The Academy's cafeteria buzzed with activity as students gathered in social clusters, comparing notes on their first classes and sizing up their new peers. Arthur and Luke had found a quiet corner table away from the others, their trays loaded with surprisingly good food—hearty stew, fresh bread, and assorted fruits.
Arthur took a bite of his bread before leaning forward, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. "So if all you have to do is kill monsters and eventually your core will give you the option to rank up, why aren't there more people in higher realms by now? It's been fifteen years since the first gates appeared—surely there are people who have done more than enough killing."
Luke chewed thoughtfully, considering the question. He took a sip of water before sighing.
"Well... it's not that simple, really," he replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "There actually have been many people who ranked up and were sent to the fourth realm prior to the Flame Lord and the few others right before him. But once they arrived in the fourth realm..."
He paused, his expression growing somber.
"It seemed to be too much for them. Until recently, anybody who ever tried died there, well before getting the chance to place their tether."
Arthur's spoon halted halfway to his mouth. "Died? All of them?"
"All of them," Luke confirmed grimly. "And ranking up isn't as simple as 'killing monsters.' Each time you rank up, your core grows hungrier for tougher challenges. You can't simply satisfy it by farming low-level creatures. If you want to rank up in a reasonable timeframe, you have to fight the tougher monsters in the higher realms, which isn't an easy feat."
A group of students walked past their table, laughing about something, their carefree attitudes a stark contrast to the weight of Luke's words.
"So many die before ever getting the chance," Luke continued once they had passed. "While some will fill their core and decide never to rank up, not wanting to risk death in the next realm. They'll simply be satisfied being a grunt in the grand picture forever."
Luke absently stirred his stew. "So all in all, it isn't as easy to rank up as it sounds. And even if you do manage to rank up, surviving in the next realm gets progressively harder, so most won't even try, and most of those who do..."
"End up dead," Arthur finished quietly.
He nodded, trying his best to understand everything. It was confusing, overwhelming. The systems, the hierarchies, the risks—it was like learning the rules to an impossibly complex game where the stakes were life and death. But Arthur didn't want to seem ignorant in front of Luke, so he simply nodded and told him he understood.
But his curiosity wasn't satisfied. There was another question burning in his mind.
"Okay, and one more thing..." Arthur leaned closer, lowering his voice. "What's the deal with some of our classmates, specifically Aziel and Cara? How are they already so skilled? It's like they've been preparing for this their whole lives."
Luke leaned back in his chair, a knowing look on his face. "Probably because they have."
Arthur's brow furrowed in confusion. "How? That doesn't make sense. They could have only found out they were going to be Chosen about a month ago, like the rest of us. How could they have known?"
A smirk played across Luke's lips as he leaned closer, entering what Arthur was starting to recognize as his "information-sharing mode."
"Well, a lot of parents recently—especially ones with money in the higher echelons of the districts—have been hiring tutors to train their kids early on. Pretty much the same stuff we're learning here, just in case one day they happen to become Chosen."
Arthur's jaw tightened. Of course. Money. It always came down to money.
"It's more of a 'just in case' thing that parents with wealth to throw around do," Luke continued. "As for Aziel, his dad was a Pathfinder. While there are no official studies that say whether the children of Chosen are more likely to be Chosen themselves, I'm sure his father didn't want to take any chances. And I guess it's a good thing he didn't."
Luke took another bite of his lunch before adding, "And Cara, well... she's a bit of a mystery."
Arthur nodded intently as he listened, his mind processing the implications. 'So pretty much they got a head start because they had money? That's stupid.'
The conversation lulled as they focused on finishing their meals. The cafeteria had begun to thin out as students headed to their afternoon classes. Arthur glanced at the clock—fifteen minutes until Survival 101.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"Luke..." Arthur hesitated, unsure if he should ask. "How do you know all this? No offense, but you don't seem to be the 'rich, trained-from-birth' type, so how...?"
Luke started to laugh, a genuine burst of amusement that drew glances from nearby tables. He composed himself to answer the question.
"I told you, remember? Before coming here, I was a Chosen fanboy!" His eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Video games, news broadcasts, theories, and drama TV—I was a fan of it all. I could tell you the name of every high-ranking Chosen from the last decade, their combat specialties, their most famous achievements..."
His excitement faded slightly. "Although I never thought I'd become one."
The mood shifted, growing heavier with those last words. Arthur felt his own spirits sinking as well. They knew—so did everybody in their class. The unspoken truth hung in the air between them.
He and Luke might as well be walking corpses.
Unless they spawned unbelievably close to a realm core or got saved by Chosen scouts from the stronghold, they would surely die. They were too weak to last more than a couple of seconds in practice sparring, so fighting actual monsters? The outcome seemed inevitable.
Arthur had been trying to bury this truth, not think about it, trying to enjoy what might be his last months alive. But Luke's words had brought it all rushing back.
Still, he couldn't give in to despair—not yet. Not when they still had classes to attend, things to learn. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them.
Arthur forced a smile onto his face and slapped Luke on the shoulder. "Let's head to class."
Luke looked up, his own smile returning as he pushed away the dark thoughts. "Yeah, let's go."
As they gathered their trays and stood to leave, Arthur caught sight of Cara sitting alone at a table near the window. Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating her golden hair like a halo. She was reading something on a tablet, completely absorbed and seemingly unaware of the admiring glances cast her way.
For a moment, Arthur envied her certainty, her confidence. She would survive the realms—that much seemed clear. People like her and Aziel had been prepared for this life.
People like him and Luke... well, they would just have to find their own way.