Chapter 53: HCS-1

The moment Instructor Ranni entered the classroom, instead of falling silent, the students grew louder.

After all, Instructor Ranni was an extremely famous hero, known not only for her beauty but also for her prowess.

Having someone of her caliber as their teacher was enough to get anyone excited.

Dragging her feet towards the front of the room, she looked like she was about to fall asleep at any moment.

'With her... I can definitely relate.'

Azriel thought, nodding to himself.

Unlike the other students, he watched quietly, not sharing in their excitement.

Azriel felt a twinge of sadness knowing that Nol wasn't in the same class as him, but perhaps it was better that way.

When Instructor Ranni finally reached the front of the classroom, her eyes swept over the students.

Her mere gaze was enough to silence the entire room.

'She's dangerous.'

Azriel noted, though he knew she wasn't as strong as Solomon.

Still, she was formidable.

Not that he needed any reminders—every single instructor at the entrance exam had been dangerous, from Salvator to Juliet.

Ranni's lazy demeanor wouldn't fool Azriel.

'Why does everyone in this world have to be so... special?'

He mused.

'The author really must have had some screws loose.'

Suddenly, Ranni's eyes locked onto Azriel's.

Both of them held each other's gaze, neither willing to look away.

The atmosphere grew tense, and the other students began to notice.

"...Cadet Azriel Crimson."

Ranni said, breaking into a smile.

"Congratulations on becoming the apex. I expect great things from you."

Azriel nodded.

"I will do my best to meet your expectations."

Instructor Ranni seemed pleased as she then turned her attention to the rest of the students.

"For those students who are late, you'll get detention for a week. If I have to drag my feet here so early in the morning to see your faces, then you should be doing the same."

Instructor Ranni announced, her words sharply contrasting with the smile on her face.

Azriel sighed inwardly, relieved.

'I'm really glad I didn't decide to skip class today.'

It didn't seem like he could get away with it as easily as he used to back when he was Leo.

"As for today, I'm not going to waste time with boring academy rules and such. It's not like any of you are going to remember them anyway. Instead, I'll be giving you a brief overview of the trip you all know is coming up next week—to the Void Dungeon."

Instructor Ranni continued, noticing that everyone was listening attentively at the mention of the Void Dungeon.

"Some of you deserve to be at this academy, while others do not. The Void Dungeon will test whether you can become a hero or not. If you can't handle it, I suggest you drop out now or after, because trust me when I say this: there's a very real chance you could lose your life."

Some students paled at her words, while others treated it as a joke.

'Idiots...'

Azriel thought, shaking his head.

Those who didn't take her words seriously were truly foolish.

They were going to die, without a doubt. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The Void Dungeon was not merciful in the slightest, but that's also why it was the best place to grow stronger.

However, if the students didn't take it seriously, they'd simply become food for the nightmares that lurked inside.

Instructor Ranni narrowed her eyes, sensing the dismissive attitudes of some of the students.

"Looks like I'll need to prove it, huh?"

With that, a glass tube suddenly appeared in her hand.

The tube wasn't empty.

"...!"

Azriel and Celestina's eyes went wide at what they saw inside.

Screeech-!

The sound of a chair being pushed back drew everyone's attention to Lumine, who had abruptly stood up, a long silver sword in his hand.

His face was pale as he stared at the tube, clearly frightened.

Instructor Ranni smirked at his reaction.

"Calm down, Cadet Lumine. This little boy won't do anything as long as it stays inside this special tube, which is designed to keep it secure."

"Lumine..."

Yelena murmured, worried by his behavior, while others stifled laughter.

Instructor Ranni's gaze turned icy.

"Why are you fools laughing? In fact, if it weren't for me and this tube, you should be reacting the same way Cadet Lumine did—ready to eliminate it as fast as possible. His reaction is exactly why he's ranked second, unlike the rest of you."

Her words cut through the students like a knife.

The "little boy" she referred to inside the tube was a worm—a Void Worm.

These small creatures were so weak that even a Grade 3 Dormant could kill them.

They didn't even have mana cores.

But despite their weakness, they were creatures that even a Saint would have to be cautious of.

The moment a Void Worm got the chance, it would try to enter a person's body, causing the host to lose control and become a puppet to the worm that had invaded their brain.

Why Void Worms didn't have mana cores was still unknown and remained a subject of ongoing research.

One of the most dangerous threats in the Void Realm or Void Dungeon was these Void Worms.

They were easy to miss, but if they got to you, it was over.

If one got into your arm, it was better to amputate it before it reached your brain and forced you to watch as it made you kill everyone you cared about without any control over your own body.

Even other Void creatures weren't safe from these worms.

There was even a case where a Grade 3 Saint lost their life to a Void Worm.

As Instructor Ranni explained these things, the students turned as pale as Lumine, their fear evident.

Some looked like they might vomit as she continued to go into detail, clearly enjoying their reactions.

After a while, she finally relented, allowing the class some relief.

Lumine sat down, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, and by the way, Cadet Azriel..."

Suddenly, she locked eyes with Azriel.

"Just like Cadet Lumine, you don't need to be on guard... as your instructor, I won't let this thing do anything."

"...?"

Azriel looked confused until he noticed something.

"Oh..."

He was holding Void Eater in his right hand.

'How did I not notice...?'

Celestina and the rest of the students stared at him in shock.

Dismissing his katana, Azriel smiled wryly at Instructor Ranni.

"I apologize. It seems that, like Cadet Lumine, my body reacted on instinct to the presence of a Void Worm."

It wasn't something he was particularly embarrassed about.

Instructor Ranni shook her head.

"There's nothing to apologize for. The mere fact that both you and Cadet Lumine reacted like that to such a small creature proves why you're the top students among the first years. It also shows just how many times both of you must have fought against Void creatures or humans consumed by Void Worms."

Azriel and Lumine both nodded and thanked Instructor Ranni, while the others who had laughed earlier looked away in shame.

Instructor Ranni then continued to offer more advice about the Void Dungeon before finally dismissing the class.

Everyone was now free to do whatever they wanted for the day, as Instructor Ranni apparently planned to go back to sleep.

Of course, Azriel wouldn't be doing that.

He'd probably just wake up after a few hours anyway, so what was the best use of his time now?

Take this opportunity to explore the academy.