NOVEL NEXT chapter 451 - Demon?
"If you want to become a student in our academy, you must undergo a trial first. And our trial is simple: kill, or be killed. If you survive, then you've won. But if you die…"
Miss Ember smiled. From the perspective of a prospective student, that smile was not comforting but devilish, like fire wrapping itself around their throats.
"…then you simply vanish, disseminated from this world. Any questions?"
Her gaze swept across the platform, searing each trembling face in turn.
One nervous student raised his hand.
"You… speak," Miss Ember said, her eyes narrowing.
"I-Is there… any second chance?"
"Second chance?" she echoed. For a heartbeat, her tone was sweet. Then her lips curled into something sharp. "Of course. There's always a second chance"
Relief swept over the crowd, until her next words crushed it.
"There's a second chance… if you have a second life"
Her laughter rang out, laced with scorching mana. The sound cracked the air like firewood exploding in a furnace. The pressure was suffocating, students fell to their knees, clutching their heads. Some collapsed outright, foaming at the mouth. The air itself seemed to burn with her fury.
"NAIVE!" she roared, her voice booming across the platform. "THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCE IN THIS WORLD! DIE ONCE, AND YOU ARE GONE FOREVER! IF YOU FEAR THIS TRUTH, LEAVE NOW! GO HOME AND SUCK YOUR MOTHER'S TITTY!"
The atmosphere froze, then cracked.
"Pfft… ahaha~"
A laugh. Small at first, then louder. Louder. Until it swallowed even Miss Ember's fiery presence.
"Haaah~ 'Go suck your mama's titty,' she said. That's funny"
Miss Ember's head snapped around, rage burning in her eyes. "WHO SAID THAT!?"
"Here~" the voice drawled lazily. "I'm here, Missy~"
All eyes turned.
There stood a young man, extraordinarily handsome, his presence cutting through the oppressive heat like a cold blade. His mismatched eyes glowed: one blue as the deepest ocean, the other red as fresh blood. He smirked, as if mocking the very trial.
Askara D'Archy Hidayat.
Around him, his brothers and sisters averted their gazes, as though disowning him in silent exasperation.
Only the two maids by his side remained still, their porcelain expressions unshaken, like masks carved from stone.
Behind them all, the massive bird Nāgāntaka shifted lazily, his golden feathers rustling as he yawned.
"When will this boring thing end?" He muttered, half-asleep. "I want to go back and sleep"
At first, Miss Ember's rage burned hotter than her flames. That pale-faced brat dared to laugh at her? She wanted to crush him where he stood. But then she saw it.
The emblem sewn into his attire. A great tree, its roots twisting into the earth. Beneath it, the symbol of a man, flanked by a colossal bird and a lion.
Her fire flickered. Her breath caught.
"…D'Archy," she murmured, the word tasting like ash in her mouth.
She turned her head sharply toward the row of instructors. Her gaze landed on one woman in particular, long white hair cascading like moonlight, eyes burning a deep, sanguine red. The woman met Miss Ember's stare with a smile. Not warm, but razor-sharp.
Miss Ember's throat tightened. She snapped her head toward Eldrin, silently demanding an answer, but the man only folded his arms and said nothing.
Her flames cooled into smoke. She swallowed her anger, then turned back to the boy.
"State your name, D'Archy," she ordered, her tone sharp but no longer as merciless.
Askara tilted his head, smirking. "Should I?"
"You-!" Miss Ember's voice cracked, teetering on fury.
"Aska"
The sound of her voice froze the platform.
The white-haired woman was no longer among the instructors. She now stood casually at Eldrin's side, as if she had always been there. Her crimson eyes softened with a knowing smile as they fell on Askara.
Askara's smirk vanished. His shoulders tensed. "…Oh, shit. Sister Alice?!"
"You're dead, Aska," Kiara muttered, crossing her arms.
Litani slowly raised both hands in surrender, wisely choosing silence.
Anggana and Anindah pressed their hands over their mouths, trying and failing to stifle their laughter. Their shoulders shook with suppressed amusement, their eyes sparkling with mischief at their brother's impending doom.
The atmosphere shifted. From awe, to dread, to something else entirely: the quiet chaos only a D'Archy could bring.
"Aska," Alice said softly. But the softness was deceiving, every D'Archy child knew that tone. There was more weight in it than any shouted command. "Stay silent for now. I'll deal with you later"
"Y-Yes, Big Sis," Askara replied, his cocky grin vanishing in an instant. His obedience was almost comical compared to how boldly he had mocked Miss Ember moments earlier.
Alice's crimson eyes slid toward Miss Ember. Her words were velvet, but her intent cut like glass. "…Ember, I'll take over from here. Do you mind?"
Miss Ember bristled, her pride clawing for release, but in the end, all she could do was let out a sharp snort.
"…I'll take that as a yes," Alice said with a smile, one far too serene to be comforting.
She turned her attention to the crowd of restless prospective students. The faint hum of chaos, whispers, nervous laughter, and shuffling feet died the moment Alice brought her hands together.
*Clap*
The sound was not loud, but it carried unnaturally, dispersing through the platform like a ripple of authority. Silence followed.
"Alright," Alice began, her voice calm, deliberate, and commanding, "from here I'll explain what this 'Trial' is that Miss Ember mentioned"
Her gaze swept across the trembling students, locking them in place.
"Actually, there is nothing to fear about this Trial," she said smoothly. "Deaths have happened, yes, but only when students were reckless, foolish, or too arrogant to listen. The essence of this Trial is survival"
The crowd leaned forward unconsciously, drawn in by her measured tone.
"We will send you into an artificial dimension. There, you will survive for three days. During that time, you must find food, water, shelter, and everything on your own. You may work together, or you may choose solitude. That part is entirely up to you"
Her crimson eyes sharpened, gleaming like twin blades.
"However," she continued, "within this dimension roam beasts, creatures ranked from level one to ten. The Trial is survival, but should you choose to hunt and kill, you will earn plus points. Those points will determine your standing. After all…" She let the pause linger, "…this academy does not have infinite space. We have quotas. Not everyone will be accepted"
The silence that followed was heavier than Miss Ember's oppressive fire.
Alice gave the crowd a moment to breathe before she continued.
"And keep this in mind," she said, her tone sinking lower, colder, "what Miss Ember said earlier remains true. There are no second chances. If you die… then you simply die. That is all"
Her words struck deeper than Ember's roaring threats ever had.
"I will give you one hour to form your teams. After that, the Trial begins. Am I clear?"
Silence. Too much silence.
Alice's crimson eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a deadly murmur. "I asked... am I clear?"
""Y-YES, MA'AM!!"" the students shouted in unison, their voices trembling, yet desperate to appease her.
"Good." Alice nodded once, satisfied. Her gaze drifted and finally landed on the small group who had tried their best to blend into the background, her siblings.
"You lot," she said, her voice suddenly casual yet no less commanding, "come with me"
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A few moments later, away from the noise of the platform, the D'Archy children stood in a loose row before their eldest sister.
Askara, Kiara, Litani, Anggana, and Anindha, all waiting, some nervous, some bored, all carrying the air of troublemakers cornered after mischief.
Alice sat on a stone bench beneath the shade of a great tree, her posture regal, her crimson eyes sharp yet unreadable. Behind her loomed Shasha, Erelythe, and the ever-lazy figure of Nāgāntaka, yawning as if the world itself bored him.
"Just to make it clear," Askara started, crossing his arms defensively, "I'm not the one at fault here, Big Sis. That Missy was just too arrogant, I couldn't help myself"
Alice let out a long, tired sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You lot… why did you come to this academy instead of staying in our own Kingdom's?"
"It was the mothers," Kiara answered calmly, her tone carrying more weight than her brother's excuses. "They're afraid we'll destroy the Saranjana Academy if we train there. They said if something has to break, better it happens outside Saranjana. So… here we are." She tilted her head, eyes narrowing at Alice. "…But why are you here, Sis? What about the Singularis Magic Tower? Aren't you the Tower Master now? Why suddenly become an instructor in this place?"
"Yes, Big Sis," Litani added quickly, "We didn't hear a single word about you being here"
"Rig-"
"Shut up, Aska," Alice snapped before her brother could continue. The boy froze, lips clamped shut.
"I'm here because I'm investigating something," Alice continued, her tone sharpening. "I used my connections with Master Eldrin to join as a temporary instructor"
"Investigating?" Anindha's eyes lit up like stars. She leaned forward, brimming with curiosity. "What is it, Big Sis Alice? Tell me! Tell me!"
Alice studied her little sister quietly. Anindha's restless energy reminded her too much of their mother, Kaela, always seeking, always digging into mysteries.
She hesitated.
"This…" Alice's voice dropped, unsure whether to reveal the truth. "I can't tell you anything right n-"
"It's about demons, isn't it, Alice?" Erelythe's voice cut through the air like cold steel.
The siblings fell silent.
"…Demons," Askara repeated softly, the word tasting heavy. They all knew what it meant, why their father had never returned. Because he had entered Hell itself… and sealed it from the inside.
"No. Not exactly," Alice corrected, shaking her head slowly. Her eyes hardened, burning with quiet conviction. "It's not demons. But I suspect something just as dangerous. The cult of Demon Worshippers has infiltrated this academy"
Her words froze the air between them.
"I can see it, the corruption in the mana flow here. It's subtle, hidden well, but it's there. I don't yet know their goal, but I know this much: whatever they're planning… it won't be good"
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