Incident[2]
A week had passed since I had finally reached C-rank, inching closer to Adam. The excitement was overwhelming as I checked my profile.
Status Panel:
Rank: C
Strength: D
Agility: C
Intelligence: C
Mana Control: C
Vitality: B
"Vitality? What even is that?" I muttered. And why did my stats keep shifting? Where was my Endurance stat from before? I shook my head. No time for distractions.
My skills had also evolved.
Skills:
1. Heaven Contract
2. Healing Self
3. Acceleration Burst
A smile crept onto my face. I was getting stronger.
But then, the holidays ended. I bid farewell to Silia and returned to the academy. Everything was the same—the towering walls, the bustling students, the never-ending assignments. Six months flew by.
By the time we entered our second year, my class rank had upgraded from A9 to A7. Adam, of course, pushed forward to A1. It didn't bother me. I was catching up.
Life felt normal—until it wasn't.
---
The Attack
It was the first day of the second year. Our professor was in the middle of teaching battle tactics when a horrifying scream shattered the air.
Everyone turned toward the windows.
The professor, his face turning pale, dashed out without hesitation. Instinct kicked in, and we all followed.
As we ran outside, my breath caught in my throat. The academy courtyard had turned into a battlefield.
Two red-skinned humanoids stood amidst the chaos. Their muscular, alien-like bodies radiated menace. One wore a wide, twisted grin, playing with the professors like they were mere toys. The other, cloaked in a dark hood, stood silently, watching.
A professor rushed forward.
SLASH!
His arm flew off before he even knew what happened. Blood splattered across the stone pavement.
Professor John, one of the academy's strongest instructors, let out a cry of pain.
"What the hell are those things?" I whispered.
More professors joined the fight, their magic and weapons flashing through the battlefield. Fire, wind, lightning—all clashed against the grinning humanoid.
It was enjoying itself.
Every attack was dodged effortlessly. With each step, more professors were cut down.
Then—
A sudden explosion in the sky.
The air trembled.
A powerful aura descended upon the battlefield.
Vex Dorian, the Academy Principal.
The moment he appeared, the battlefield froze.
The grinning red humanoid's eyes widened for the first time. A flicker of recognition.
Before it could react—
SLASH!
Vex Dorian moved faster than my eyes could follow.
A single strike.
The red-skinned figure's body exploded into a million pieces.
Its blood and flesh splattered onto the ground.
Gasps filled the air.
The monster that had been toying with dozens of professors had been erased in a single move.
The hooded figure remained still.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Then—
It moved.
Faster than anything I had ever seen.
One moment it was standing still. The next—
SLASH!
Professor John's head hit the ground.
I barely had time to react before the hooded figure lunged at Vex Dorian.
The clash shook the entire academy.
Vex Dorian dodged at the last moment, his sword clashing against the enemy's blade. Sparks flew. The force of the impact cracked the earth beneath them.
The hooded figure smirked.
A blur of movements.
Vex Dorian slashed—his strikes too fast for the eye to follow. But the hooded figure matched every attack perfectly.
The battle was on a completely different level.
Then—
SLASH!
Vex Dorian's sword cut through the enemy's torso.
For a brief second, the hooded figure froze.
Then—
Its body split into three pieces.
Blood sprayed into the air, staining the ground.
The monster was dead.
Silence.
The battlefield was still.
Then, the realization hit.
The Academy had just been attacked.
Our strongest professors had been butchered.
Even though Vex Dorian had won, the damage was done.