The sudden earthquake caught everyone off guard, but the instructor quickly shouted:
"Everyone, get under the desks!"
The students, no longer bewildered, immediately obeyed. Their initial confusion was understandable, as earthquakes were unheard of in their area.
A boy next to Alex was paralyzed with fear and didn't move. Despite it being the first day of school and not knowing who he was, Alex quickly pulled him under the desk.
"Do you want to die? Get under here!"
That guy nodded and complied, though he was still trembling. Alex didn't know how to help him any further, he couldn't change a person instantly. But at least hiding was safer than standing still.
After a while, the earthquake passed. Fortunately, the school building was well-constructed, so although the walls were cracked, it didn't collapse.
Many students were still in shock from the earthquake. The sound of chatter filled the room.
"What on earth is happening? Why wasn't there any warning about an earthquake?"
"But this earthquake was so strange. Why did it end so quickly?"
"You wanted it to last longer? Don't you see the building was about to collapse? A bit longer and we'd all be dead."
"Why are you so angry? Isn't everyone still alive and well?"
.....
The students continued to discuss, though their conversations led nowhere. Meanwhile, the leaders of various nations were in shock.
In the central government of Valoria, the country where Alex lived, a man stared in disbelief at the images transmitted from the satellites before they lost connection. He was Ryan Miller, the current Minister of Defense.
He could see the Earth expanding at an astonishing speed. Stammering, he said:
"W-what is this? The Earth is expanding... no, it's like the Earth's surface is being peeled back and more material is being added to form a larger planet."
"Sir, but isn't it true that the heavier the planet, the stronger the gravitational pull? Why don't we feel any difference?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask now? And do you think it's normal for the Earth's surface to split and then have material added to form a larger planet while humanity still survives?"
"Sir, could it be caused by an extremely powerful entity? Like a superhero or something?"
"Could you stop watching those things? Have you confused movies with reality?"
"But this situation can't be explained normally. I think some energy source is forcing us to reduce the pressure from gravity."
"Haiz, quickly contact the other departments. We need to understand what's happening to Earth as soon as possible."
At that moment, a man hurriedly entered and said:
"Sir, there's fruit outside."
Ryan wanted to hit his subordinate. The situation was critical, and this subordinate was talking about food.
"Do you not know what's important? Everything is in chaos, and you're thinking about eating?"
"No, sir. But the fruit is very strange. The tree outside wasn't a fruit tree, but during the tremor, it quickly grew some strange fruit."
Ryan frowned but sensed that this was an important discovery. He immediately ordered:
"Quickly send people to guard that tree. Also, bring in scientists specializing in botany to research it."
Although unclear, it might be related to the strange phenomenon. Having lived more than half his life, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, so he couldn't afford to be careless.
.....
Back in Alex's classroom, he crawled out from under the desk, leaving the other one alone. Since there was no immediate danger, he ignored the boy, as he wasn't his babysitter.
Suddenly, a voice of immense authority echoed from the sky, compelling everyone to kneel instinctively.
"Dear humanity, I am deeply sorry for the recent disaster. However, Earth has been chosen as a battleground for many races across the universe, so its surface area has increased a hundredfold. I have adjusted the gravity accordingly, and new continents are forming, which will be the invasion points for the intruders.
Though I cannot alter this fate, I will do my utmost to help you. I will impart to you the basic cultivation methods and awaken your martial souls. For future generations, martial souls will awaken at birth, but a strong body is necessary to summon them.
With these gifts, I believe you will have the strength to face the upcoming challenges. You may call me the Supreme One or God. That is all I have to say. I hope humanity will be strong enough to survive the difficult future."
As the voice faded, everyone's bodies began to glow. They were absorbing the knowledge of cultivation and sensing their martial souls.
Around them, strange apparitions appeared, resembling tangible but slightly translucent entities. These were not weak forms of martial souls. Rather, martial souls were inherently formed from the inner strength of the body, hence their appearance.
Various martial souls awakened among the students in the classroom: fish, dogs, cats, leaves, worms, spoons, pots, spatulas, blades of grass... Some martial souls even took the shape of bizarre creatures and objects.
Alex awakened a golden spear, which resembled a lower-grade version of the spear he had used in his battle with God. While others felt comfortable and powerful after their awakening, Alex's vision went dark.
The spear dissolved in his hand, and he collapsed, hitting his head on the ground, but he did not regain consciousness.
The instructor immediately rushed over to check on him. After confirming that Alex was still alive, he felt relieved.
"Well, it looks like he's just unconscious. But I'm not an expert in this, so it's best to go find a paramedic."
He said to the class:
"Everyone wait here for a moment, we probably have to leave school early today. Someone will probably come to help evacuate everyone soon, so don't worry."
Then he carried Alex to the school's medical staff for further care.