Chapter 521: New faces

In the deep, endless pit of the void, where even the concept of time had long since unraveled, an ancient being sat upright upon a throne sculpted from pure darkness—an obsidian silhouette shaped like a woman, draped in the shadows of eternity itself.

She was still, unmoving, yet the void around her pulsed as if breathing in reverence.

Her form, though without detail, exuded an overwhelming allure and authority—an ancient beauty born from chaos.

From her formless gaze, she stared unblinkingly at the crimson sphere now floating gently before her.

It was a sphere of condensed infernal energy, burning with silent intensity.

Sparks of red lightning crackled across its surface as a voice finally echoed from within.

[He is indeed… interesting, O Great One.]

The voice trembled with reverence, layered in distortion as though countless whispers were speaking in unison.

A projection, and yet its presence was still heavy—none other than Asmodeus, a demon king whose name had long commanded fear across countless worlds.

The throne-bound entity tilted her head ever so slightly, the first movement in what might have been centuries.

A soft, feminine giggle echoed from the abyss.

“Fufu~ I knew you’d understand his worth.”

Despite her tone, Asmodeus couldn’t tell if she was pleased.

There was no warmth behind the sound, no sincerity or cruelty—just a resonance of timelessness.

It wasn’t that she lacked emotion… it was that emotion, as he understood it, simply did not apply to her.

Asmodeus had lived for millennia, ascended through fire and slaughter, climbed the endless tower of demon kind to reach the rank of King, and yet—before her, his spirit shuddered.

Even though he was merely projecting himself into her realm, it felt as though the entity was directly in front of him, breathing down his neck.

His mind screamed at him to flee, but his pride, honed through epochs of dominance, forced him to remain still.

She was the Primordial Evil.

A being whose name no longer needed to be spoken—because no one dared to.

A presence that made even the most wretched creatures of the lower realms kneel in primal fear.

He, a creature forged in sin and crowned in flame, was but a flicker against her eternal night.

A silent gulp stretched across his otherwise calm expression—an involuntary reaction, betraying the tension crawling up his spine.

[Am I… free to act as I see fit now, O Great One?]

[He is, after all, a being touched by your will… I would rather not risk offending you.]

His voice—normally calm, laced with arrogance—was now cautious, almost reverent.

Even for someone like him, a King of the Lower Realms, speaking to her was walking the edge of a blade.

Silence followed.

A long one.

So quiet, even the void itself seemed to hold its breath.

Then came the answer—soft, cold, yet brimming with cruel certainty.

“Proceed. Just make sure… it becomes a tragedy.”

Then with a flicker of her finger Erebil summoned something in front of the sphere.

The crimson sphere pulsed, as if in agreement, before unraveling in a twist of red mist—vanishing completely from her domain.

In the silence that returned, the shadows around the throne thickened.

And then—

A cloud of dark smoke formed just beside the great being’s throne, twisting upward in a slow spiral.

From it stepped a figure dressed in a flawless black suit, his face hidden behind a simple black mask.

There was no flare to his arrival—just quiet authority.

He stood calmly beside the throne, eyes hidden, posture respectful.

“Are you certain about this, Erebil?”

His voice was quiet, but firm.

“Wasn’t he your light?”

The being—Erebil, the Primordial Darkness—didn’t turn to face him. Her voice answered like a whisper tangled in the wind.

“Yes… he is.”

Her tone was almost… tender.

But not quite.

“But he is growing too slowly. Too dim.”

Her fingers, made of shadow and shape, lifted lazily from her throne as though cradling something only she could see.

“My light should be radiant… bursting with flavor and nourishment.”

There was hunger in her voice now.

An ancient, consuming hunger.

Because for her to enjoy such a brilliant light—

It had to be perfect.

Refined.

The most exquisite thing in existence.

The masked man lowered his gaze slightly.

“He’ll hate you.”

There was no judgment in the words. Just truth.

And that truth made her chuckle.

She leaned back into the dark folds of her throne, her gaze distant, almost dreamy—

“Then that…would make everything all the more delightful.”

…….

The academy continued as if nothing unusual had happened.

Classes resumed like normal, as though the grand evaluation event from just days ago was nothing more than a minor blip in the school calendar.

There were no celebrations, no extended breaks—unlike last year, where any major event usually meant at least a week or two of rest.

This time, however, the academy seemed to be in a hurry.

Without much warning, the pace picked up.

Students barely had time to catch their breath before another announcement dropped—not just any announcement, but one involving yet another evaluation exam.

This time, it would focus on dungeon hunting.

Naturally, just hearing the words “evaluation” and “dungeon” in the same sentence sent a wave of anxiety across the student body.

Tension stirred, especially among those still recovering from the last one.

Disapproval wasn’t quiet.

First years and second years alike—those who had been directly involved in the recent evaluation—voiced their complaints.

Many were mentally and physically exhausted, and the idea of diving into other high-stakes test so soon didn’t sit well.

But surprisingly, the backlash died down almost as quickly as it rose.

All thanks to a certain announcement.

A reward, in a way—one that made most students feel a bit better about everything.

First, it was revealed that students in the specialized courses would be exempt from the upcoming midterm written exams.

That alone lifted the spirits of many, especially those in the Knight Department—who, frankly, didn’t rely much on academic scores to begin with.

Second, and more importantly…

A grand ball was announced.

A formal social gathering to be held for both first years and second years—a chance to unwind, dress up, and maybe, for a night, pretend they weren’t being crushed under pressure.

The venue?

Evergreen Hall—the academy’s largest banquet hall, located right at the center of the Academy Square.

Elegant, historic, and rarely used except for the most important events.

For the first time in a while, students had something to actually look forward to.

The event was fully sponsored and managed by the academy.

That meant everything—from the decorations to the food, even the dresses and suits students would wear—was provided.

You could even place a custom order for your own outfit if you wanted.

It was clear the school was trying to make it feel like a proper, relaxing break. Just a single night to forget everything else.

And for most students, especially those exhausted from non-stop training and exams, that was more than enough.

Of course, some still thought the whole thing was pointless.

After all, the dungeon evaluations were still happening.

But if we’re being honest, it wasn’t like the noble kids cared.

The idea of a fancy party inside the academy walls was already more than enough to get them excited.

I guess they missed their balls and banquets—the kind of events they used to attend regularly outside the academy, back when their status meant more than their performance.

This was their chance to bring a bit of that life back, even if it was just for a night.

Still… as nice and relaxing as the event might seem on the surface, I already had a good idea of how toxic it could get.

We’re talking about academy students here.

The kind of people who smiled politely while sizing each other up, who never missed a chance to play social games even when they were dressed in silk and drinking wine.

And since this whole thing was being led by Snow herself, I figured I should probably ask that lover of mine about how the night was going to play out beforehand.

Knowing her, she’s already got the entire flow of the event sorted down to the minute.

Though honestly, I had other priorities.

I was hoping to use the extra downtime to check in on the clown’s condition—especially with Stacia’s current situation still being… unstable.

A small memory crept into my mind, and I found myself shaking my head.

…Sigh.

That crazy princess really did a number on me.

It almost felt like déjà vu—the way things turned out after my first kiss with Snow.

That whirlwind of confusion, the whispers behind my back, the stares that lasted too long.

I was already bracing myself.

The way rumors spread in this place… they were probably blowing everything out of proportion again.

I snapped myself out of it with a shake of my head.

Right. Focus.

I started thinking again about the clown—whether or not I should go all in and finish things for good now.

End the threat, take control of the board before it spirals out.

But then again… Stacia wasn’t permanently out of commission.

As long as she had mana, she could still move, still fight.

Maybe taking the slower, safer route would be smarter—watch things unfold and only interfere when absolutely necessary.

It wasn’t a bad option.

Especially since there was still the possibility of Asmodeus doing something unexpected. Something different from what I remembered in the game.

Because as much as I trusted Lucas’s fate as the “protagonist”—the guy who naturally draws the world’s attention and bends it to his favor—what happened during the evaluations was already a sign.

This wasn’t the same world I remembered from the screen.

Just because Lucas was meant to lead the story didn’t mean he’d bring about a good ending.

Both options had their merits.

But if I had to choose…

I’d probably go with the first one.

Stacia’s health mattered, of course. I wasn’t about to let her die or break down just to chase some ideal.

But if protecting her too much meant stopping her growth… if it meant she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own in the end…

Then what was the point of everything I did for her?

All the pain, all the improvements, all the risks?

If she can’t use any of that to move forward on her own, then it’s as good as keeping her caged.

On a side note, though… the official class rankings for the second years had just been released, and by tomorrow onwards, the S-Class of the second-year Knight Department would finally be restored to its full top 10 alignment.

Two new students were scheduled to join us, and honestly?

I was a little excited.

It’s been long overdue—our class had stayed at only eight members for quite a while now, which was unusual given that the top 10 format was kind of a tradition at this point.

Having new classmates after all this time stirred a small sense of curiosity in me.

A shift in dynamics always brings change, and change, whether chaotic or calm, is still movement.

Progress.

Anyway, for reference, here’s the current updated ranking:

1. Seo

2. Riley

3. Kagami

4. Janica

5. Lucas

6. Susan

7. Theo

8. Gilbert

9. Antony

10. Trisha

Seo and I didn’t really change ranks, which was about what I expected.

After everything that happened during the Evaluation Exam—especially my fight with Stacia—there wasn’t really much room for complaint or surprise.

Though the ranking does kind of feel like favoritism on the academy’s side as Seo and I didn’t exactly do much in the exam….

Kagami rising up the ladder wasn’t unexpected either; the guy’s been putting in serious work, and it’s finally showing.

Janica too.

Even some of the quieter names started inching their way upward.

Lucas, on the other hand… his drop from rank 3 to 5 was a little surprising, though I suppose it made sense.

Given his status as a shining symbol among the commoners and one of the most recognizable names in the academy, I half-expected the higher-ups to be a bit more lenient.

But I guess the performance during the Evaluation Exam was weighed more heavily than public perception.

Word has it he got caught in some kind of trap, which led to an early elimination—which was absurd but well considering his character… it kind of made sense.

Honestly, the only reason he didn’t fall lower might’ve been due to how high performance of his trained junior.

But knowing Lucas, the “dear protagonist” of this world, rankings probably don’t matter much to him.

He’ll spin fate in his favor eventually.

That’s just how he is.

Now as for Antony and Trisha… the new additions.

I’m genuinely curious about them.

Who they are, what they bring to the class, and whether or not they’ll stir up any chaos—or maybe something more subtle.

Either way, tomorrow’s going to be interesting.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep