《Epoch of the Forsaken》


 It Begins

    I''m Kirko. A nobody in my school , In the 2 years i spent here i still haven''t made a friend.


    At the back of my class sitting at my desk , I stared out the window at the vast blue sky, feeling the usual boredom . The clock''s ticking felt louder than usual. I tapped my pencil against the desk, watching a flock of birds soaring high. Same old routine. Same old silence."Man, I need a life," I muttered under my breath, leaning forward.As days passed, I kept repeating my usual tasks, changing nothing. I wished I had some friends to hang out with, but I was too socially awkward to even try.Then it happened.


    It was your average day.Our teacher was in the middle of teaching something when a strange static filled the air, making me shiver. his voice wavered¡ªand then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. No flash, no sound. Just¡­ gone.The ground trembled. Desks rattled. A voice echoed in my skull.


    "Welcome User"


    A glowing blue screen materialised in front of me, like that of a game.


    ======================


    Tutorial-1


    Mission-eliminate the 50 goblins


    that appears.


    goblins killed- 0/50


    Failure of the mission will


    lead to your demise.


    =======================


    GOBLINS??? like the ones from a game? before i could think about anything else two daggers appeared into my hands. Grade A Weapons?? At that time I realisedthat somehow, our world had turned into a game like something out of a web novel but its highly likely that did not happen , so what is this am i dreaming ? I was so bored that i became delusional ?? well if it is a dream might as well enjoy it .


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    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" a girl from my class screamed.


    "what happened." her friend replied.


    "look outside of the window."


    he walked to the window then as he looked down of the window his face changed into pure terror.


    "T Thats not real is it?"


    everyone rushed to the window i joined too to just see a horde of goblins moving around on the school ground.As i looked around me i saw my classmates also having weapons but not the same as mine,hmm interesting. But why are they reacting like this isn''t this supposed to be my dream or is this actually real.


    No-no time to think about that . If this is real then I need to complete the objective as quickly as possible. or I will suffer the consequences.I need to think of something to go,wait if this is actually real if I complete the mission someone might give us some information about what is happening right now.I need a better vantage point, so I rushed to the rooftop running past the confused students in the hallway.


    As i reached the roof i pushed open the door of the rooftop, a cold gust of wind hit me . A group of students stood frozen, staring down below. Their expressions? Pure fear but i only noticed the sky it was bright blue a moment ago but right now its blood red.It looked like chaos is going to begin


    "Here, take this."


    A voice from someone behind me. A boy with messy hair? he tossed me a small metal sphere. A grenade?


    " Thats the weapon i got. You also have one dont you."


    I clutched my daggers realising that this is my weapon and if it is an A grade then it must be good.The grenade he threw is a C grade so its weaker im guessing.wait my weapon has an ability ?? teleportation - the user can throw one of your daggers and then teleport to the dagger that was thrown. aint that a bit too good well i should not be complaining it is good for me.


    Then the boy said


    "Go get them you Monster."


    I opened my eyes."HUH why am i falling down."Did that fucker push me? wait


    no i...

 One VS 50

    No I jumped of but why did i?and why am i not scared no instead im feeling excited i cant stop smiling i can feel my heart pumping .He puts the hood of his hoodie on as he free falls down.


    "Time to have some fun."


    Kirko threw one of his dagger as it reaches close to the ground.


    "Teleport."


    he lands as if in a superhero pose ,after standing up he sees the horde of goblins running towards but instead of running in fear he ran towards the horde ready to either die or kill it is a 1 v 50. as they got closer a foolish goblin leaped forward but before he could even blink Kirko''s dagger flashed. Shhk! a dagger buried itself in his throat. Blood sprayed as the MC twisted around, dodging a strike from a wooden club then replying with a kick to his face , a sword lunged out of nowhere, Kirko barely dodged, only to find a goblin right next to his face. Without hesitation, he sank his teeth into its neck, tearing it apart from the body.as the goblin was falling he ended him slicing his head.


    Goblins killed - 5/50


    "isn''t that dude going to die?"


    "What do you mean? He''s clearly winning."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Just look down there, He is the one smiling while the goblins looks scared.As we were talking he killed 7 more."


    The massacre continued , to the goblins Kirko was like a annoying pest that they couldn''t kill , they feared him but also wanted to kill him, everytime they use their number against him he teleports behind them and easily kills them.


    His instinct and reaction speed was so fast that sneaking up on him also lead to death.


    Goblins killed - 15/50


    Kirko grinned, blood dripping from his lips. "What''s wrong". He extended his arms, daring them forward. "Weren''t you going to kill me?"


    Three goblins rushed him at once. One swung a rusted axe,Kirko sidestepped. Another jabbed a spear he caught it mid-air and snapped the shaft in half, driving the splintered end into the attacker''s eye.


    The third goblin tried to stab him from behind. Kirko vanished.


    Before the goblin could process what had happened, a voice whispered behind him.


    "Too slow."


    A dagger tore through its skull.


    But Kirko is still a human he felt tired an couldn''t kill them like before there were around 30 of them left as they rushed towards him .He remebered something he has , so he threw his dagger to the sky on top the horde.


    "Teleport"


    He looks down at the horde then he takes small metallic balls out of his pockets and throws them to the ground .


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    "die, YOU BITCHES."


    the balls exploded throwing the corpses of the goblins everywhere but Kirko didn''t throw his dagger to far in the sky so he got caught in the explosion. His body went flying away , luckily he still regained his consciousness but the downside was that his left arm and left leg were completely broken, his face injured severely and blood running along his skin.


    "Shit¡­ my body''s done. I can''t move. Did I kill them all?", he opened the status screen and saw that he was not finished yet.


    Goblins killed-45/50


    There were 5 still alive . He could barely move, his eyesight was becoming more blurry from the blood loss he suffered, The longer this goes the weaker he gets.He could still see 5 green blobs far away from where he was ,he guessed that they were the goblins.


    A goblin saw that Kirko was alive he alerted his group and they all ran at him , 5 Goblins vs Kirko. As Kirko saw the group running towards him ,he didnt flee but rather he used all his force on his left leg to push himself towards the goblins.


    "I wont get killed by you!!"


    One was ahead of the rest the other, enough space for Kirko to end him easily,he turned around deflecting the arrow of a crossbar using his dagger 2 were heading towards him one from left and the other from right.He threw on of his daggers up in the sky. (he could not use both at once as the limbs of the left side of his body were broken) A club came swinging from the right side Kirko ducked and then he sliced the goblins leg as its body fell down he stamped on it ,while the other jumped and was ready to strike Kirko from the top but he blocked it with his dagger right in time, he could not handle the wait of the goblin and was going to get hit but he smirked" look up." A dagger from above pierces the head of the goblin, Kirko exhaled."Two left." the only thing holding him up was his right leg.


    Both the goblins were crossbow users so they kept there distance an fired at once.He was waiting for this he threw on of his dagger right in between the arrows . The goblins were close together.


    "Teleport"


    He spins around kicking on them to the ground at this point his left leg was in agonising pain but Kirko knew that if this is a game he would heal after killing them.So to stop his pain he had to end this quickly. He gently pierces the chest of the goblins which is fallen killing him.


    He turns around to see his last opponent as a green glob.The goblin ran at him thinking he is weak.


    "Sorry to disappoint you but I have enough strength to kill you."


    As he grab the goblin with his right hand ,he balances his body using his right leg and while screaming in pain he uses most of his strength to throw the goblin the sky.


    Then he brings out his dagger from thin air and throws it straight up into the sky to pierce the goblin.


    A voice from the roof.


    "Maximise"


    The dagger thrown by Kirko grows 10x in size and destroys the goblins to make his blood fall like as if it was raining.


    Kirko looks up at the blood red sky as the rain of blood hits him, standing in the with corpses of the monsters he killed near him "I did it." Then he falls into the bloodied land.


    ======================


    Tutorial -1


    Status- Complete


    Goblins killed-50/50


    ======================

 The Game

    Kirko woke up to find himself sleeping on red coloured water "Where am i?"


    he turns to see that he is in an endless world nothing is there except him and the water "Did I die? No... I''m certain I killed the goblins. So why am I here?"


    He took another step an then he was transported to a large white room filled with people.


    "You were so cool!!" A boy suddenly leaped onto Kirko, eyes shining with excitement while gripping on Kirko''s shoulder


    "T Thanks?"


    "You went out there killing all those monsters like it was cutting a piece of butter."


    "W Who are you?"


    "Oh yeah i forgot to introduce myself .Im Cain and im from the same school as you I woke up from sleeping because of a voice in my head and then i got a swordout of nowhere, When i looked out at the window i saw you killing all the goblins like it was nothing and IT WAS SOOO COOOL."


    "OK."Kirko blinked, completely caught off guard. Someone was actually talking to him? Praising him? He wasn''t used to this. His throat felt dry as he tried to think of a response. but at that time Kirko realised he could have a friend .As Kirko was going to ask Cain to be his friend.


    "Ok thats enough of all the talking."


    A voice echoed from above, deep and commanding. A man floated down, dressed in a black suit with a matching hat, his sharp eyes scanning the room. The air grew heavy as an invisible force pressed down on everyone,s shoulders."what does my body feel so heavy?" Kirko thought realising that this person was not normal.


    "Let me introduce myself, I am the Game Master. The person who brought you to this room and made you kill the monsters.You must all be confused thinking why this is happening and how to stop this and here i am to tell you everything,Why you had to kill monster why u got weapons and how to stop this."


    Even this was so confusing to all of them, no one dared to speak as the shear force emitting from the man made them all realise that he was dangerous so all of them stood there speechless looking at the man.


    "First of all from now on you all will be called players and every player need a username so choose your right now."


    A status bar opened in front of Kirko "Please Enter Your Username" without much thought Kirko wrote his first name ''Kirko'' as his username and then waited to see what that man is going tell next.


    "Lets continue, all of you have been transported into a game like reality if you still didnt realise and the system gave you all weapons based on body style so if you dont like your weapon you''re just dumb cause that weapon is best suited for you,each of your weapons have unique abilities that another player will never get, you can also bring out or make you weapon disappear in an instant. Each weapon has a grade S+,S,A,B,C,D,F that ranking is from best to worst and if you got an F rank dont worry you evolve your weapon if you complete the requirments needed."


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    "looks like i got lucky getting an A rank and no wonder why the dagger disappeared and reappeared a lot of times." Kirko thought in his mind.


    "If you complete the objective of the mission you survive and if you dont you die simple , also if u die during a mission your dead but if you are severly injured you will be healed fully after the mission is complete, you all understood still that much?"


    Still nobody dared to speak all feeling terrified. "Yeah that was easy to understand."


    Kirko told out loud. All of the player turned there head to see who spoke , Kirko being flustered "I thought it was bad to ignore a person so i spoke, Did i do something wrong?" he thought.


    The Game Master smirked. "Okay. Thanks for reply."


    "I shall continue. There are 100 levels in total. You all survived the first level but you''re not the only ones. Thousands of players worldwide have made it through. After each level, you''ll receive a break it could be a day, two days, a week, or even a minute. Survive until Level 3, and you''ll receive a rune, something you all will love to have.Don''t know what that is? Survive first, and we''ll explain later.Oh, and one more thing your abilities stays with you even when you return to the real world. Use them wisely."


    Kirko,s heart pounded. A hundred levels... That''s too much. I can''t just rely on luck like last time I need to get stronger and get it fast.


    "Pfft¡ªhahaha!"


    The Game Master suddenly burst into laughter, doubling over in the air.


    The entire room froze in confusion.


    "I can''t do it anymore!" he gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. "I''m not the serious, intimidating type. Honestly, you should''ve seen your faces! The way you all were trembling it was so funny!"


    Then, the Game Master''s expression shifted. He pointed directly at Kirko.


    "Except you. You weren''t scared one bit. Your Interesting I''ll be keeping my eye on you."


    "Alright, let''s wrap this up." The Game Master floated higher, arms stretching forward. "You''re all wondering why this is happening, right? The grand purpose behind it all?"


    The Game Master smiled."I was bored. So I created this game, That''s all no other reason. So all of you Welcome to Pandora''s Reckoning."


    The white room vanished and Kirko is in his classroom again.

 Back to Earth

    "Ok, class, you all can wake up now."


    All of the students woke up to realize that they were back in their classroom.


    "Wow, consider me surprised. All of you went to sleep at the same time. I thought you all would be tired, so I let you sleep for some time. But what''s more surprising is that you all also woke up at the same time. It''s like you all are one person."


    No one replied some of the students were confused, while others were still unable to accept the reality of Pandora''s Reckoning. In a corner of the room, Kirko was looking out the window, as usual. "So it seems there are more players around the world and across the country just like us. The next mission is in three days... It will most likely be another killing mission. Will it still happen in our class?" he thought.


    "AHHHH!" he suddenly screamed. "There are so many things I still want to know! I can''t go ahead like this!"


    The entire class turned their attention to Kirko.


    "Okay, that''s enough of a break for you all. Now, let''s continue with the lesson."


    It was lunchtime, and Kirko was about to eat alone at his desk, looking out the window as usual. But surprisingly, a crowd of students gathered in front of him today. He looked at all of them in confusion.


    "H-Hi?"


    A boy stepped forward. "Thank you for saving us, but how did you kill them?"


    Startled, Kirko replied, "I-I don''t know. When I was in front of them, it just felt very natural to kill them."


    "Are you a freak? How can killing be natural, even if it''s a monster?"


    "I-I don''t know... It just did." Kirko was intimidated by all of them.


    "Well, there''s no point talking to you. I don''t know how a weak person like you killed all of them. Let''s go¡ªthis dude is useless."


    The group left, leaving Kirko alone once again.


    The classroom door flung open, and Cain entered.


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    "I finally found you! I checked every single class trying to find you!" Cain rushed toward Kirko. "Let''s eat together."


    "Yes! This is my chance to make a friend! I just need to say yes or okay... You can do it, Kirko! Just say it!"


    "Y-Yokay."


    "Yokay? Is that a yes?"


    Kirko nodded, embarrassed.


    Meanwhile, in a different school, three friends were sitting together, eating lunch.


    "So, what''s your username? And what weapon did you get?"


    "Oh, me? I got the D-rank umbrella, and my username is ''Umbrella Boi''¡ªwith an ''i,'' not a ''y.'' Cool, right?" A player with sharp eyes and a handsome face replied.


    His friends looked at him and burst out laughing.


    Back at home, Kirko was laying on his bed, rolling around with joy. "Yay! I finally got a friend!" Then, his expression grew serious.


    "We have three days, and I still don''t know the power system of this game. Is magic going to be real? I guess I''ll find out soon¡ªif I survive. Right now, my main objective is to complete the 100 levels. And if I do... I guess the Game Master will grant a wish, ''cause that''s what happens every time, right?"


    Kirko opened his status bar and saw that it was truly like a game.


    "Hmm, it really is a game. There are stats I can improve with points, just like in an RPG. The max for all stats is 100, and all of mine are still in the single digits. That''s kinda sad. But surprisingly, there''s no level system¡ªit''s a rank system instead: beginner, intern, pro, master, and monarch. Sounds cool. Each rank has three sub-ranks: early, mid, and high. And I''m currently a mid-beginner. Okay, okay."


    He noticed another tab in the status bar.


    "A shop???"


    ========================


    Shop closed


    only the Player''s who complete


    the tutorial can use the shop


    until then it will remain closed.


    =========================


    "Well, looks like it''s closed. That''s sad. And it looks like there are more tutorial rounds like the previous one. Don''t we get a reward for completing a level? And how do we buy things from the store¡ªwith money? AHHHHH! Thinking about all this is giving me a headache! Maybe I should skip school for two days to increase my stats... but if I do that, I won''t be able to talk to my friend."


    Rolling off his bed again, he muttered, "What should I do...?"


    After thinking about it, he chose to go to school.


    And just like that, two days passed.


    All the players were transported back into the vast white room.


    "What are we doing here again?"


    "I don''t know. I guess that man will tell us what to do."


    "Silence."


    The Game Master appeared in the air. Without saying anything more, all the noise vanished, and everyone''s attention shifted to him.


    "Before I start the next level, I forgot to give you a reward for the first level, so I thought I''d give you both rewards at once after you finish the second level and the faster you complete the mission the more rewards you will get."


    "Now, let''s start the level."


    ===========================


    Tutorial- 2


    objective - Get to the safe zone


    Time Limit - 1 day


    location - destroyed city


    Distance covered- 0/6 km


    ===========================


    All the players of the region were transported to a destroyed city, six kilometers away from the safe zone.


    "Good luck."

 Tutorial 2

    Hmm, it looks like a war took place here. This city... how did it get destroyed? Well, now''s not the time for that. I have to reach the safe zone fast. I need to be first¡ªor at least in the top five," Kirko thought as he analyzed his surroundings. "How is this mission supposed to be hard? There has to be a catch."


    "Yo, Kirkoooooo!"


    "Oh, it''s just you, Cain."


    "Let''s be in a team."


    "Sure, but we have no time, so let''s get moving. We need to reach the safe zone fast."


    Kirko and Cain ran toward the safe zone, but Cain struggled to keep up. His stamina wasn''t great, so they had to take a break. They had already reached the 1km mark.


    "Kirko, what are you thinking about?" Cain asked, lying on the ground, exhausted.


    "It''s just that this mission seems too easy compared to the first one. Something feels off."


    "Now that you mention it, you''re right. We just walked and got this far. Well, why be sad if it''s this easy? We''ll reach the safe zone in no time¡ªit only took us ten minutes to reach the 1km mark."


    "Well, I guess we''ll find out sooner or later. So, shall we continue, or do you need more time?"


    "Just give me two minutes. You''re like a superhuman! How are you not tired at all?"


    "Well, that''s because every day after school, I do push-ups and run on the treadmill. Because of that, my strength and speed increased to 12, and my endurance became 10."


    "What are you talking about?" Cain looked at Kirko in confusion.


    "You can increase your stats. You didn''t know that?" Kirko looked at Cain, his expression innocent.


    "What are stats? And what do you mean?"


    It took Kirko two minutes to explain everything. After that, they continued their journey. After running for 200 meters, the ground started shaking. Before Cain and Kirko could say anything or even look at each other, a giant worm burst out of the ground and rushed toward them.


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    Kirko reacted fast, but as he was running away, he turned around and saw Cain standing frozen in fear, unable to move. "CAIN, MOVE!" This snapped Cain back to reality, but it was already too late. He turned to look at Kirko and quietly said, "Thank you for everything."


    "CAAAAIN!"


    Kirko rushed to stab the worm, but its skin was too hard to cut. "GIVE HIM BACK!" The worm slammed Kirko into a building, destroying a whole wall.


    "Thank God I increased my stats before this or I would have died right now. I have to get him." Something clicked in Kirko''s mind. "That''s the only thing I got right now. I can''t waste more time thinking¡ªI have to do it."


    Kirko left one of his daggers behind, then started taunting the worm to eat him. His plan was to get into the worm''s mouth and retrieve Cain from inside. He looked at the worm with a smile and said, "Come get me, you fucker."


    The worm lunged at him and swallowed him whole, just as he had planned. "Now all I need to do is find Cain."


    Kirko leaped further into its mouth. "Ugh, it''s so squishy in here. Why does it feel like this?" He grinned menacingly. "Before I find Cain, let''s teach this shit a lesson."


    He took his dagger and, with all his strength, pierced the insides of the worm, dragging the blade along as he moved forward.


    The worm screamed in pain and thrashed wildly, but Kirko didn''t feel a thing from inside.


    As Kirko continued his journey, he muttered, "How long is this snake?" He suddenly slipped and fell deep into its body, landing in a pool of foul-smelling liquid. "Ugh, what''s this smell? Where am I? And what is this liquid?" He analyzed his surroundings and spotted a bone poking out. "AHHH! Cain! I was too late! No, this can''t be him this bone is too tall to be him!" But then, he spotted Cain lying unconscious in the distance. Realizing his mistake, he felt dumb and quickly grabbed Cain''s body.


    "Please let this work."


    "Teleport!"


    He teleported outside, landing where he had left his dagger. Fortunately, Cain came with him. Kirko sat down, exhausted. "Yes, it worked. I knew there was something wrong with this level. Looks like, from here onwards, this is gonna become a mess." He pulled up the hood of his hoodie. "It''s time to get serious, I see. First, I''ll wait for Cain to wake up." He sniffed himself. "I stink."


    He found an isolated location, laid Cain on the ground, and sat with a sigh. After approximately five minutes, he got impatient and started slapping Cain.


    "AHH! Wait, Kirko... huh? Where am I? I was supposed to be eaten, right?"


    "I saved you. Don''t worry. Let''s take a break. We''ll continue afterward." Kirko then fell asleep.


    Cain sat in silence. "Why did Kirko save me? Why did he do something like this for someone like me?" Tears welled up in his eyes.


    "You want to take a break?"


    "Nah, I can go for longer. We need to reach the safe zone first."


    "Okay, let''s continue." Kirko thought to himself, ''Cain is acting a bit different after waking up. What happened?''


    Kirko and Cain reached the 2km mark shortly after. During their journey, they had to run and sneak away from three more worms. In the end, they reached safety.


    ===========================


    Tutorial- 2


    objective - Get to the safe zone


    Time Left - 22hr 47min


    location - destroyed city


    Distance covered- 2/6 km


    ===========================

 Tutorial 2 (2) True Friendship

    Kirko and Cain continued their journey to the 3 km mark. It was pretty uneventful¡ªthey took only one break during the entire journey and managed to sneak away from every worm in the vicinity. However, one thing was different: the number of worms had increased, and they had become faster. Still, they reached safely, only having one close call when a worm started chasing them. Luckily, they got out just in time¡ªotherwise, they would have been crushed.


    "I''m guessing that if we step forward now, the worms will get stronger and appear more often. So always be prepared and don''t be scared," Kirko said.


    "I won''t be like last time, you don''t need to worry," Cain replied.


    "Then let''s go."


    They stepped into the 3 km mark, but nothing happened. They didn''t mind it and started running, wanting to cover as much distance as possible before getting spotted by a worm. However, Cain was still too slow and started getting tired before even reaching 100 meters. Kirko stopped to wait for him, but then he heard a loud screech and realized they had been found. He turned around and saw a worm in the sky¡ªflying.


    "They can fly now? That''s cheating!" he exclaimed.


    The worm rushed toward him. Kirko quickly threw his dagger into a nearby building and teleported inside. "I have to tell Cain," he thought. Just then, the wall in front of him shattered as the worm crashed into it, breaking through. The creature let out another loud screech.


    "Shit, it''s calling its friends. I have to get out of here and find Cain fast."


    Kirko noticed a ladder and rushed toward it, but the worm followed, destroying everything in its path and causing the building to collapse. As he fell, he desperately looked for a place to throw his dagger when he noticed a strange shine coming from another building.


    "Light? Why is there light in an abandoned city?"


    Without thinking, he threw his dagger toward the source. Just as the worm opened its mouth to devour him, he teleported.


    "Teleport!"


    "Whew, I got away."


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    Looking around the room he had teleported into, he saw the same shine again, covered by a pile of rocks. He quickly destroyed the rocks and found a book.


    ========================


    secret item found


    The Kings Lost Secret


    1/3


    ========================


    "A secret item¡­ It must be something important. But it looks like it''s part of a collection of three. I''ll keep this one with me for now. Let''s go find Cain."


    Kirko looked out the window and saw several worms flying in the sky.


    "Cain must be hiding somewhere¡ªsomewhere the monsters can''t see him."


    He started teleporting from building to building, having to wait 30 seconds each time for his ability to recharge. After a few teleports, he suddenly heard Cain''s voice.


    "Somebody help me! Kirko, help!"


    Kirko looked out of a window and saw Cain being chased by a worm.


    "Finally, I found you."


    He waited for 10 seconds, then left his dagger in the building and jumped straight down toward Cain.


    "Kirkoooo?"


    "Sorry for making you wait¡ªgrab my hand!"


    Cain quickly grabbed Kirko''s hand, and they teleported just in time.


    "Another close call," Kirko sighed.


    Cain, still in shock from the chase, collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.


    "Let''s take a break¡ªyou look like you''re about to die," Kirko said.


    "I was going to die," Cain exclaimed.


    "Well, I saved you, so don''t worry."


    Cain sighed and layed on the floor, completely worn out.


    "Kirko... I have a question."


    Kirko glanced over. "What is it?"


    Cain hesitated, his fists clenching at his sides. "Why do you keep saving me?" His voice wavered. "I''ve been nothing but a nuisance since the start. You would have been so much further without me holding you back. You could have just left me behind¡­ so why? Why do you keep doing so much for me?"


    Kirko smiled at him. "It''s simple. I''m saving you because you''re my friend."


    Cain''s voice rose, raw and desperate. "That''s not a reason! You can''t just say ''because we''re friends''¡ªthat''s not enough!"


    For a moment, Kirko was silent. Then, with a small chuckle,he looked up."You know, Cain¡­ I''ve never had a friend before."


    "Wait really?"


    Kirko continued, making his voice lower. "No one ever talked to me. No one ever cared. But you were different. You approached me. You talked to me. You didn''t treat me like I was invisible.You were my first friend¡­ and I don''t want to lose you. Not now. Not ever. So if you are in danger I will always be there to protect you."


    Cain Started to tear up."You''re the first person who''s never left me.Everyone else always pushed me away. They said I was too loud, too annoying¡­ But you¡ªyou stayed." He smiled."You''re my first real friend, Kirko."


    Kirko patted Cain''s head. "There, there. Stop crying. We still need to reach the safe zone."


    Cain quickly wiping his tears. He took a deep breath and stood up. "You''re right. Let''s go break time is over."


    ===========================


    Tutorial- 2


    objective - Get to the safe zone


    Time Left - 20hr


    location - destroyed city


    Distance covered- 3.5/6 km


    ===========================

 Tutorial 2 (3) Parkour

    "The best way to get to the next mark will be to move away from the sight of the worms, and the best way to do that is to be under something."


    "You''re right, but the space between some buildings is too big. If we go out, we''ll get caught before reaching the next one."


    "Who said we are going under buildings? It''s time to show you my ability¡ªDigger. When I activate Digger, I can cut through any material for 10 seconds, but it doesn''t affect monsters and players." with a small smile." So let''s go underneath them."


    "You could have told me that earlier, and we would have reached the 4km mark long ago."


    "Haha, looks like I forgot to tell you."


    Kirko and Cain went underground, and then Cain used his ability to dig, but 10 seconds was too little time, and Cain was slow. To overcome that, Kirko carried Cain, sprinting as fast as he could for them to reach the 4km mark within 10 seconds.


    "2km left."


    "Yeaaaaaaa."


    ''Let''s see what boost of power the monsters have this time,'' Kirko thought to himself as they both entered the 4km mark. But surprisingly, no monster was there. Without wasting any time, Kirko kept running while carrying Cain because he realized that carrying Cain was the fastest method to move. He ran 100 meters¡ªno monsters appeared. Then 200¡ªnothing happened. Then he reached halfway, and still nothing. ''What is going on right now?'' he thought. He continued running without wasting time, but the terrain around him started moving, forming a somewhat parkour course. Then the ground collapsed, and they fell into a pit of lava.


    "The 4km mark is parkour?"


    "Kirko, you continue running. I''ll analyze our surroundings and see if I can find something unusual."


    "Then I''ll leave it to you, partner."


    Cain smiled. ''Partner... that''s not bad.''


    As the terrain kept changing, Kirko adapted to it and kept parkouring, making it look easy. That''s when Cain noticed a small glimpse.


    "Kirko, duck!" Without hesitation, Kirko followed his orders as a gust of wind blew above them.


    "The worms¡ªthey decreased in size, and it looks like their speed has increased."


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    "Well, that''s annoying, isn''t it? But how did you see it?"


    "My eyes are better than the average person''s, so I can see them when they¡¯re close."


    "Lucky us."


    "I''ll guide you and tell you where they will come from, so trust me on this."


    "Sure, let''s do this. It''s gonna be fun."


    "On your left." Kirko, without thinking, dodged just in time. Again¡ª"Right." And again, he dodged. This continued several times as Cain told Kirko about all the nearby worms, and with Kirko''s insane adaptability and speed, he dodged all the worms while continuing to jump around the confusing terrain. They were so close right the home stretch.


    "Just a few meters left, Cain."


    A large screech came from the 5km mark, making Kirko unable to hear.


    "Your left!" Cain shouted, but Kirko couldn''t hear a thing because of the screech. The worm were close to him, but using his instinct, he took out his dagger and touched the worm slightly at an angle to change its direction.


    "Kirko, you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine. I barely deflected it. That was too close for comfort." He kept moving, reaching even closer. "Kirko, there''s a swarm coming from behind. Just leap over!" Kirko ran as fast as he could, then landed on the next block without thinking it over twice he just leaped over, trusting Cain. The worms were just behind him, but Kirko made it to the 5km mark.


    "We did it! We made it!" He sat down in exhaustion and glanced over at Cain, only to see a hole in his right arm.


    "Cain, you okay? What happened?"


    "It''s nothing. A worm just caught me at the last second, but it''s not that big of a deal. So let''s keep moving forward and finish this godforsaken mission already," he said, as tears formed in his eyes from the pain.


    "Hey, aren''t you the dude who killed 50 monsters in the first round?" A girl''s voice came from a distance. She ran toward Kirko. "You were so cool in the first round!"


    "U-Uh, who are you?" Kirko looked at her and thought, ''She gives the same vibe as someone else I know.''


    "Oh yeah, my bad. I''m Mia, the girl who increased the size of your dagger in the first round. I did it from the class window."


    "My dagger increased in size?"


    "Yeah, and I made it happen using my weapon¡ªGloves¡ªwhich are B-rank. Their ability lets me change the size of any object I want, except for monsters and players."


    "Aren''t you revealing too much about yourself?"


    "It''s okay, ''cause I want to team up with you."


    "Okay, you can join our team, but before that..."  had a terrified look. "Kirko let''s get ready to run."


    "Why?"


    "Look behind you."


    Kirko turned to see a humongous snake in the sky. It looked like it was the only monster left in the area, and it turned around to lock its eyes with Kirko''s.


    "RUNNNNNNNNN!"


    They all started sprinting as fast as they could as the snake followed behind them. It started to become a chase.


    "Cain, you got any idea how to stop that?"


    "Stop that?!?! Are you crazy? There''s no shot that we could stop that thing."


    "How did I end up like this? I thought being in a team with you would improve my chances of surviving."


    The three kept on running and eventually ended up at a dead end. Kirko looked behind to see the snake getting closer and closer. He could hear the other two crying for help and screaming, but he did not listen to them. Something clicked in him. He put the hood of his hoodie on and then started walking towards the snake.


    ===========================


    Tutorial- 2


    objective - Get to the safe zone


    Time Left - 17hr 28 min


    location - destroyed city


    Distance covered- 5.2/6 km


    ===========================


    Secret item has agreed to make you its owner...

 Victory

    The secret item has seen your bravery and has agreed to make you its owner. The secret item uses its power and increases all your stats by 50 for 1 minute.


    "Mia, elongate my dagger enough to cut it in half horizontally."


    "W-What are you saying? You want to fight that?? Have you gone crazy?"


    "JUST DO IT!!!"


    Mia, out of fear of Kirko, raised her hand and elongated the dagger. Kirko needed to use both of his hands to control it as it was so long that it was dragging on the ground.


    "Now, let''s do this, you bitch."


    Kirko started sprinting toward the snake, neither backing down. He jumped to slice its head, but the snake blocked him using its wings and sent Kirko flying¡ªaround 700 feet from the ground¡ªas it flew after him.


    With a smile, Kirko muttered, "This works out pretty well." He got his dagger ready. As the snake opened its mouth, he aligned his dagger perfectly to its mouth. The snake believed its skin was hard enough to resist the dagger, so it didn''t stop and kept flying toward him. They came into contact¡ªslice¡ªthe dagger tore through the hard skin. The snake was fully confused.


    "DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, YOU BIIIIIIITCH!"


    Kirko continued slicing the snake, blood spraying out from the snake''s body. He landed on the ground, and behind him, the bloodied corpse fell behind him, shaking the ground from its massive weight. Both halves of the body stood propped against tall buildings. Kirko looked up with a smile as the snake''s blood rained down on him.


    "Heh, the bloody rain strikes again."


    He felt exhausted and was about to collapse, but at the last moment, he got his grip


    "I have to get first."


    Forgetting Cain and Mia, Kirko ran ahead.


    "Kirko, stooop!!" Cain shouted. "Take a break before going!"


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Kirko didn''t listen and kept running.


    Game Master: "That beast was not supposed to be killed, but somehow, that dude did it. He is an interesting one¡­ Not only him but this one too. He fooled the snake into making itself unable to move. We have some great players this time."


    A devious smile spread across his face.


    After a while, Kirko saw it¡ªthe Safe Zone. Above it, a timer counted down: 4 seconds left for respawn. The snake was about to return.


    Kirko, barely standing after the whole fight, felt fatigue hit him hard. He knew that if the snake spawned, he would die. Without hesitation, he put all his strength into his legs and ran.


    3... 2... 1...


    The snake had spawned.


    Kirko threw his dagger just as the snake locked eyes on him.


    "You were too late." He smirked.


    "Teleport."


    Congrats! You have reached the Safe Zone. Now you may go back to your world and take a break before being called by the Master to receive your rank and points.


    Kirko was sent back, landing hard on his bedroom floor."Ahhh, at least drop me on the bed," he groaned. Letting out a big sigh, he layed on his bed and fell asleep.


    Kirko opened his eyes and realized he was back at the Red River world¡ªthe place he had been after defeating the first level.


    "This place again¡­"


    He looked around and noticed no one was there.


    "Where am I? And what is this place?"


    Unlike last time, he didn''t stand still. He started walking. As ripples formed on the water, he saw his reflection¡ªonly to realize it was smiling when he was not.


    Out of fear, he stomped on the reflection, but as the ripples faded, the reflection returned to normal.


    "I must be seeing things."


    He put a hand on his head and continued walking until he noticed a tall building.


    "Hmm, that building looks familiar for some reason."


    He inspected it more closely.


    "Wait¡­ that''s the building where I found the book, but it looks newly built.hmm I guess this is what it looked like before the destruction."


    Kirko walked toward the building and was about to step inside¡ª


    Suddenly, he was back in the vast white room with all the other players.


    ''AHHH, I was just about to go in!'' he thought to himself.


    He turned his head, scanning the room until he found Cain.


    "Cain!" He shouted, running up to him and bowing down."I''m sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!"


    Cain smiled. "It''s okay. You did so much for me, so don''t apologize and It wasn''t that hard to reach the Safe Zone¡ªI just had to wait for my ability to recharge then use it then wait again."


    "Well, that''s a relief¡­ but what happened to that girl?"


    "Oh Mia, she came with me, and we both reached safely."


    "Oh, that''s good to hear."


    "OK, everyone, shut up."


    A familiar voice, carrying the same overwhelming pressure, echoed through the room.


    "Let''s talk about the mission shall we"


    The Game Master smirked as he entered.


    ===========================


    Tutorial- 2


    objective - Get to the safe zone


    Status -Complete


    Distance covered- 6/6 km


    ===========================

 First Place

    "First, let''s talk about the reward for completing the first level."


    System - Congrats on surviving the first level. You received 5 points.


    "Now, before you complain, saying that it''s too little, this is how much you get for surviving."


    ''No matter what he says, this is too little'' Kirko thought. ''But why did I get a title?''


    System - For getting more than 30 kills in the first round, you have earned the title ''The Bloodied King.'' The title''s power: The player''s strength increases by 10% when an enemy''s blood touches his body.


    ''Hmm, looks useful.''


    "Now, if you don''t know what stat points are, I have added an introduction videos in your system. You can watch it and learn about the things you still don''t understand. I have also added an inventory. Watch the tutorial to know what that is."


    Kirko opens his inventory to see he has 16 slots. "Guess I can only carry 16 things with me¡ªwell, 15 if you consider the book."


    "Now that all that is over, let''s move on to the second tutorial. We have over a thousand people left in this region because of the previous round. If you want to know how many people died, it was over 900, and more than 50 people did not reach the safe zone."


    With a smile on his face, "Now, let''s get to the best part¡ªthe Rankings. I will talk about the ranking, including all the players in the world who are still alive, not just your region. In first place, reaching the safe zone with 16 hours to spare is..."


    A blue screen pops up, and Kirko looks at it, his heart beating fast, his desire for first place overwhelming him.


    "Umbrella Boi..."


    Kirko looks at the screen, shocked. He falls to his knees and turns to the ground in defeat.


    "And Kirko,The Bloodied King."


    Kirko looks up at the screen, his name in first place. With his hand still on his face, he screams out loud with no fear, "YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!" Only for everyone to think that he is a madman.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Okay, don''t scream. I will put the ranking up, and your reward will be points equal to the number of hours you were closest to, so get some rest because, in one day, the next level begins."


    System - "You have been rewarded 16 points."


    "16 points, that''s a lot! I gained a total of 21 points today. With this, all my stats can be up to 15." He opens the ranking in curiosity.


    ================================


    Rankings


    1. Umbrella boi and Kirko


    2.Reid


    3.Ninja


    4. ...


    5. ....


    ================================


    Before going back to his room, he went to Cain, who congratulated him for reaching first place. Kirko then asked Cain about his ranking¡ªhe came 38th in the region and 285th overall.


    As they talked more, the white room disappeared, and Kirko was back in his own room. "That shocks me every time it happens." In joy, he said, "Well, that was good. I got a title and gained 21 points." He ruffles his hair. "Well, I''m not the only one. Umbrella Boi¡ªwhat a fun name. I guess he got an A-rank weapon like me. It sure is fun to have competition, but I will win next time."


    In another home, "Reaching first place was nice, made me feel like a king, but it is what I deserve after going against that giant snake. I thought I would die, but it was fairly easy to make him tangle himself up. Who knew an umbrella could be so powerful?" He turns to the rankings. "Sadly, I''m not the only one, but it will be fun to meet you, Kirko." With a serious look," Next round, I won''t lose."


    "Ha, I can''t wait to eat this ice cream. Nothing''s better than eating ice cream in the summer." Kirko walks out of the shop with his ice cream. "In about five hours, the next tutorial will start, and because of the rewards, all my stats are at 15, except for vitality and endurance, which are at 13. I think this will be enough for the third round. If I can finish this, then I can get a so-called rune."


    "Somebody help! That man stole my purse!"


    A person in a mask was running. He bumped into Kirko, making him drop his ice cream. In an instant, Kirko grabbed the back collar of the man.


    "Do you know what you just did?" Kirko glared at him.


    "Hey, kid, I''m a player too, and I am the third-ranking one¡ªNinja¡ªso don''t mess with me."


    "You just made me drop my ICE CREAM." Kirko pulled him in and held his hand. "Pay or lose a finger."


    "Kid, I don''t think you heard me. I said¡ª"


    "You have three seconds. 3... 2... 1..."


    Ninja slipped from Kirko''s grip and aimed to kick the back of Kirko''s head, only for Kirko to turn back at him with a scary look, catching his leg. "Time''s up." He pulled Ninja forward and, in an instant, broke one of his fingers.


    "AHHHH! Who are you?" Ninja screamed in fear.


    Kirko ignored him and walked away, saddened by the loss of his ice cream.


    "Wait, young man," a lady called out to him.


    "Take this." She gave Kirko money for an ice cream. "Thanks for helping me get my purse back, and please take the money and buy another ice cream."


    Kirko''s eyes lit up. "T-Thank you."

 The 3rd Tutorial

    "In about 2 minutes, I will be sent to the next tutorial. My only goal is to get first and defeat Umbrella Boi."


    Kirko waited as he was watching the news and how the government was talking about players, but he didn''t care enough to concentrate on it. He kept waiting for over 2 minutes, then he got teleported to the vast white room.


    "Hello, all players. I have realized that the last level was too hard, so I will decrease the difficulty of this level by a lot. so lets see what the next mission is."


    =========================


    Tutorial 3


    mission- Kill 10 goblins


    Location- destroyed city


    Goblins killed- 0/10


    =========================


    "In the first tutorial, you all killed 50 goblins together, but now you should kill 10 alone. Easy enough. And remember, after this round, you all will get a rune to put in one of your three rune spots."


    "Killed 50 together? I did all that by myself, so this round should be easy."


    Kirko was full of excitement and could not wait to get his rune. While thinking about his rune, he got transported to the destroyed city again.


    "Where are those goblins?" He smirked.


    System ¨C Mission 3 starts in 3... 2... 1... GO


    Kirko found the tallest tower and teleported up to it using his ability. He saw that five goblins were grouped on one side, while three more were in a completely different area. He could not identify where the other two were.


    "I guess the others are inside."


    Kirko used the wall as a ledge and leaped over to the five goblins.


    "Hi, having a party without me?"


    He sliced the neck of one of them as he landed.


    "Oops, you got in the way."


    Without letting the other monsters react, he had already cut off their heads and started running to the next location, not even looking back to see if he had finished them off.


    "I should see them in about three seconds..." He put the hood of his hoodie on.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "There they are, my next prey."


    Again, he cut them all down in an instant, not even giving them time to breathe.


    "This is far too easy. Looks like the suit dude felt bad for us."


    He looked around.


    "These guys don''t have weapons?"


    He noticed and was confused at first, then brushed it off, thinking it was a game mistake. He then turned his attention to finding the last two goblins, but unfortunately for him, he kept searching for five whole minutes.


    "Where are these monsters?" He got angry.


    "Because of these two, I''ll lose my first place... Where are these two!?"


    He kept searching, then he heard a cry. Without thinking, he rushed toward the area where he heard the sound. He ran toward the source and saw a building in front of him. He entered the room and noticed a goblin looking sad.


    "There you are, you bitch."


    He rushed in front of the goblin and saw that it was holding a goblin child, trying to protect it from something. For some reason, he stopped in front of it. The goblin noticed him and ran away, still holding the baby and trying to protect it.


    "You are a monster trying to kill me and everyone else. I won''t show you any mercy."


    He kicked the goblin''s back, making it fall and drop its baby, but instead of being scared for its life, it was still trying to protect its child. Kirko killed the child instantly, then turned to see the goblin start crying.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! You kill all of us, and when I kill one of your people, you cry? You monsters are crazy!"


    He ran toward the goblin as it looked at Kirko, wanting to be killed. Kirko ignored it and rushed to finish it, but as the dagger was about to pierce it, his body stopped.


    "Why did I stop?" He was confused.


    "Something is telling me to stop, but what? No, I should kill it before it kills me."


    Without much thought, he sliced its head off. He looked at the corpse, and a single tear dropped from his face. He wiped it away with his hand, thinking it was blood.


    "A tear? Why did a tear come out?"


    System ¨C Congrats on completing the third mission. You may go back to your world.


    Kirko dropped onto his bedroom floor again.


    "Ahhh, why the floor again? Why not the bed?" he complained.


    He lay on his bed and waited for the rest of the players to complete the mission. As his body grew fatigued, he drifted off to sleep.


    Kirko opened his eyes to find himself back in the red-colored water world, staring at the building in front of him.


    "Ha, I couldn''t enter last time. Let''s do it this time."


    He ran into the building and found a magnificent library interior.


    "This is so cool. Why did it get destroyed? And how?"


    He looked around to see a plethora of books everywhere.


    "This library is amazing."


    He noticed some stairs and started climbing them. The staircase was massive.


    "How long will it take to reach the top of this staircase?" He was getting tired.


    He kept climbing for three more minutes and finally noticed light. As he stepped out, he saw that the top of the tower was... someone''s study?


    "A study hall?"


    He turned around to see a large blackboard with big letters written in chalk:


    "Not everything you see is the truth, so don''t follow things blindly, or it will lead to your sadness."

 Astra Van Vontrea

    In another world different from Earth called Ragra...


    Ragra is a fantasy world with magical items, mages, warriors, and other classes with a lot of weapons.


    The world of Ragra is ruled by four great kingdoms:


    1.The Great Mage Kingdom, Atlantisa ¨C users of Mana


    2.The Great Archer Kingdom, Elfian ¨C users of Vea


    3.The Great Blacksmith Kingdom, Dwarven ¨C users of Sto


    4.The Great Warrior Kingdom, Vontrea ¨C users of Aura


    Ragra is a world where humans, elves, and dwarves coexist in peace after a great war against the dragon race, who lived in the middle of all of them. After their extinction, the four kingdoms came to an agreement to live in harmony.


    Two people stood in a hallway.


    "Hey, remember to be on your best behavior."


    "I know that we are going to meet an important person. I won''t mess this up."


    "I am counting on you because if we don''t get this agreement, our house will not become greater."


    "I got it, Dad."


    Both of them pushed the door open and entered. They bent down in respect. In front of them sat a teenage boy with white-blonde hair and golden eyes.


    "We greet the Third Prince of the Vontrea Kingdom, Astra Van Vontrea."


    "You both are giving me too much respect. Stand up. I am the third prince, not the first. I am not the one to take the throne but rather a mere prince."


    "Don''t say that about yourself, Prince. You are great," one of them said as both stood up.


    Astra smiled. "Okay, tell me why you have come on this day to meet me."


    "I want our house,''Swer'' to come directly under the prince''s command."


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    "I am sorry, but I have to decline. I have to leave for Arcadium in a week, so I won''t be able to help you."


    ''Arcadium? That''s the greatest school in Ragra, where only the best students can enter. A school filled with knowledge about magic, blacksmithing, archery, swordsmanship, and other weapons. A school that teaches everything,'' the kid beside his father thought.


    "Let us talk about this after I finish my three years in school."


    "I can''t wait that long, Prince, but please don''t forget."


    The Swer family left the room in disappointment while the son patted his father''s back.


    "Whew, it was so hard to look like a noble." Astra leaned back in his chair, feeling tired.


    "Corvis, when do we depart?"


    "We leave in four days, my lord."


    This is Corvis, my most loyal guard who has been with me since I was a child and the person I trust most in this world.


    Astra jumped out of his chair. "Three days left for Arcadium! I can''t wait to meet other people and become the best in the school!"


    Corvis looked at Astra. ''My lord looks so excited. He''s a genius in the way of the sword, so I have no fear that he will be the best in the school,'' Corvis smiled.


    "What are you smiling at, Corvis?"


    "Nothing, my lord."


    Four days passed.


    Astra walked into Arcadium wearing casual clothes with his sword at his hip. The first thing he noticed was a kid being bullied. He walked toward them.


    "Hey, seniors, you shouldn''t do this in front of new students. It''s a bad example."


    They turned to Astra. "Hey, kid, go away. This is not your business."


    "Heh, nice one, senior. But can you stop bullying the poor elf?"


    In anger, one of them shouted, "Hey, kid! Who do you think you are?"


    "Oh, me? I am Astra Van Vontrea, the next Venture (the top student of Arcadium) of this school."


    "Oh, you''re the third prince of the Vontrea Kingdom, the one no one cares about."


    "Hey, senior, don''t say such bad things about me," Astra replied with a smile.


    "Hey, kid, get lost before we beat you too."


    Astra took out his sword with its sheath. "Awww, senior, I thought we could have been friends." Astra injured their legs, making them fall.


    Then he looked down at them. "Remember my name. I will be the next Venture." He turned to the elf who was getting bullied"you okay?" Then he saw his watch."oh no i am late." he waves at the elf,"Lets meet afterwards." and runs to the auditorium.


    All the students stood in the auditorium as a mage stepped onto the pedestal.


    "Hello, new students of Arcadium. I am your principal, the 7-star mage, Oracle. Even though I am from Atlantisa, I won''t discriminate against anyone. You are all my students, so all of you will be treated equally. You won''t be considered as people from your kingdom; rather, you will be known as Arcanians until you leave this school. Here in Arcadium, the strongest will be considered the greatest¡ªnot your title."


    ''I can''t wait to get started,'' Astra thought.


    "Your class selection test will start shortly, so be ready to give it your all. If not, you will end up in a bad class with fewer opportunities and fewer luxuries."


    He turned to a professor. "Now, Sir Richard, may you explain the test to the students?"


    "Understood, sir." Richard stepped up to the pedestal. "Now, my students, this test will be different from the others. We have a Spirit Ball that checks all of your invisible abilities¡ªMana, Vea, Sto, and Aura. The bigger your number, the better the class you reach."


    Narrator: How is Ragra connected to Earth?

 Class Selection

    Oracle sat in his room, checking the sheets of entry for the new students. "Looks like we got a lot of prominent students this year. We got the heir to the throne of the Elven Kingdom, Grato. We got the 4th prince of Atlantisa, Davier, who is known as a genius. We got the 3rd prince of Voltrea, Astra, who is taken very lightly and considered as a person who won''t win the fight for the throne and is regarded as a maniac who killed his own... We got the Dwarven Kingdom Duke''s first son and finally, the mage who is already a 4-star at the age of 16¡ªthe mage known as the true genius, Hito.


    "Next up, the swordsman Astra."


    Astra steps up to the ball and puts his right hand on it. The ball shows ''--''. "What happened? Did it break?"


    "I''m sorry, I think the ball broke, so please put your hands on the ball again."


    Astra takes his hand off and puts it on the ball again. It once again shows ''--''. Astra turns to the professor with confusion in his eyes.


    "Kid, we can''t find your power, so you will go to the B class as it is in the middle."


    "Whaaaaat?! B?!?! No, I should be in S class! Put me in S!"


    "Kid, I don''t care if you''re a prince. The ball did not give any number. You should be happy I did not put you in F class. If you talk about S class again, I''ll send you to F. If you understand, leave and go to your class."


    "Okay, sir." Astra leaves, saddened. "How will I be the venure if I am in B class? I have to find a way to reach S class."


    Astra enters his class.


    "Oh, we got another student. Please state your full name and take a seat."


    Astra goes to the teacher, faces the students, and his golden eyes shine. "I am Astra Van Vontrea. Thank you for having me in your class."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "He''s Astra Van Vontrea, the kid who killed his mother."


    "Yeah, that''s him¡ªblonde-white hair and golden eyes."


    Murmurs from a part of the room spread. Astra heard them loud and clear but still ignored them, knowing he could not do anything about it.


    "Okay, everyone, be quiet, and Astra, please take a seat."


    Astra looks down as he walks to an empty seat, but as he is going, someone pulls his shirt. He turns around to see the elf he rescued motioning for him to sit there and making a sign to sit with her. He does not disagree and sits next to her.


    "What''s wrong with that elf?"


    "Yeah, why is she sitting next to a murderer?"


    More murmurs came from the class.


    The elf patted Astra and made gestures to try and cheer him up.


    Astra looks at her. "May I know your name?"


    The elf looks at him and quietly says, "M-My name is Sylvia." She spoke nervously.


    "Oh, hi, Sylvia. Can we be friends?" Astra extends his hand for a handshake. Sylvia blushes, nods her head in agreement, and does not take his hand.


    "Okay, Arcanians, listen to me. Let me introduce myself. I am Sara, the professor of class B, and I can give recommendations to the principal if you deserve to increase by one class or decrease by one. So if any of you want to go to S class, better do well in my class."


    ''I can still reach S class. I have to reach there before this year ends.'' Astra''s eyes are full of determination.


    "Your first practical test happens in 3 months, but before that, I will teach you the basics of everything. If you do very well in the exam, for example, if you reach first place, you will go up a class. But don''t forget that every single student attends this exam, even students from class S." Sara smiles. "Get ready for Arcanium."


    After the classes, Astra goes to leave for his dorm and notices that it is small room. "What? I should stay here? Now I have to get to a better class." He becomes more determined.


    The next few days of school were all similar. Astra goes to school, talks to Sylvia, listens in class, then goes back to the dorms and complains about it. After a few days...


    "Only one week left for the practical test, so better get ready for it, my students. Now, class is dismissed, so you may leave for your dorms."


    Astra got used to the dorm and sleeps on his bed. "The exam is in a week. I have to get first, or else I will have to stay in class B."


    He hears murmurs from outside. He goes to his door and puts his ear against it to listen.


    "You all remember the plan, right? We break that murderer''s legs on the eve of the exam. Don''t forget."


    "Oh damn, am I that big of a threat that they have to break my leg?" He smiles."Let''s see whose leg is broken before the exam."

 Practical Exam

    One day before the Practical Exam


    Astra sitting in class in boredom turns to Sylvie"Sylvie," Sylvie turns to Astra, "Why don''t you talk and only react?"


    She looks at him, blushing, and takes her pen to write on a piece of paper:


    "I''m too shy to talk and don''t want people to hear my voice."


    "Oh, okay, that''s fine. I am happy that you''re my friend." Sylvie blushes when Astra says that.


    "Okay, class is dismissed. Tomorrow, meet at the school ground, and good luck on the exam."


    "Ma''am, what is the exam about? Can we get some details?"


    "Don''t worry. Everything will be told tomorrow."


    Astra goes to his dorm. "So today, my legs are supposed to break." He looks around. "Why not set a trap?"


    The next day¡ª


    "Looks like we are missing some students, but we can''t wait, so we will leave without them."


    "Heh, looks like sleeping in the school barn worked, and putting a sleeping potion in my dorm would have kept them asleep for two whole days. Sadly, no exam for them."


    He turns to the shopkeeper who gave him the potion and bows his head in thanks.


    "I, Richard, will supervise this exam. Now, let me tell you what the exam is. The exam is one hour long. All of you will be sent to a forest full of monsters¡ªdon''t worry, they are not real but rather illusions. All of you will be wearing vests. If your vest''s light turns red, you will stop the exam with as many points as you have. We have also left three orbs, each worth ten points.


    Each of your Arcadium watches will have a point sheet on them. You can check it whenever you want, and it will also tell you how many points you have. Finally, fighting each other is allowed, but if you go too far, the punishment will be severe."


    He clicks his fingers, and four assistants appear with a pile of vests.


    "All of you, take one vest."


    After everyone took their vest, Richard continues, "The spirit ball checked your invisible power capacity. That means you still haven''t unlocked it yet, and you won¡¯t unlock it at your current age, so don¡¯t get cocky. Be careful¡ªexcept for you, Hito. You already have Mana, and to make it fair, you are banned from using it. Understood?"


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    "Yes, sir, I understand."


    "Okay, now that all of you understand the rules, enter the forest."


    All the students ran into the forest to earn points.


    "Hito, why aren''t you going?"


    "Sir, I need to give them a head start, or else it will be boring." He smiled.


    After ten minutes¡ª "Okay, looks like it''s time to go."


    In another part of the forest, Astra looks at his points.


    "Only 24? That''s bad. I need to kill more than just slimes, which give only three points. I should either kill an eight-point orc or find an orb."


    "Hey, that''s mine!"


    "I found it first, so it''s mine!"


    Astra runs toward the voices and finds Davier and Grato fighting.


    "What are they fighting for?" Then he notices an orb. "So that''s what they''re fighting for. I''ll swoop in when they start fighting and hopefully escape without anyone noticing."


    Grato shoots an arrow at Davier, but he responds by making the grass below him rise as a shield. They continue to fight.


    "Now it''s time for me to enter."


    Astra jumps down and grabs the orb. ''I got the orb, now time to run.''


    An arrow rushes toward him. He dodges, but his skin gets grazed, making blood drip.


    "Where do you think you''re going, you little thief?"


    "Me little? I''m the same age as you."


    A ball of water rushes toward him. He takes out his sword, cuts it in half, and makes his opponent wet.


    "Was that necessary?" while Astra is dripping wet


    "You''ve got fast reactions, Vontrea."


    "Why you calling me that. My name is Astra."


    Now Astra finds himself against two Class S students in front of him.


    In another part of the jungle, Hito, who has already accumulated 56 points, sees Sylvie in danger, getting attacked by an orc. He sends a water needle that explodes the orc''s head and leaves without speaking to Sylvie. Sylvie sits on the ground, confused about what just happened.


    Astra is running through the forest as Davier and Gravo chase him.


    "Stop running, little prince!"


    Astra ends up at a dead end and turns around.


    "Nowhere to run now."


    "Hey, you guys might be in Class S, but without invisible power, my strength is better than yours."


    ''What''s this sudden pressure?'' Both of them think.


    Astra jumps to attack Grato but gets pushed back by a water ball, making him crash into the trees.


    "Hey, you elf, let''s team up against him."


    Grato hesitates''"Fine."


    Both of them stand cautiously, waiting for the smoke to clear. When it disappears, Astra is nowhere to be found.


    "Looks like I got away from them. Ha, I got ten points for free."


    Astra looks to his left and gets scared. Then, suddenly, a monster sends him flying into a rock with immense force.


    "Sir Richard!"


    "What''s the matter?"


    "We got a B-rank monster loose in the forest! It was hiding in a den and has now come out!"


    "What?! Why didn''t the team check the dens?"


    "They didn''t think monsters would be there."


    "You guys can''t do anything right. Go locate it right now and tell me where it is. I''ll subdue it fast, so find it before it finds a student!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Astra wakes up, slightly injured, to see a dog-like monster in front of him.


    "Why is a monster like that in an exam?"


    Narrator-What will happen next?

 An Awakening

    Astra did not get injured badly; his body was strong enough to handle the blow.


    "Why is a dark hound here in this exam? It''s a B-rank monster."


    The hound jumped to attack Astra, but he got out his sword fast enough to block it and replied with a slice. Clang! The monster was too strong to get cut.


    "What? I can''t cut it?.. How will I kill this thing?"


    The hound kept on attacking Astra, and he kept blocking it. "How do I cut him?"


    He knew he couldn''t do anything, so he started running away, but he was too slow compared to the hound, and it caught up to him with speed. When it got close enough, Astra used his sword and hit it. Clang! It did nothing, and the shock made Astra''s body shake, but he did not stop. He kept on hitting, hoping something else would happen. The hound got past the hits and slashed Astra''s hand a little.


    "If this keeps on going, I will die."


    At that moment, Astra was going to leave, but then a memory of his mom dying by someone with a mask right in front of him surfaced. He looked at the kid. "Your mom had to die kid." came to his mind. He stopped moving, releasing immense pressure, and turned around, pointing his sword at the hound.


    "I, Astra Van Vontrea, swear that I will cut one of your limbs even if it kills me!" He got serious and blew some air out of his mouth. "I might not have a good invisible power, but in pure strength, I am one of the strongest in school¡ªor maybe the strongest."


    Astra ran to the hound and hit it as hard as he could. Clang! It did not pierce, but it pushed it back. Before the hound could get back on its feet, Astra kept hitting, pushing it further and further back.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Astra kept screaming as he struck the hound with his sword. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee, you stupid beast!"


    "Sir Richard, it is somewhere nearby here!" The assistant looked around.


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    "Find it fast."


    "Sir, I found it! And it''s fighting a student."


    "What? Who is it?" Richard saw Astra overpowering the monster. "That''s Astra, and he is knocking it back."


    "Sir, he is lucky. Dark hounds move in groups and are weaker when alone. It looks like it''s not an adult yet."


    He flew to go save Astra, but Richard pulled him back. "Sir Richard?"


    "That kid... he is a flower that is going to bloom. Let''s make it bloom and don''t stop it."


    "But sir, he''s a new student. He will die."


    "If it gets serious, we will stop it. But until then, let''s just watch him bloom."


    Astra kept hitting the hound and screaming. Then the hound''s front feet went high up in the sky. Astra realized a weak point.


    "Your fur may be tough, but your eyes will still remain weak even if you''re an S-rank."


    He used his sword. Shik! It pierced the hound''s eye. The hound roared in pain. Astra took out his sword and stepped back, but he was still in range of the hound, and it sliced his chest. However, it was a shallow cut.


    Astra screamed in pain, then, "I won''t lose." His eyes widened. "I will not lose until I avenge my mom and become the king of the Vontrea Kingdom." He took a deep breath, his mouth open.


    "Sir, if we don''t go, he will die."


    "No, not yet."


    "But sir¡ª"


    "I said not yet!"


    Astra kept breathing heavily, his chest bleeding. He kept slowly walking toward the hound. The hound ran toward Astra, its eye bleeding. A small energy flowed through his sword.


    Richard smiled. "There it is. That boy has awakened."


    The magic ball did not show Astra''s magic power, not because he had no power, but because his Aura was not concentrated. Rather, it flowed around him like Mana, and the ball was testing his Aura concentration, but his was not concentrated at all.


    The hound jumped to strike.


    "Aura."


    Astra''s sword glowed loosely with his aura. He bent down and cut off one of the hound''s legs before falling unconscious.


    "Water needle!" A force of water pierced the hound, killing it.


    "Heh, looks like I''m not the only one in this school who can use invisible power."


    "Hito, what are you doing here?"


    "Oh, Sir Richard." He looked up at him.


    "Hey, take that kid to the priests." He turned to Hito. "And you... go back and do the test. You have a lot of time left."


    "I don''t need to. I have already won with the number of points I have, and besides, I''m more interested in him."


    "Just continue the exam. I''m leaving." He turned to leave.


    "Sir, take this." He threw him two magic balls. "I don''t need those points."


    Hito was a genius from the day he was born. He never felt defeat or met anyone his age as strong as him. But when he saw Astra''s Aura, he felt someone as strong as him for the first time. He found a potential rival, and this made him very excited.


    Narrator: What will happen next?