Turning on his phone screen, Ethan immediately checked the source of the endless notification sounds that had so rudely interrupted his meditation.
His brows furrowed.
They were all coming from the academy’s official Notice Board app.
Still nursing his frustration from having his concentration broken at the worst possible moment, he clicked on the notifications, and the screen instantly redirected him into the application.
The moment his eyes landed on the announcements displayed across the screen, the irritation on his face slowly disappeared, replaced by a grim expression.
The very first announcement was from GUIDE TECHNIQUES CLASS.
Below the title was the attendance record for the lesson.
Every student’s name was listed neatly, divided into those who had attended and those who had not.
Ethan’s gaze instinctively drifted to the very top.
There it was.
Ethan Ashford.
Beside his name, written in large, unmistakable red letters, was a single word.
ABSENT.
"...Seriously?"
His shoulders slumped.
Of all the times for people to remember his existence...
Couldn’t his insignificance actually work in his favor for once?
Couldn’t everyone just... forget he existed?
Unfortunately, he knew perfectly well that wasn’t how attendance worked.
Still clinging to the tiniest shred of hope, Ethan carefully scanned the list from top to bottom. Call him selfish, but he sincerely hoped someone else had skipped class too.
One student.
Two.
Even three would be fine.
Anything was better than being the only unfortunate soul that would be punished.
But...
"When has luck ever been on my side?" he muttered under his breath.
By the time his eyes reached the end of the attendance sheet, his last bit of hope had completely vanished. Not a single other student had been absent. It was just him.
Below the list was another heading titled Students Absent From Class, and, almost mockingly, his name appeared once again in bold letters. Directly beneath it was the academy’s notice.
All deserving punishments will be administered to students who failed to attend classes during the next class session. Students absent for three consecutive classes will be reported to the Academy Heads for disciplinary action.
Ethan slowly lowered the phone.
"...Wow."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Just... wow, Ethan."
"So much for that brilliant decision."
Earlier he had thought his visit to the library would be worth the punishment but now he was questioning that reasoning.
The last time he had merely arrived late and almost gotten himself killed inside an S-Class Rift as punishment. Now he had skipped an entire class. He didn’t even want to imagine what creative punishment the academy would come up with this time.
Just when he convinced himself that the bad news couldn’t possibly get any worse, another announcement caught his attention.
His thumb hesitated before tapping it open. The moment he finished reading the first few lines...
He genuinely felt like collapsing onto the floor.
Emergency Academy Notice.
Reports indicate that multiple high-rank Rifts have appeared across several regions within a short period of time. Current Rift stability has become increasingly unpredictable due to the sudden increase in Rift activity and the limited number of active Sentinel Response Units available for deployment. Authorities suspect the possibility of an early-stage Monster Outbreak. The cause is currently under investigation.
Students are advised to remain vigilant until further notice.
The academy will soon release the list of students selected to assist the Sentinel Response Units in future Rift suppression operations should emergency deployment become necessary.
"..."
Ethan stared blankly at the screen as his expression slowly cracked.
"...No fucking way."
Had he accidentally killed some god in his previous life?
No...
He was absolutely certain he hadn’t. If anything, he had been the one who died after getting betrayed. So why was he being punished this mercilessly?
Cause what do you mean he partially survived a zombie apocalypse only to reincarnate into another world that’s preparing for a possible monster outbreak!! Hadn’t he had enough already?
"...I’m cursed."
"There has to be no other explanation."
At this point, Ethan was thoroughly convinced the universe simply enjoyed watching him suffer.
Still...
He forced himself to calm down. This was only a warning notice. Nothing had happened yet.
The Rifts hadn’t fully lost control.
Right...
Surely the Sentinel Response Unit would clear them before things escalated.
Surely they wouldn’t allow a full-scale monster outbreak to happen.
...Right?
He desperately hoped so.
The thought of fighting monsters (which to him were similar or more worse than zombies) all over again made every cell in his body reject reality.
After spending several minutes repeatedly reassuring himself that everything would probably be fine, Ethan finally managed to settle down enough to think rationally again.
His eyes drifted toward today’s class schedule.
"...Crap."
He still had classes.
His next lesson happened to be Guide Theory, a lecture attended exclusively by Guides.
Seeing that only a few minutes remained before class began, Ethan immediately placed Saint Aster’s book back inside the box, before sliding it beneath his bed, making sure it was completely hidden from view.
Only after making sure nothing suspicious remained visible did he hurriedly leave his room and rush toward the classroom. Fortunately, when he arrived, students were only beginning to fill the lecture hall.
A relieved sigh escaped his lips.
"Hah..."
"At least I made it this time."
As usual, Ethan quietly made his way toward one of the seats furthest from the center of the classroom. It wasn’t exactly hidden, but it was secluded enough that he could observe everything happening around him without constantly becoming the center of attention.
One by one, more students entered until nearly every seat was occupied.
The room gradually quieted as the scheduled time arrived. A few moments later, the professor walked through the classroom doors carrying several thick books beneath one arm.
The students immediately rose to greet him before taking their seats again after a brief exchange of greetings. The professor adjusted his glasses, placed the books neatly on the desk, and slowly swept his gaze across the classroom.
"Today’s Guide Theory lesson," he began calmly, "will cover one of the most important subjects every Guide should know."
He paused just long enough to build anticipation before writing the topic across the digital board.
Famous Guides and the Most Remarkable Guide Generations in History.
The words had barely appeared before Ethan instinctively straightened in his chair. His blue eyes brightened almost immediately. Every trace of boredom disappeared from his face as he leaned forward ever so slightly, listening more attentively.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
"Okay..."
"This is going to be interesting."
If anyone could finally tell him who Saint Aster truly was...
It would probably be today’s lesson.