brain is divided into three parts: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem. Each part has its own function, but when biology developed, scientists discovered a very small fourth part between the cerebellum and the brainstem during autopsies. They didn¡¯t know its function because it stops working the moment the person dies, leaving no trace of its purpose. But later, one scientist said he brought a person in and placed sensors near the fourth part to find out that only the Shinta sensor could detect something from it." "So this means it''s the source of Shinta?" I spoke up immediately. Langst responded, "Exactly. After some experiments, the scientist confirmed that this part has only one function: to produce Shinta. It was simply named ''the Source of Shinta.''" A student wearing glasses asked, "What would happen if this part was removed?" Although his facial expression remained the same, I could tell Langst became more serious. "No one knows. Nothing like that has ever been done." After the lecture ended, we left the classroom. A girl approached Sai, "Hello. I''m Brika Dolman from Class B. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too," Sai replied. Of course, a girl or two would try to get closer to Sai. He''s one of the most handsome in the academy. Is there a beauty contest? He should participate. He''d win first place. By the end of the week, Sai, Mary, and I went to the training hall after the lectures. "This is the best part of the day," I said as I prepared. "Agreed..." Sai replied before teacher Langst entered. "You guys are here, as usual," he said. "Better than doing nothing." I said, and then Mary''s roommate, Kyotai Winn, entered. He spoke to Langst and pointed at me. "Teacher, I challenge this guy to a fight." "What kind of fight?" Langst asked. "Whoever knocks the other down first wins." Langst nodded, "That''s allowed." He¡¯s definitely stronger than me, but he also insulted us, especially Mary. If I aim to become a Sacred Warrior, I must do this. I didn¡¯t refuse, nor did I speak a word. I moved towards Kyotai calmly, and he did the same. Although I¡¯m not specialized in unarmed combat, I have enough skill thanks to Sai. When the signal was given, I charged toward Kyotai, trying to pin him by placing one hand on his neck and the other on his foot. However, Kyotai held me off with his hands and kicked my stomach with enough force to make me lose my balance for a moment. I regained my balance quickly and tried to strike his chest, but he dodged and lowered my head, striking my back. The hit was enough to knock me to the ground. Even the monsters I fought didn¡¯t have this kind of physical strength. Kyotai looked at my condition. He didn¡¯t sweat a drop. His voice was full of disgust and mockery as he spoke, "Do you know why I challenged you? Because I was bored, but you didn¡¯t even entertain me for a moment." Sai and Mary rushed to me, and Kyotai left the hall quietly. Sai tried to help me stand, but it was a bit difficult. Mary said, "I¡¯m sorry," her tone full of regret and sadness. "It¡¯s not your fault," I replied, looking toward the exit of the building. I could feel Kyotai''s aura fading further away. While I was trying to stand, a familiar aura approached us: Kinto. He began examining my body and found significant swelling on my back. He took out a vial and made me drink its contents. Then he stood up and left quietly, just as he had arrived. Within seconds, the swelling disappeared. Is he actually a good person in the end? I don''t think so. We left the hall afterward. I noticed that Langst was watching us carefully. He didn¡¯t say anything. We headed toward our rooms. Sai and Mary were talking and laughing. I think they were trying to cheer me up a bit. But that won¡¯t change the truth. I¡¯m weak. Very weak. The cave. "Today, the lesson is very important. Last time we talked about the Shinta and we learned that it flows from a part of the brain called the Source of Shinta. Today, we will talk about the divisions of Shinta." "Divisions of Shinta? I thought it was just random powers that you get at birth," said Sai. Langst replied, "Shinta is something we can''t understand or predict its actions. Shinta is divided into two parts: Shinja and Shingen. Shinja is the random powers a person receives at birth, for example, the magnetic power of Karez, while Shingen is a supportive power. Shingen helps in combat, but you can''t win with it alone. It comes from training or in battles, and of course, battles are the quickest method, but also the most dangerous. Shingen is divided into three sections, which are: First - Offensive Shingen: It is a rush faster than the user¡¯s speed, used for surprise attacks. Second - Defensive Shingen: When used, a shield appears to protect you from blows, whether they are physical or ability-based, and you can determine where the shield will appear. Third - Control Shingen: It is a power that allows you to control things around you, for example, to move a stone and make it fly. But we don''t stop here, these three sections further branch out into more Shingen that others have made, and you can also create your own Shingen if you''re strong enough. But you must choose the Shingen you want before trying to activate it, because it''s not random like Shinja." At the end of the day, all the students from the class went to the training hall to try activating their own Shingen. When we saw the situation, we three went as well. It wasn¡¯t difficult for anyone, as Shingen is the simplest technique after Shinja, but in the end, only the three of us remained. I sat down to rest a bit. Sai closed his eyes to concentrate, and indeed, he was able to use the Defensive Shingen to create a blue shield in front of him. With that, Miri was able to use Controlling Shingen. I stood up, closed my eyes, gripped my wooden sword tightly, and imagined the training dummy in my head. If I can''t use Shingen, what¡¯s the point of all these years of training? Our goal and dream... Could it be that after my defeat by Kyutai, I¡¯ve become afraid? Emotions affect your use of Shinta, even though it flows from the brain and is not spiritual energy. But it affects a person¡¯s thinking, causing confusion, and thus, they won¡¯t be able to control their Shinta properly. I need to calm down. Teacher Langst would say I need to focus. The Sacred Warrior would say I must calm down. A true warrior can withstand everything. I took a deep breath and finally used Offensive Shingen, I felt like i was rushing it a lightning speed, slashing the dummy with my sword enveloped in darkness. I said involuntarily, with excitement rushing through me, "I did it!" "Catch," Beatrix said before throwing me a water bottle. "Thanks." A month had passed since we entered the academy. I focused on physical training and developing my swordsmanship abilities. "Don¡¯t you think you should rest a little?" Beatrix asked. "I¡¯m still not done." She looked away, "training maniac." While I was finishing my training, Langst entered, "We have a mission." He took us to the weapons area in the academy. All the students from the class were gathered there. Langst spoke, "There¡¯s a ''C'' rank cave that appeared at the kingdom''s borders. We must clear it of monsters completely. I will be the leader of this mission. But before we go, those of you who don¡¯t have weapons, take one." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. There were no special swords here. I found iron gloves studded with blue sapphires. Unlike red sapphires, blue ones have a combat benefit. They help a person focus Shinta in their hands more easily. "I think these gloves suit you, Sai," I said to Sai, who was looking for a sword for me. He suggested several swords, but none were suitable. "I think I¡¯ll stick with my wooden sword." I was about to leave, but the boy with glasses, Karez, suggested a particular sword to me. "How about this, Leo? A black sword of medium length, suitable for your height and hands." Karez is from the royal Lavalik family. Although his family disowns anyone who has a power other than volcanic lava, he still maintains the family name and uses his magnetic power. He wears circular glasses and has brown hair that¡¯s slightly blonde, but not too much. His eyes are ordinary in appearance. I''m sure the girls wish they had eyebrows and eyelashes like his. He wore an elegant maroon robe that made me feel like he was going to a meeting or something formal, not combat. I took the sword and waved it around a bit. It really was suitable. "This sword is really great," I said, amazed. Its back handle had a mark like mist, but it was black. The grip was dark gray, and its texture was comfortable and firm. The part of the protection between the handle and the blade was like a square, a square with cut-off corners. The tip of the blade was so sharp that I imagined it could pierce an atom. There were also black mist marks running along the length of the blade. "This... is my old sword," said teacher Langst. His face was somewhat sad. "You used to fight with a sword, teacher?" asked Sai. "Yes, I did. It¡¯s a strong sword. Its name is Lin." After the professor mentioned its name, I looked at it smiling. Our journey would be long. I put my wooden sword with the rest of the swords. Mary didn¡¯t take anything from the place. When Sai asked her, she said she didn¡¯t need a new bow. Teacher Langst stood in front of the academy gate. He turned his face slightly and said, "Are you all ready?" We all answered, "Ready!" "Let¡¯s go then." When we got out of the academy, the teacher stood in his place. "How are we going?" asked Mary. "With your abilities." Again?.... Beatrix used her ability, air, to fly. She carried with her the Siblings kani and kano and she carried another boy. "No other choice..." Karez used his ability to gather some metals and created a surface to stand on, pulling it toward him to fly. Kinto and Kyotai went up with him. I created beatless, Sai, Mary and the teacher got on it before we head off to the cave. On the way, the teacher spoke. "you only created the outside of beatless. It must be empty inside." "My control over Shinta isn''t good enough to do something like this." "But you''ve developed a lot this month. Remember, Leo, Shinta control level isn''t everything." When we arrived at the cave, we entered directly. It was a long and dark corridor, and I felt a little tense. No one spoke since we entered. But once Kani spoke, the ground opened beneath us and we all fell into it, but Langst caught me before I fell. Langst floated in the air. He looked around, and in the end, he let me fall, but I noticed he fell shortly after me. The fall turned into a slide inside a long tube. When I reached the end and saw the light, I tightly gripped my sword. But when I exited the tube, I found myself suspended in the air. I can¡¯t create Beatless while I¡¯m falling like this! I was just moments away from hitting the ground. Is this really how my journey ends? It felt like time stopped for a moment. My body stopped falling. Beatrix used her power to stop my fall. "That was close," she said. I landed on the ground and she gently lowered me. "Thank you." If it weren''t for Beatrix, everything would have ended here. I¡¯m really grateful to her. Karez came out of the tube and was gently lowered by Beatrix as well. When I think about it, I haven''t really benefited from my development yet. It''s still not enough. "I wonder about the others," said Karez, looking at the tube cautiously. Then another student emerged. Garin, the one with the dual-headed sword. He used his ability, mist, to descend quietly. "That was high." "It seems the real cave is underground," said Beatrix. I looked around and noticed, "This place is vast," very vast. "Don¡¯t lower your guard. The monsters could appear at any moment," said Karez. "Don¡¯t worry, the monsters have already appeared." The mutated monsters were emerging from the ground in large numbers. This won¡¯t be hard. Sai Vitalite I reached the end of the tube to find myself in the air, but I grabbed the edge at the last moment. The place is very high. I heard someone coming from the tube. Kinto came out, but I caught him before he fell. "We need to be on the ground before someone else arrives." Kinto was about to say something, but I used my ability and threw him upward. I then pushed myself toward the nearest wall, quickly descended from it, and caught Kinto at the last moment. "Put me down." I threw him to the ground directly. It made me feel like we were married. Kyotai finally came out of the tube. I wanted to catch him, but he used his ability, walls, to stand in the air. "What the hell is this cave?" Kyotai then descended to the ground, and as soon as he landed, a group of ghouls appeared along with another large ghoul. Mary Litari I came out of the tube, but luckily, Kano came right after me and used his ability, sand, to turn the ground into quicksand, making it easier for us to fall. Then Kani came out and fell into the quicksand as well. "Is this cave really classified as ''C''?" I said, looking at the faraway ceiling. The place was so bright for an underground cave. After a moment, giant, fast, and... extremely disgusting insects appeared! Langst Vitaline I came out alone into an empty and closed space. Did they make a mistake in classifying the cave? No, this cave was specifically classified by Winda for the academy mission. A monster of some kind appeared in front of me. Chains appeared around it, and suddenly, it spoke. "What¡¯s your name?" it said in a completely stone-like voice. "Langst Vitaline. The messenger of your death, and the teacher of the students you have separated." It smiled, revealing its sharp, cutting teeth. It said in the same disgusting voice, "Grysin. The leader of this cave." How? Leo Vitalite fighting them will be easy because they are on the ground. That¡¯s what I thought¡­ until flying monsters appeared. How I hate them. Garin looked at me and said, "Beatrix and I will fight the flying ones. You and Karez handle the ones on the ground," as fog gathered around his hands. Was he giving us orders? I didn¡¯t think much of it. I charged at the monsters and drew my sword. I used Shingen for the first time, and with a single swift and light dash, I sliced through the monsters in front of me with ease. Their green blood and black limbs splattered everywhere. I felt the strange coldness of their blood on my cheek and quietly wiped it off with my finger. Killing monsters has become so easy now. I used my ability. Tentacle-like arms with long claws emerged from my body and shredded the attacking monsters into pieces. But even though the claws were sharp, they still weren¡¯t as sharp as the sword¡ªLin¡ªin my hand now. One monster wasn¡¯t fully sliced and lunged at me, but Karez crushed it between four iron walls. "I have a great idea¡ªhold onto your sword tightly," he said. I gripped Lin tightly. Karez used his ability on Lin and launched me toward one of the monsters, slicing it in half. Karez was launching me at such high speed that the monsters had no chance to react! As I flew through the air cutting down monster after monster, I watched Beatrix and Garin¡¯s fight. Garin hadn¡¯t drawn his sword; he was fighting with his fists, which were covered in thick fog. Honestly, it was the first time I¡¯d seen someone with that pale gray hair. I think his eyes were gray too¡ªmaybe foggy? His physical strength rivaled Sai¡¯s, who¡¯s considered the strongest physically in our class, on par with Kyotai. His appearance is average, but his hair and eyes are striking. Beatrix grabbed her rifle, and when she fired, an air bullet shot out, piercing the heads of two monsters at once. Beatrix uses enhanced weapons to control Shinta, even though her control over Shinta is already pretty good compared to the others. But now I wonder¡ªwho¡¯s really being attacked here? Us¡­ or the monsters? Garin¡­ or the monsters? We killed all the monsters, and with their death, one of the walls opened. The fog around Garin¡¯s hands disappeared. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s move forward.¡± Sai Vitalite I felt Shinta flowing faster than usual. I was excited for some reason. ¡°These ghouls won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Kinto said. ¡°What about the big one?¡± I got my answer right away from Kyotai. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the cooperative type.¡± Kyotai stepped forward. ¡°Your low level won¡¯t help you against it.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡­I take that back. Kinto gripped his daggers and threw one at a ghoul with a bow, piercing its head. Before the other ghouls could react, Kinto had already sliced off their heads. I can boost myself by 6% now. Training hasn¡¯t been improving me fast enough, but even this small increase is more than I expected. These ghouls are incredibly slow. They gathered around me, but I used only my fingers to pierce their heads with astonishing speed. I feel so calm in this fight. Where did the excitement I felt seconds ago go? All the ghouls died. Kinto handled his side. Maybe watching Kyotai a bit won¡¯t hurt. The big ghoul screamed in Kyotai¡¯s face, but he stood his ground. The ghoul tried to strike him, but a wall appeared and blocked it. No matter how much the beast hit it, the wall didn¡¯t even crack. Kyotai suddenly leapt and created a cube around his hand¡ªone strike to the ghoul¡¯s head, and it was crushed entirely. I probably would¡¯ve taken much longer if I¡¯d fought it. One of the walls opened. Kyotai walked toward it without saying anything. He fights entirely alone. Kinto and I followed him. We need to regroup with the others as soon as possible. Leo Vitalite When we entered the next room, we saw another wall open. From it came Kano, Kani, and Mary. Is this cave really that easy? "Where¡¯s the teacher?" I asked immediately. Kano replied, "We don¡¯t know. He¡¯s probably with the others." The ground began to shake. From beneath it, two giant monsters emerged. One wielded a massive iron ball attached to a huge chain, and the other held a spear the size of ten people my height. They must be the lieutenants of the leader. Before the fight could even begin, the two monsters were completely crushed. A strange man appeared out of nowhere and killed them with absolute ease. He looked at us and smiled. "Thanks for making it easier for me," he said, and before we could react, he grabbed Mary and slammed her head into the wall, knocking her out. He''s definitely targeting long-range fighters, which means his next target is Beatrix! I moved to protect Beatrix, but the man targeted Kani instead! Kano stood in front of his sister and took a direct hit to the chest. It was clearly too powerful for him¡ªhe lost consciousness. How did the situation turn around so suddenly¡­? For the first time, I saw tension on Karez¡¯s face. He tried to crush the man with metal, but it had no effect. The man attacked Beatrix, but I blocked him with my sword. He struck the sword again. I felt the shock impact my hand, but the sword was unharmed. The man was clearly shocked by this. Suddenly, he kicked me away, and Beatrix aimed her rifle at him, but before she could fire, he broke it. He was about to hit her when Garin drew his sword and tried to attack him, but it was useless. The man blocked him with ease. Are we still this weak? Am I really still this weak?! I¡¯m still so helpless¡­! I tried to stand, but my hands were trembling, and my grip on the sword was unstable. I will become the Sacred Warrior¡ªI can¡¯t be this helpless. I have to be useful¡­ The man stopped as if everything around him was just a game. His face wore a look of mockery and scorn. ¡°I am Azazil, you so-called future warriors.¡± Azazil¡­ I have to defeat him. I rushed toward him and tried to attack with my sword and long claws, but he blocked me again. This time, he used hardened sand. Then he pushed me away with strong winds! This man¡­ can he copy abilities?! Is everything going to end like this?! There''s no way I¡¯ll die such a pathetic death! At the very least, let me die honorably, body!! At that moment, when we had fallen into despair, we felt a familiar aura¡ªstronger and more intense than before. Breathing became difficult, even though the overwhelming aura wasn¡¯t directed at me. A raging aura, yet under control. Teacher Langst had arrived. ¡°That leader died with one strike. But I didn¡¯t expect another scumbag to be here.¡± From where I was, I could see the fear on Azazil¡¯s face. Langst looked at Mary and Kano, then turned his gaze back to Azazil. He spoke one sentence: ¡°Did I give you permission to be a harsh training dummy?¡± That one sentence was enough to make Azazil flee, but Langst caught up in a single instant and kicked him away. And what luck¡ªthe kick sent him flying right toward me. I coated my sword, Lin, in darkness and sliced through Azazil¡¯s right hip and kidney. He fell to the ground, but this time his expression was completely different. From the look on his face, it felt like he had seen the Demon King himself. His pupil trembled like his voice, ¡°You¡­ how can a human have such a power¡­¡± Azazil then vanished. Since he can copy abilities, he must¡¯ve used a teleportation-like one. After everything ended, Karez spoke with the teacher and explained what Azazil¡¯s ability might be. Kyotai, Kinto, and Sai were in another room solving some puzzle. It¡¯s likely that was their situation because they had faced a large monster. The treasures in the cave were collected. Mary and Kano received immediate care. On the way back, Sai spoke to me, ¡°Even though we made it out without any losses¡­ this¡­ this was our first true defeat.¡± Our first defeat. Somewhere else, Azazil moves with difficulty, bleeding from the blow Leo struck. He speaks, his voice barely audible, ¡°That¡­ that power¡­ I know it¡­ it shouldn¡¯t belong to a human¡­¡± Azazil loses consciousness and collapses to the ground. Then, someone appears before him.