I woke up and climbed down from the bunk bed. Surprisingly, Baldy wasn't nagging me to wake up for once. Instead, he lay snoring away, his peaceful expression marred only by the irritating sound of his snores. Shrugging it off, I headed outside to catch the sunrise.
The sky was painted in warm hues, with the soft petals of sakura blossoms falling gently in the breeze. I took a deep breath, letting the beauty of the scene momentarily distract me. it's today, huh? My birthday. Ever since we were abducted into this alternate dimension and forced into survival training, I've been counting the days. By my calculations, it's definitely today.
But who's going to celebrate it with me here? My little sister and Dad are still on Earth—assuming they're not stuck in another dimension too. Oh, and Sakura. She's the one who always remembers. Every year, she somehow surprises me. Sure, she scares the crap out of me with her theatrics, but she's always there. I can't help but feel a little grateful... just a little.
I sighed, pushing away the bittersweet thoughts. I still had too many unanswered questions. Why were we transported here? What's the purpose of all this? Maybe I'd get some answers from Instructor A if I paid more attention in class.
"Good morning, Hoon!" a cheerful voice called out. I turned to see Instructor A standing beside me. Her short blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, giving her an almost ethereal glow. She looked like she was soaking up energy from the sun itself.
"Morning, Teach," I replied flatly. Her boundless energy first thing in the morning was exhausting.
"You've got a lot of questions, don't you?" she teased. "You should attend my classes more often! As one of your teachers now, I might be able to help." She beamed at me, her grin as bright as the sunlight she seemed to absorb.
"Alright, bit—" I caught myself. "I mean, alright, Teach. I'll show up today."
"Nice energy, Hoon!" She stood silently beside me for a while, gathering sunlight like a plant. I almost liked this quieter side of her. Almost.
After a while, she spoke. "Time to go, Hoon. Your classroom is on my schedule today!"
I followed her back to the school, bracing myself. Sakura always pulls some sort of stunt on my birthday. "Ta-da! Happy Birthday, Hoon!" she'd shout. She's predictable like that. But as we entered the building, nothing happened. No balloons, no shouting, no Sakura.
Weird. She's the class president—she's always here.
Shrugging it off, I headed to my desk as Instructor A began her lesson.
"Good morning, everyone!" she said with her usual enthusiasm. "Today, we'll talk about this alternate dimension and your home—Earth."
I perked up. Finally, something relevant.
"To put it simply, this dimension was created by an entity we call an 'elf.' Every alternate dimension has its own elf, responsible for maintaining it. Your arrival here wasn't random. High schools across the globe were targeted because young souls like yours have low karma and pure potential. Unlike adults, who are too corrupted."
Her words made me tense. Low karma? Yeah, right. If she could see mine, I'd be kicked out of here for sure.
"This dimension is a training ground to prepare for an invasion. Invaders are targeting Earth, but we instructors fend them off whenever we return to your world. For now, their numbers are small, but they'll increase. That's why you're here—to be trained for the inevitable."
So, Leopold was right. Invaders are ruining Earth. The rest of the lesson flew over my head. My mind raced with questions: where did these invaders come from? Another world? Or somewhere even the instructors don't understand?
The class ended, and I skipped the next one—it was pointless stuff anyway. Instead, I hit the bodybuilding club with Rei. Training here seemed to increase stats without needing karma points, which was a relief.
[Status Window]
[Strength: 54 → 56 (D)]
[Speed: 59 → 60 (D)]
[Wisdom: 90 → 94 (C)]
[Tenacity: 39 → 42 (-D)]
Rei glanced at me and smirked. "What are your stats, Hoon?"
"They're low. You don't need to know," I muttered, embarrassed.
"Mine are almost all S," he said casually.
S? I thought. Of course they are, you monster.
---
After a long day of training, night fell, and I headed back to my dorm. Sakura must be sick or something. That's the only reason she'd miss surprising me. But as I stepped into my room, the lights flickered on, and a chorus of voices rang out.
"Happy Birthday, Hoon!"
Sakura stood front and center, holding a cake with my name on it. Yuzuki, Mizaki, Rei, the Skylaid sisters, and even Baldy were there too. For a moment, I felt... warm. Then I shook it off.
"What are you all doing here? Get out of my room."
Their smiles faltered, replaced by disappointment.
[Gained Misery: +2]
[Gained Karma: -30]
At least I gained something. Still, I pulled Sakura aside. "Where were you this morning?"
She grinned. "Were you worried about me? Aww, that's sweet. I was just busy baking your cake and setting all this up."
Before I could respond, a portal suddenly appeared before us. A woman stepped out, dagger in hand, flanked by hulking golems.
"An invader," I whispered.
The golems moved fast, pinning both of us to the ground. I struggled, but they were too strong.
"Joyweaver!" I shouted, trying to activate my Gift.
[You can't use Gifts in the safe zone.]
"Damn it!"
Sakura trembled beside me as I yelled for help. Suddenly, shadows burst from the darkness—goblins, larger and stronger than before. They fought the golems, freeing us.
Instructor A stood on the roof, her usual bubbly energy gone. She glared at the invader. "What's your business here?"
"To exterminate you all, of course," the woman sneered.
Instructor A smirked. "You asked for it."
Despite the lack of sunlight, she began drawing in moonlight.
"Watch, Hoon. This is why I'm the strongest instructor."
With calm precision, she summoned a radiant armor. "Moonlight Command: Moonlight Armor." Then, a shimmering bow appeared in her hands. "Moonlight Command: Bow and Arrows."
The battle was brief but spectacular. Her arrows illuminated the night sky, exploding into brilliant fireworks that wiped out the invader and her monsters.
As we watched the display, Rei handed me the cake. "Here, make a wish."
I blew out the candle, a rare smile creeping onto my face.
This... this might be the best birthday I've ever had.