A sudden commotion began spreading through the cafeteria.
At first it was only whispers.
Then more voices joined.
Students began pulling out their phones.
"No way… is this real?"
"What—this can't be true…"
"Oh my god…"
The noise quickly grew louder.
At their table, Leon frowned slightly and looked around.
"…What's going on?"
The others glanced around as well, equally confused.
Then Nia Veridian's expression changed slightly.
"Wait."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the students around them.
"…Everyone is looking at the news."
She quickly pulled out her phone.
"Guys… check the news feed."
The others followed.
Leon, Carl, Rina, Liam, and Lia all took out their phones.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Their screens displayed the same breaking headline.
MULTIPLE HIGH-PROFILE DEATHS REPORTED ACROSS THE KINGDOM
Below it were several names.
The first one made Leon's eyes narrow.
Council Member — Marcus Elren
Then another name appeared.
Head of House Vale — Kent Vale
Carl's father.
And then—
The name that shocked everyone.
Enzo Von Astrael
The younger brother of the current king.
The cafeteria fell into stunned silence as students continued reading.
More deaths.
Nobles.
Officials.
Influential figures across the kingdom.
All killed within the same night.
Almost as if someone had…
Targeted them.
The first person to react at the table was Carl.
He blinked once.
Then again.
"…My father?"
His voice sounded distant.
Like he hadn't fully processed the words yet.
"Kent Vale…"
"That's my father."
Carl stared at the screen in disbelief.
"…He's dead?"
Across the table, Leon slowly lowered his phone.
His expression had turned serious.
This wasn't just one murder anymore.
This was something much bigger.
Much more dangerous.
Meanwhile—
Inside one of the academy's outdoor training grounds, the sound of wood striking wood echoed repeatedly.
CLACK.
CLACK.
CLACK.
Chrono moved across the training floor, his wooden blade cutting through the air in smooth arcs.
His breathing was steady.
Controlled.
Sweat ran down his neck as he finished another sequence of Kazi's Eclipse Swordstyle.
Then—
His watch vibrated.
Chrono paused.
"…?"
He lowered his sword and glanced down at the screen.
A news notification had appeared.
Curious, he opened it.
His eyes scanned the headline.
Then the list of names.
One by one.
His expression slowly stiffened.
"…Fuck."
The word slipped out quietly.
"So Saviant really is moving."
His grip on the wooden sword tightened.
Multiple nobles dead.
A council member.
The head of House Vale.
And even—
Enzo Von Astrael.
The king's own brother.
Chrono exhaled slowly.
"This is way earlier than it should be…"
His eyes darkened slightly.
In the original story, these events didn't happen until much later.
But now—
The timeline was collapsing.
Then another notification appeared below the article.
Chrono read it silently.
Breaking News:
The Council of Humanity will convene an emergency meeting inside the Royal Palace to discuss the recent assassinations and determine the kingdom's next course of action.
Chrono lowered his arm.
"…Of course they will."
His gaze drifted toward the academy skyline.
If the council was gathering already…
Then the situation was far worse than anyone realized.
Chrono tightened his grip on the wooden sword again.
"…Jester."
The name alone made his chest tighten.
Unlike the other members of Saviant—
Jester didn't follow plans.
He created chaos simply because he enjoyed it.
Which meant something terrifying.
If this was his doing…
Then this was only the beginning.
Chrono lifted his sword again.
The wooden blade reflected the sunlight.
"…Looks like I don't have time to slow down."
CLACK.
The training resumed.
But this time—
Chrono's movements were sharper.
Faster.
Because now he understood something clearly.
The storm of the story had already begun.
And he was standing right in the middle of it.
____
A few days passed.
And strangely—
Nothing happened.
No more killings.
No more attacks.
The entire kingdom remained tense, waiting for the next strike that never came.
It was as if Saviant had suddenly disappeared.
Many people believed the council's intervention had scared them away.
Others thought the assassinations had simply been a warning.
But Chrono knew better.
They didn't stop.
People like Jester didn't just stop.
They waited.
And that thought alone made Chrono uneasy.
Morning arrived.
Sunlight slowly crept through the curtains of Chrono's dorm room.
Chrono opened his eyes.
____
"…Morning already."
He sat up slowly and stretched his arms.
For a moment he just sat there quietly.
Then he glanced toward the calendar on his desk.
Today was the day.
Mid-Term Examination Day.
The exams had been pushed forward because of the academy lockdown.
Which meant everyone had far less preparation time.
But for Chrono—
That didn't matter much.
He stood up and began getting ready.
Uniform.
Training gloves.
Sword belt.
Everything felt routine now.
After a few minutes he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
His expression was calm.
But inside—
His mind was focused.
These midterms weren't just normal exams.
They were his first real step toward climbing the academy rankings.
From 2500 / 2500.
Dead last.
Chrono clenched his fist slightly.
The Beginner Survival Trial quest echoed in his mind.
Reach Top 1000 in Academic Ranking.
Reach Top 1000 in Physical Examination.
Time Limit: 28 Days.
Chrono grabbed his academy badge from the desk.
"…Alright."
A faint determined smile appeared on his face.
"Let's start climbing."
He stepped out of the dorm.