How To Survive A Calamity

In the end, I decided not to think much about it and returned to my dorm room for the remainder of the day.

There was no point in agonizing over what had already happened, and no point in stressing over the reactions of my family and sister.

That's because, right from the moment the results of my evaluation came out, my talent assessment and over all results was sent directly, and firstly to my family.

Which meant...

"I'm fucked..."

[Rank 1499]

Last place.

I was last place...

I was staring at the overall result of both my entrance exam and talent assessment. Ah, those dreaded numbers seemed so mockingly bold for me.

It was a couple of days after the Evaluation, specifically, it was Monday.

The start of a new week.

Prior to today, I received a message on my communicator that all newly admitted aspirants should attend their respective classes and receive their overall results from both the examination and Talent assesment.

And so, that was where I currently was.

I was standing before a wide door entrance to a classroom while staring at my ranking results from the assesment and exam at my communicator.

Oh, yeah. This was weird too.

No.

I always knew Aethoria was weird since the beginning.

But aren't these things just cellphones?

I was confused.

This is a fantasy world, right?

Ah.

In any case, something akin to a cellphone from earth, but fundamentally different, was in my hand. There was a message I was reading off it's screen.

I've only just been newly admitted into Aegis but I could already feel a headache.

This was why I never liked school.

Rank 1499...

'Shit. Ahhh, Adrianne's going to kill me!'

"Could you please move out of the way?"

A crisp and stern voice brought me out of my thoughts from behind, and I turned around to look while putting away my communicator.

There was a young girl with flaming red hair, and vermilion red eyes that were sharp and cold staring at me. She had looks and an indomitable presence that demanded heads to turn and eyes to gaze.

The look in here eyes were rather stern and cold, and her long bright red hair fell in waves behind her back, giving a faint illusion of a cascading sea of flames.

For a moment, staring into those aloof red eyes almost made me want to lower my head and shudder.

She was stunning.

She was insanely beautiful , but something about her made me feel unsettling.

What is this? Am I getting intimidated?

I restrained my thoughts and impulses from surfacing on my expression and quietly moved out of the way while apologising lightly.

"Ah, excuse me."

I stepped to the side and gave way for the red haired girl, who silently and confidently walked past me without as much as a glance more.

'...A classmate... perhaps?'

I would have mistaken her for an instructor or a staff if it weren't for the fact she had on the Aegis first year uniform which perfectly accentuated get charm.

I mean.

She had a really terrifying and suffocatingly cold face, even for me.

And I'd know. I had an older sister like that.

In any case, I didn't think much about the encounter and turned back to staring at my communicator again.

"First year Class A." I redirectedy gaze up at a plaque that hung over the door frame with bold letters and numbers.

'A-1' was what it said.

Strange.'

I felt strange now standing just before the entrance.

What the hell is this? It wasn't like I was getting cold feet or anything. Sure, maybe my time in Aegis might have a few more rocky parts ahead, but the absurdity of everything was what was getting to me.

"Did I... really make a full circle and end up going back to school again in my next life?"

That was my gripe!

Fate is a bitch, but reality is no less.

Eventually, I ended up going through the open door, and as soon as I did, I felt a number of gazes and attention converge towards my figure.

Before I went in, I could hear the various voices and chatters of those inside, but most of all the noise ceased the moment I stepped in.

Well, it didn't last for too long.

If for a second, everyone seemed curious about who it was, that curiosity turned to utter indifference and dismissal quickly.

As long as I had the Crown's Veil enchantment of Solomon's Ring active, I could make myself seem as insignificant and unassuming as was possible.

Although there were still a few rare gazes that lingered a little longer.

As expected. The story of a Null talent Awakened would have spread somewhat already.

I ignored the gazes and attentions of everyone and swept my gaze across the classroom. It was so large to such a degree that I felt it was unnecessary.

Just how many of us will it take to full the entire place?

It was quite large with high rows of benches and desks arranged in a similar fashion as college classrooms.

There were already a few of my classmates present before me, and quite a few of them seemed to have already made friends or acquaintances.

Quite contrary to what I expected, it wasn't all that awkward.

In any case, shunned from the looks and gazes of those present I made my way to the legendary window seat at the back corner, away from the front rows where everyone else mingled.

I was already being ignored thanks to the ring, so might as well solidify my place as the class loner, right?

[...sad]

'You're sad!'

Hmph.

I couldn't be bothered too much by interaction. If I wanted to do so, I would lose half a reason for using the effects of Ring of Solomon.

It wasn't like I actively intended to avoid making any interactions or 'connections' with my classmates or anyone. It was more like it'll be even harder now for me to do so, due to certain obvious reasons. Even I realise It'll be necessary for me to interact with them at some point.

I placed my things down on my desk and took a seat, before languidly staring into empty space.

I was never really good in school back on Earth, and it wasn't just academy wise. I always felt out of place, and often found it hard to relate with others. I was something of an introvert at the beginning actually.

Although that changed over the experiences I made, now that I found myself back here, it feels almost like I've subconsciously regressed back to that mentality.

But I also knew it was more than that.

I glanced at the students who would be my classmates for the next three years.

All of these people...these children...I viewed them as characters in a play.

They would all die, and I will be the last one standing.

I alone.

Surrounded by a sea of corpses and ruin.

Sounded like a serious case of eight grade syndrome, but because of that, I found it hard to deeply relate with them.

In the end, I couldn't help but see them as insignificant.

No. It was pity I felt.

'... Ignorance is bliss, huh.'

Well, I wasn't here to make friends anyway. Aegis only served me one purpose.

To get stronger and survive.

"Though that said..."

I stared back at my result in my communicator.

"I really studied my butt of for this exam too..."

No shit.

The last one year was by no means easy for me. Adrianne was particularly excited when she found out I agreed to attend Aegis. And then came a long lasting series of torturous home schooling!

It was also the first time I really, really, tried to put effort into studying for an exam in both of my lives. I felt like a highschool graduate bursting liver to get into his College choice.

I knew I couldn't possibly be be ranked first, or even top 30, but dead last place wasn't something I saw coming...

-Drip.

Without realising, I was already tearing up with a painful smile.

Adrianne is going to kill me.

The reason for my rank is obvious, however. My Talent assesment played a big role in it.

Maybe my individual entrance exam result may not be as bad, but my talent evaluation as zero literally meant I was bottom at the rank throughout everyone else in the same year with me.

Hence why I was last place...

But in all honesty, and to be factual, I didn't think I was anyhow lacking when compared to the others. If anything, I was confident I far surpassed over half of the first years in experience, and skills.

In the end, the rankings are just mere numbers and don't directly reflect one's true abilities. This held more truth for me.

Staring at my classmates with such a thought, made me wonder.

"I wonder what's the standard for the top ranking first year..."

Now, I'm curious.

...

[Skill, {Appraisal} level 3 has been activated]

...

Using Appraisal, I took a swift summary of the stats of my present classmate.

But what the hell is this?

Horrendous.

Medicore.

Barely average at best.

These guys weren't anything all that.

There were a number of Mortal Ranked, with only a few Beta ranked, but none of them were anywhere close to being peak-level.

Well, my standards were high since I grew up side by side a genius, so maybe I was being a little too harsh in my evaluation.

To beginning with, the minimum standards of Aegis was Mortal rank. But there might be a few exceptions from what I've seen.

But.

'Oh?'

There were a few which caught my attention.

.

[Bonus chapter 1/1 complete, now breathe in and let it sink... please. The second half of the first volume just began with the Academy arc, and believe it or not, even I have to adjust to the setting in a bit. The pacing of the next chapters may seem slow, or all over the place with a flat sided story progression and characters introduction, but it'll get better soon

And it's almost that time again, I'll be locking chapters really soon and hope you support me. Ps. Take your time for the next stone goal, really...]