So many monsters that they were getting repetitive. Joren was now getting familiar with the place as he tried to stay calm.
'I've already met a talking, hovering, threatening, knife-wielding, and system-wanna-be dried fish. At least these guys, I'm familiar with them... from legends and fiction, that is.'
"Good thing that you're not getting intimidated by them any longer?" Scarlett asked after glancing at him.
"Actually, instead, they're getting intimidated by you...?" she arched an eyebrow.
Joren didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this remark.
Joren looked around to see whose sound that came from. It was very clear as if inside his... head.
'Oh, yeah... but where is that fish.' he wanted to roll his eyes.
He felt something wiggle in his crotch.
"..."
"THE FUCK!?" Joren shouted taking everyone in shock. The monsters were retreating back from his shout while Scarlett turned to him with a frown.
Joren wanted to find two cats right to fight over this fish so that it will die a miserable death!
"What is it this time? Are you going to do something stupid again!?" Scarlett blushed as she recalled what happened earlier. Will the same pattern happen again?
Joren immediately stopped looking at his zipper for Scarlett not to follow his line of sight. Unfortunately, he still has his hands handcuffed, there is no way he could close his zipper.
It wiggled once again making him have the most uncomfortable time in his day.
"N-nothing..."
"This again." Scarlett rolled her eyes, "If you do anything, you see these monsters there?" she pointed.
"They're going to beat me up?"
"No, they're going to call the security."
"Oh... I don't blame you for not trusting me but I have my hands cuffed, right?"
At that moment, Joren realized that he had done a fatal move.
'She's going to take a look at my hands and see my opened zipper!'
To save himself, he bowed down, covering what he wants to hide the most while showing his hands still cuffed.
"See?"
"Ugh... y-yeah..." Scarlett showed a weirded-out expression before continued on walking.
Joren wanted to drop on his knees and cry.
'What did I do to deserve this!?'
'What kind of a dick is wiggling!?'
A nerve popped out of Joren's forehead.
The bulge in his crotch disappeared which made him sigh in relief.
After a few more minutes of walking, Joren was astounded by the sheer number of monsters out there. Although the majority were still ghosts and some "lesser" creatures, there was an unending sight of them!
'How long are we going to walk?'
Just as Joren thought, Scarlett spoke.
"It seemed you finally calmed down."
"Y-yeah, sorry..."
"It's fine, there are more abnormal people like you. I should already be expecting it but you seemed so normal I forgot that you're an Abnormal."
'Please, God, turn back time!' Joren internally cried.
"Since we're almost there, let me explain all of this."
Joren nodded and listened carefully.
Scarlett then explained, "All of these creatures have already existed in the world since the start of time. Some were even there before humans evolved into... humans. All the legends that you know that have some history behind them are all real."
Joren's hands trembled.
"A-all of them?"
"Yes, but before human civilization, Gods ruled over them. But once humans gain sentience, they began offering the Gods some gifts and worshipping them. Gods being Gods with bloated heads, they have a new favorite. Because of this, humans flourished and monsters hated humans for it. That's why in the stories, humans were always the food and victims of monsters. When there's smoke, there's fire. That's where the horrific tales and legends come from."
It wasn't that hard to understand but Scarlett still paused for Joren to digest the information. Instead of incomprehensible, it was mind-boggling!
Scarlett then continued.
"Gods began to notice the monsters' oppression against humans and were angered, sending calamities and storms. Natural disasters were not towards humans but to monsters. Meanwhile, humans were blessed and their civilization was protected. There was until after many generations, they began to take it for granted, wanted freedom, rebellions began, and wars surged. But let's not get into those details, you'll learn them in classes."
"Classes?"
"Yeah, this is Myth Academy with the word 'Academy'. But before that, let me continued with the story. Many ventured out and humans were split into many factions, traveling all over the world, and meeting the monsters all over again. Until some of them met 'good' monsters' which they befriended and sympathized with. They went back to where all humans came from called Yumantra, which the word humans literally came from, and tried to convince them that not all monsters are bad and they don't deserve the calamities."
Joren nodded with a serious expression, scaring all the monsters. He was getting interested in this. If this was all true then his view of the world had turned 180 degrees.
"Anyway, of course, people of Yumantra didn't like that idea. They called these people from the outside demons and witches blah blah blah," Scarlett raised her hand and form a mouth with it like a puppet, "You'll just learn this tomorrow so let's skip that part. Wars happened, surprisingly, the monsters helped the 'outside' humans but because Yumantra sided with the Gods, they were equal."
Scarlett stopped and whispered to Joren.
"Gods didn't directly help at first. They're so useless."
Joren found it funny how Scarlett had her own opinion on this but he showed a serious expression and nodded.
"However, as you can see right now, monsters easily outnumber humans. Yumantra was about to be defeated until they became desperate and asked the Gods for help. Being prideful, thinking that Yumantra's defeat is also their defeat, they began to help and half of the 'outside' army were gone in a blink of an eye."
Joren's eyes widened in surprise.
'Gods.. I guess they do hold up to that title.'
"Hehehe, this is where the fun part begins. The annihilation was so abrupt that it notified the 'Gods' from the underworld."
Scarlett whispered again...
"They don't teach this in classes but when Cthulu came out after things escalate, the Gods immediately submitted defeat."
Then back to her normal voice, she continued.
"Since the underworld beings don't really care about humans and monsters but weren't pushovers either, a compromise was formed. Since humans were the primary victims and have the most decency, intelligence, and reasonable societal rules, they were granted supremacy over the world with the responsibility of taking care of it.
Meanwhile, monsters will have their own place where they will learn proper etiquette before they are sent out back to the 'human world'. Once they graduate, they will be rewarded an appearance of a human where they will blend into the society."
"So this is that place?" Joren asked. It was quite obvious but he still wanted to become sure.
"Yeah," Scarlett smiled.
"Miss Scarlett, you seemed to like monsters..." he mumbled in reply.
"No, I don't side with any of them." Scarlett didn't hide and continued, "I side with the strong. Gods are just flattering themselves with human worshippers while the Yumantra people could only rely on their Gods." she sighed.
"I can see that from the story. The 'outside people' fought for rights, they seemed to be the good guys. And these underworld 'Gods' seemed reasonable."
"They are, right!?" Scarlett replied with enthusiasm.
Seeing this, Joren pondered for a moment.
'I suddenly have the urge to become strong...'
After more walking and talking, they've finally reached a strange gate at the end of the buildings. Joren was now getting skeptical about how many gates they have to pass through before they are actually in.
"Finally, we're almost in the main residential area. Only monsters with enough intelligence are here. On the outer grounds, they have yet to be inspected. Once in, they will be split depending on their strength and intelligence. Those who are not intelligent or strong enough are those we just passed through. Here, the monsters are qualified."
As Scarlett opened the gate after swiping her ID card, Joren saw another monster.
"Booo~"
When he was about to be disappointed by the ghost, he saw a screen hanging from its neck.
[Welcome to the first level's entrance of the Myth Academy. Where would your destination be?]
"Booo~"
They were inside an elevator-like area. After looking around, the ghost then took Joren's baggage. He was surprised but then he read the words appearing on the screen.
[Let me carry that, scary sir.]
"Professional..." Joren commented.
Scarlett was looking at her phone and read out loud.
"S3"
"Boo~" the ghost replied.
[Area S, 3rd Street, approximately thirty seconds of travel. Confirm?] but the sentence on its screen says otherwise.
"Confirm."
The elevator-like area began moving.