After playing for a while longer, it was time for a meal. Eros gently nudged Undine, who was still in his arms. "Time to eat," he whispered.
Undine gave a small grunt and opened her eyes, which were still slightly hazy from sleep. Seeing her awake, Eros stood up and went to the conductor to purchase four portions of food. The meals on the train couldn't compare to the Academy’s cafeteria, but at this stage, no one was likely to be picky.
Eros walked over to Ayesha, who was hiding on the other side of the carriage, and handed her one of the trays. Ayesha looked at the meal; her lips moved slightly, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say "thank you."
Eros smiled, reached out to pat her head, and lowered his voice to offer a small reminder: "Stay close to me after we enter the Sin Realm."
Ayesha bit her lip, a complex look flickering in her eyes. Before she could respond, Eros had already turned and returned to his seat. Once everyone in the carriage had finished eating, the train resumed its previous silence.
The steam train continued its journey, finally arriving at the deep mountains outside the city of Hydaram at ten o'clock the following morning. Inside these mountains, the Church had constructed a sizeable camp surrounding a rift into the Sin Realm. People hurried to and fro; they didn't seem surprised by the arrival of the students, having clearly been notified long ago.
Eros and the others followed the Academy’s officials to the entrance of the Sin Realm at the center of the camp. The official in charge glanced at the rift, then turned to face the assembled students.
"Next, you will enter the Sin Realm for your practical assessment. I will now outline the rules."
"I know many of you have done this before and are familiar with the procedures, so I am speaking primarily for the first-year freshmen. Listen carefully! The rules are simple. Shortly, Academy staff will use a Sealed Artifact to teleport you randomly."
Seeing a stir among the first-years, the official gestured for silence. Once the crowd quieted, he continued: "Don't worry. This 'random teleportation' doesn't mean you'll be sent in alone. You will be deployed class by class."
The first-years breathed a visible sigh of relief. Not being alone, and staying with familiar faces, undoubtedly boosted their sense of security.
The official continued: "The requirement is also simple: survive in this lowest-level Sin Realm for fifteen days. After fifteen days, as long as you are alive, you pass. Your final grade will be ranked based on the value of the materials you bring out. The Academy will purchase these materials at market price. The first-place winner can choose one Grade 3 Sealed Artifact from the Academy’s containment room as a reward. Additionally, the Academy will award a cash prize of one thousand pounds."
"Remember, only first place gets a reward. Now, the Academy will distribute compressed food and fresh water sufficient for fifteen days. The cost for the food and water will be settled after the assessment. I hope you all return alive to pay your bills."
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"Oh, and the locators. The Academy will provide each of you with one. Please, do not lose it. This is what the rescue teams will use to find your position after the assessment. Even if you die, keep the locator on you. That way, the Academy can at least recover your body and send your ashes home."
"Alright! I’ve said my piece. Proceed in an orderly fashion to collect your supplies and wait for deployment."
Before long, the sixth-year classes, who had collected their supplies first, began their deployment. Eros saw many familiar faces among the girls; Mary was among them. He hoped they would all survive. There were 36 classes in the sixth year, 40 in the fifth, 45 in the fourth, 51 in the third, 57 in the second, and 100 in the first. As for why there were fewer classes in the higher years? It was because most of those missing had died in previous Sin Realm assessments. A class consisted of thirty people, meaning nearly ten thousand students were participating. Eros wondered silently how many would be left in fifteen days.
Following the instructions of the clergy, Eros arrived at the designated open ground. A flash of light erupted, and the entire 27th Class of the fifth year vanished instantly.
Only a few Church officials remained on the empty ground. One of them looked at the entrance to the Sin Realm and remarked with a sigh, "Many will likely die again this time."
The person beside him replied indifferently, "If they can't survive even in a lowest-level Sin Realm, they wouldn't last six months in the world once they leave the Academy’s protective barriers."
The first man fell silent, knowing his colleague spoke the truth. The dangers found within the Sin Realm were the most fundamental threats of the mystical world. If one couldn't handle even these basics, surviving half a year after graduation would be a miracle.
In the mystical world, danger wasn't something you could avoid by hiding. Once you touched the mystery, the mystery would actively seek you out.
With a soft sigh, the first man said, "Come on, let's go to the light screen and watch."
The officials walked to the other side of the camp, where a massive light screen, ten meters wide and tall, floated in the air. On the screen, small blue dots—grouped in clusters of thirty—were scattered across various regions. Standing before the screen was a gaunt old man in a pitch-black robe with silver embroidery only at the hem. He stared at the screen with calm eyes.
The officials stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Deacon!"
The old man gave a faint grunt of acknowledgement, his gaze never wavering. The officials followed his look. In just an instant, several blue dots turned red. They knew what that meant: students carrying locators had been confirmed dead.
A few minutes earlier...
After a blur in his vision and a moment of disorientation, the sky before Eros turned a dull, leaden gray, and the earth became a scorched, charred red. A bizarre odor permeated the air. All around, twisted, grotesque plants met his gaze. If one listened closely, they could hear eerie whispers, like the low murmurs of demons.
Suddenly, from a gnarled tree in the distance, a featherless monster bird erupted into flight. It was covered in rotting, oozing sores, possessed three heads, and had a human face growing from its rear. The face on its backside let out a raucous, ghastly shriek. As it took off, more identical birds rose from the surrounding twisted trees. They circled above the group, screaming incessantly as pus dripped from their bodies.
An exclamation of alarm suddenly erupted from the crowd: "Oh no! Get back! Steve has been contaminated!"
Most of those present had risen through the ranks since the first year and were experienced in such matters. Though startled, they didn't panic. Quickly, they put distance between themselves and the student named Steve.
Eros watched with an indifferent gaze as Steve roared, his flesh rapidly mutating. Within moments, he had transformed into one of those featherless, three-headed birds with a human face on its rump. That face was unmistakably Steve’s own. The monster bird flapped its wings, seemingly ready to join the "family" in the sky.
At that moment, a gunshot rang out. The bird’s body instantly erupted in pure white flames. It was a purification bullet.
The 27th Class of the fifth year had suffered its first casualty.