He left the house carrying the Fire Imprint and the Explorer Potion for the event, with David's potion in his hand. After a short while, he arrived at a very large hall.
It was vast, filled with trees everywhere, designed in the shape of a huge circle. Above it hung the emblem of the empire: a yellow flame decorated with flowing, wave-like patterns.
Eugene opened the door and entered, only to find something beyond imagination already inside. The interior resembled an enchanted village: various seats arranged in circular formations, large windows above, and trees scattered between them.
He looked at the students and said, "Looks like I'm the last one to arrive!"
He walked over and sat beside Rin and Reem. Once everyone had taken their seats, Alex confirmed that all students were present, then stood up from his chair and said:
"Alright. Now that everyone is here, I'll explain how the potion works and how it relates to your path."
Alex sighed.
"Once you drink the potion, it mixes with your blood and spreads through your organs and bones. During this process, special cells related to the potion you drank will begin to form, carrying the same magical, physical, and chemical properties."
All the students were paying close attention, especially Eugene, who truly wanted to follow carefully so that what happened to his talent wouldn't happen again.
"Once it enters your bodies, you'll be able to sense the source of this energy everywhere."
He took a breath and continued:
"For example, if you drink a Fire Potion, you'll begin to feel heat in everything around you and warmth within yourselves. If you're in an unsuitable environment, you'll feel pain, weakness, and a decrease in strength, while in favorable conditions, your power will expand."
"To keep it short…"
He raised a finger, surveying them with a serious gaze.
"I'll ask you only one question."
All the students focused intensely.
"Are you confident in the potion you chose?"
He carefully observed the students, and with his experience in reading body language, he quickly noticed that most of them were hesitant or unsure.
He opened the desk drawer, took out an oval-shaped watch, adjusted it, then sat back down and said:
"I'll give you five minutes to decide what you truly want."
Discussions immediately began:
"Should I change my potion?"
"I won't change mine."
"It's a hard choice, especially with so many options."
"For talented people, it's even harder, since most high-level specializations are powerful."
Rin, Reem, and Eugene sat together.
"Should I change my potion?" Rin asked quietly, looking at his bottle.
Eugene looked at him and said, "I don't know. Choose what you want. What did you pick?"
"Joker Potion, Dark Potion, Explorer Potion, Blades… I chose Blades."
Reem looked at him.
"Why did you choose Blades?"
Rin scratched his nose, his voice slightly lowered.
"So I can defend myself."
Eugene raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"What? Just for that?! Your entire life path depends on this choice!"
Reem added,
"He's right. You should take something like Joker—it gives a wider range of growth."
"What abilities does Joker have?"
Reem looked at Eugene.
"I think it makes others laugh for long periods, stores many things, and lies skillfully."
"And how are those abilities strong?"
"The potion itself isn't strong. The strength lies in what it can be combined with—especially since this potion resembles Rin to some extent."
"How does it resemble Rin? It's a Joker potion. How does it resemble Rin?"
Their discussion intensified, their voices rising slightly, while Rin sat between them listening silently.
Rin whispered sadly, blaming himself,
"If I hadn't spoken, they wouldn't be arguing."
A voice came from behind them:
"In my opinion, it's better for Rin to choose his potion himself. He's the one who will use it in the end—not you two."
Rin raised his head and turned toward Eugene and Reem.
It was a girl their age, with blonde hair and blue eyes shining like diamonds. She wore elegant clothes: a simple light-green dress and a gold necklace.
Eugene asked,
"Who are you?"
She smiled calmly and said,
"My name is Melissa. Melissa Kanfu."
"Melissa Kung Fu? Who names their daughter Kung Fu?"
Reem lightly hit Eugene and said in an annoyed tone,
"Enough sarcasm!"
"Haha, don't worry. My father likes the name 'Kung Fu.' No need to get upset."
Melissa pulled a chair over and sat beside them.
"As I said, it's better for Rin to choose his potion himself."
Reem and Eugene looked at Rin.
"She's right. You're the one who'll drink it, not us," Reem said, followed by Eugene.
"Sorry. We didn't mean to decide for you."
Rin felt pressured. He forced a smile as sweat dripped from his eyes.
"What should I choose? No… choose it for me, please," Rin thought to himself. He was confused and anxious—this choice could either throw him into the abyss or raise him among the strong.
Along with the anxiety, he feared that Reem, Eugene, and Melissa would see his decision as foolish or troublesome.
"I'll choose."
He was extremely nervous. His hand trembled as it hovered over the potions, unable to decide.
Tiiiing.
Alex stood up from his chair and said:
"Time's up. I'll ask again: are you certain that the potion you chose is correct—logically, precisely, and spiritually?"
He looked at the students and noticed the hesitation and tension among many of them.
Rin's heart pounded. He had to choose now.
A deafening explosion shook the hall.
Everyone's attention snapped toward the source as the door was blown open violently.
Eugene grabbed his chest, his heartbeat chaotic.
"I have a bad feeling!"
Narrator: It seems your intuition was right, Eugene.
"Stay where you are! Don't move!" a powerful voice shouted.
At that moment, complete darkness surged forward.
Then—it arrived.
It grabbed the trunk of a tree.
"It's huge and fast!" someone shouted.
It lifted its limb and kicked, slamming someone into the wall.
All the students were frozen in shock and terror, their eyes fixed on the creature.
The alarm blared, and guards rushed toward the hall.
Amid the rising noise…
A scream erupted from David, along with his imprint—
A massive body formed of bones and pitch-black matter intertwined with thick green roots. It had hollow, sunken eyes, a long mouth filled with fangs, and enormous arms.
"Waaah!" one of the students screamed.
At the sound of the screams, panic erupted.
Aaaah!
Cries and running footsteps filled the hall as students rushed toward the exit.
The beast's ears twitched, and it charged toward them.
"Stop!" Alex shouted, aiming at the monster.
Bang… Bang… Bang.
Three shots of magical matter were fired at it.
But it moved swiftly, evading them all with ease.
Aaaah!
The monster roared at Alex, pulling its body back and dropping to all fours, ready to attack.
Fwooo, fwooo!
A group of guards rushed in, colliding into one another in their haste, causing several to fall.
Aaaah!
The guards raised their shining white swords and spears, screaming as they charged the monster.
The creature moved again, overwhelming them with sheer force. It began analyzing its prey—but before the guards could react—
Its body surged forward. It stood upright and lunged, extending its arms and grabbing them all.
It leapt high, twisted its body, and slammed them into the ground, crushing bones and skulls.
Only one guard remained—frozen in shock, his comrades dead, tears in his eyes—before the monster pounced.
In a swift motion, it devoured him whole.
Reem retched in horror.
Bang.
Alex fired again to the left, using his power to shield the area, then reshaped sand to form words:
"Don't make any sound. This monster reacts differently to noise."
He positioned himself on the opposite side of the fallen guards.
The remaining guards moved silently, avoiding noise. Most fainted at the sight of blood and corpses, while the rest trembled.
Eugene focused on the monster and noticed a necklace shaped like a three-stage Explorer emblem.
His eyes widened, and childhood memories resurfaced—at home with his mother and Rin.
"Huh? What's that?" young Eugene asked, pressing his small hand against the wall and pointing at the necklace, which bore strange red symbols glowing faintly.
His mother—dark-haired with green eyes—took the necklace from the drawer.
"Do you mean this?" she asked gently, smiling.
Eugene nodded.
She recalled her memories, which included Eugene and Rin together.
"Nine years ago, on a stormy, rainy day, the doorbell rang. I opened the door, but no one was there—only two beautiful crying children.
I wondered who would leave two children at my door in such a storm.
I laid them on the bed and thought, what should I do with them? I had no reason to raise a child, let alone two.
After the storm… no one came to take them. So I decided to raise them myself.
They grew up over the years and became the best, most wonderful children in the world—at least to me."
Eugene frowned.
"It's a beautiful story, but what does it have to do with the necklace?"
"Those two children were you and Rin. This necklace was placed around both your necks.
I intended to give it to Rin, but he refused and said it should be given to you."
She continued,
"I was planning to give it to you on your birthday, but giving it to you now is fine too, isn't it?"
Eugene snapped back to reality as the monster approached the necklace.
"The necklace… it looks like the butterfly from my dream."
Eugene rushed forward, shocking everyone.
He reached it and grabbed the necklace, but it was almost too late—the monster was right there.
Rin felt as if boiling water had been poured over him. His body trembled, his eyes widening as he saw his friend—his brother—on the brink of death.
"Eugene will die. Should I move? No—if I move, how can I save him? But he's my brother. I have to act. No—I can't. No—I must."
His heart and mind were locked in conflict.
Ah… ah… ah.
Sweat poured down as time seemed to slow.
He remembered the one option he had avoided—the only one not destroyed by darkness.
In that moment of fear and tension, he opened the bottle and drank it entirely.
The liquid spread through his body with his blood, seeping into his bones, heart, and organs. New cells formed. He felt a burning sensation like sunlight—opposite to darkness.
He sensed it reaching the academy, sources of light flowing into his veins.
He raised his hand, and a dark blue aura erupted from it.
"Huh… what is this?"
Eugene felt as if a door had opened beneath him, pulling him away.
A massive explosion echoed!
The monster struck where Eugene had been.
"Eugene!" Reem screamed, thinking he was dead.
"What… what's happening?"
The students turned toward the sound and saw Eugene emerge from Rin's shadow, as if he had moved through it.
Bang!
Alex fired again toward the monster, taking advantage of its distraction.
Bang!
The bullet struck the crystal in its skull. The moment it shattered—
Aaaah!
The monster let out a horrific scream. Its body swelled, then exploded, spraying green, sticky matter everywhere.
Tick… tick…
Drops of blood fell onto Eugene's face. His eyes widened in shock.
A heavy sound echoed—
Rin coughed up a large amount of blood, splattering onto Eugene's stunned face.
Rin collapsed onto Eugene, his features distorted, soaked in blood.
End of Chapter