The exam hall for the “Mana Design” course.
A tower where monstrous creatures with massive bodies lurk from the very entrance.
A place modeled after the so-called “Tower of Ruin,” now filled with the screams of students.
“A-Are we really not gonna die? Weāre not, right???”
“If youāre that curious, go take a hit yourself!!”
Fire-attribute monstersācreatures they had only encountered in books, never in personāwere appearing before them.
Each one had a terrifying form, and the heat and killing intent radiating from them were anything but illusions.
Most of the students who had entered the tower had lost their composure for that very reason.
What on earth did these monstrous beings have to do with the “Mana Design” course, and why were they being forced into such a terrifying ordeal?
***
“Thatās probably what theyāre all thinkingā¦.”
Letter, watching over the students, murmured to herself before lowering her gaze again.
Before her lay a parchment, one she had personally prepared in the past.
It contained clues that would be crucial in helping the students advance to the next floor of the tower.
“If they donāt get confused, this should be easy.”
The reason Letter had released monsters into the tower wasnāt to force direct combat between students and creatures.
Her goal lay beyond thatāapplication and adaptation.
After all, “Mana Design” was a course meant to teach the theory behind operating magic circles.
Thus, overcoming this challenge wasnāt about fighting the monsters, but about choosing the right magic circle to use.
The key to success was modifying and utilizing the magic circles drawn at the entrance of each floor.
If the students used the correct magic circles, they wouldnāt need to analyze the monsters or look for their weaknesses.
The magic circles they created would serve as keys, opening the path to the next floor.
“Well, Ifrit might be a bit tricky. But as long as they get the hang of itā¦.”
There was a solution to every situation the students faced.
They had simply failed to find it yet, too overwhelmed by panic.
So, Letter made up her mind.
She would start by drilling some sense into these sheltered greenhouse flowers.
Students who had lived their lives in peace, never once expecting to face real monsters, needed a reality check.
‘That way, at least fewer of them will die.’
No matter what, that was better than dying.
Death was the worst of all possible outcomesāit stripped away any chance to try again.
Only about ten years remained until the events of the original story began.
Letter had already done her part by eliminating some of the hidden villains lurking among humans.
But as for those that werenāt human? There was nothing she could do about them.
Therefore, while she remained at Primus as a professor, she would strengthen the academy, whether the students liked it or not.
After all, the beginning of the original story was set to take place at Primus.
So, she watched.
She observed as the students desperately sought solutions, failing time and time again.
And she watched as they finally succeededāfaces bright with joy as they hurried to the next floor.
“ā¦Learn to appreciate how much of a blessing it is not to die.”
***
While Letter was watching over the students attempting the assignment, another group had an entirely different problem on their hands.
The ones responsible for broadcasting the studentsā progress to external spectatorsāPrimus’ student councilāwere…
“KYAAAAAH!!”
“I-I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!!!”
“ā¦Grandma? Why is a dead person over thereā¦?”
“ā¦What do we do?”
“W-What do you mean, āwhat do we doā?! Donāt show anyone but the vanguard team on screen!!”
They alternated between silent screams and very loud ones.
And for good reasonāmost of the students inside the tower were in no condition to be shown to the public.
No matter what, they had to hide the trembling, terrified figures of the students.
At the same time, they needed to highlight the valiant efforts of the vanguard teamāthe students steadily pushing through each floor against all odds.
‘What was the headmaster even thinkingā¦!’
It wasnāt just Professor Letter Yurt of the “Mana Design” courseāthe students couldnāt help but resent Headmaster Ainel as well for approving such a perilous assignment.
Even so, as members of the student council, they had to fulfill their duties.
That single reason alone was enough.
ćAh! Evan Krauss and Lucas Brier have just cleared the 8th floor and are heading to the 9thā!!ć
They shouted at the top of their lungs into a magically amplified broadcasting device.
Right now, there was no other choice.
***
“D-Dad, do you think I can really defeat those monsters?”
“Lady Letter said the difficulty for the beginner class is slightly easier, so youāll be fine.”
Isabelle’s father, Dreven, reassured her with a light pat on the shoulder.
At his words, Isabelle flinched slightly before slowly leaning her head against his shoulder.
Watching the two from a slight distance, Orphion then shifted his gaze beyond themātoward the VIP seating area.
More specifically, toward the first princess, Lilian.
‘How carefree.’
From Orphion’s perspective, Lilian showed no interest in the “Stage of Ascension” event.
She was simply passing the time, leisurely enjoying the food brought by her knights.
She seemed utterly unaware that she had become the target of an assassination plot orchestrated by a cult.
Orphion, dissatisfied with her obliviousness, narrowed his eyes briefly before turning away completely.
***
At that very momentāstep.
A figure that had been seated among the audience, silently watching her old friend Evan, finally began to move.
āā¦All for Lakaelā¦.”
Iris muttered to herself, her vacant eyes fixated on a destination near the VIP seating areaāthe storage room.
In order for the Apostles’ plan to succeed, Iris had to remain hidden until the fated moment when Lilian and Irina met.
The moment the two princesses stood before each other, she would activate the sacrificial ritual.
By completely erasing both their bodies and souls, she would spread the names of Lakael and the Apostles across the entire continent.
That command, deeply engraved in her mind, was the sole guiding principle of her existence.
Even knowing that she would die in the process, there was not a single trace of hesitation in her steps.
After all, this was for Lakael.
Her own life meant nothing when it came to serving Lakael and the Apostles.
Step.
Step.
Iris walked forward, finally reaching the storage room.
Inside, she made contact with the Apostles who had been waiting for her, receiving the artifact necessary to trigger the ritual.
“Your noble sacrifice will be remembered by all, Iris.”
“ā¦Thank you.”
Spreading Lakaelās name.
That was the sole meaning of her existence.
An unquestionable, absolute truth.
The deep-rooted indoctrination of the Apostles ensured that Iris was fully prepared.
And yetāfor some reason.
Before the event had even ended.
Shhhā¦
āā¦Hm?”
The storage room, where Iris now stood alone.
And in the secret passage leading to the Apostles’ hidden gathering placeātiny lights began to flicker.
A series of small magic circles started forming.
“ā¦Wait. This isā¦!”
One of the Apostles, recognizing what was happening, shouted urgently.
“Everyone, get out! Weāve been discovered!”
Butā
“Youāre too late.”
ćAnother Spaceć
A young voice rang out from the empty air as a spell was invoked.
The very space itself began to fracture.
Crack.
The void split apart, forcibly separating the area where the Apostles and Iris were gathered.
The Apostles, their bodies now wrapped in layers of protective magic, looked down to see the ground beneath them slowly breaking away.
“Thisāthis damnā”
Before one of them could finish speakingāCRACK.
A deep, resounding noise echoed through the space.
Something massive was being crushed.
***
Moments later, with a tremendous burst of dust and debris, the underground passage was forcefully pulled to the surface.
What was now visible was a colossal structure, wrapped in chains.
In reality, it was the entire network of underground tunnels, forcibly excavated and lifted into the open.
“ā¦Damn, you really dug a lot of tunnels. What are you, moles?”
A young shadow hovered in midair, their hand moving in a slow, deliberate gesture.
The structureāalong with everyone trapped insideābegan to collapse in on itself.
Crunch.
The Apostles, too, were crushed within the folding mass of stone and earth.
And thenāthud.
What had once been an extensive underground system, now compressed to an impossible size, dropped lightly onto the ground.
“Alright, then. Now that all the ritual casters are goneā¦”
The figure turned toward Iris, who was suspended in midair, unconscious.
After confirming that all of her ‘masters’ had been completely annihilatedā
Snap!
With a flick of their fingers, the oppressive force that had been suppressing Iris’ mind and soul finally began to release.
ā¦Ahā¦. ā¦Aaaaaaaagh!!!
Her body thrashed violently, overwhelmed by a flood of sensations that no sane mind could endure.
Almost immediately, a high-level sleep spell was cast.
ćComać
Thud.
Iris’ head drooped limply as she lost consciousness.
It was a full week before her tear-stained eyelids finally fluttered open again.
By then, the secret underground tunnelsābuilt over years in secrecyāhad completely disappeared.
As if they had never existed at all, they were buried beneath layers of dirt and stone.
And the only person who noticed the drastic change in the underground landscapeā
Was Karian.
“They excavated the entire spaceā¦.”
Reading the residual traces embedded in the earth, Karian added a new hypothesis to his theories about Letter.
People who could pull off something this insane without batting an eyeā¦
They were all a certain kind of personāone Karian was quite familiar with.
“ā¦I didnāt expect him to have another disciple.”
Suspecting Letter Yurt to be the fifth disciple of the Sage, Karian muttered to himself and walked away.