It Has Started.

Night had fallen, and a deep silence enveloped the dormitory. Most of the students were fast asleep, their exhaustion weighing heavily on them. Zion lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, while beside him, a faint, ethereal glow pulsed in the darkness Zero, his form flickering slightly, a sign of his incomplete existence.

"Master, your new appearance is... strange," Zero remarked, his voice carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

Zion smirked, turning his head slightly. "You look more like a genie now," he teased.

Zero let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't help it. My form was destabilized after encountering those Children of Nyx… Something about them feels off." His voice grew serious.

Zion's amusement faded as he nodded. "I get it, but for now, we should focus on something else. Should we use our 30,000 Soul Points?"

Zero crossed his arms. "Yeah. We managed to save up quite a bit."

At his words, multiple glowing system windows materialized in front of Zion, casting an eerie blue hue across the room.

[System Update: Soul Abilities Unlocked]

[Soul of Sacrifice]

Convert lifespan into raw power.

[Soul of Insight]

Instantly reveal a person's stats and hidden details.

[Soul Connection]

Establish telepathic communication.

[Soul Transfer]

Swap souls with another being.

[Limit: Once per day.]

[Soul Manipulation]

Modify and enhance personal attributes.

[User: Zion]

(STR) – SSS+

(DEX) – SS+

(END) – SSR

(INT) – SSR+

(WIS) – SSR

(CHA) – UR

Zion whistled, impressed. "Damn, this looks like a full-on RPG stat screen."

Zero nodded. "Indeed. Though I never expected your stats to surpass SSS…"

Curious, Zion had an idea. "Wait, let me try scanning you. Zero's stats."

Another system window tried to appear, but instead of displaying information, it was wrapped in thick, black chains, completely locked.

Zion frowned. "What the hell?"

Zero sighed. "It's probably because I'm a spirit now. My data might be unreadable."

"Tch. That's disappointing," Zion muttered, leaning back against his pillow.

"You should get some rest," Zero suggested.

Zion yawned and nodded, letting the soft glow of the system screens fade into darkness as he drifted off to sleep.

As the students slept, the atmosphere in the academy remained still, but elsewhere, urgency filled the air. Within the towering headquarters, every hero in Germany had been summoned. A man stepped onto the stage his presence commanding, his aura unshakable. He was the President of the German Heroes Association.

"Listen up!" his voice echoed through the hall. "We will not falter! We will not retreat! We will reclaim our honor!"

"YES, SIR!" the heroes roared in unison.

Suddenly, an alarm blared through the building, red lights flashing as a chilling announcement played on repeat:

"The capital city, Berlin, is under attack. All available forces, deploy immediately."

The president's gaze sharpened. "EVERYONE, GIVE IT YOUR ALL! THIS IS WAR!"

With that, the massive automatic doors hissed open. Beyond them, an arsenal of war machines stood ready planes, tanks, high-tech weaponry lining the rooftop like a battleground waiting to be set ablaze. Heroes rushed to their assigned transports, each one preparing for the imminent battle. Planes roared to life, their engines humming with power before taking off into the night sky.

As they neared Berlin, the devastation became clear monsters rampaged through the city, their howls shaking the very foundation of the streets. Smoke rose from crumbling buildings, civilians fleeing in terror. And then, from the shadows, two figures emerged.

Their mere presence twisted the air with a suffocating aura.

"Shall we begin?" One of them a woman with a wicked grin spoke in a teasing, almost playful tone.

Back at the Dorms

Zion's eyes shot open. A strange unease crept into his chest.

"Master," Zero's voice echoed beside him, "how about we start gathering information now?"

Zion sat up, stretching. "Good idea. But we need to be careful."

"Have you memorized the academy's layout? It's pretty massive," Zero asked.

"I have," Zion smirked. "Though I still don't know where the teachers' office is… but we can just explore."

Zero sighed. "Just be cautious…"

Slipping out of the dorms unnoticed, Zion made his way toward the main building the same one that housed their classrooms. The halls were eerily quiet, an unnatural stillness settling over the academy.

"Something's wrong…"

"Infinity Gaze," he murmured, activating his ability.

His vision expanded, scanning 200 meters in every direction.

Nothing.

No energy signatures. No movement. No signs of life.

Zion's brows furrowed. "This doesn't make sense… Where are the heroes?"

A sinking feeling clawed at his chest as he continued forward, the silence growing heavier with every step.

Zion moved silently through the dimly lit hallway until his eyes landed on a particular door.

"Faculty Lounge."

A smirk crept onto his face, his excitement barely contained. This is it!

"Careful, Zion," Zero warned.

"I know, Master," he whispered back, pulling on a pair of gloves. The weight of his gear had been annoying him for a while, but now it was finally time to put it to use. He retrieved a lockpick from his pocket, kneeling before the door.

"Come on… just a little more…"

After a few tense minutes, the lock clicked open.

"Yes!" he whispered triumphantly, pushing the door open.

As soon as he stepped inside, he let out a yawn. The room was cluttered with papers, books, and scattered documents. "Ugh, there's so much junk in here."

"Get to work, monkey!" Zero teased.

Zion's brow twitched. "Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, rolling his eyes before getting to work.

He rummaged through drawers, scanning through reports, but nothing seemed worth taking. That was until his fingers brushed against something different.

A red drawer?

He narrowed his eyes. "Weird…"

"Try it," Zero suggested. "From what I remember, Raizel likes the color red."

Zion didn't hesitate. He reached for the handle, slowly pulling it open

Click.

His heart nearly stopped.

The door behind him creaked open.

Someone was coming in.

Without a second thought, Zion shoved the drawer shut, swiftly rearranging everything before slipping into the shadows.

"Infinity Gaze."

His vision expanded, analyzing the presence that entered.

His eyes widened.

The energy surrounding this person was pitch black.