Three hours had passed since the final "plop" that marked the end of the apocalypse.Inside the dungeon storeroom, a peaceful silence blanketed everything. Aster Vale snored softly atop a makeshift bed of weathered wooden boards, his body tilted to one side, one arm clutching a canned lunchbox filled with Salted Fish and Earth Dragon Heart Scales. His face was serene, his lips occasionally moving as if he were haggling over the price of scrap metal in his dreams.Kaelen sat crosslegged directly in front of Aster, his Cracked Iron Sword resting on his lap. His eyes did not blink, scanning every corner of the room, which was now polished clean of blood and monsters. Behind him, Seraphina, Cassius, and the Valerius gang slept in exhaustion, leaning against stone pillars. Even Malakor, the corrupt Inquisitor who had repented, was now curled up like a cat, his face peaceful for the first time in years.On the surface, in the Aethelgard Academy control room, a very different atmosphere prev

Tick... tock... tick... tock...The sound wasn't loud, but its sharp frequency pierced straight into the eardrums, ignoring all concepts of soundproofing.Aster Vale frowned. In his dream, he was busy haggling over the price of a used copper pot at a flea market, but that ticking sound persistently annoyed him, like water dripping from a leaky faucet. With his eyes still closed, he fumbled into his tin lunchbox, intending to silence the source of the noise so he could resume his sleep.However, the moment his fingers touched the cold, rusty metal, a pressure so heavy and "wrong" slammed into his chest. It wasn't a draft from a vent, nor the heat or stench of a monster. It was absolute nothingness—a silence so dense it made his ears ache.Aster opened his eyes.And for the first time since he had been dragged into this dungeon, his sleepiness and obsession with junk vanished instantly, replaced by a cold wave that froze the blood in his veins.The ceiling of the storeroom was gone, rep

A week had passed since the incident now unofficially dubbed the Swallowed Apocalypse by everyone at Aethelgard Academy. For the students, professors, and even the higher-ups of the Magic Tower, this week was a period of mental and physical recovery. They spent their time meditating, rewriting their wills, and worshipping the junk vendor who casually kicked a mousetrap, rewound time, and erased the Law of the World.However, for Aster Vale, this week was a time of severe financial crisis."Fine for the broken dorm door: fifty silver coins. Compensation for stepping on the Head Dorm Master's flowerpot: twenty silver coins. Remaining money in pouch: three copper coins and a loose button." Aster let out a long sigh, staring at the row of numbers in his worn notebook.Saving the world from an Abyss anomaly and rewinding time sounded epic, but unfortunately, System Error did not hand out gold coins as rewards. Aster was still just an extra who had to figure out how not to get kicked out of

On the morning after tournament registration, the plaza at Aethelgard Academy was blanketed in a thin mist and filled with the footsteps of students preparing for early classes. However, near a stone bench under a giant oak tree, a heartbreaking groan echoed through the air."Krek... Ouch... Dammit..."Aster Vale sat hunched over, clutching his neck and left shoulder with a grimace of pain. Last night, overwhelmed by headaches over capital and his ever-piling inventory of junk, Aster had fallen asleep on a stack of used cardboard boxes in the corner of his room. As a result, he woke up with a severe case of a stiff neck. His neck muscles felt like they were being yanked by wild horses, and his shoulder had hardened as if a brick were lodged under his skin."Master! What is wrong with your mortal vessel?!" Kaelen suddenly emerged from behind the tree, his eyes wide with panic as he took in Aster's pale face. Kaelen's hand instinctively flew to the hilt of his iron sword, ready to cleav

Morning at the Great Hall of Aethelgard Academy was shrouded in tension thick enough to slice with a sword. Thousands of wooden desks lined up neatly beneath a vaulted ceiling painted with ancient constellations. This was the first day of the Inter-Grade Internal Tournament: The Written Exam Qualifying Round for Mana Theory.Aster Vale sat at desk number 999, tucked into the farthest corner near the emergency exit. He had the face of a man who was being hunted down by loan sharks.He was not supposed to be here.Aster assumed his role in this tournament was purely as a manager sitting comfortably in the stands, eating boiled peanuts and cheering whenever Kaelen beat up arrogant opponents. However, the Honorary Participant Badge given by Senior Elian yesterday, born out of absolute terror of the Salted Fish, carried a lethal bureaucratic side effect. In the brick-thick academy rulebook, badge holders were automatically registered as Independent Participants and required to take the wri