On Sunday afternoon, Ethan and the others finally returned to the academy. They had set out with 65 students, but only 60 returned—five freshmen had perished.
Back at the academy, Ethan's first stop was to exchange for seven bottles of 'Tranquility Elixir' and one dose of 'Red Poison Antidote,' costing him nine credits. But he didn't mind the expense. With only a week left until the 'Deathmatch,' he needed to intensify his training.
As for Bryce, the other participant in the deathmatch, he didn't return to the academy upon reaching Guangling City but went straight home. Upon arrival, he was informed that his father, Lionel, was waiting for him in the study.
Bryce entered the study to find not only his father but also another man seated on the floor, meditating. The presence of such a distinguished guest in Lionel's study was telling of his importance.
Lionel got straight to the point, "This is Gao Lin, Mr. Gao, a master of the 'Tongxuan Third Layer'—a true expert. You will not go to the academy for the next week. Mr. Gao will instruct you. I've also prepared weapons, armor, resources for cultivation, and elixirs for use during the match. Focus on one thing: train, and in a week, defeat your opponent. That's all. You may leave now."
From beginning to end, Bryce was not given a chance to speak or to express whether he accepted the arrangement. This was his father, Lionel.
...
On Monday morning, during Xiao Shi's general knowledge class, the teacher who most resembled a traditional educator entered the classroom, squinting at the students through his highly myopic glasses. "Hm? Is student Luo absent today?" he asked, prompting laughter in the classroom. Cedricl snorted, "Good riddance if he's dead."
A student stood up to report, "Teacher, Bryce has requested a week off for special training," implying that the training was for the upcoming 'Deathmatch' against Ethan.
"Is that so..." Xiao Shi nodded, "Then let's begin today's lesson on the 'Prophecies of the Apocalypse.'"
The mention of 'apocalypse' caught Ethan's drifting attention, and he looked up to see Xiao Shi projecting photos onto the blackboard. They were all images of a stone tablet.
"This is the 'Doomsday Stele,'" Xiao Shi began. "It was discovered in 'that world,' and it prophesies that the end of days would come upon the discovery of 'that world.' Signs of the apocalypse began to appear within one or two years, prompting secret construction of underground cities around the world, leading to our current Northern Eighteen Cities and Southern Nine Capitals."
During a pause, a student raised a hand to ask, "Teacher, why wasn't this information made public if there was a prophecy, and we had time to build underground cities? Was it to avoid panic?"
Ethan nodded inwardly. He, too, was puzzled by this. When he first saw Guangling City, he felt a sense of injustice. Building underground cities to evade disaster meant that some had known about the impending calamity, yet ordinary citizens were kept in the dark until the 'Behemoth Catastrophe' struck. An early warning, even if it couldn't prevent the disaster, might have reduced the casualties.
Xiao Shi sighed, "Fear of panic is one reason. Another is that the 'Doomsday Stele' predicted the disaster would occur a century later. No one expected it to erupt just halfway through that period. It seems that man's calculations are no match for fate."
The premature outbreak of disaster... Ethan closed his eyes, envisioning familiar faces that flashed before him. If the prophecy had been accurate, those faces needn't have vanished.
Xiao Shi continued with other topics until the class ended. As Ethan left the classroom, the academy's broadcast system called for him to visit the principal's office. Puzzled by the summons, he wondered if it was about the academy's reward.
In the principal's office, Ethan was greeted by Marshal and a short, casually dressed old man with white hair tied in a small braid—Principal Fengren.
Marshal introduced them, "This is our academy's principal, Fengren."
Ethan nodded respectfully, "Principal Pan."
Fengren chuckled, "Ethan, you performed exceptionally well during the expedition. Especially commendable was your courage in piloting 'Black Thunder' to kill two Behemoths. After deliberation, we've decided to award you to encourage further excellence. Wei, please explain the rewards."
Marshal stepped forward with a smile, "There are three rewards. First, 300 credits, which have already been transferred to your student card. Second, a piece of 'Heavy Equipment,' for which you will be given a list to choose from. Third, an advanced visualization technique. Once you've mastered 'Contemplating the Mountains and Seas' and broken through, we'll teach you a higher level of visualization technique, with no conditions required."
Ethan was momentarily dazed by the series of rewards. While 300 credits were expected, the offer of 'Heavy Equipment' was a pleasant surprise, and the promise of an advanced visualization technique was an unexpected boon, ensuring his training would be unimpeded at least until reaching the 'Tongxuan' level.
Regaining his composure, Ethan nodded. Marshal handed him a tablet with a list of the academy's 'Heavy Equipment' for careful selection.
Back in his dorm, Ethan eagerly began picking out his reward. Weapons, including those used by mechs, were graded. The lowest level was 'Craftsman Equipment,' such as the rifles and military knives they were equipped with on missions, and the Divine Might rifles used by mechs.
The second level was 'Heavy Equipment,' which far surpassed 'Craftsman Equipment' in power. The third level, 'Divine Weapons,' were said to be made from materials from 'that world.' Ethan couldn't even imagine what lay beyond 'Divine Weapons,' as his current status didn't grant him access to such knowledge.
Focused on his selection, Ethan eventually chose a standard longsword named 'Star Splitter.' Not only was it sharp as befitting 'Heavy Equipment,' but it could also split its blade to shoot fragments and injure opponents. With a 'Magnetic Attraction System,' it could even reassemble the scattered pieces.