"May the will of Aurora prevail for a million years."
The sentence felt like a slogan, stirring something deep within Michael.
Even the revelation of the Level 3 member travelling to another world didn't catch much of his attention.
In school, they were taught that some Dimensional Cracks from the dark age still remained. While most led to places filled with monsters, a few opened gateways to other realms like Aurora.
They had also been told that these monsters were a significant reason why Cultivators and Awakeners were vital to society. Yet, the seriousness of it all had eluded him back then, as the topic was presented in a light, almost casual manner.
Even combat classes felt more like physical education than actual preparation for life-threatening situations.
Reading the comment section under Billy's post, however, shattered that illusion. Michael realised that reality was far harsher than what they were taught.
Aurora wasn't safe.
Whether the threat came from monsters, demonic supernaturals, or something else entirely, he didn't know. But one thing was clear—he needed strength.
Whatever the Federation's motives were for gradually unveiling the truth to the public, Michael understood that he had to be ready for whatever followed.
He tried to dig deeper into the comments, hoping to find more insights about the Federation's actions, but nothing else was as informative as the comments from the seniors.
Most were either empty speculations or cheap imitations of what had already been said.
Realising he wouldn't find anything more useful, Michael dismissed the post.
Curious about the truth of the world he lived in, Michael began searching for topics he had never considered before.
His first search focused on the dark age, but the information available mirrored what he had been taught in school. However, when he searched for "demonic supernaturals," he discovered new insights. Thankfully, his Level 1 membership granted him access to this information.
For one, his suspicion that demonic supernaturals still existed was confirmed.
Michael learned that both the Federation and students from Cultivation and Awakener Academies occasionally hunted them. However, details about their recent actions or larger operations remained inaccessible to him.
Still, knowing they were still a threat made his heart grow heavier.
Next, Michael delved into Dimensional Cracks.
Beyond the simplified descriptions given in school—where they were portrayed as harmless as neighbouring countries—he discovered that the reality was much grimmer.
It wasn't the monster-filled cracks that posed the greatest danger to Aurora but those leading to other realms.
These cracks introduced him to a new term.
"Invader Invasions."
Michael learned that some civilizations on the other side of these cracks sought to expand their control over Aurora, resulting in ongoing wars.
This revelation shocked him.
Despite the end of the dark age, Aurora was far from safe. The public's ignorance was protected by the sacrifices of others, who fought wars that few could properly appreciate.
Unfortunately, Michael's low authority level once again restricted his access to more information. Still, he gleaned enough to know that Academy students like himself were regarded as reserve soldiers for the Federation, tasked with defending Aurora from both internal and external threats alongside the military.
Having frequently encountered references to supernatural academies in his searches, Michael made them his next research topic.
In a few minutes, he learned more about his world than he had in all his years at school.
"This world isn't safe. I need strength to protect myself and my family."
"The Federation seems to have reached a dead end. I can only rely on myself. In the end, it all comes down to strength. With strength, the road ahead will be clearer. But even now, there are things I can and must do."
Michael listed his priorities.
"First, I need to finally start utilising my class advantages. Necromancers are said to have one of the fastest levelling speeds due to earning a percentage of the experience from enemies killed by their summons. My class is also one of the strongest, capable of operating as a one-man army, much like a Beast Tamer. Wasting this potential would be foolish."
"Then there's the college exam. With my current strength, getting into a top Awakener Academy is a pipe dream. Only Cultivation Academies might accept me due to my identity as an Awakener. But since this directly impacts my growth and access to information, I have to take it seriously."
"Lastly, I need to find a solution for the ruins I'm trapped in within the Land of Origin. If I don't, my growth will be even slower."
After setting these goals, Michael finally turned his attention to his present situation.
The Super Association system had notified him minutes ago that his post was approved, but he had been too engrossed in his research to check it. He hadn't expected immediate responses anyway and decided to wait.
Returning to his post, Michael was shocked to find it had garnered over 30 comments and a surprising amount of traction—more than 30,000 views in just half an hour.
The unexpected popularity stunned him.
"I hope I can find something useful," Michael muttered as he opened the comments section, only to be taken aback again.
To his surprise, nearly no one seemed concerned about his struggles as a Necromancer. Instead, the majority were fixated on his initial location, ignoring the topic of his post entirely.
"I don't know if I should call you lucky or unlucky. Lucky because you somehow stumbled into a ruin every Awakener prays for, and unlucky because you're too weak to explore it—stopped by a mere level 21 monster."
'A level 21 monster, weak? Oi! That's a Rank 1 monster close to the limit!' Michael thought, feeling both attacked and embarrassed.
Despite the sting, the comment made him pause.
Ruins.
Michael had read novels back on earth where such places brimmed with treasures. But back in the Land of Origin, he hadn't been thinking about ruins. His focus had been on scouring dorm rooms for missed slimes, not the ancient significance of his surroundings.
Curious, Michael continued reading other comments.
"Gargoyles are artificially created monsters, so it's almost certain you're in a ruin. As three-star Rare-grade monsters, their weakest are usually around level 20. Given your description of the ruin, it's clearly very old. Gargoyles don't lose levels even after 50 years, so the ruin you're in is at least 200 years old. The older the ruin, the more valuable its treasures. I'd say you're lucky, kid. Just don't die there before enhancing your strength by levelling up in real life."
This comment, far more informative, caught Michael's attention.
Checking the commenter's profile, he saw they were a Level 4 member.
Michael's curiosity deepened. He had recently searched for the meaning behind the Super Association's member levels and now understood their significance.
• Level 1 members: Unranked to Rank 1 Awakeners, and Rank 1-2 Cultivators (Apprentice and Elite).
• Level 2 members: Rank 2 Awakeners, and Rank 3-4 Cultivators (Commander and Master).
• Level 3 members: Rank 3 Awakeners, and Rank 5 Cultivators (King level).
• Level 4 members: Rank 4 Awakeners, and Rank 6 Cultivators (Emperor level).
• Level 5 members: Rank 5 Awakeners, and Rank 7 Cultivators (Demigod level).
Realising this, Michael felt a newfound respect for the "seniors" in the forum. Those Level 5 members were akin to Demigods in strength—they truly deserved to be addressed with such reverence.
With his current power, Michael couldn't even begin to fathom the strength of a being addressed as a Demigod.
He also noticed a distinct pattern: starting from Rank 5 in the Cultivation power system (King level), the gap between Awakeners and Cultivators began to narrow.
An Awakener rank was no longer comparable to two Cultivator ranks, at least on the surface.
Perhaps Cultivators experienced a significant boost at King level, but Michael wasn't worried.
Awakeners wouldn't stagnate either; they grew stronger with each rank advancement.
Of course, a King-level Cultivator was still far beyond Michael's reach and deserving of respect.
The Awakener who responded to his post was a Level 4 member, making them comparable to an Emperor-level Cultivator, just below the Demigod rank.
As an Awakener, they might even stand a chance against a Demigod.
It was clear this Level 4 member was a "senior" as well.
Michael hurriedly gave his thanks.
"Fortunately, I wasn't desperate enough to do something reckless. I might have missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Michael thought.
Dying in the Land of Origin came with heavy consequences: not only did one lose 10% of their stats permanently, but their location also changed.
If Michael died in the ruin, he could kiss it goodbye.
The senior's advice also reminded him of something he'd read earlier about Dimensional cracks. These cracks were under Federation supervision, and gaining access required either Supers Association membership or academy enrollment. While Michael wasn't an academy student, his Supers Association membership granted him access to cracks within his member level's limit.
This realisation gave him hope.
Now that he had clarity on his location, Michael shifted focus to the next issue.
"Fortunately, someone among these ruin-obsessed Awakeners remembered I'm a necromancer in distress."