Lucas sat in the endless lecture hall, the floating desk cool beneath his forearms, the starry ceiling simulation drifting lazily above. He had waited for this moment since the second the Abyss Mirror had spoken to him.
A lifetime of scraping by, of being nobody, of watching others awaken while he remained invisible — it all narrowed down to these few seconds. He remembered the cheap, cracked crystal ball in that rundown outer-district chamber two years ago, the way it had stayed dark and silent, the attendant's pitying shrug. No one had mocked him. No one had expected anything from him at all. He had simply been nothing.
Now he was something.
He took a slow breath, heart pounding against his ribs, and spoke the words in his mind.
"System."
The interface unfolded in front of his eyes like blood-red parchment unfurling in the void.
Name: Lucas Vanderbilt
Rank: F
Class: Heir of the Infernal Dominion (Mythic)
Description: The throne of the abyssal has stood empty for eons, its obsidian seat cracked and cold, waiting for the one bloodline strong enough to claim it. You are that heir. Every fallen king, every broken empire, every devoured soul now bends toward you. The abyss does not serve — it hungers, and it has chosen you as its mouth.
Abilities:
[Throne of Chains]- Summons a floating infernal throne of black bone and molten chains. While seated, all summoned entities gain amplified power and loyalty. Weak minds within range feel an overwhelming compulsion to kneel and obey.
[Legion of the Bound King]- Sacrifice an offering to the abyss, and it will grant you a corresponding servant. The ritual consumes your mana; if the offering is insufficient for a high-tier servant, the abyss demands a price in blood, memory, or essence of life.
[Contract of Ruin]- Bind a willing or broken target to a ruinous pact. The target gains temporary power, but their soul slowly erodes, feeding your own growth. Break the contract at any time — the backlash destroys the target completely.
[Dominion Field]- Unleash a domain of abyssal influence. Inside the field, enemies suffer gradual corruption of will and body while your own summons and abilities grow stronger. The field expands with your rank and can be anchored to your throne.
[King's Consumption]- Devour defeated enemies or fallen summons. Absorb their traits, skills, or fragments of power temporarily — or permanently if the offering is worthy. The more powerful the consumed, the greater the risk of backlash.
Lucas stared at the glowing red text. His fists clenched beneath the desk until his knuckles turned white. Damn… what the hell kind of terrifying class is this?
A slow, feral grin spread across his face. This wasn't just power. This was dominion. This was the abyss itself, handing him the keys to every throne he had ever been denied.
Vivienne, seated right beside him, noticed the sudden shift in his posture. She tapped the back of his hand lightly with her fingertips.
"What happened?" she whispered, amber-brown eyes curious.
Lucas let out a long, shaky breath, excitement thrumming through every vein. His fists remained clenched under the desk.
"Something that shouldn't have happened," he answered, voice low and edged with dark delight. He grinned wider.
Vivienne shook her head, not fully understanding, but she assumed it was leftover adrenaline from the awakening ceremony. She gave him a small, puzzled smile and turned back toward the front.
Professor Darius Grimwald continued from the platform, voice steady and authoritative.
"Now that you have an idea of what your class is, I'm sure you have many doubts. Everything will be explained in due time. For now, let's talk about what you gain from joining here and how you will be useful to the human race."
He clicked his fingers. A glowing holographic chart appeared in the air.
"The university duration is three years. You may have already seen your seniors — those ahead of them will spend most of their time outside these walls on assignments and real-world training. The first year is meant to give you a proper understanding of your class, how to level it up, what the Gates truly are, how to improve your survival, and much more."
He paused, letting the information settle.
"The first years will be divided into two classes. Nameless will remain in the basic class. Apex will be placed in the advanced class."
The word "Proven" appeared in glowing letters beside him.
"The Proven have a chance to enter the advanced class with Apex or risk demotion to Nameless. For the first three months, every Proven will be allowed into the advanced class. After that, only those who gather 50,000 points will stay. Those who fail will be demoted."
Kira, the twin-tailed healer girl sitting a few rows ahead, quickly did the mental math. The academy deposited 10,000 merits every month. Even if she spent nothing, she would still need another 20,000 points in three months. The pressure settled visibly on her shoulders.
Grimwald's voice grew firmer.
"So if you think we will pamper you as your parents did, it's about time you woke up. The Proven will always have to ascend or descend. Let me be clear — the advanced and basic classes are not the same. The advanced class will be attended by A-rank and S-rank professors.
You will receive direct experience from them. Your dormitories will be in high-vein mana zones. Your cafeteria will serve top-tier monster meals. You will have private training grounds. And most importantly, you will be eligible for the Student Council."
A ripple of greed and hope passed through many faces.
"The Student Council is the ultimate force inside this academy. Many of you already know the academy is a war ground. Here you can kill. You can rob. You can bully. We made this place like this on purpose — to train the future warriors of humanity. Everything is survival. If you can join the Student Council, you can live comfortably. Why? Because a single name etched into the council roster inspires fear in every student here."
Grimwald's eyes swept the hall.
"The final-year Student Council President… Rachael Park."
The name landed like a hammer. Several students visibly paled. Others leaned forward, hungry for any scrap of information about the woman whose reputation already loomed larger than most S-ranks.
Lucas's grin never faded. He leaned back in his seat, the weight of his Mythic class burning behind his eyes like the abyss itself.
The name Rachael Park landed like a live grenade in the endless lecture hall.
Many students flinched. A few sucked in sharp breaths. Others stared with open awe and barely concealed fear. Rachael Park was the only student in the university's history to reach A-rank while still enrolled — and she had done it without any powerful family backing. Rumors swirled that she had begun in the Proven with nothing more than an Epic-grade Class.
No one knew how or why, but somehow she had upgraded her class to Legendary and then soared through the ranks as if the system itself bent for her. Heirs and so-called prodigies from the top guilds had challenged her. All of them had been crushed. She had become a legend in her own right — someone many looked up to as an idol, and far more feared as an untouchable force.
Lucas had read about her during the three days of preparation. While studying the academy's factions, the Student Council had stood out like a blade in the dark. Rachael Park was its current president, and her name alone carried more weight than most S-rank professors. He kept that information tucked away like a hidden knife.
Professor Darius Grimwald waved his hand. The glowing holographic chart dissolved into sparks of light.
"If you think your life was not fair," he continued, voice low and cutting, "don't be a coward and run from it. There are still many things in this new world we do not know. Many mysteries remain. Be brave enough to push forward, and one day the world will bend for you."
A guy in square glasses near the front row raised a trembling hand. He was an Uncommon-class awakener, unassuming and clearly nervous. Grimwald nodded without disdain or emotion.
"Professor… is there any chance for the Unnamed to promote to Proven?"
A heavy silence dropped over the hall.
Then the mockery began.
Snickers rippled through the rows. A few students openly laughed. Someone in the back muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Dream on, Nameless trash." Another voice added, "Even if he grinds for a hundred years, he'll still be scraping the bottom."
Damien Blackthorn, seated with his entourage, looked irritated. He shouted across the hall, "Why waste the professor's time with stupid questions? Some people just aren't built for anything higher."
Grimwald's aura flared.
The pressure slammed down like an invisible hammer. Every student flinched. Desks rattled. A few weaker awakeners gasped as their breath was momentarily crushed from their lungs. Lucas's carefree expression vanished in an instant. He sat up straight, eyes sharp. Oh boy…
The Headmaster's voice remained calm, but the weight behind it made the air feel like iron.
"Yes. A very few have achieved it. An Unnamed can promote to Proven… if you gather 50,000 merits within the first three-month timeline."
The square-glasses guy nodded once, cold and determined. Many students scoffed inside their heads, but no one dared speak again.
Grimwald continued, letting the tension linger.
"Since today is your first official day, you may roam the university, visit your dormitories, and get an idea of what you can buy and obtain. You will receive every notification directly to your bracelet, and it will also show you the full campus map. And more importantly…"
He let the words hang.
"Even though we strictly instructed you to bring only the basics, many of you dared to ignore that rule and filled your spatial artifacts with unnecessary items."
He snapped his fingers.
Dozens of students suddenly received simultaneous notifications on their runic bracelets. Red warning text flashed in front of their eyes:
Excess Items Detected.Submit prohibited items to the university storage within 24 hours or face merit deduction and disciplinary action.