"…" Leon looked around, and he saw that all 242 students from the graduating year of his school were also there, observing their surroundings.
There was no denying it anymore: they truly were in an obscure version of their school.
The gold plate showing the number [973] above the entrace was there, although mostly covered by rot.
"This is insane…"
"Why are we back here?"
"What the hell happened?!"
People were panicking, and rightfully so, they had been told that they would need to participate in a trial where only 10% of them would succeed, and now they were at the outside of their school?
Although… they were quick to notice everything was abnormal: the sky was completely dark, devoid of the sun or even the moon, and all the surroundings beyond the gate of the school were filled with thick mist that was impossible to look through.
The gymnasium was present, although boarded up, and the only place that was open was the school's giant entrance door, inviting them to enter it.
[Welcome to school number 973's alternate dimension, please head inside the school!]
Most of them didn't even know how to activate their powers, yet here they were.
And suddenly…
"SKISKISKI!" noise echoed in the distance, and the ground beneath them began to tremble.
The students turned in horror to see a horde of groteste looking scorpion-like creatures, half the size of a human, and their sting was giant as well.
~HISSSS~
[Giant Scorpions - Level 2]
At least fifty of those things rushed at the students.
[Hey, partner,] the voice in Leon's head rang, [It is not our time yet, you should run!]
'FUCK…' Leon for once was actually the first to react and rush toward the school's entrance.
"AAAGHHHH, LET ME GO," around twenty students were caught by the monsters as everyone ran, either stung by the sting, which pierced their hearts, or the scorpions jumped on their heads and killed them using their pincers.
A scene of true terror.
And yet…
~SLASH, SLASH~
"HAHAHAHA~ COME AT ME," Akira swung his [Sun Sword] and killed three of them at once.
And right afterward…
~DING~
He leveled up.
"Well, it's been fun, but I'll go," Akira noticed that more of these scorpions, which were presumably forcing them to go into the school, were appearing.
Without thinking, he assigned half his points in his [Speed] stat and the other half in [Strength], then ran toward the school entrance so fast that he caught up to the others almost instantly.
~FWISH~
"I'm closing it," there was a third of the people inside, but the majority were still outside, some still being killed by the scorpions.
But even then…
Akira held the two sides of the giant entrance door of the school then… using his strength… he closed it off.
"WAIT! NO, STOP!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"Sorry, folks," there were some of his friends in that group left behind, but he didn't care, "The scorpions are gonna enter at this point."
~CLANG, LOCK~
The moment he closed the metal door, it suddenly locked itself, forcing the people inside to now roam the school.
"AGHHHHHHHH!"
"HELPP MEEEEE!"
The screams of those beyond the door could be heard, yet not a single person inside felt any sort of pity: they were just thankful to be alive.
[242 -> 84 students alive]
"…" Leon looked at Akira, a wide smile on his face as he sacrificed all the others.
[This guy… haha~, doesn't matter,] the voice in Leon's head rang again, although the boy was actually angry, his eyes burning with aura for the first time.
Was this was Toji talked about? Was this the 'trigger'?
In just a few minutes, two thirds of the people were dead.
"Anyway, I'm going in my own way, you should do the same," Akira turned around and rushed in a random direction inside the hallways of the school.
Meanwhile, the rest of the people, still shocked, began to form teams in the hopes of increasing their odds of survival.
[Hey, partner.]
'…?'
[Let's go, these people are weak.]
'Right…' Leon felt it himself: any of them could betray him if it came to it.
As long as not a single one of them knew how to activate their powers, he couldn't afford to stay with these weaklings.
~TAP, TAP~
Leon began to walk away as well, many people eyeing him, yet not even bothering to call out to him or stop him.
The usually lively hallway of their school, with classroom doors everywhere, was now replaced by ruins and rot.
It truly felt like he had ended up in an alternate dimension.
And suddenly… the moment he turned around the corner…
~DING~
[You have received a QUEST!]
[Quest: "Awakening"]
[Objective: Awaken your powers!]
[Reward: 3 stat points]
[If you don't, you just die, do it =)]
'…Quests?' is this a video game or something?
Although he did remember even his teacher talking about "classes" themselves giving out quests and side-quests to their users to help them out and reward them, meaning that everybody probably got a quest like that by now.
'Why…' Leon gritted his teeth, 'Why didn't they explain how to awaken…'
Akira already somehow knew, but what about the others?
No matter how many times Leon shouted [DEVOUR] or tried to use it, it just wouldn't work.
---
[Skill: Devour]
[Description: With the help of EGO, devour all those that pose a threat to you, devour their minds, devour their souls, devour their entire existence, for there is nothing that is stopping you now.]
---
'With the help of EGO?'
[That's me!]
'Ok, so are you a system or something?' Leon mumbled.
[A system? I guess you can call me that, although talent seems better,] EGO laughed.
But before Leon could even say anything back…
~FWISH~
Leon felt a presence behind him, and he jumped to the side right as a stinger hit the spot he was in right before.
'THESE THINGS ARE HERE TOO?' Leon took a step back as two [Giant Scorpions] appeared, both using their not so little legs to cling to the walls, yet be able to throw their stingers from a good distance.
The more Leon backed away, the closer the scorpions got to him.
~FWISH, CLANG~
He dodged another one of the stingers using his sole instincts.
[Wow, you are doing better than expected!]
'One hit, and I'm down, what the fuck are you talking about,' Leon was sweating: running wasn't an option as more of these things could be waiting for him.
So what could he possibly do in this situation…?
[Quest: Awaken your powers]
'…!'
Sensing that his life was on the verge of ending, Leon's body began to be surrounded by a crimson aura.
~FWISH~
And so as the two scorpions sent their stinger again…
"DEVOUR!" he shouted, his eyes burning, hoping that this time he would make the cut.
If he didn't, then his life would end right there.