Avalon Academy followed a strict merit-based system.
Each grade was divided into classes ranked from E to A, based on performance and merit.
And it was safe to say that the final-year Class 12A were known as the pinnacle elites of Avalon.
All thirty-three students were master prodigies, monsters among geniuses.
Well… all except for one student. A young man known as the Extra of Class 12A.
Seth Duskreaver, the illegitimate son of the billionaire Duskreaver family.
Seth wasn't looked down on because of his background. He was looked down on for being an ugly duckling in the midst of stunning peacocks.
Compared to his peers, Seth's academic performance was middling — as ordinary as one could get.
He ranked at the bottom of most leaderboards, always barely scraping above the cutoff marks.
The only subject he excelled in was PHE armed combat, where he was the undisputed king of weapon wielding.
And even with this achievement, his overall score barely surpassed students of Class D.
Everyone envied and disdained him, leaving him isolated.
Recalling the info of the person before him, Roderick scoffed. His head raised, he looked down on Seth with disdain.
"Life really isn't fair. I remember the rest — proud and prestigious — yet they all rot while a good-for-nothing stands in their place."
Uriel's expression went cold. He didn't fancy Seth either, but that didn't mean he could watch an outsider insult his classmate while he was still president.
"Watch your tongue, Rod, or I'll watch it for you."
"Hmph!" Roderick scoffed but restrained himself. He wasn't foolish enough to make an enemy out of Uriel Mormont.
Meanwhile, throughout the exchange, Seth remained silent, his expression relaxed.
By now, taunts and insults never bothered him. He ignored the pompous fool, already searching for a suitable corner to rest.
Helen, the class president of Class 12B, finally spoke, her eyes flickering with curiosity.
"Did you guys really kill Zombie Calvin and his crew?"
Elaine, finding a place to sit, puffed her not so big of a chest and raised her head. "Hmph! What of it? Isn't it just a few zombies with abilities? We made quick work of them."
"Ohhh, so easy? Is that why Miss Lysa said half of you died in the clash?" a voice taunted.
"You!" Elaine's face turned red, her eyes hateful as she locked onto the speaker.
Maki Rosewood, vice captain of Class 12C — the queen of mind games herself.
The young lady's smile widened as she noticed Elaine's glare.
Elaine tried to retort. "What do you know! It wasn't our fault that—"
She was cut off as Uriel placed a palm on her shoulder, gently squeezing.
Brows furrowed, she looked his way only to see him shaking his head.
With that, she swallowed her words, indignant but silent.
Uriel turned his gaze toward Maki. "I take it Reggie didn't make it?"
Maki's smile vanished, sadness flashing in her eyes. Around her, the mood of her classmates visibly dropped.
The answer was clear: their class president had died.
"Now isn't the time for bickering and finger-pointing. With the hell that's just been unleashed on the world, that's the least of our problems." Uriel addressed the crowd.
Everyone fell silent the moment he spoke.
This was Uriel Mormont. Point at any random leaderboard (except armed combat), and his name sat on top.
He was the figure who led the elites of Class 12A — who led the whole school.
By default, everyone looked to him as a leader.
"A lot of us died, but the few of you still remain standing.
I don't care how you did it. Shamefully or valiantly, it doesn't change the fact that you're alive.
And if we want to stay that way, we'll have to drop all discord and cooperate."
He pointed to the door.
"Those things out there want nothing more than to turn us into snacks. And I don't know if you've noticed, but they're also a resource. The more you kill, the stronger you get.
But it's the same for them. The more they kill, the stronger they become. This isn't fiction. This is reality.
The competition is raw and brutal. Each second we spend cooped up in here, our chances of defeating them shrink.
So instead of dwelling in the peaceful world of the past, I suggest you update your mentality. This apocalypse has only just begun."
Letting his words sink in, Uriel proceeded toward the room where the surviving staff members were having a meeting.
Helen watched his back as he walked away, her eyes narrowing.
The way he commanded authority so naturally… he absorbed what little hold she had on the students with ease.
This guy… Her expression remained unreadable, her eyes glinting as she licked her lips. He never ceased to impress her.
Her expression flickered before reverting to an innocent smile.
After Uriel's speech, the atmosphere grew tense. Students sat in small circles, whispering among themselves.
And in a corner, forgotten so soon, was Seth — in a world of his own.
[Name: Seth Duskreaver]
[Race: Human]
[Rank: Shackled]
[Strength: 34]
[Defense: 29]
[Speed: 25]
[Intelligence: 24]
[Vitality: 20/24]
[Essence Unit: 42/67]
[Genes: Grand Weapon Maester, ????? (LOCKED)]
[Gene Skill: Weapon Resonance (Royal Grade)]
[Inventory: Grim Executioner's Set, Elite Gene Skill Crystal]
"Neat. With these, I shouldn't be so helpless." Seth smiled, swiping his finger through the air as the Flash Sale system's screen rolled in.
"Oh? I see… I guess all that danger wasn't for nothing," he mused, scrolling through golden notifications.
[Congratulations! You have proven yourself. You survived against the odds… You have gained 50 Flash Points.]
[Congratulations! You have proven yourself. You survived against the odds… You have gained 50 Flash Points.]
[Congratulations! You have proven yourself. You survived against the odds… You have gained 50 Flash Points.]
[Congratulations! You have proven yourself. You survived against the odds… You have gained 50 Flash Points.]
Two hundred Flash Points.
Just like that?
Seth was awed. Why did gaining Flash Points seem so easy?
Granted, he had almost died several times. But still, he expected stingy rewards.
This… this was four Grim Emperor's Executioner Sets earned in one day!
Obscene. Were his near-death experiences really worth such godly items? Several of them at that?
Or was this system just that broken?
Seth blinked, his gaze turning to a flashing timer in the corner of the screen.
[Next Flash Sale for ??? in 6h: 12m: 02s]
His mouth watered, his heart burning with expectation.