《The SSS Rank Villain's Return》 The Calm Before The Storm The battlefield had calmed down. It was not the kind of quiet you would expect to hear after achieving victory; instead, it almost seemed like his efforts had been in vain. However, the proof was right there, on the ground: a never-ending pile of corpses¡ªthe corpses of monsters he had slain to protect the people. As well as the rowdy bunch who called themselves heroes; instead, they had all been reduced to mere cannon fodder the moment the monsters poured out of the rift to attack. Jeremy''s gone. Can''t say I liked him, but it''s a pity. He was the least useless one of them all, Neraxis expressed with a sigh. They were not friends by any means, more like acquaintances, but nonetheless, he had developed a sense of camaraderie with the others. The same as the other ''heroes,'' but here he was¡ªbloody and beaten¡ªwhile they were most likely hidden somewhere. That was supposed to be the final rift, although humanity had been saying that for the last couple of decades. The cycle never ends, and it certainly does not wait for you to grow stronger. The rift this time around was the first S-ranked rift in the entirety of recorded human history. The highest humanity had faced up until this point was an A-ranked rift. At least I can get the last laugh. I''m glad I put in the extra training while the others were slacking off, Neraxis exclaimed with a shallow breath. Even as strong as he was, injuries could not be avoided. But that did not matter. After all, Alice was one of the best healers in the world as well as the one he loved. The fact that she was also somewhere nearby made him feel a bit at ease. What is taking those fuckers so long?Neraxis was growing a bit impatient. They were most definitely aware that the fight had ended, so where were they? The silence had not lifted even slightly. It felt ominous to even stand by, and though he had killed all of the monsters, there was still a fair bit of tension in the air. Most importantly, there was malice directed right at him from many sides. The heroes who had hidden all this time finally appeared in his vision¡ªeight people in total, and behind them was a crowd of the people he had saved. A faint smile appeared on Neraxis''s face. It seemed like his effort had not been for nothing; he managed to save them all. He just felt a bit strange seeing his party of heroes looking at him like that. It was caution, fear, and lastly... Resolve? Suddenly, a few messages appeared right in front of his eyes that he opted to ignore. The system had been pestering him about random stuff ever since the rift opened up, so he muted it. [Task Failed Successfully!] [Generating Evaluation: ETA 5 Minutes] "The fuck does that even mean?" he muttered under his breath, making sure no one heard him. The situation did seem a little strange. "Hey Nera, good work out there," Lar said while slowly walking toward him. The man behind the wheel, the one who was supposed to be the actual hero according to the media, yet here he was, reduced to a coward who had to abandon his party members. What a pathetic guy. If I had been any weaker, his stunt would have got me killed,Neraxis expressed inside his mind and stretched out his hand. He wanted to lean on Lar since he did not have that much strength left. The adrenaline was slowly disappearing. However, he did not receive a hand to lean on. Instead, Lar stopped just a few meters away from him and looked down at him with disgust clearly visible on his face. "How far you have fallen, to think you would resort to killing humans..." Neraxis was left stunned at that comment. "What bullshit are you spouting?" However, Lar completely ignored him and continued speaking. "What do you all think? What should we do with this traitor of humanity?" He was trying his best to hide the grin forming on his face but failed. The only one who could notice it was Neraxis. What is he doing...? The people all around were cheering, screaming all sorts of things he never imagined hearing in his entire life. "Kill him!" "End him already!" All different kinds of insults were being hurled at him, and for what? What had he done to deserve any of this? He fought for them, he defended them, he nearly died for them, yet they were returning that gratitude by alienating him. You worthless sacks of shit... "Now, now, everyone, calm down. There is a time for such things," Lar said with a single finger over his lips, signifying for everyone present to quiet down. "Alice, why don''t you come over and heal him? He is looking a little roughed up." At his words, Alice, the girl Neraxis had been in love with for the past couple of years, walked up right next to him. The gentle smile he had grown accustomed to was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she had a scowl on her face, looking down at him as if he were mere trash "You really expected me to help you... Pathetic." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "You fuck¡ª" Neraxis was about to use his signature attack, Hell Scythe, however, the blue system window appeared before his eyes again. [Usage Of Skills Blocked | Rating Evaluation In Progress] [Generating Evaluation: ETA 2 Minutes] System, are you fucking crazy!? Stop the generation or I am about to die! Neraxis exclaimed, but nothing happened. He was practically doomed to die. Lar and Alice flinched upon realizing what he was about to do, but once they realized nothing happened, they heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to him, the other heroes following closely by. "Someone''s a little shy today. What''s wrong, Neraxis?" The hero who used the spear, Bale, came over, an arrogant grin plastered on his face, yet he was powerless against his taunts. "It''s nice seeing you again, Neraxis," Asher, the hero who used daggers, said. Out of all the heroes present, his and Lar''s animosity was evenly matched. The other heroes stood back, they were quite afraid of him since he did do his due diligence in making sure they did not step out of line. However, that seemed to not matter, since the only people he had put his trust in were about to end his life. [Generating Evaluation: ETA 20 Seconds] "Lar, why?" Neraxis asked in a helpless tone. This was not how he had planned on dying. He wanted to become rich, get married, start a family, be normal. But that was all but a fool''s dream... He let out an exhausted sigh and waited for an answer. [Generating Evaluation: ETA 10 Seconds] These system messages are really annoying, though... "Why else, Neraxis..." Lar said out loud for all the people to hear and then began coming closer, close enough to whisper in his ear. "You offset the balance. Now that there would be no more rifts, why would we risk having someone as strong and unpredictable as you kept alive?" "Hah...hahaha," Neraxis let out a laugh, finding his answer hilarious. "For that reason alone, you are planning to kill me?" [Generating Evaluation: ETA 5 Seconds] Just a few more seconds until I blast you all to bits.A small smile appeared on Neraxis''s face. However, as he stared at the countdown, a sudden pain in his chest assaulted him. Looking down, he saw a single dagger piercing right through his heart. It was the same dagger he had bought as a gift for Alice. Even at the end... you... "You bitch..." He groaned and noticed the other heroes unsheathing their weapons as well. [Generating Evaluation: ETA 1 Second] However, just as he resigned to his fate, the system messages began appearing once again, and at the same time, the ground began rumbling. A pair of daggers, a sword, and even a spear headed straight for him and pierced his body. In his last moments, he could swear he saw a massive pillar coming out of the ground. But he could not make sure as he began losing consciousness, until finally, he drew his last breath. Yet even in his dying moments, the blue system window was clearly visible. [Evaluation Complete: SSS-Rank] [Host Is Unable To Receive Rewards: Recompiling] I don''t give a shit. Neraxis exclaimed with the last of his will and closed his eyes, succumbing to the total darkness. [Using Unique One-Time-Use Skill: Rebirth] He was expecting to die. After all, he had lost most of his senses just a few moments ago. However, he was now feeling itchy instead. The fuck? Neraxis''s eyes shot open, and he saw a familiar ceiling right above his head. This is... my home? It''s not destroyed? His thoughts were racing with confusion, that was until an obnoxious knock on his door appeared, followed by a voice he had not heard in many years. "Wake up, idiot! You will be late!" My sister... Elara... she is alive? Neraxis''s heart began beating at an incredibly fast rate. The last time he had seen her was when he was picking up what remained of her from the rubble. He quickly got out of bed and darted straight to the mirror, and upon seeing the person in the reflection, his eyes widened. A young man who looked to be 16 years old, with completely white hair and crystal-like purple eyes, was staring right back at him. This is how I looked just before I entered the academy..? He lifted up his shirt and saw the flawless skin, a stark contrast to his body mere moments ago; it had been riddled with scars. "Neraxis! Are you deaf!?" Elara''s voice once again resounded as she began kicking his door. ...What in the actual fuck is going on? Storm ...Status +-----+ Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: G Strength: G- Agility: G- Stamina: G- I ntelligence: F- Mana Capacity: G+ --Secondary Stats: Luck: G Charm: D- --Skills: +-----+ All of my hard-earned skills are gone. The same goes for all my stats. Also, 16? Seriously? I was 24 before I died... Neraxis laid back on his bed, nearly stumbling onto the ground. So much had happened in the last couple of minutes that he found it hard to believe that what he was seeing was actually real. He picked up a nearby pencil and twirled it around. It felt realistic in his grip, but one could never be too sure. Here goes nothing. Neraxis took a deep breath and thrust the pencil straight into his thigh, and, much to his surprise, he felt pain¡ªa lot of pain, for that matter. It was a flat pencil, not yet sharpened, so it did not manage to pierce through his skin. Nonetheless, it still hurt. Just as he was about to scream, an even louder knock resounded from his door, followed by his sister''s voice: "If you don''t come out in the next five minutes, I am breaking down the door!" She finished with a kick to the door. She always liked to nag... It still felt unreal. He had died. Elara had died. But as doubt began creeping in again, a series of system messages flashed before his eyes. [Viewing System Logs...] [Evaluation Complete: SSS-Rank] [Removing Unique One-Time-Use Skill: Rebirth | Reason: Used] [Removing All Previously Acquired Skills | Reason: Incompatible] [Too Weak to Receive All Rewards: Progressive Reward System Initiated] [Would you like to accept the rewards? Yes/No] Neraxis stared blankly at the messages before him. Rebirth? Incompatible...? What the fuck... He pressed the Yes button. It didn¡¯t sound like he had much of a choice anyway. It was also how he got his first skill last time. It happened a few months before the academy officially started, back when he passed the basic exam to get in. After a few seconds of waiting, another message popped up. However, instead of his main skill, Hell Scythe, there was a whole new skill, one he had never seen before. [Progressive Skill Received: Eve of Ruin {G-SSS}] [Eve of Ruin {G}] [Skill Description: Harness the power of Vulnerability and Decay. Due to the low rank of the skill, most options are locked.]Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Skill Effects (1/2): Aura of Vulnerability: All enemies within a 5-meter radius take an extra 5% more damage from all sources. Duration: 1 minute; Cooldown: 15 minutes.] [Skill Effects (2/2): Mark of Decay: Mark a single enemy within a 30-meter radius and inflict the _Decaying_ debuff; Cooldown: 10 minutes.] [Debuff - Decaying: Each attack against the target has a low chance to remove a beneficial effect and temporarily disable healing. Each attack reduces the target''s Movement Speed by 1% per stack. Stacks up to 5 times. The debuff lasts as long as the target is being hit; if not hit for more than 30 seconds, the debuff vanishes.] This is... pretty shit. Neraxis read through the entire skill. While it seemed promising because it could evolve to SSS rank, it was currently pretty useless. Even his previous Hell Scythe skill started at C rank, which he evolved to B rank just before his last battle. The evolution happened mainly due to his proficiency. Now, though, he had no clue how to begin evolving such an ability. This skill would be good if combined with another skill, much like his previous main skill, but alas, the system decided to screw him over again. While it wasn''t what I expected, at least the Decaying debuff is alright. I assume the healing stays disabled until the debuff expires? That would be pretty overpowered now that I think about it... As he immersed himself in thought, his door suddenly swung open, nearly breaking the frame. The perpetrator? "Ten minutes, you idiot! If you don''t get there in time, they''ll expel you!" Elara walked up to the stunned Neraxis and grabbed him by the collar. Surprisingly, her strength was high enough to lift him. But that seemed fair. After all, he was a bit frail at the moment. Tall and frail¡ªdefinitely not the greatest combo. Still, he remembered improving his physique quite quickly after arriving at the academy; after all, it was one of the best in the country. He was already dressed, so Elara simply dragged him downstairs and stuck a fork in his hand, placing a meat dish in front of him. "Eat up. Try not to choke." Neraxis nodded mindlessly and began scarfing down the food, though his emotions were in turmoil. She¡¯s just like I remember her. Hair and eyes the same as mine. Her fierce look while washing the dishes... funny and nostalgic. Taking a deep breath after finishing his food, he leaned back in his chair. I really am back, aren''t I? But as his mind cleared, his confusion only deepened. Why had the heroes betrayed and killed him? He wasn¡¯t a bad judge of character. He had always ensured that those he opened up to were trustworthy. The same went for Lar. Up until the last fight, Neraxis noticed nothing wrong. Only after slaying all the monsters did they show their true intentions. Then there was that system message he received before everything began crumbling down. Scrolling through the logs, he ignored the random countdowns until he found what he was looking for. [Task Failed Successfully!] What task did I fail? And what does it mean by successfully? Before he could delve deeper, Elara hit him over the head with his own bowl. "Six minutes. If you run full speed, you might just make it." She reminded him while taking his plate to the sink to wash. Understanding it was time to leave, Neraxis headed to the front door. Pausing with one leg out of the house, he turned back to Elara, who was still washing dishes. "See you later?" he asked with a shaky voice. "Five minutes," she replied, scrubbing another plate. Without another word, Neraxis began running. His stamina was horrible. The academy was only 5 kilometers away, and since he was a superhuman, running that far in 5 minutes was definitely doable. The world had changed quite a while ago; the norms were not the same as they had been a few hundred years ago. It was currently the year 2367, and the last rift outbreak had been 17 years ago. He already knew when the next one would happen¡ªexactly 8 years from now. Superhumans first appeared in the year 2195. Random humans began seeing status screens right before their eyes, and then there were skills¡ªabilities that granted them immense strength. But alas, with the appearance of the first superhumans also came a time of chaos. In the year 2200, the first-ever rift outbreak happened, wiping out a good portion of humanity. That continued on, the difficulty increasing each time until finally, Neraxis put an end to it¡ªor so he thought, anyway. He had no way of knowing if whatever he had done even had an impact. As he was in the middle of running, he spotted something strange in the corner of his eye. It was a perfect time to take a break since he felt like his lungs were on fire anyway. It was a good thing the academy was just in front of him. But that was not what caught his attention. Instead, it was the massive, slim, purple tower stretching straight into the clouds. He could not even see the very top of it. There was an ominous feeling emanating from it, but he could not quite put his finger on what exactly it was. In the end, however, one thing was certain. That was definitely not there before... Havenspire Academy Neraxis''s gaze was fixated on the tower; after all, it had not been there before. However, there was a single memory that had been replaying in his mind, and that was the moment he died¡ªor more specifically, the sight he saw just before he died. There was a tower rising in the distance, its design eerily similar to what he was currently seeing. But even then, he had been barely conscious at the time. For all Neraxis knew, it might have been more of a foreboding. He was still a bit dazed after all that had happened. Therefore, he would leave the thinking for later. First and foremost, he had to attend the academy. And according to his phone, he was about to be late. Only 20 seconds remained until the gates of the academy closed. But as he approached the gates, he noticed another thing off¡ªthe name of the academy, which had previously been Arcanum, was instead Havenspire. Even this has changed... Am I in a different timeline or something? Neraxis felt conflicted but nonetheless headed inside. Although he was not exactly late, he was certainly the last one to arrive. Passing through the gate, he saw the familiar sight of the academy. It seemed like the only thing that had changed was its name. It was a pretty long structure, stretching out several hundred meters in all directions. Safe to say, it was massive¡ªenough to fit all the students inside with space left over. But despite that, the academy was not known for its high acceptance rate. The only reason he had passed was because of his Hell Scythe skill. However, that was gone now. That meant his chances of retaining his spot had decreased by quite a margin. And while Neraxis did have a lot of experience, some skills tended to be a bit overpowered¡ªespecially for those in the academy. Not that he had that high of a spot anyway. Out of 1,000 students, he was pretty much down the very middle¡ª488th. "You are late," a voice came from the side. It was one of the guards stationed near the entrance of the academy, also responsible for leading everyone to the auditorium. "Sorry... the bus was full. Had to run over," Neraxis tried making a half-hearted excuse that even he could not believe, but nonetheless, it seemed to work. "I don''t give a shit. Follow me quickly." The guard signaled with his chin toward the academy''s wide entrance door and began leading him at a brisk pace. They were practically jogging for a few seconds until finally, they arrived at a door Neraxis remembered very well. The auditorium was a place where the whole academy gathered whenever a student achieved something unbelievable. Normally, it was supposed to be used once every couple of years. However, due to the sheer number of talented people who had joined this year, the congratulatory ceremonies happened at least once a month. The guard whisked him forward as Neraxis stood still for a few seconds too long. Before he knew it, he was inside the auditorium, its size speaking volumes about the wealth of the academy.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. However, that was not the issue now. Instead, it seemed like he was now the center of attention. It was not like he hated it, but being in the spotlight on his first day with no way to defend himself from jealous students down the line? Not what he had on his agenda. His main skill was plain yet had the potential to grow incredibly strong, considering most of its options were still locked. Despite that, now he was a sitting duck. Neraxis could feel the stares of annoyance from many of the other students. Every single one of them was a first-year. Though not all of them would last long enough to attend the second year. While it was an academy, it was also a strict training institute¡ªone that focused more on practical application rather than theory. It was, in a way, why he liked it so much. However, it was also the reason why so many students died. But damn... it sure is quiet...? As Neraxis was in the middle of his thoughts, he heard a pair of footsteps walking up to him. Upon noticing who it was, he froze. "Do you not understand punctuality? You are four seconds late." "Sorry... Miss Miranda," he tried his best to keep his voice steady. After all, the person before him was one of the senior-year teachers. And not only that, she was also one of the people who believed that the rifts were supposed to be opened¡ªto let in the outer beings of some sort. Basically an insane person. He was just happy he had the honor of ending her life in the future. She was not the only one with that kind of mentality. There were many who, after two centuries, assumed humans were the ones causing havoc and that the rifts were there to stop it. Flawed thinking for a flawed individual. Her personality has always been a little off-putting. Even if some things had changed, she sure hasn''t... Neraxis chuckled inwardly and waited out her glare. She would not expel him for being a few seconds late. That would be the case if his rank were in the 800s, though. He would not even be able to step through the academy''s entrance before someone threw him out. As he was lost in his thoughts, her stern voice interrupted him. "Student, if I find you are late to another gathering, I will expel you on the spot. Understood?" Neraxis merely nodded and proceeded to walk to a less crowded area. He did not want to be huddled together with all those arrogant kids who were glaring daggers at him. There were a few he recognized, some he even got along with previously. However, not many of them survived until the end. He was also thankful that the heroes were not from his academy. He did not know what he would have done to them if they were. However, as he looked around, he could not spot a certain individual¡ªthe one who was supposed to represent the academy. When is the headmaster showing up? Shouldn''t he have been here even before everyone else? But as those thoughts surfaced, he could suddenly feel his neck grow cold. His instincts told him someone was watching him. Neraxis immediately turned his head to spot the culprit. However, it seemed he was not the only one, as the majority of the students did the same¡ªsome much more spooked than he was. "All of you would have died just then, carelessly leaving your backs turned and guards down. Pathetic." An emotionless voice resounded from the podium, where a lone man sat wearing a luxurious pure black academy uniform with the crest of clouds etched onto the fabric. To say he looked intimidating was an understatement. One felt like they would die just by meeting his eyes. That reminds me... I forgot to change into the uniform. Neraxis inwardly sighed and glanced at the man again. He was looking over everyone as if they were bugs¡ªseemingly wastes of life. It was not a great way to motivate the students to learn more, but at least he acknowledged when someone did something praiseworthy. "I will keep this brief. Welcome to Havenspire Academy, I am the headmaster, William Whiltfrow. Those who were expelled and decided to try their luck at the entrance exam once again, nothing changed. If you are trash, then stay as trash." The headmaster spoke without remorse and stood up, waving his hand to the side and opening the back door of the auditorium. It led to the massive indoor field with many arenas scattered around. Their purpose? Duels or battle royale-type battles. However, that was not the problem. Instead, it was something else entirely. What do you mean there is another entrance exam!? Entrance Exam I already took an exam months ago. What¡¯s he talking about? Another one? Neraxis glanced around with furrowed brows. Nonetheless, he followed the other students heading inside the massive indoor field. Today was supposed to be an introduction to how everything worked, led by none other than William. But instead, he was met with an unexpected situation. Again. He made his way past the multiple smaller round-shaped arenas until, finally, he ended up in front of one large round arena¡ªmany times larger than anything he had seen before. Did I really enter the right academy? He began to think he was somewhere else entirely. Most things looked the same, but the small differences kept adding up, making everything feel unfamiliar. "Alright, everyone, is there someone who doesn''t know what''s going on?" The headmaster, William, walked onto the massive arena and asked. His tone indicated he did not want to hear any questions. But alas, there were always people with questions. "Yes, sorry, I forgot to read the memo." Neraxis turned to his left. Surprisingly, the person who asked that stood right beside him. From the looks of it, his strength was very little compared to his naivety. Neraxis raised an eyebrow at the kid beside him¡ªsmirking like an idiot. Class clown, huh? But instead of answering, William headed back down and walked right up to the kid who asked the question. "What''s your name?" "Ron... sir." "I see, Ron. Do you think the academy is a joke?" Oh god, his academy monologues are starting again... Some things don''t change. Neraxis stared straight at the arena, avoiding William completely. He was a troublesome person and, at the same time, incredibly strong. Or he was, anyway. Back in the past, William used to be a top-tier A-rank mage. His main skill dealt with pure elements, so his spells were many times more powerful than those of other mages. However, as Neraxis kept his attention on the arena, he noticed something off. Silence. There was no annoying monologue about the academy. William merely stared at Ron with a judging gaze. "I... am sorry..." Ron looked down and apologized. "Good. Now then..." William patted Ron on the shoulder and headed back to the arena. After a few seconds, he continued: "I don''t doubt there are some of you who don''t know what is going on. Thus, I will explain it one last time." He looked over everyone present. "Each of you made it through the screenings, which means... well, not much yet. We''ve tailored exams to test you individually. Think of it as the academy¡¯s way of making sure we didn¡¯t make a mistake." For all one thousand...? "That is why I will call you up here in groups, judged based on your scores in the screening. Simple enough, right?" William explained and signaled for one of the nearby teachers to bring him a tablet. Immediately, he began calling out names¡ª20 in total.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Neraxis did not recognize any of them, but the exam had piqued his interest. What kind of test would these students be given? "Now then, all of you, attack me at once," William announced and stood in the very middle of the massive arena, awaiting the confused students'' attack. "Hey, I think we sho¡ª" One of the students began trying to devise a plan. However, a hot-headed student dashed in, sparks of lightning coursing around him as he moved. The speed was impressive. Neraxis was barely able to follow it. But that was not the case for William. The moment the student approached, he stretched out his palm, striking him straight in the ribs. A loud crack resounded, followed by the student slumping down while holding his chest. Ouch... A few other students saw this, and a shiver went down their spines. A headmaster would do something like that to a student during the entrance exam? It was unheard of. The situation was especially dire for the other students up there. Out of the 20, there were 19 left, all of whom held a degree of fear in their gazes. However, that only lasted for a moment, as in the next, panic ensued. "G-Get him!" a few shouted and began mindlessly running straight at William. They were much slower and clearly weaker than the student from before. It was a bit hard to watch. William did not even bother dodging some of those attacks. There were some magical projectiles being thrown at him, but due to the fear they were feeling, half of those attacks missed. The other half hit their own teammates. The numbers quickly dwindled down until only six people remained. One of them was the person who first tried devising a strategy. It seemed like he managed to gather the remaining people and form a team. It''s a good decision. If only they had teamed up with the others from the start. Now... Neraxis sighed, clearly seeing the intention behind this test. It seemed like all of the tests would be pretty straightforward. He would not have to worry that much¡ªwell, unless he had to fight someone. Neraxis was not even used to his own body completely, as just a few hours prior, he had a muscular build and near-infinite stamina. It was a pity the monsters had ways of inflicting fatigue on him. Otherwise, he might have lived or even fought back in the very end. Anyway... He continued watching the exchange. The six remaining students slowly made their way toward the headmaster. They had a makeshift formation¡ªone that was pretty bad. However, it showed their determination, which, in a sense, was all that mattered. "You pass," William said to the six before him, then turned to the remaining students lying on the ground. "As for you, try again next year." They are all unconscious. Doubt they heard it. Neraxis chuckled inwardly as he thought about the first participants of the exam. Most were average, their strength nothing too extraordinary. However, there was the student who wielded lightning. Even by his standards, that is a very versatile ability. It would also be very useful in the future when the monsters begin swarming the world again. "You six, go toward that teacher." William pointed to a burly, bald man with a mustache, and the kids hesitantly went over to him. "Now that the first batch is done, the process will be a little bit faster. I will be overlooking the exam, so don''t worry." As his words fell, several other teachers began stepping up onto the arena and scattering to seemingly random positions. However, just as Neraxis thought it was a little anticlimactic, they pulled out some kind of metal rod, which they quickly stabbed into the ground. Immediately, pillars began sprouting, all of them of different colors. Ten in total. This won''t take so long after all. He thought and readied himself. Who knew what kind of exam he would need to complete? "I will assign your groups shortly." The moment William said that, a bunch of little marbles began appearing right above them, just barely not reaching the very top of the roof. They were of all kinds of colors: red, yellow, blue, and many more. Neraxis waited patiently until, finally, William finished his preparations and began floating the marbles downwards. Each one landed in a student''s hand. The same went for him as well. After a few moments of waiting, he caught a marble that was pure black. There was something written on it¡ªa number carved into the surface: the number 4. Most of the students already went to their respective colors. However, Neraxis stood still. The reason? There was no black pillar in sight. But there was one thing that had caught his attention: some sort of cane that had not been there before. And it belonged to the headmaster, William. The two made eye contact, and Neraxis received a faint smile in response, causing a shiver to go down his spine. Well... this just got a lot more difficult... Entrance Exam (2) Neraxis opted to trust his gut, so he went over and stood by William without even greeting him or introducing himself. If he thought about it, where else could the color black be? There were certainly no pillars in sight with that color, nor were there any objects except for the single cane, which had not been there previously. That, coupled with the fact that William was not saying anything, meant that he was right. The seconds turned into minutes as he remained the only one standing beside him, until a girl approached and silently stood by as well. Neraxis could not recognize her. She had crimson red eyes and black shoulder-length hair. She was quite a beauty; it was certainly a wonder how he did not remember her. Maybe one of those who died early on? he thought and decided not to pursue the matter further. It wouldn''t do him any good worrying about others when he himself was in an unpredictable situation. It was still unbelievable. He really had died and come back to the past¡ªor what he assumed to be the past anyway. So far, the only thing that had not changed since his return was his sister. As for his parents? He was not sure where they were. Most of the time, they only came back for holidays. However, Neraxis had a grievance with them. When his sister had died, they did not even bother showing up to the funeral. But he decided to stop his depressing thoughts and instead focus on what he could do now. The first would be to pass the entrance exam. At the rate it was progressing, it was likely he had already passed. After that¡ªand most importantly¡ªfigure out what was going on with the world and why exactly there were so many differences compared to the past. As he was lost in thought, another person showed up, followed by yet another one, making it four people in total if he included himself. Neraxis and the others patiently waited for a couple more minutes until, finally, the cane William was holding disappeared, and suddenly, they found themselves encased in some sort of black bubble, expanding several dozen meters around them. However, he immediately realized where they were: a barrier, one that seemed to completely isolate them from the outside. Suddenly, William''s voice rang out, as if it was coming from everywhere but where he was standing. "You four pass: Jay, Celina, Damien, and lastly... Neraxis? What a weird name." ...Ouch? "However, I still have another test for you. It was supposed to be completed with more people, but out of the 36 others I gave the black marble to, only you four managed to perceive past their foolishness and find the obvious clue in plain sight," William explained slowly, as the voices around them all began growing quieter. Neraxis turned around and attempted to find some sort of loophole in the barrier, but it seemed flawless. It looks like you are even stronger than before I returned... This world sure is something. As he turned back around, he was met with the three other students, who had equally confused looks on their faces. William had suddenly disappeared in the moment he looked away. "Now then, I will cut the bullshit while it''s hot." William''s voice resounded all around them once again, this time much louder than before. However, his tone did not sound normal¡ªat least not how Neraxis remembered it. He had been a pretty cold-blooded man, but despite that, Neraxis had never heard him speak with such little emotion.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "I will choose two of you to enter the special class. The other two will be expelled. I will give you ten minutes to prepare. Until then, I am going to be standing by." That''s more like it. Neraxis nodded to himself. It seemed like all William wanted to do was intimidate the others¡ªa final test of wit. It even managed to fool him for a moment. Turning around, what greeted Neraxis''s eyes were two students, Jay and Damien, who seemed to already be fighting each other. Eliminating each other was a great idea¡ªif one did not think through the question. Obviously, all they had to do was stay put for ten minutes and William would pass them all. After all, he said there were 36 others who didn¡¯t make it. But as he thought that, he suddenly froze. Unless that is also a lie? Shit. It would certainly fit the theme. He tested their perception, and now perhaps it was decision-making under unknown circumstances? There were a lot of possibilities going through his mind. However, they were all interrupted when a kick flew straight at his head. Just before it was about to land, Neraxis quickly sidestepped, barely dodging the attack. It was Jay, and unlike the other students he had seen earlier, this one was pretty bland. However, it seemed like he was great at martial arts. Despite dodging the kick, Neraxis still felt the force behind it slightly stinging his arm. He couldn''t say for certain if it was the effect of a skill or not, but he would find out shortly. In his peripheral vision, he spotted Damien lying in his own pool of blood. It was hard to tell if he was even alive at that point. As for Celina, she was merely standing by the side, her presence greatly reduced to the point where Jay most likely forgot about her. She noticed Neraxis staring in her direction and flashed a look of surprise before quickly doing something he could only attribute to being a skill. Even though he was looking at her, the presence she was emitting was slowly dimming. It felt as though he was looking directly through her instead of at her. But he could not worry about that as he still had to deal with Jay, who had grown impatient since his first attack. Neraxis didn¡¯t have to wait long for another attack to come at him. However, this time he was ready. It was also the perfect opportunity to test out his new skill¡ªone that he considered mediocre. He immediately used Mark of Decay, putting it on a ten-minute cooldown, while simultaneously activating Aura of Vulnerability. The effects were instant, and he could see two orbs clearly orbiting around Jay, their colors black and silver. Usually, visual cues like these indicated that the individual was under the effects of a skill. Only he could see such things, while Jay would not notice in the slightest¡ªwell, until it was too late. As before, Jay dashed in and tried sweeping his legs. However, Neraxis kicked right at his knee as he jumped up and evaded him once again. All he had to do was hit him five times to stack the Decaying debuff to its maximum. As for Aura of Vulnerability, Neraxis wasn¡¯t sure if it was doing much. While there was a small bruise on Jay''s knee now, it was doubtful if a measly 5% increase in damage could cause that. Nonetheless, Neraxis kept dodging until, finally, the Decaying stacks reached their maximum of five. Surprisingly, the attacks felt a little slower, enough for him to dodge with less effort. However, one thing stood out the most: the black orb, which had begun glowing ominously, as if begging for Neraxis to reach out for it. The moment he thought about doing so, the black orb disappeared, leaving only the silver orb. It seemed pretty anticlimactic. Or so he thought. In the next moment, he could see Jay slightly wobbling, a pained expression on his face, and a groan escaping his mouth. However, before he had time to process what had happened, Neraxis ran up to him without hesitation and hit him over the head with full force, knocking him out on the spot and even caving in his jaw slightly. What just happened? Neraxis thought with a raised brow. As he gazed around, he noticed a system window, one that had been oddly minimized to the point where it was difficult to spot. But once he maximized it, his eyes widened. [Eve of Ruin {G} New Skill Option Unlocked] [Skill Effects (2/2): Mark of Decay: Mark a single enemy within a 30-meter radius and inflict the Decaying debuff. (NEW) Detonate the Mark: Instantly triggers the cumulative damage from the 5 most powerful attacks inflicted on the marked target while the mark is active. If the mark is detonated, the Decaying debuff ends early. Mark of Decay Cooldown: 10 minutes. Detonate the Mark Cooldown: 3 Hours] Neraxis stared at the new option, trying to keep his expression steady. However, it was difficult, as a smile still managed to form on his face. After all, a skill that dealt 5 of his strongest attacks at once out of all his hits combined was pretty overpowered. Even if it had a long cooldown, it was the perfect trump card. Now this is what I call a good skill. Entrance Exam (3) Now what, though? There''s still Celina left and, well, Damien, Neraxis thought as he looked around. It only took him a few seconds to spot Celina, as she seemed no longer to be trying to hide. As for Damien, he was still lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he was drowning in his own blood. What a good headmaster, Neraxis sighed and walked up to him, propping him up so he could cough out the blood. That was all he planned to do; he wasn¡¯t going to help him any more than that. Once Damien finished coughing out the blood, Neraxis went over and chopped him right at the back of his neck. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to knock anyone out, but due to Damien''s condition, it was sufficient. After that, he laid Damien back down, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t choke on his blood again. The surroundings were finally silent. There were still a few minutes left until William came back¡ªnot that he wasn¡¯t already watching them. But despite that, Neraxis had done what he set out to do: secure his position. Even if the situation had spiraled a bit out of his expectations¡ªand, unsurprisingly, it had¡ªeverything seemed over now. At least, that was what he thought until he felt a presence behind him moving fast. It was Celina. Neraxis quickly turned around, and the moment he did, he saw her arm outstretched, with a pair of sharp daggers aiming right for his head. Fast. He thought, attempting to sidestep, but a sudden pain assaulted his abdomen. Looking down, he saw blood dripping from a wound he hadn¡¯t even noticed. Before he could process it further, he was suddenly lifted into the air, then slammed down to the ground like a bullet. It happened so fast that all he could feel was pain. Fucking high-agility skill... he cursed in his mind as a painful groan escaped his lips. Celina seemed far more powerful than him. Had her stats already reached F-rank? It would be rare for a student to rank up so quickly, considering most had only awakened a year ago at most¡ªsome even just a few months ago, much like him. Well, that was the case last time. Now, he had awakened only minutes before the academy even started. It was definitely a handicap. Still, due to the simplicity of his main skill, it wasn¡¯t too bad¡ªperhaps. Though being matched up against her while most of my skills are on cooldown sure is a bust... In the past, his Hell Scythe skill had several sub-skills that could perform feats similar to his current abilities¡ªalbeit at a much higher rank.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Those sub-skills also had passive functions, like imbuing his attacks with the chance to set someone on fire. People had thought it was overpowered, and honestly, so did he. Now, Neraxis prayed that when he fully awakened his main skill, Eve of Ruin, it would surpass Hell Scythe. When one awakened their main skill, they could typically use the concept of the skill itself. His previous skill, Hell Scythe, had literally summoned a scythe from hell, imbued with the power to burn, corrode, and even damage the soul. It was an excellent skill. But that was a concern for the future. For now, he had to focus on surviving the present. While the stab wasn¡¯t fatal, blood loss could kill him¡ªunless William decided to step in and help, which, given his personality, was extremely unlikely. Sure would be nice, but... shit. Another groan escaped his lips as the pain in his abdomen grew worse, like his adrenaline had finally run out. Even so, he had to stand. It was just a slightly faster student, one who had merely awakened an agility-based skill. How could he give up then and there? Gritting his teeth, Neraxis began to lift himself, enduring the agony of the hole in his abdomen. Finally, he was face-to-face with Celina, who looked amused. ¡°You¡¯re a bit sturdy,¡± she said teasingly, twirling her daggers in a playful manner. It didn¡¯t seem playful to the one who¡¯d just been stabbed, though. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Neraxis asked, tearing off a piece of his clothing and stuffing it into the wound to stop the bleeding. Of course, he¡¯d need to take further measures later. Even though he had superhuman abilities, he could still fall ill. ¡°No particular reason. I just noticed you had your back turned. You know you shouldn¡¯t do that, right?¡± Celina let out a small chuckle, sending a chill down his spine. She came across as a psychopath at first glance. A pretty psychopath, though, Neraxis mused inwardly. Alice had been similar but had turned out to be a backstabbing bitch. Maybe his taste in women was what got him killed in the first place? But despite that, Alice was someone he trusted with his heart. It was still shocking how she betrayed him¡ªno indication¡ªonly mockery filled her gaze as she looked down at him while he was dying. That was why he had already decided he¡¯d kill all those so-called heroes at the first opportunity. Even if some were different due to irregularities, their crimes remained the same. For now, he decided to humor the girl in front of him¡ªit beat being stabbed again. ¡°Oh yeah? Do you usually go around stabbing people in the back?¡± ¡°Not really. I just thought your back looked attackable, that¡¯s all.¡± The second woman to stab me in the back. Not a great track record. At least this one doesn¡¯t seem fake¡ªthat¡¯s her actual personality. Neraxis observed her as she let out small, self-amused laughs. It was hard to tell if she was crazy or just really fond of her own joke¡ªor maybe both. He left her to her giggling and turned his attention to Jay, who was slowly getting up. It wasn¡¯t in his best interest to have another nuisance attacking him, so he went over and kicked Jay in the face, knocking him out again. Neraxis made sure to protect his back this time, just in case Celina decided to attack on a whim. He heard another laugh behind him¡ªso close it startled him. ¡°Why are you so jumpy? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll attack you again,¡± Celina teased, tapping him on the shoulder before walking over to Jay and kicking him in the abdomen. What the? Neraxis raised a brow at her behavior. ¡°Haa... I¡¯ve disliked him from the start. It¡¯s nice seeing him on the ground.¡± She sighed and kicked him again. And again. Finally, Celina stopped and began walking back to her previous spot, the only elevated area within the barrier. It looked comfortable enough to sit on. Neraxis watched as she made herself comfortable. Then, to his surprise, she patted the spot beside her and gestured for him to come over. Uhh... Sure? He wasn¡¯t expecting that, but he did want to sit down somewhere. Even though he¡¯d stopped the bleeding, he had already lost a decent amount of blood. Quietly, Neraxis walked over and sat beside her. To his surprise, she didn¡¯t say anything further, simply fiddling with her daggers. He didn¡¯t interrupt her; she seemed to be having fun¡ªeven if it looked incredibly dull to him. What a strange girl... Entrance Exam (4) "Celina, Neraxis, you two pass." A voice resounded behind him¡ªit was William. He was unsure when he had arrived; his consciousness felt like it was fading. Still, he couldn¡¯t pass out yet. There was also the issue of being stabbed again. Every time he nearly dozed off, Celina struck both of her daggers together, startling him awake. Though I¡¯m glad it¡¯s finally over... probably. Neraxis exhaled a tired sigh and stood up. William wore an amused expression; he had seen the entire fight and the interaction between the two. "Surprising that you two didn¡¯t go for each other¡¯s throats," he remarked, turning his gaze toward the two still lying on the ground, unconscious, covered in their own blood. Celina merely smiled and continued playing with her daggers. Meanwhile, Neraxis stretched, not feeling well. The only thing he wanted to do right now was go back home and sleep, hopefully waking up in the future too. But that might be a long shot. Nonetheless, William picked up Jay and Damien before tossing them out of the barrier, leaving only the two-to-be students and the headmaster inside. "Neraxis, your skill seems a bit different from what was confirmed. What happened?" William suddenly asked, startling him. It was rare for a main skill to change unexpectedly. It wouldn¡¯t have been as suspicious if his skill had any resemblance to the previous one, but they were completely different. William noticed his unease. Taking a deep breath, he stated, "Listen, I¡¯m going to be the only thing standing between you and the freaks over at the government. They¡¯ll try to exploit you because of such an irregularity. I don¡¯t need to tell you how they¡¯d do that, do I?" A shiver ran down Neraxis¡¯s spine. He knew exactly what exploiting meant¡ªafter all, one of the heroes from his previous party had been ¡®exploited.¡¯ There were a total of 10 heroes, but one died¡ªgruesomely. His brain was dislodged and inspected for information. It was primitive and evil, but no one dared speak out. After all, those who opposed the government faced dire consequences. One could even assume they had ties to the monsters. "I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I¡¯m just warning you," William continued. "The rotten part of the government has been culled. Only a small fraction remains. But still, no one knows who¡¯s left." William began casting a spell¡ªa green mana, but with a certain warmth to it. It enveloped Neraxis, and suddenly, his wound from earlier began to close. The piece of clothing he had stuffed in there had shot out as well. What the... He inspected his body. There wasn¡¯t even a scratch. ...He didn¡¯t have healing abilities back then... And why exactly are they better than the Saint''s from the heroes'' party? His confusion went unanswered as William shot him one more glance before turning his attention to Celina, who had been paying barely any attention to their conversation.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Celina, why didn¡¯t you use your stealth more effectively? You could¡¯ve dealt a fatal blow." "Just ''cause. What¡¯s it to you?" She shrugged and answered teasingly, sporting a hint of arrogance. Talking like that to him? Well, that¡¯s not a good idea... However, William¡¯s next words surprised Neraxis: "You still have a spoiled personality. How have you not grown out of it yet?" "Shut up, gramps! You¡¯re embarrassing me!" Celina shot back and suddenly lunged at him, trying to shut his mouth. Meanwhile, Neraxis stood stunned. Gramps? This guy has children? I¡¯m definitely dreaming... there¡¯s no way. "Celina... I told you to behave while in the academy. Zari would murder me if she found out her daughter was turning into a delinquent on her first day..." William said, shedding a fake tear. It was all so unusual¡ªthe world, this situation. William had always been a cold-blooded man with no relatives or connections¡ªhis only asset was his magic. But it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Congratulations, my old friend. At least you¡¯re happy in this life, Neraxis thought inwardly as he watched the grandpa and granddaughter duo bicker. It went on for several minutes. By now, his pain had completely subsided, and it was time to move on to something else. "Excuse me? Are the tests finished?" Neraxis asked, interrupting the gap in their conversation. "Hmm? For today, yes. Those two buffoons were pretty good. I honestly expected at least one of them to remain, but alas, you came out on top¡ªalong with Celina, of course." William said, flashing an unusually warm smile, one that Neraxis wasn¡¯t used to seeing. However, his next words were anything but warm. "Go home. The opening ceremony for the first years is Friday¡ªexactly three days from now. If you¡¯re late like you were today, I¡¯ll use a spell to permanently bind you to the academy. Agreed?" Haha... yeah. Fuck you too, Neraxis thought inwardly, but nonetheless, he gave a fake smile and nodded. Immediately, the barrier was dispelled, and they noticed there were no people around them¡ªnot even Jay and Damien, who had been thrown out of the barrier earlier. It seemed they were the last to finish their little exam, though Neraxis assumed it had been much harder than for the others. Neraxis took one last glance at Celina and saw a smile appear on her face for just a moment before she followed William out. Hmm... He left the training grounds and entered the auditorium. A few students were gathered, but none had happy expressions on their faces. Most sat with massive frowns, probably because they had failed the exam. The auditorium was a place where they could stay after failing, possibly watch how others passed their exams to prepare for the future. That is, if they had the confidence to try again. Neraxis absentmindedly guided himself through the hallways. He practically had the academy¡¯s structure memorized. Finally, he left and found himself once again outside, surrounded by a lot more people than in the auditorium. Many were gathered with their friends. He recognized some of them¡ªespecially the party that had been the first to pass the exam. They were surrounded by people, looking like they would be the popular kids for the first few weeks. However, as he walked among the crowd near the academy¡¯s front, he spotted a familiar face¡ªone he hadn¡¯t expected to see. It was his younger sister, Elara, and she seemed to be chatting with a few other girls around her age. Although they were all incoming students, Elara wouldn¡¯t start at the academy until next year. She was 15 after all. Neraxis snuck up to her and pinched her cheek while she wasn¡¯t looking. What happened next completely defied his expectations. Elara quickly turned around and side-kicked him in the abdomen, making him nearly throw up what he had eaten an hour prior. Why is she so strong!? He did his best to steady himself. But when he looked up, he met her purple eyes and a massive frown. "Did I or did I not tell you to stop sneaking up on me?" Elara said with a pout, smacking him on the head once more¡ªthis time with much less force. "Sorry..." Neraxis instinctively apologized, looking around at the people staring at them with strange expressions. Elara ignored the onlookers and announced, "Anyways, let¡¯s go. Mother is coming over soon, and you need to help me tidy up the house." With that, she began walking toward the academy gate, not waiting for him. However, Neraxis¡¯s mind was in turmoil because of what had happened in the past. That woman is coming over willingly?