Chapter 96: 96 Promethys Academy.

One night had passed inside the flying airship. Jin, who woke up earlier than usual, stood in the vast hall of the boat, facing the window.

Even in the morning, as chilled wind pierced their bodies, the crews kept buzzing enthusiastically, walking back and forth, mopping the floor or window glass.

A vast greenery that stretched endlessly on the land, tainted with thick mist that showed from the morning dew, gave his eyes a pleasant experience in witnessing the world he was currently living in.

He inhaled deeply to fill his lungs with fresh air that enveloped the atmosphere around him.

The clean air pumped his warm blood, coursing through the veins, rejuvenating his groggy mood from waking up.

Slowly, as he felt his heartbeat spike up, Jin closed his eyes and entered his deep consciousness.

Instead of training physically, he pictured an image of himself facing himself, for no one had ever bested him in swordsmanship since the trial.

Jin, who faced his shadows, tightened the grip on his katana. ’It’s been a while since I trained like this’.

His opponent spread its legs, preparing an Iai posture. He followed and dived into the tension that started to build up between them.

Both stilled for a couple of seconds, then simultaneously tried to clinch the victory by moving forward while drawing their sword.

However, before the katana in his hand clashed, Jin twisted the blade upward to block the Iai, followed by a spark and a high-pitched metal shriek.

His legs blurred as he slid the blade’s body for defence in screeching metal pitch and slashed the shadow.

But the shadow circled, dodging the attack and redirected its focus to aim for Jin’s wrist.

They put distance before disappearing, Jin didn’t waste any movement as waves of silver blades hurled their sharp edges to slice the enemy before him.

Each of his attacks carried a precision honed for centuries, heavy and deadly.

A barrage of slashes cut through the space; it sliced the empty voice, which seemed terrified by the power.

The whistling blades tore apart the fabric of space, making the dark subconsciousness place in panic and begin to fix the crumbling pieces that kept increasing every time a blade passed.

’As expected of me!’. Jin’s lips spread, revealing his sharp canines.

Jin and the shadow sheathed their blade in one move, then murmured the technique to end the spar.

[Black Heaven Style Swordsmanship – Shattering the Heavens]

Time slowed down between the two, and an oppressive pressure put their breath to a halt.

Primal fear emerged from the depths of his void, bringing a calamitous emotion that made one’s own mind go mad.

But there was no turning back; the two blades moved slowly as if leaving the home that housed them safely.

A pristine line drew in the air, and it stretched slowly before another one appeared, again and again, forming a complicated webcomb surrounding the spaces.

’Go!’. The blade released from its sheath, and both techniques clashed head-on, destroying the place.

Jin’s body jolted, and he lost his balance, but his back was caught by a delicate hand that kept him from stumbling to the floor.

“What? Are you still sleepy after a night’s sleep?”.

A sarcastic remark that came from the rough Elven girl made Jin break into a smirk.

“Good morning, Iris”.

“Morning, what are you doing almost falling like that?”.

Despite her grumbling, the girl pushed the boy’s back and ensured that he stood properly and watched his expression.

The warmth that touched his cheek brought a soothing calm to his ragged heart and burning lungs.

“Are you alright? You are sweating profusely. What happened?”.

Jin shook his head sideways and muttered. “Just some image training?”.

“Image training? Are you some kind of Monk or something?”.

Iris pulled her long sleeves to cover her palms, then began to wipe the sweat on Jin’s face and neck.

“You know that outfit of yours would get dirtied, right?”.

“Oh, shut it, I know better than you”. Iris snorted and wiped his nape before nodding to herself for doing a good job.

“Thank you”.

He swept his eyes up and down, observing Iris’ traditional Elven outfit. It had a green colour that matched her green eyes.

Her blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, swayed as she tilted her head in wonder.

“What is it?”.

“No, you look beautiful, that’s all”. Jin threw his gaze toward the window, avoiding the fact that his cheeks had flushed to the ears.

“Wh-What are you saying this early in the morning?”. Iris smacked the boy’s back, then pulled her ponytail to cover her red cheeks. “Hmph, Idiot!”.

“Ahaha”. Jin scratched his cheek, realizing what he had done was truly out of his character.

The two basked in the afterglow of their banter, watching the moving scenery until they witnessed a massive town surrounded by circular walls, towering over the buildings inside.

“We arrived”.

Jin’s voice dispersed into a distant hum as the airship started to rumble while lowering its altitude.

Beneath them, a crystallized wisdom and advanced craftsmanship spread. Multi-floor buildings built using technology far surpassing the era were lined up in rows.

In one of the tallest buildings in the city, smoke billowed, spewing black clouds that were engulfed by the primal mana in the atmosphere.

It dispersed the toxin mist, turning the environment back to how it should be, clean without any harmful substances that could bring disaster to the world or living things.

The complex street that looked like a maze was filled to the brim with people who were busy doing their own things.

“This is the Dorean Kingdom”.

Jin muttered, still unable to believe that a lone nation could advance to this state compared to the capital of Eira, the place he lived.

“It’s been a while, I’m here”.

Iris chuckled and placed a hand on the cold glass, reminiscing about her past event.

“Iris, you’ve been here before?”.

“Once, when I travelled from the northeast over there where my homeland was”. The girl pointed her finger toward the distance.

Her gaze was still, reflected nothing, like a hollow vessel that still gnawed her mind till this day—the memories of the burning plains and huge explosion that engulfed her sister.

Jin, who noticed Iris’ expression, pinched her cheek, stretching it wide.

“Wh-What are you?”. Iris glared toward the boy with tears in her eyes

“Nothing”. Jin released her reddened cheek and placed a hand on her head, caressing it roughly.

“Hey, my hair will become a mess”. Iris slapped his hand and smacked his back in retaliation.

“Ouch”.

“Geez, stop being a jerk”. Iris stared at the faint reflection of her face on the glass, trying to fix her appearance.

“Good morning, Jin and Iris. Lucya, hurry and come here”.

A melodious voice echoed through the room, coming from the silver-haired beauty who dragged a sleepy princess in her hand.

“Hmm, let me sleep five more hours”.

“That’s too long, look over there, we have arrived at the academy”.

As Silvia said, the airship slowly lowered its altitude until it hatched its four feet to help its massive body stand.

*Kriing!

A loud alarm rang continuously inside the room, jolting the other kids from their dreams.

With a click, the side of the boat opened and revealed the stairs which led to the plain field that stretched so wide, making Jin wonder if it was still inside a city.

He and the other two exchanged nods, then dragged the still swaying princess outside, descending the stairs, they felt the warm breeze that caressed their skin.

Walking forward toward the glowing land, Jin lifted his gaze to see the radiant furnace that bathed the land with its golden light.

From a distance east, Jin watched a dot that was getting bigger the closer it got toward the town. ’So they were from the east, we from the south, then?’.

Jin shifted to the west and found the same flying whale coming closer, bringing the kids who would fight their way into the academy.

There was no airship from the north, as it was covered entirely by the blizzard and mountain of snow that kept howling for eternity.

“Promethys Academy”. Jin looked ahead toward the towering building that loomed over him and his group.

The building rose atop the stone stairways, its entrance framed with towering marble columns, encasing a massive door within.

A pair of golden lion statues, their eyes flickering like blazing embers, gave an overwhelming welcome to the candidates.

A memory resurfaced, the face of his old friend, blurred by how much time he had lived in his new world. But his words and the existence of the system still reminded him of his goals.

’So, this was where the story in the game began’. Jin curled his fingers tight, vowing to himself to carve his own path regardless of the correct timelines he wasn’t aware of.

#####

[Main Quest opened]

[Chapter 01: Bright Star of Hope!]

Details: As Evil rises, a Hero who brings justice to the world will carve out a path for humanity to fight against the lurking enemies.

Reward: Hero Favour, (Calculating…)

Failure: –

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[Character Quest appeared]

[Character Quest: A Sweet Temptation!]

Details: Follow the main route where Jin Midnight falls into the hands of Evil Clutches. Becomes a wall to block the advancing Hero.

Reward: Completion rate of World Quest +25%

Failure: Completion rate of World Quest -25%

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“!?”. Jin’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets after watching the two panels before him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep