Myriad Demons Academy

As they made their way through the passage deeper into the jungle, Abarran walked leisurely at the front of the group, his voice suddenly breaking the ambient sounds of the forest.

"Listen up. All of you need to stay alert. Even though our academy assigns regular hunting and cleansing missions to our Magus Apprentices, this area is still dangerous. Some monsters, toxic plants, and other... unpleasant surprises still roam around here. So, follow me closely and watch your surroundings. If you wander off… well, we'll likely be paying respects to your corpse soon."

He paused for a moment, then added with a sly grin and a low, unsettling laugh:

"If we even find your body, that is... haha."

A chill ran through the group. Several students paled, eyes darting toward the dense shadows between the trees. Even Mortis couldn't help but shift his gaze around more carefully, but instead out of unnecessary fear, he did that to analyze his surroundings.

'So, the academy intentionally chose this location because of how dangerous it is... Makes sense. The is a risk for them, sure, but the benefits clearly outweigh it.'

'After all, this location provides monster materials, rare herbs, live specimens for experiments, and a natural training ground for students. Not to mention that it's a brilliant defensive measure. If anyone tries attacking the academy, they would have to get through both its magical defenses and during that also guard against the monsters in this dangerous jungle.'

As he thought about it, their group moved deeper and deeper into the dense green, vines brushing past their legs and shoulders, strange glowing spores drifting lazily through the air.

Grrrr... BOOM!

Mortis suddenly tensed. "What was that?" he asked Valthor, who was walking beside him.

Valthor didn't even flinch. "Probably just some monsters fighting nearby. Nothing serious," he replied, calm and disinterested, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Now aware that this was just a common occurrence, Mortis began inspecting the forest around him more deliberately, eyes sharp and attentive. His steps remained steady, but his mind was focused.

Eventually, the thick jungle began to thin out. The overgrowth gave way to open space again, and they stepped into a smaller clearing.

But this one was different from the previous giant one where they landed with their airship.

In the heart of it stood a massive castle-like structure, but not in the traditional sense. It was a fortress made of obsidian and bone, sprawling like a black crown of thorns across the clearing. It looked ancient… and somehow alive.

Twisted spires clawed toward the sky like jagged fingers. The stone walls, slick with moisture, rose thirty meters high.

Lining the fortress walls were massive demonic gargoyle statues. Each one was unique, carved with terrifying precision, and every single one of them looked far too lifelike, as if they might make a move at any second.

At the base of the main wall stood a colossal gate, forged from pitch-black steel, covered in intricate carvings that seemed to twist and shimmer when viewed from the corner of the eye.

Abarran raised his arms and grinned mockingly.

"Welcome to your new home! This is Myriad Demons Academy!"

To some, his tone might have been cruel or sarcastic, but to Mortis, it only meant that he was finally closer to become Magus Apprentice. No matter how insane or dangerous things would get from this point on, he felt ready. No… eager.

This was where he would become stronger than ever before. This was where his path to immortality would truly begin.

Just the thought of it filled him with a quiet, trembling ecstasy.

By now, the group had been led right in front of the towering black gate. Beside it stood two enormous gargoyle statues, identical to the ones lining the walls.

They were completely still. Motionless. Yet something about them felt off, as if they were watching. Waiting.

Just then, Abarran stepped forward and calmly walked right up to the two demonic gargoyles.

As he stopped before them, both statues suddenly turned their heads. Their eyes snapped to Abarran, glowing with a feral gleam, as if they were ready to tear him apart at the slightest provocation.

Then, without warning, the gargoyle on the right raised its stone hand, palm open, as if expecting something.

Abarran didn't hesitate. He took off a bracelet, similar in style to the one Mortis had received, though slightly different in design and casually tossed it into the gargoyle's waiting hand.

'Probably because he's a professor,' Mortis thought, eyeing the bracelet.

The gargoyle examined the object, its glowing eyes scanning it with eerie precision. After a few tense seconds, it threw the bracelet back to Abarran. Both statues then returned to their original positions, becoming completely still once again.

Just as Mortis started to relax, the massive pitch-black gate let out a deep, echoing creak. Slowly, it began to open on its own.

Beyond it stretched an enormous hall.

Abarran turned to them with a casual glance.

"Let's go," he said simply.

Mortis and the others nodded in silence, stepping into the hall behind him. The moment they were all through, the massive gate closed once more behind them, sealing them in.

'This place is massive!' Mortis thought, awestruck.

The grand hall was vast and imposing. It looked more like a cathedral crossed with a marketplace. Shops lined the sides, mission counters stood in the distance, and older students moved leisurely through the space, some standing around in groups, others browsing the shops or checking missions.

But every single one of them turned to look at the newcomers, and none of the gazes were welcoming. Some smirked mockingly. Others watched with bored disinterest or slight pity for some reason.

No one smiled.

As the group moved deeper into the hall, they reached the far end where a large spiral staircase descended into the depths below.

'So, the building above is mostly for trade, missions and gathering... The real academy must be underground. And here I thought this massive fortress was already impressive… This place might actually be even grander than the Cologne Cathedral from my past life.'

Mortis smirked to himself at the thought, then followed the group carefully down the stairs.

He wasn't sure how long they'd been descending, maybe five minutes, maybe more.

Up ahead, Abarran's voice echoed from time to time.

"Our Myriad Demons Academy is an ancient organization. We existed long before most of the current organizations, even back when ancient Magi walked the lands and war raged not just here, but across other worlds as well…"

"The academy's founder was a legendary dark magus known as Azekhiel. We don't know much about him, only fragments of how he was immensely powerful, cruel beyond measure, and once plunged the entire ancient world into chaos. But how he died… no one really knows."

Abarran paused for a moment, his voice dropping lower.

"There are rumors of a legacy. A hidden inheritance Azekhiel left behind somewhere. But no one's ever found it, and most Magi only think that it's just an old tale made up to inspire fools."

Abarran occasionally gave them small pieces of basic knowledge about the academy as he led them at the forefront.