Zain's eyes snapped open, the classroom around him suddenly familiar and painfully ordinary. Desks were arranged in neat rows, the chalkboard at the front covered in half-erased equations scrawled in a rushed, almost illegible handwriting. He blinked rapidly, trying to process the reality of his abrupt return.

Before he could familiarize himself with his new trait, he had been forced back.

Wait, there should be more…

Around him, his classmates appeared in white flashes, each face etched with myriad emotions—fear, confusion, curiosity.

As he surveyed the room, a strange dissonance took hold. Even though he was in the correct classroom, he didn't recognize any of these faces. It had been hundreds of years for him, lifetimes spent in lands that tested every fiber of his being.

"Did you have a —" a girl whispered to her friend, her voice quivering slightly, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yeah, what the hell was that?" A boy behind her responded, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on his desk as he glanced around nervously.

"Anyone seen Aiden!?"

"Where is—"

Everyone started talking at once, the confusion building like a racket.

Zain stood quietly, moving to the left corner of the room, away from any point of entry. The door was at the front, with the windows on the right side. From his position, he could observe the entire room without being in the immediate line of sight.

As he leaned against the wall, his hand brushed against the cold, slightly chipped paint. He took a moment to assess his surroundings more carefully. No danger seemed imminent; the other students were too preoccupied with the situation to pose any immediate threat.

Satisfied that the room was secure for the moment, Zain decided it was time to check his new trait. He opened up his Interface to see the latest changes.

Identity: Zain Valerius (Level 1)

Race: Human (F Grade)

Trait: Soul Devour

Character Stats:

Arcane: 2

Soul: 0

Skills (1/10):

* Devour (Level 1)

Traits in this world were rare and unique, each one a distinct manifestation of an individual's essence and potential. The chance of two people having similar traits was minuscule.

He remembered the stories he had heard about traits— how they could define one's destiny, shaping their path in ways unimaginable. Some traits granted immense power, while others were more subtle, enhancing one's natural abilities.

But Soul Devour was something else entirely. It was as if the very foundation of his being had been altered to accommodate it. Unlike others, he had no class, no profession—it was as if those aspects of his identity had been consumed to construct his trait.

Classes and professions typically provided significant advantages, primarily through added stat points that enhanced one's abilities. Zain was unsure how to increase his physical strength or other attributes without these boosts.

Even more perplexing, his standard stats had been removed, converted to a new entry: Soul. What this meant, he had no idea, as there was no information provided. Hopefully, it will be something far more potent.

The single skill linked to his trait hinted at potential power, but their true nature and capabilities remained a mystery. Devour, at its most basic level, suggested an ability to consume or absorb, perhaps even souls themselves.

The initial lack of traditional classes and stat boosts meant he would need to rely heavily on his trait. The power of Soul might unlock pathways and strengths beyond the conventional, but it also placed him on an uncertain and solitary path.

After examining his interface, his thoughts focused inward. The noise of the other students faded into the background as he tried to connect with his energy body. He closed his eyes, taking slow, deep breaths, attempting to sense any changes within.

The Arcane was a measure of one's capacity to control and manipulate mana, the fundamental essence that powered everything. It represented both the internal reservoir of mana within an individual and their capacity to interact with the ambient mana in their surroundings.

With an Arcane stat of 2, Zain had a basic yet tangible grasp of this energy, enough to perform minor enhancements and sense the flow of mana around him.

At first, there was nothing but the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the faint sounds of his surroundings.

He concentrated, willing himself to feel the energy of his mana. As he delved deeper into his focus, he began to sense the familiar, warm flow of mana coursing through his veins, like a gentle river winding through his body. He felt the ebb and flow of the energy, its steady rhythm bringing a sense of calm and control.

He’d hardly been an hour without the Arcane, but at the familiarity of the mana, Zain felt a sudden surge of relief, as if he’d gotten back a limb that he hadn’t even realized was lost yet.

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As he continued to explore the flow of mana, he sensed something else—something different. It was fainter, more elusive, almost like a shadow in the periphery of his awareness. Puzzled, he focused harder, trying to discern this unfamiliar sensation. It didn't feel like mana; it was more subtle, more intrinsic.

He took a deep breath, calming his mind as he zeroed in on the new sensation. The faint flicker grew slightly stronger, like a whisper at the edge of his consciousness. As he observed it more closely, he realized it emanated from within, intertwined with his very being. It was as if his soul itself was reaching out, trying to make itself known.

Zain's heart quickened with anticipation. This was new, uncharted territory. The sensation was delicate, almost fragile, but unmistakable. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. They appeared unchanged—solid, flesh, and bone—but he could feel the subtle difference. It was a faint undercurrent of strength and resilience, something that hadn't been there before.

He clenched his fists, feeling the slight increase in power and the enhanced sensitivity to his surroundings. The realization dawned on him slowly: this wasn't just mana. It was something more profound, more fundamental. Maybe his soul…

For now, the sensation was faint, a mere flicker of what could be. But it was enough to give Zain hope. He would nurture this connection, strengthen it, and use it to ram the castles built by the bastards who betrayed Earth.

Encouraged by the sensation, Zain extended his awareness outward, attempting to sense the mana in the room around him. He could feel it, faint and diffused, like a thin mist lingering in the air. The ambient mana was sparse, but he could still detect its presence, a testament to his sensitivity.

With his past experience being a battlemage and the trait, maybe there would be a chance to control his future.

He opened his eyes, the sounds of the chaotic classroom returning to him, all standing up with their emotions running high.

Most of them had items that were oddly out of place for a classroom setting— rusted chainmail, dented gauntlets, and what looked like a leather breastplate. The entire assortment looked like it had been stolen from a graveyard, with some pieces barely holding together. One even wore an oversized helmet that obscured his face.

He didn't have any one of those items. But looking at the poor quality of their equipment, he understood the difference between those who had gone to the tutorial and those who hadn't. The equipment was a clear indicator of the endorsement provided by the System and the Council.

Last time, in the Hell tutorial, he was given a set of equipment suitable for a mage. It included a simple brown robe that offered surprising durability, a food box that provided three meals, and a wand that channeled his magic effectively.

Zain looked down at his empty hand, he saw how his fingers trembled slightly. He didn’t inspire much confidence, did he?

Zain gave a regretful sigh. Half an hour was way too low as he wasn't even able to eat anything. The break had been a fleeting moment of respite in the whirlwind of chaos.

As he watched the others struggle, he couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment. These students were clearly unprepared for what lay ahead, not understanding that many of their classmates would die before the end.

Zain gave a regretful sigh. Half an hour was way too short; he hadn't even been able to eat his fill before coming to his class.

A few people panicked the most, with their friends vanishing after the transportation.

Except for a few…

Laughter bubbled up from the right side of the room. "Forget about you fools," A tall, athletic student boasted, "I just awakened my ability—Lightning Arrow! I'm invinc—"

But before he could complete his sentence, the sound of shattering glass filled the room. Zain’s head snapped toward the window, and his blood ran cold. The pane was now a jagged, gaping hole.

A shrill scream tore his attention, drawing Zain's focus across the lit classroom to a girl with wide, terror-filled eyes. Her sobs echoed in the otherwise silent room as she pointed, trembling, toward the front.

Two grotesquely bloodied blades wiggled inside a boy's chest cavity from behind. Blood splattered the row of friends beside the body, who were too stunned to process what had just happened.

The classroom fell silent, the horrific scene freezing everyone in place.

Zain's stomach churned. He remembered the first time he had seen this, the sheer helplessness, filled with fear, watching someone die.

The boy's limbs sprawled lankly at his sides, his torso grotesquely upheld only by the cruel blades. His rusted blade clattered to the ground from his limp hand, echoing ominously as it hit the floor.

Abruptly, one of the blades retracted and slashed with a swift, brutal motion, severing his head in a single, clean cut. His headless corpse collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud, blood pooling rapidly around him.

A monstrous creature, resembling a giant mantis, loomed ominously over the lifeless corpse. Its exoskeleton, a sickly shade of green, gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights, now smeared with streaks of dark red blood that trickled down its segmented limbs.

The creature's bulbous, multifaceted eyes reflected a cold, malevolent intelligence, while its antennae twitched with a predatory anticipation. Standing at least half the height of a man, its mandibles clicked together in a terrifying rhythm, a chilling cadence that echoed through the shattered silence.

Amidst the chaos, Zain's mind raced. He recognized the creature—a Blade Mantis. Weak at the neck, it could be killed with a well-aimed strike. But having an insectoid species as the first monster didn't bode well for them.

He knew they had to act fast. The Blade Mantis was notorious for its speed and ferocity, and if they didn't take it down quickly, more would surely follow.

The mantis's blade, still dripping with blood, retracted and poised itself to strike again. Its blade-like arms glinted menacingly under the harsh lights, the remnants of its previous victim still fresh on their edges.

Then all hell broke loose.

Screams erupted as everyone scrambled in panic, knocking over desks and chairs as they tried to escape. Confusion and terror mingled on his classmates' faces, but there was no time to strategize.

Zain’s body moved on instinct, honed by countless battles, as he leaped forward to intercept the creature.

Before anybody else processed what was happening, he had crossed half the room to get his first kill. His legs, however, didn't respond with their usual precision. His speed was off, his reactions sluggish. Damn, I’m more worn out than I thought.

He grabbed a discarded chair, hoping it would be enough to deflect the mantis's deadly blade. With no weapon in hand, it was the best he could come up with at the moment. His mind raced, strategizing his next move.

The mantis moved with terrifying speed, as it lunged at another student who fell during the mad scramble, the bladed arm slashing through the air.

Zain's heart sank. There's no way I can stop it in tim—

A streak of blue lightning flashed across the room. The lightning arrow crackling with energy, struck the mantis directly.