"Welcome students-or should I call you humanity's cadets- to Paglaum University"
A booming voice reverberated the entire gymnasium.
Azra who traveled with Lidia found herself glancing along auburn haired students, scrunching up her brows at the absence of a familiar face.
Lidia, who sat next to her simply looked on ahead, quieter than usual.
Mumbling to herself, Azra clicked her tongue- "Just where is he?"
…
Faced with 2 armed opponents, Vadgai accelerated in speed.
[Cold blooded in effect, body will now automatically choose best route to evade and efficiently emancipate]
[Abuse of Power in effect, human target detected, disrupted mind inflicted]
Ignoring the system notifications, Vadgai evaded the bullets hurling at him by a hair's breadth.
Now closer, he hurriedly lowered his upper body making sure to reach for the opponent's spare gun.
Catching his intention too late, the guard managed to dodge Vadgai's grappling hand.
The gymnasium grounds vibrated as the voice continued to announce.
"While waiting for our dearest headmaster, we request all of you to settle down"
"As we'll be starting shortly…"
[00:20:10 minutes until the opening ceremony]
Despite the time crunch, the auburned haired boy stayed calm. His grey eyes which darkened a shade changed directions to meet the guard's horrified ones.
However, the guard could only catch a glimpse of his change in movement before a blunt force hit him hard to the chin.
Dumbfounded by the quick succession of events, the other guard raised his gun to shoot the red haired intruder.
Sensing the danger through coldblooded, Vadgai threw the unconscious guard just when the other could shoot.
Taking the gun he originally aimed for, he too shot 4 times.
Straining his eyes making sure he hit the mark, this time now familiar with the x-ray-like power brought by the mysterious key, Vadgai shot the parasitic Zurge square on the head.
Twice.
It was only after he got the notifications of the successful subjugation did Vadgai turn his skills off.
With the effects gone, he felt sick.
His body was pushed to the limit to achieve the best outcomes heaved for breaths.
Sweat poured from his temples.
"This body is shit"
He lamented for the second time popping in pills to mitigate the aching creaks of his joints.
Energized, Vadgai checked his status window. Seeing that his stamina and mp was indeed refilled he ventured into the armory.
With the mana guns he purloined from the dead guards, he would go in to apprehend more inside.
An endeavor he would later find himself cursing heavens for.
Shooting at the last screeching Zurge, Vadgai grimaced at the splattered green blood.
His body's original traits were screaming for a servant to bathe and clean him.
Now, Jun was not a clean freak. But that didn't mean he liked blood all over him.
Pushing down the uncomfortable urge, he decided to focus on what was ahead but he found himself cursing in his mind instead.
In front of him were rows of combat armor that had been crushed, and partially destroyed.
In the sea of ruble, Vadgai clenched his teeth. He did wonder why the armory was inaccessible during his 2nd playthrough as a player.
When he was still Jun, at one point he thought it was just because of the sheer amount of parasitic zurge.
No, it was inaccessible because it would have been futile regardless.
Vadgai made his way to the broken shelves, the pieces of armor that cadets would fight each other for was now a sorry mess of metal.
Some of the pieces had residual mana.
"Typical"
Since this armor was made to counter the Zurge, little defense was made for human-wield power; magic.
But in a facility where armor and weapons were in the same place…
Checking the discarded mana guns here and there, Vadgai was correct.
They were out of bullets.
So did he go in here for nothing?
On the contrary, Jun who had played this game had a hunch that the zurge queen would have ordered this.
But it didn't matter.
Venturing in deeper, he found a private section untouched by the world.
The bright red "Caution! Private Area, Authorized Personnel Only!" was inviting.
He didn't come here to pick items to fight the Zurge. Wasn't his skills best suited to fight humans?
"Only an idiot would make a warrior wear a mage's cloak"
…
"It's almost 20 minutes"
Still no sight of Vadgai, Azra looked down at her astrowatch projecting a small holographic window of her contact logs.
On it was Vadgai's contact information specifically, but if she calls him now wouldn't she be the one losing?
"Ugh! I don't know, whatever he does no longer concerns me"
With that thought Azra hurriedly turned her watch off as if looking at it more burned her, decided to not care for him any longer she placed her sights at the stage. Unable to catch the small glitch on her astrowatch.
All of the students have been gathered. The seniors, and sophomores were quite confused as to why they were called in as well.
After all, the opening ceremony was an event exclusive to the freshmen year.
However there was a rough guess amongst the nobility.
Glancing their way to the beloved prince of the empire. A few snickered while the others sighed as if it can't be helped.
No matter how much the academe advocates to be fair to all, the hierarchy was one to be observed.
"Can't believe even in this school I have to bow to his sorry ass"
With widened eyes his seatmate immediately shushed him, whispering if his friend had gone mad.
"You can't tell me otherwise, the prince isn't who he was"
Perhaps because they were waiting for further announcements, the bustling gymnasium had quieted down. And the mocking remarks were heard all throughout the corners of the gym.
A few of his classmates flinched, unsure of how to refute him.
Prince Liam who had been blessed with a mana pool deeper than any human in this era, was a promising individual.
The next king.
But he's losing support quicker than a Zurge could proliferate.
Just a few months ago the prince had done questionable acts, he kept asking an audience for people that didn't exist. Even humiliating a noble Count family for an audience of his daughter, when it had been known of all of Galaxica that his wife had trouble conceiving after their one and only son.
Maids and even the emperor himself fell prey to one of his tantrums after being referred to as the 'youngest'.
Even placing pressure on the empress, when he cried and claimed that he had a younger brother.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was declared unfit for the crown, or better yet, be stripped of his status after his insa-"
"Take that back"
Furrowing his brows, a brown haired fellow who looked much younger than the confronted stood up from the 1st years, his eyes held no fear just clarity and burning anger. Had he had a sword, he would look like a knight from his posture.
Troy Gibbins, one of the few friends of the prince that had decided to stay despite the countless others that have left prince Liam from his manic episodes.
"What? Aren't you a knight? Are you going to use your family status now to shut me up?"
The sophomore continued to bark, standing from where he was seated. Sticking his tongue out, daring the younger one to fight him.
'Weird'- watching all that transpired, Azra stealthily tried to call the attention of the teachers, but there's "no one… not even an assistant instructor?"
As if following her same thought, a few students also had a confused look on their faces. No instructors, not even the student council were present.
"You-!"
And as the height of the conflict and confusion had reached its peak, Azra's combat senses activated.
[00:00:00 until the opening ceremony]
The gymnasium was in complete darkness.
[May the player reach their desired ending~]