The distance between Ground Zero and the Tower of Ascension was only ten kilometers.Yet those ten kilometers were the most heavily defended stretch of land on the entire planet.Every weapon humanity had ever created to kill monsters was stationed there.Magical turrets stood beside giant enchanted crossbows. Ancient runic cannons overlooked rows of missile launchers and heavy machine guns. If it was capable of killing a monster, it was almost certainly deployed somewhere along that road.The entire area was known as the Battlefield of Blood.For countless generations, this had been the place where Earth’s Ascenders stood against the monsters pouring out of the Tower.Every four years, when the Year of Death arrived and the monster tide emerged, this peaceful stretch of land transformed into the fiercest battlefield on Earth.So much blood had been spilled there over the centuries that people often said the sand would never return to its original color.Beginning at Ground Zero, a for

“My contact on Earth has confirmed that Rhys is on his way to the University for Nourishment of Young Talents,” Joe reported.Across the room, Perseus silently ran a finger along the edge of a finely sharpened dagger, his eyes fixed on the blade as he listened.“The University for Nourishment of Young Talents…” he murmured.His brows slowly knitted together.“Isn’t that the academy run by that madman?”He let out a quiet sigh.“This just became a lot more complicated than I expected.”He fell into thought, weighing one possibility after another.Before he could settle on a plan, the door swung open.“Then let me go.”A young woman walked in confidently, her voice carrying through the room.“If Rhys is enrolling there, send me too.”Perseus looked up.The moment he saw who it was, the tension in his face softened.“Sophia…”“I have to enroll at a university sooner or later anyway,” she continued. “Why not let me attend the same one as the Champion of Sol?”Perseus shook his head.“I kno

“Grrrr…”Buhara let out a satisfied grunt as he dropped his luggage into the middle room.The university had clearly designed the furniture with larger races in mind. His bed stretched nearly nine feet long and was much wider than a normal human bed, yet even that wasn’t enough.The moment Buhara tried to lie down, his shoulders jammed against the frame.“Rhys human!” he shouted a moment later. “Buhara is stuck!”Rhys walked over and found the giant orc wedged awkwardly between the wooden rails, kicking his legs while trying to free himself.“…Seriously?”After a bit of pulling and a lot of complaining from Buhara, Rhys finally managed to drag him out.“Buhahahahara!”Instead of trying again, Buhara simply grabbed the entire bed frame with both hands, lifted it like it weighed nothing, and tossed it into the corner of the room.He spread the mattress and bedsheet directly on the floor before lying down with a contented smile.“Bedsheet smells nice.”“Buhara is happy.”Rhys stared at hi

Rhys spent the rest of his first day wandering around the university with Buhara and Erin.The official orientation wasn’t until the following day, so there wasn’t much for new students to do besides explore the campus and get familiar with their surroundings.For Rhys, everything felt new.Back on Earth, humans had always been the overwhelming majority. Here, humans were just one race among countless others.Everywhere he looked, he saw species he had only ever read about.As they walked, Erin happily pointed out the different races and some of the rivalries that existed between them.Werewolves couldn’t stand vampires.Beastmen despised fishmen.Dwarves and goblins were constantly at each other’s throats.Goblins looked down on orcs.And elves…Elves seemed to have a problem with almost everyone.As for humans…“They’re usually considered too weak to be worth hating,” Erin explained with an awkward smile.Rhys laughed.“I don’t know whether I should feel relieved or insulted.”Althou

The next morning, Rhys and Erin walked out of their rooms looking equally miserable.Dark circles hung beneath both their eyes.The moment they looked at each other, neither of them needed to say a word.They had both survived the same nightmare.From the bedroom behind them came a familiar sound.“Buha… Buha… Buhararararara…”Rhys slowly closed his eyes.The orc wasn’t just snoring.He was somehow snoring his own name.The sound had echoed through the dorm all night, shaking the walls often enough that neither Rhys nor Erin had managed to get any proper sleep.Neither of them had complained.It wasn’t as though Buhara was doing it on purpose.Still, understanding the reason didn’t make it any easier to endure.Rhys rubbed his aching forehead.“I really wish I still had one of those refreshment potions.”“It would’ve saved my life this morning.”Erin smiled sympathetically.“I actually brought a few.”“I was saving them for exam season…”He rummaged through his bag before pulling out a