Orientation (1)

"Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between. We congratulate you all for attending this prestigious institution."

"Oh my gosh, it's him! It's him!"

"Are we allowed to take pictures here?"

"I lost my phone! Where is it?!"

The packed stadium erupted in applause and chatter as students surrounding the elegant oval platform displayed excitement and anticipation.

Some had their phones out, capturing the moment, while others clapped more modestly. Regardless, it was clear this was a significant milestone in their lives.

This crowd included many talented and unique individuals, the best of the best, that had been admitted to this prestigious academy. Here, everyone played a starring role.

'What happened? Where am I?'

Shielding his eyes from the bright stage lights, Atlas surveyed his surroundings, his mind initially blank with static before questions began to flood his thoughts.

Memories and visions flashed before him, but Atlas couldn't process any of them. They seemed to rush toward him from every direction, jostling for attention.

Overwhelmed by these sensory inputs, everything appeared disoriented. His ears were ringing, and his foot cramped up, causing him to lose balance.

As a result, he bumped into nearby people.

"Hey-!"

"Watch it."

"Hey, isn't that a Silverthorne?"

"Oh, real shit?"

Once that name was mentioned, those who overheard cast curious glances his way. Upon discovering his full identity, their expressions turned disdainful and resentful.

Atlas remained oblivious to their reactions.

He felt suffocated in this unknown place among strangers. It was as if his lungs had forgotten how to function.

In truth, he assumed they shouldn't even be working now – he had just died!

As his breathing grew ragged and shallow, he stumbled forward and clutched at his chest.

He didn't understand – how was he alive? Had someone resurrected him? Was that even possible?

Numerous hypotheses crossed his mind, but he needed to prioritize breathing; otherwise, he would suffocate.

It would be ironic to return from death only to die again.

Atlas closed his eyes, counting quietly to himself. He started at 82 and counted backward, just as he had done before a battle to calm his nerves.

'44...43...42...'

Finding solace in familiarity amid the unfamiliar, he reopened his eyes.

He squinted through the blurry haze, willing his vision to settle back down.

Once it did and he could finally see, however, his gaze widened in shock.

As he stood there paralyzed he felt more alive than ever. He could feel the sweat clinging to his face, the fabric sticking to his skin, as his hair fell over his eyes.

His back felt chilled as he stared at this sight, despite the sun enveloping everyone in its intense afternoon light.

"We will do our best to support and help you to our fullest capabilities."

'Th-this!'

His pupils shook unsteadily as he stood there, listening to those words that echoed and bounced off the walls of the stadium.

"However, I ask you to please remember why you stand here today."

The man at the center of the platform, who had been delivering a speech, suddenly turned serious. His face was captured by eight drones that displayed their recordings around the stadium for the audience.

He pointed a finger at the students before him and gestured in a full circle, addressing everyone in the stadium.

"You are the next generation of fighters. Humanity awaits you. Therefore, work diligently, study well, and train hard. I will not tolerate those who break our conduct."

"Humanity awaits..." Atlas quietly echoed the conclusion of his speech as he couldn't tear his gaze away from the large screen.

His thoughts raced faster than he could process.

'If my memory is correct, this is the orientation that occurred on the first day of Reign Academy!'

Reign Academy was the top military school for ability users. Many of its graduates ranked among the top 20 in their field, adding to its prestigious reputation. A secure life after school was virtually guaranteed just by attending this academy.

Atlas furrowed his brows in thought.

'But...this happened exactly nine years ago?'

As he looked around, he realized that what had initially seemed unfamiliar was actually quite familiar—so much so that he recalled every detail about the stadium, including its 4,141-seat capacity.

In shock, he glanced down at his body and confirmed his worst fear: he had reverted to his 17-year-old self. Rather than wearing bloodied armor, he found himself dressed in a navy blue jacket, striped tie, grey pants, and a white button-down shirt—just like everyone else around him.

Atlas took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"With that, until next time, our young heroes."

The speech concluded and screens showing his image switched off as students clapped and cheered for Principal Finn Reverend.

'Finn Reverend—Reign Academy's principal and ranked globally as number 51.'

Of course, Atlas recognized him—the man had been the principal of his school for three years.

'I never saw him during the war, but I heard he was involved in intelligence gathering.'

What ultimately happened to Reverend, Atlas didn't know. Fidgeting with his tie, he tried to gather his thoughts with a more focused mind.

First, it was clear that he had died. And yet he awoke nine years in the past, just moments before the end of the world.

'An illusion? No-'

Atlas couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He had experienced far too many similar illusions—but this wasn't one of them.

'Powerful illusionists are scarce. They all perished during the war.'

His mind raced: 'Did the universe finally take pity on me?'

He had been sent back nine years, to be exact - nine whole years before the war. Back when he first attended Reign Academy.

Atlas felt exhilarated.

He was alive! Slightly disoriented but alive! He wasn't dying on a bloody battlefield, slashing demons left and right, or eating dried jerky all day.

He had returned to the time he missed most, to when he experienced his most peaceful and serene days. Moreover, he currently possessed information about the future - knowledge of upcoming events, disasters, and almost every significant occurrence.

The value of this trump card was immeasurable.

It couldn't even be compared to those who had affinities for manipulating time!

With this knowledge, Atlas could become stronger! He could-

His face suddenly darkened.

'No,' he thought. 'It doesn't matter if I exploit this knowledge or not! This world is fucking doomed!'

Feeling agitated, he ran a hand through his hair.

'The universe didn't take pity on me at all!'

Cursing under his breath, Atlas glanced around at the cheerful and carefree faces of everyone else. None of them knew their fate was sealed—that they would all die.

Could he just wait for this world to end? Run away and enjoy the rest of his days in a remote area?

He could try.

Yet...

There was something about that sight he saw before his previous death. Could he genuinely live happily knowing everyone here was destined to perish?

That he himself was destined to die? If he were to just run away death will eventually come for him, no matter where he runs.

The image of Kai's dead body in his mind imprinted itself in his mind along with the sight of the battlefield, littered with more corpses than solid ground.

Determinedly clenching his hands, Atlas vowed, 'I'll live a long and happy life! I'll make it so!'

'I'll make sure that this time Kai and the others won't be defeated! I'll leak information about the future! That's easy, right? I know what happens anyway!'

'While they're getting strong and fighting the big guys, I can relax!'

He laughed to himself, 'I'm a genius. '

His good mood did not last long, however.

'But first...'

He hesitated, cringing at what he might see next.

Atlas wanted to open his status window and check if his stats had carried over, though he felt he already knew the answer.

'Status window.'

With that thought, a holographic window appeared before him, visible only to his eyes.

=Status Window=

Name: Atlas Silverthorne

Age: 17

Stats: [Strength 24], [Endurance 11], [Dexterity 21],[Stamina 9], [Intelligence 98], [Charm 114], [Mana 100/100],

Affinity: Wind || Lightning

Rank: Club -> Spades

Weapons: –

= Card Deck =

Available Slots: 1/2

Signature Card: Absolute Instant

Ability Cards: [Sole Wind]

...

Atlas mustered tremendous willpower to resist cursing the universe.

For the first time since coming back, he wished he had died instead.

The emotion he experienced was akin to spending years progressing in a game only for it to be reset after nine years. It was like working tirelessly on a long project without sleep, only for it to be destroyed before submission.

Fighting back tears, he tried to see the silver lining.

'Ah, but this time I can regain my abilities faster. I can use my knowledge of the future and - and - forget it!'

Rationalizing his situation was difficult.

Exhaling a weary sigh that sounded as if he had traveled through the depths of hell, Atlas reluctantly accepted his current reality.

'I'll have to work on my stats-!'

He tried his best to avoid looking at his stamina.

"My stats must be high enough to execute weapon techniques, or else everything I've learned about wielding my weapon would be in vain!" he thought.

A mild headache was approaching.

During the final battle, he hadn't been particularly strong. He had been average at best, even after his time at Reign Academy. He knew his stats were poor back then, but he clung to a sliver of hope that things would have been somewhat easier if they carried over.

Unfortunately, things didn't always work in his favor.

The only option now was to unleash his potential as swiftly as possible.

The students surrounding Atlas gave him strange looks before deciding to leave him to his own devices.

They all shared a small look of understanding that they were just going to ignore him.

Their gaze shifted to the gleaming platform where someone else had begun stepping up.