The train came to a perfectly smooth stop beside a designated dock.
"Tssss!"
The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and we began to disembark.
The contrast was striking.
We stepped down from the five-star-hotel-like luxury of the train into the cold, damp air of a military port—from white leather seats to hard concrete flooring.
It felt like waking from a beautiful dream into a harsh reality.
"Move! Quickly! Don't crowd!"
A soldier shouted at us, directing everyone toward a designated gathering area.
Class Alpha lined up on the dock, looking around with a mix of awe and unease. Even Ethan and Chloe had gone quiet, taking in the sheer scale of the place.
But what truly caught my attention—what made me forget everything else—was what rested in the main harbor basin.
It wasn't just one military transport vessel.
There were seven.
Seven massive yachts, lined up side by side in perfect formation.
They weren't luxury yachts in the traditional sense. Their design was futuristic—blending the elegance of high-end yachts with the durability of warships.
Their hulls were made of matte dark-gray alloy, sleek and sharp, with massive tinted windows and landing pads for small aircraft.
Each yacht bore the emblem of Vanguard Academy.
Seven yachts… one for each first-year class.
Alpha, Beta, Zeta, Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Theta… each class has its own ship.
The level of extravagance—and seriousness—behind this test far exceeded my expectations.
"Class Alpha! To your vessel!"
Professor Phoenix said, pointing toward the largest and most luxurious yacht in the fleet—the one docked directly in front of us.
Her voice carried clearly despite not being raised.
We followed her order and moved toward the boarding bridge.
The moment I stepped on board, the contrast hit again.
If the train had been a hotel, the ship was a floating palace.
The main deck was wide and polished, featuring seating areas and even a covered swimming pool.
Everything carried a royal touch.
Excitement surged through me.
This was my first time ever boarding a yacht.
We were then guided into a large interior hall, filled with comfortable seats and massive display screens.
"Store your belongings and choose your seats. We'll be setting sail shortly," Phoenix said before turning her back to us.
She walked away and disappeared into one of the corridors, leaving us alone.
I glanced around and chose a seat in the back as usual, beside a window overlooking the harbor.
Within minutes, the students dispersed.
Some went to explore the ship. Others gathered in groups, chatting excitedly.
"Fwoosh!"
A faint vibration ran through the floor, followed by the deep hum of the ship's engines coming to life.
Slowly, the yacht began to move away from the dock.
I looked out the window and saw the other six yachts beginning to move as well, forming a fleet behind us.
It was a majestic—and terrifying—sight.
An entire fleet, just for first-year students… sailing toward the unknown.
As we exited the harbor into the open sea, bright sunlight flooded the hall.
The sky was clear blue, and the ocean calm.
A perfect day.
Several hours passed…
The sound of the waves was strangely soothing.
I hadn't moved.
I remained seated by the window, watching the endless blue ocean stretch to the horizon. The sun had begun its descent westward, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.
It was a beautiful sight—one that almost made you forget you were aboard a ship heading toward a dangerous academic trial.
The other students had settled into their own routines.
Some trained in the ship's fully equipped gym.
Others rested in their rooms.
And some—like Chloe and the ever-energetic Ethan—were still making noise in the entertainment hall.
I was lost in the sunset when I heard quiet footsteps approaching.
I didn't turn. I assumed it was just someone passing by.
But the footsteps stopped right beside me.
I slowly raised my head.
A middle-aged woman stood there.
Her hair had an unnatural green tint, and her brown eyes were calm. She wore a simple yet elegant uniform—the attire of the ship's service staff. Her hair was neatly tied back, and her expression was neutral and professional.
She carried a silver tray.
"Mr. Lester," she said politely. "We noticed you didn't come to the dining hall, so we took the liberty of bringing your dinner to you."
She placed the tray gently on the small table in front of me without waiting for a reply.
I looked at the food, then at her.
"Thank you," I said simply.
She gave a slight nod. "Enjoy your meal, sir. If you need anything else, please use the service panel."
Then she turned and walked away silently—as if she had never been there.
Mr. Lester…?
I'd rather you just call me Adam…
Still…
It felt strange.
This luxury… this kind of treatment…
It made me uncomfortable.
As someone from Earth, I wasn't used to any of this.
It was a constant reminder of the vast gap between me and these students—children of noble families and renowned explorers.
They're used to this. As for me… this world is still foreign.
I sighed and looked down at the meal.
It was luxurious—an advanced blend of food engineering and cutting-edge agriculture.
At the center was a slice of meat covered in a smooth brown sauce.
If I remembered correctly from the novel… it wasn't real meat. It was lab-grown, cultivated from stem cells.
Its color was perfectly pink, its shape precisely square, with white fat lines distributed in geometric patterns.
It looked more like art than food.
Beside it was a small pyramid of rice.
Each grain had been cooked using cold plasma technology, making every grain perfectly puffed while preserving its full flavor. It glowed faintly with a soft white light.
At least, that's how it had been described in the novel.
Cold plasma… I had no idea what that actually was.
The vegetables were… spheres.
Small, colorful orbs, each the size of a grape—"compressed vegetable pearls."
Each one contained the concentrated flavor of a specific vegetable: green for broccoli, red for tomato, orange for carrot.
And finally, there was a glass of pale sky-blue liquid—"purified hydrogen water," enriched with minerals and electrolytes.
Luxury dinner, I thought.
I picked up the fork and knife—made from a light, polished alloy—and began with the meat.
It was unbelievably tender.
At the slightest pressure, it parted effortlessly.
I took a bite.
It was an explosion of complex flavors.
Rich like beef—but with a subtle hint of something else… something like roasted nuts or caramel.
The sauce resembled soy, but lighter. It melted in the mouth, leaving behind a warm, comforting sensation.
Wow…
It was perfect.
I nearly cried when I remembered the hell that was the academy cafeteria.
Where the hell was this paradise hiding?!
Without hesitation, I moved on to the rice.
I scooped a spoonful and ate.
Each grain was separate—never sticking together.
The texture was strange—soft, yet slightly crisp.
The flavor was… rice—but purer.
As if I were tasting the essence of rice itself.
Then came the vegetable pearls.
I picked up a green one and examined it.
Looks like a gem…
I put it in my mouth.
"Hah!"
It burst instantly, releasing an intense, fresh wave of broccoli flavor—as if I had eaten an entire head of broccoli in a single bite.
Strange. Incredible.
The red one burst with a sweet and tangy tomato flavor.
I ate slowly, savoring each bite.
This is amazing… what an advanced world.
But…
A world capable of growing perfect meat in a lab… yet still living in constant fear of an ancient horror that could appear out of nowhere and devour an entire city.
A world that could purify water completely… yet couldn't cleanse fear from its people's hearts.
I looked out the window again.
The sun had nearly set, and the moon was beginning to rise in the deep purple sky.
For a moment… I remembered the red moon.
"Tsk."
I clicked my tongue.
A cold grip tightened around my stomach again.
My appetite vanished.
The luxurious food in front of me suddenly felt tasteless.
What's the point of all this luxury… if everything can collapse in an instant?
I looked at the glass of water.
Picked it up.
Then poured it onto the floor.
I set the empty glass back on the table and pushed the tray away.
I wasn't hungry anymore.
Another hour passed like this…
The ship now sailed smoothly through open waters.
Inside, things had settled into quiet.
The initial excitement had faded, and each student had fallen into their own routine—killing time before reaching Arcadia Island.
The air in the main hall was cool and conditioned, mixed with the scent of fine leather and polished wood.
Through the massive panoramic windows, moonlight stretched across the ocean in long silver lines.
At the front of the hall—
Alpha-1.
Leo von Falkenhayn was speaking through his Cardinal device, his tone warmer and less formal.
"Yes, Mother, I'm fine… no, don't worry, it's just a routine field exercise… yes, when I have time, I'll visit. I promise."
A small, rare smile appeared on his face as he ended the call.
Serena Valerian sat across from him, focused on her holographic screen.
She wasn't browsing social media.
She was reading reports—news articles, incident records—scrolling with intense concentration.
A few meters away, chaos had a different shape.
"KYAHAHAHA! I totally crushed you!"
Chloe burst into loud laughter, jumping on her seat and raising her virtual controllers like a trophy.
Her colorful hair bounced wildly.
"You cheated! That's not fair!" Ethan Riddle snapped, throwing his controller onto the table.
"You used that illegal ultimate attack that drains 99% of your energy—no one does that!"
The holographic screen between them displayed a blazing [K.O.] over his fallen warrior.
"Everything's legal in war… and video games!" Chloe laughed again. "I saw an opening and took it. That's all."
Elsewhere—
Alpha-2.
Not a team.
Just scattered islands in the same ocean.
Isabella de Luna sat with one leg crossed over the other, scrolling through her phone with visible boredom.
Her screen displayed Instagram—not mission data.
At the top of her profile:
[Followers: 500,000]
Not unusual for someone with the name "de Luna."
Luna Ferris stood by the window, hand pressed against the glass, as if trying to feel the ocean beyond it.
Toro was playing on his phone.
Everything was calm.
Then—
It started.
No sound.
No warning.
Ethan felt it first.
Mid-argument, a sudden, overwhelming wave of drowsiness hit him.
"You… just… wait…" he muttered, his eyelids growing unbearably heavy.
"What? Giving up already?" Chloe teased.
No response.
His head slowly dropped—
"Thud!"
"Ethan?" Chloe frowned. "That's not funny."
He didn't move.
He had fallen into a deep, sudden sleep.
At the same moment—
Chloe felt it too.
"What is this…?" she whispered as her limbs grew heavy.
She tried to stand—failed—and collapsed back into her seat.
"Strange…"
Her final word.
Her eyes closed.
And she was gone.
…
..
.
At the front—
Leo noticed the sudden silence.
"What's wrong with those two?" he asked Serena.
He tried to stand—
And staggered.
"What…?"
He grabbed the table for support.
His strength was fading.
"Serena… something's… wrong."
He looked at her.
Her device had fallen to the floor.
Her head slumped.
Unconscious.
"Bam!"
Leo dropped to his knees—
Then to the floor.
The last of Alpha-1 to fall.
The silent contagion spread.
Drake Mallory sat alone, reading an old leather-bound book.
Then—
He stopped.
Blink.
Blink.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him.
The words blurred, dissolving into meaningless symbols.
What is this…?
His thoughts slowed.
"Damn it…" he whispered.
His head grew heavy.
He couldn't hold it up.
The book slipped from his fingers.
"Thud."
Then—
His head followed.
He collapsed onto the table.
Asleep.
Deep. Sudden.
The book lay open on a page he would never finish.
One by one—
They fell.
Zane Wilder—in his room.
Luna Ferris—sliding down the glass like a broken doll.
Toro—closing his eyes, gone instantly.
Within a single minute—
The lively hall turned into something surreal.
Terrifying.
Twenty-six students.
All unconscious.
At the back of the hall—
A black-haired boy sat slumped over his table.
Unmoving.
Even Adam… had fallen.