Chapter 0. Verdict: Scourge.

“Huh? Am I dreaming?”

These cliché words were the first thing that escaped my mouth once I realized that something was very wrong. I mean, I have had lucid dreams a few times before, but this time, it was different.

First, my mind was too clear. I was able to think freely, but more importantly, the feelings of fear and anxiety were too strong, too clearly pronounced for it to be a simple dream.

Furthermore, I felt as if I was moving, but all I could see were random flashes of dim, star-like light in the darkness that surrounded me.

“Try to think about it calmly.”

I told myself and tried to recall what was the last thing I could remember. I was in the middle of studying for my third-year midterms… and I fell asleep after putting my head down on the desk? I know I had played games for too long and ended up cramming like crazy for the rest of the night but to think I’d fall asleep! I was so going to be late… but uh, this probably wasn’t what I should be concerned with at the moment, was it?

“Did I die?”

Just as a chill passed through my body at this scary thought, I started feeling dizzy. I couldn’t help but close my eyes as I tried not to fall down. After a moment, I started regaining my senses and tried to open my eyes when an indistinct, angered voice reached my ears.

“What are you still standing there for?! Hurry the hell up, can’t you see how many others are waiting behind you?!”

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I was so startled that I almost jumped up. With no time to get accustomed to the situation I landed in, the first thing that filled my eyes was the image of an angered middle-aged man who stood beside some weird… object. I couldn’t tell what this thing was, but it was big. In the middle of it, on the floor that looked as if it was made from steel, was what I would describe as a formation array from wuxia novels. What surrounded this array, though, was a mechanic construction that looked very much futuristic, almost sci-fi-like. There was enough space in the front for someone of my height to enter, but the angry man who stood near me would need to crouch heavily to do the same.

Now that I thought about it… I was quite short? I raised my hands and looked at them, only to find out that they were small, too. I peeked at my body, then glanced at the man. I was a child, wasn’t I? Judging from my height… was I around seven to nine years old?

Hearing some whispering behind me, I turned around and saw an orderly line of at least two hundred children, all of them just around the same height I was. Still, it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do as I soon got yelled at because of it.

“Get in there or I will throw you in myself!”

The man appeared to be quite an impatient one. However, seeing how red his face became, I didn’t want to test if he was going to keep his word. I swallowed, then with a few unsteady steps, I entered the weird construction. I guessed that I should stand in the middle of the array, so I did just that.

While I was listening to the sound of my drumming heartbeat, I saw the metallic construction around me light up with what looked like white stream-like clusters of energy. I didn’t know how, but I could sense a dangerous aura coming from them, so I stood perfectly still, my fists and teeth clenched tight. I saw the white energy fill up the lines of the array formation below my feet, then when all the engraved lines became dazzling white, my vision went blank for a moment.

Name: Alexander

Age: 8

Level: 1

Class: Soul Devourer

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“Damn, there’s more and more of them recently…”

As my vision was clearing up, I somehow heard the disappointed words of the middle-aged man from behind me.

“Class type: Scourge. To be disposed of.”

The man declared loudly. I frowned a little as I had a hard time coping with what was going on, but soon, one of the women I hadn’t noticed before approached me.