Prologue

Zane...

He opened his eyes wide at the cold shock he felt on the back of his head.

It had been a long time since he'd felt pain directly on his skin.

The holy sword that the last warrior swung with all his might.

A meteor dropped by the continent's strongest great wizard.

A high-level sacred magic that dozens of archbishops chanted over several days.

None of these things had even left a trace on his body.

'What is it?'

Well, what was it?

What on earth could possibly cause him such immense pain?

Zane raised his head with fresh doubt.

And there stood three humans who had accomplished feats that neither the last warrior, nor the ancient dragons of the previous generation, nor the primordial giants, nor the most evil demons could accomplish.

Boys of about fifteen or sixteen years old, still looking young.

They all had name tags that read 'Holy Academy' on their chests.

'... Holy Academy?'

It was a name that seemed somewhat familiar.

Zane slowly closed his eyes.

Like turning the pages of a book filled with ageless knowledge, like searching through a library filled with vast information.

Soon, Zane was able to recall the name 'Holy Academy' from the back of his memory.

'Holy Academy.'

It was the oldest academy on the continent, with a long tradition and one of the most prestigious schools that had produced numerous heroes.

And it was a place that had burned down without a trace with just one gesture from Zane.

At that moment.

... Bam!

"Hey, I told you to buy more bread. Why didn't you listen to me? Did you run away? Huh, Zane?"

An irritated voice came from above his head.

But Zane's gaze was actually directed at the name tag hanging on his chest.

'... ... Zane Cromwell?'

A name he had never heard of.

It was a name that did not exist in Zane's memory.

At that moment, a male student reached out and grabbed Zane by the collar.

"Look at this kid chewing on his words! Hey, Zane! Can't you hear? Are you deaf? The bread you bought expires today! Go back and get me a fresh one, okay? Do you think I have to squeeze it harder for him to come to his senses?"

He thrust a bag of bread in front of Zane's eyes.

The paper envelope had the following date written on it:

[Expiration date: Until 'June 6, 666 of the Restoration Year']

Zane's brow furrowed slightly.

Then he recited in a voice that was incredibly serious.

"… What year is it now?"

The male students who heard that question all looked dumbfounded.

"You little punk, do you check expiration dates on a yearly basis?"

"Yes, today is the 666th anniversary of the Empire's recovery from its destruction, Zane."

"I told you, so today's tuition will be two loaves of bread. If you don't like it, you can get double the amount."

Zane was silent for a moment.

Just as it is difficult to distinguish between reality and dreams immediately after waking up, but as time passes, dreams gradually become dreams and reality becomes reality, Zane also quickly became aware of reality.

'My last memory is clearly during the war with the cult. But then suddenly 666 years passed. Does that mean I was killed by the cult and was resurrected here in the body of this boy?'

Now that he thought about it, there were a few things that came to mind.

A mysterious ring obtained from the treasure vault of an empire that was once destroyed, a necklace hidden deep in the dragon's nest, earrings that the Demon Constellation fought to keep from being taken away until the very end, etc...

Each and every one of these artifacts was said to have the power to give people another chance to live.

It was not clear exactly which of them created this harmony now.

But.

'... A second life? Not so bad.'

Zane decided to accept the current situation.

At that very moment.

"Hey, guys! Class is about to start! If you're even a little late, I'll let the professor know! I'll count down exactly 10 seconds from now! After that, everyone who isn't there will have to write down their names and submit them!"

A window high above the school building opened, and a female student in a white robe screamed.

"10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…!"

Then the three male students started to run hurriedly toward the entrance of the building.

"Hey, class president! Why is it 5 right after 10!?"

"Don't write our names down! We're going to have a very low score this month! I don't want to get kicked out of the dorm!"

"Young lady, we didn't get to eat our bread. Hey, Zane, you're really going to get screwed during the next break."

The trio entered the building, spewing out threatening language.

Whether or not, Zane just silently examined his new body.

A small and skinny body.

His body was so weak that his bones bulged out, let alone his muscles.

At that moment, the schoolgirl's voice was heard again.

"Zane, come up quickly. I'll take attendance when you get here."

Zane paused for a moment at the sound of the schoolgirl's voice calling him again and again.

Then he asked in a low voice.

"... What class is it?"

The schoolgirl blinked her eyes wide in response to Zane's question.

Then she let out a soft sigh and muttered.

"Monday, first period. It's hymn class."

Zane, the strongest and worst black magician in human history, found the answer enough to upset his feelings.