“John, did you do what I think you did?” Frank stammered.

What could be so shocking that his jaw is practically hitting the ground?

“Did you just talk to the old monster?” He continued.

Old monster? What a fitting name.

“Well, yeah, I did. Was it that shocking?” I said. I understand a certain amount of fear but does he frighten them that much?

“YES, WE DO! HE HURT YOU AND DOWEN WITHOUT HESITATION” Greta temper flared and she

shouted at me.

Owen stayed silent throughout the exchange but I could see that he agreed with them.

“C’mon guys, it’s not that bad. If you talk to him a bit, he becomes reaaaaally nice. The advice he gives is awesome too! We can learn a lot from him!” I tried to persuade them.

Their faces showed serious doubt and I sighed. I didn’t like him that much either in the beginning but it doesn’t mean that I won’t even ask him for advice.

“C’mon, just try it! Ask him something related to training and I am sure he will answer you.” I told them. In the end it is up to them whether they talk to him or not, if they really don’t want to I have no way to force them.

They looked at me strangely and huddled together to decide. I let them be, after all who am I to tell them what to do?

After a long time of hesitation, we finally went as a group. They insisted that I come with them, after all I was spared so they at least had a scapegoat if everything went wrong. Sometimes I am surprised by the cruelty of children.

Well, I had forgotten to ask something anyway so it wasn’t a big deal.

When we finally arrived before him they pushed me forwards to be the vanguard. The teacher sent me an amused look as he saw that I was some kind of sacrificial lamb but otherwise ignored our presence.

“Well, I forgot to ask something very important Mr. Teacher. Do you know where I can find my brother, George? He was brought away in the last batch and I have to relay something to him from our father.” I asked him.

“Hmmm, George? There are many children who go by the name of George and I don't think you remember his appearance so I think it will be quite difficult to find him. What is the name of your father?” He answered in a calm tone. Well, at least he doesn’t want my friends to fear him.

“Laxeris” I said. My father had a pretty odd name. I and my brother had pretty common name in comparison. I often wondered why but my father wouldn’t tell me no matter how many times I asked.

The teacher’s eyes lit up for a moment “Well, what an unusual name. I am sure that we can find your brother if we ask around for a bit.”

After having gotten my answer I turned around and urged my friends to come forth and ask him a question – Any question would do, really. What matters is that they overcome their fear.

After a long time of awkward silence Greta finally stepped up.

She fidgeted around for a bit but then looked straight into his eyes. Her posture was pretty defensive, almost like that of prey prepared to run away.

I didn’t even find this adorable even though I would have in my previous life. Is this the influence of my new body?

“M-Mr. Teacher, I have a question I have to ask!” she whispered in a voice almost too silent to hear. This didn’t seem to have impeded the teacher though as he looked at her expectantly.

“How do I become a strong warrior?” He was visibly startled by this. His eyes started to glaze over as he seemed to look at something in the far distance.

He quickly snapped out of it however and answered in the tone you would normally use when speaking to a child.” Well, what do you think?”

Now that I think about it, didn’t he use awfully complicated words when speaking to me? Had I been a normal child I wouldn’t have understood half of his words. Maybe it was a sort of test?

Greta was taken aback at his unexpected answer but then said in an unsure tone. “Umm, meditation?”

The teacher laughed. He laughed until tears came out of his eyes as he looked at us, especially Greta.

After he finally calmed down he shouted loud enough for the whole field to hear him. “Well said child, well said. If I were still your age I would have said the same, but it is different now.

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No, it is self-confidence, unwavering will in the face of danger and finally technique!”

We had the whole attention of the children again. Most of them looked confused at the sudden shouting of the teacher though.

“Of what use is physical strength if you are unnecessarily wasting energy because you can’t utilize even half of it! How can you show your true power if you don’t even believe in yourself? How can you hope to kill the beasts if you piss your pants when looking at them?” He continued.

Well, he does have a point. Sometimes I forget that we live in world where fighting for survival is the only thing that matters. Other factors may cause us to overlook this, but at the end of the day humanity is in constant danger.

The conditions may have become safer in recent years but it doesn’t change the fact that a powerful monster could just wipe us out if it wishes so and we couldn’t do anything against it.

The only thing we can do is struggle. Struggle for survival. Struggle for power. Struggle for the establishing of an absolute safe haven where we aren’t in danger.

I think I have a goal now. I’ve been in this world for four years now and I have to say that I never really had any ambitions.

But that changed now. I have the chance to become someone here.

I will prove that I have learned from my past. If a chance were to be presented to me I will take it without hesitation. Who cares about living?

I already died once, what do I have to fear? If I escaped deaths clutches once why shouldn’t I be able to do it again?

“I have decided. You will become the last batch I will teach! Let the historical records say that this is the starting point of a legend!

Let me promise you a few things!

I promise you that, with my help you will become the most outstanding warriors that have ever walked on this goddamned world!

I promise you that if you give it your all I will definitely make you figures to be remembered!

I promise you that you that I will spare no effort to make my promises true!” He let out a mad laugh.

If the people present weren’t children most of them wouldn’t have been swayed so easily. Just moments ago they feared him but now they looked at him with endless hopes in their eyes.

Wanting to see whether his words had reached us he looked each of us in the eye. After he was convinced of whatever he wanted to confirm he shouted again. ”DO YOU AGREE?”

It was interesting how simultaneous we acted. “YES, TEACHER!” All of us shouted at the top of our lungs in unison. The shout reverberated throughout the whole Academy and many other groups looked over at us.

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” He answered. Hah, what a sly old man.

“YES TEACHER, WE AGREE!” We shouted again. By now children of different ages were starting to from a crowd around us.

“LOUDER!”

“YES TEACHER!”

This continued for quite a few times until he finally stopped, obviously satisfied with our resolve.

“I see that you have the resolve. Don’t regret this in the future! Your training will be far harsher than that of the others. When the others train six hours you will train 18! Whilst they are still learning the basics you will already be fighting beasts! You promised me that you will do your very best and I take promises seriously.

Now let’s start! Hit the dummies with the mana influx at the same level as your regeneration of it! If you are too tired to continue meditate! BEGIN!”

The children around us made way for us as we rushed towards the dummies.

Our invigorated childish bodies did as he told us over and over again until finally night fell.

We dragged our exhausted bodies back to our rooms, unaware of the storm we would cause far in the future.

It was like this that our legend began. In the millennia to come they would call this event “The Beginning”

This day would mark the beginning of the rise of humanity to unprecedented heights.