[The Next Day]

Mikhail walked towards the designated area that had been informed about yesterday.

As he had missed most of yesterday’s class, the one to inform him about it was Patrick.

He wasn’t in the university formal uniform today, instead he wore a simple black shirt and loose grey trousers.

Methew the cat was wrapped around his neck like a showpiece as the cat slept soundly.

For gear and armour, Mikhail planned to retrieve some from those provided by the university.

’Man...I should have taken yesterday’s class.’

Mikhail felt a slight regret because in the last class Professor Dantiz Fabrizio had helped students find their weapon.

Mikhail, who was still trying to find the weapon most suitable to him, needed that.

’Though, I am sure he won’t say no if I ask him later.’

Mikhail let out a soft sigh before he reached the backside of the Third Building.

Most of the students who were Ascendants were already here.

Mikhail quietly looked at the students present and found a few familiar faces.

’We got baby Prince Valkor, Nepo baby Aeloria and femboy Patrick with his weird owl.’

Seemingly satisfied with his naming, he walked closer and stood on the side.

Mikhail only had a good relation with Kiven and vice versa. So, right now he felt incredibly awkward standing alone.

But when he looked at the arrogant nobles, he felt it was much better to be alone than be near them, he didn’t even tired to befriend them.

Mikhail looked around the place and found a shelf with different weapons and armours.

He walked towards the shelf and quickly scanned through it.

’I still have [Black Spike] with me, other than that, I don’t have any other offense skills...’

Thinking about it, Mikhail felt rather dispirited.

’What type of weak-ass [Outer God] am I....’

After scanning through the weapons, Mikhail picked up a sword with the sheath, a few knives, and a holster with two short spears.

For armour, he only took a light chain mail and straps for his hands.

Having himself armed, Mikhail walked towards the side and stood silently.

After waiting for a few minutes, a palpable feeling in his heart made Mikhail startled.

’Not this shit again.’

Mikhail let out a sigh as he found Professor Dantiz Fabrizio walking towards them with a bag in his hand.

Dantiz wasn’t alone, seven students with second-year badges walked behind him.

He stood in front of the students and scanned their faces. His eyes lingered on Mikhail but not for long.

"There are a total of forty-nine students." He said in a deep voice. "For every seven student there will be one second-year student assigned for assessment."

Dantiz remained silent before he continued. "Their job is to look at your performance and give you points. They will also help you if you are in a predicament or if you can’t handle something above your level."

Mikhail frowned and wondered to himself. ’Why don’t they send the teachers instead?’

But as the thought arose in his mind, he already had the answer.

’The Grade Five Rifts have restrictions, only those at Ascendant or a rank above can enter.’

After briefing the students about the do’s and don’ts, Dantiz took out a list and announced the teams.

Mikhail was in the third team which had three nobles, two commoners who were from the House of Commoners family, him, and Patrick.

The second-year student assigned to them was a lady with wine-red hair and beautiful dove-shaped eyes.

Her name was Aleena.

Mikhail glanced at the weak-looking boy by his side without a word.

"What?"

Patrick asked in an annoyed tone, like an aggressive hawk ready to pounce.

"Nothing." Mikhail mumbled, looking away.

He then looked at Dantiz who had opened his bag and taken out a disk-like object.

Dantiz Fabrizio looked towards his students and said in a monotonous tone. "Brace for impact."

’What—?’

Before Mikhail’s thoughts could properly be arranged, he felt his head and body turn light and a white flash nearly blinded him.

For a second, he felt his entire body lose the sense of gravity before everything came crashing back.

Mikhail immediately felt like puking out everything he had eaten for breakfast but he held himself back.

The rest of the students weren’t so firm, quite a few of them bent over and emptied everything.

Dantiz Fabrizio and the second-year students weren’t too affected by it.

After a few seconds of silence, they regained their movements.

Mikhail also felt somewhat good so he began to look around the place.

They weren’t on the backside of a building but in an eerily silent forest which was devoid of any sound.

On the side, a teacher stood holding the same disk-like object like Dantiz.

’Is that an Artifact?’ Mikhail wondered inwardly. ’An Artifact related to teleportation?’

Mikhail was instinctively curious about the Artifact but he didn’t move to ask about it.

’I don’t think he will reveal information about such an Artifact to a new student.’

Having given up on that, Mikhail focused on the distortion in space.

In the outskirts of the cleared-up forest was a tear in space that had a weird texture, it was like a painting had been drawn that was convulsing and expanding again and again.

It was slightly grey in colour with half of its ’body’ submerged into the ground.

The Rift’s end-to-end length was around eight feet, enough for a small bus to get inside.

’Too bad none of the mana buses work inside the Rift and given how the Rifts are known to corrupt anything it’s best not to use any type of technology.’

The students who had more or less recovered looked at the Rift as well and couldn’t help but marvel.

’This is going to be my first time inside a Rift....’

Mikhail drew in a deep breath, holding back his excitement and anticipation.

Dantiz walked beside the Rift and looked at the students and said.

"You will enter as a team. There are a total of ten different places this Rift can lead to so you won’t be meeting any other group inside."

He then turned silent and looked down at his feet seemingly struggling to speak his next words.

With a deep breath, he looked up and said. "Once you die inside a Rift, you die in real life....So, be careful."

In an instant the entire class stiffened and the excitement quickly turned into fear.

’Well, it’s not like we can respawn in real world.’

Mikhail loomed inwardly as he was more relaxed than the others.

"Alright, group one go inside."

Dantiz Fabrizio quickly began to call the group numbers.

The first group which was led by Prince Valkor, walked inside.

The second group followed just after a few minutes.

"Third group."

Mikhail took in a deep breath and took the first step from his group.

He looked at the broken Rift in space and touched it with his hand.

’Hmm, there isn’t much resistance.’

Mikhail took in a deep breath and walked inside the Rift.

At the same time, he felt the Artifact of Destruction in his hand getting triggered.

A red light bloomed from his hand and spread all around his body before going back to his finger.

’...Ahh, shit.’