"Here we are," Professor Vale announced, pointing at the building before her. The building before them was utterly weird and comical. It stood tall, approximately twenty meters in height, and appeared to be a single entity. It had a conical top, sprinkled with golden shade. The main body was completely cylindrical, and branch-like spiraling stone structures protruded out of it, blooming like a flower at the end.
The entire structure gave the vibe of an eerily looking stony tree, but despite being creepy, it still managed to amaze anyone who saw it, including the reincarnated man himself.
"What in the actual hell is this?!" Cassian remarked, his eyes widening with horror. He had never in his life–two lives even, ever witnessed such a grotesquely crafted building before. It looked like something that had popped up straight from hell itself.
"The tree of Singularity," Vale softly whispered, gazing at the building intently.
"Huh?"
"That’s its name. Kaldris created it under the pretense of his research and experimentation."
"But...why does it look so creepy?" He asked, shuddering at the thought of entering.
"I don’t know, ask that man yourself." Suddenly annoyed by something, she slowly relaxed her tense muscles and stepped forward, approaching the entrance gate that looked like the maw of a hideous entity.
ugghh
’Sometimes, I forget that this is a cursed world,’ muttering to himself, he resumed his steps and followed her.
They stopped in front of an obsidian door with silver engravings carved from the palehose wood itself. The door was slightly misaligned and had countless runic carvings etched on its wooden surface, each one representing an aberration of an eye.
Professor Vale stood in front of the door and knocked once, then stepped aside.
"Go on in. Your fellow House members should be waiting." She replied, patting his shoulders.
He opened his mouth to ask some questions, but before he could muster them up, a sudden force pushed him forward, thrusting his body inside the pitch-black entrance.
"Good Luck, Mr. Above Heavens." He only heard a faint chuckle from behind as he felt a sudden shift within the space around him.
swish~
plop–!
—
Straining his back, Cassian slowly stood up and dusted off his clothes.
"What’s up with her?" He growled in displeasure at her unnecessary act. He could have entered here himself–Why push him inside?
Tch–!
"She’s just acting petty."
Shaking his head, He slowly circulated his mana and spread his mana sense throughout the room, covering even the nooks and crannies with it.
A 3d view of the inside instantly popped up in his mind.
Inside was a spacious lounge—elegant, minimalistic, yet laced with luxurious undertones. Floating crystal chandeliers cast soft ambient light, and at the far end, beneath a mural of a radiant star, sat five other students.
Each one turned as he entered.
The first was a girl with platinum-blonde hair tied into a high braid. Her eyes were the color of glacier melt—icy, discerning, and full of ambition.
He recognized those unique features instantly.
’What the–! Am I really in the right place?’ A deep frown appeared on his handsome face. His first thought was that Professor Vale was tricking him...But there was no reason for that, was it?
She never had any unfavorable relationship with the Royal family.
Unless... she was conspiring for something else?! ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NovєlFіre.net
Nah, what could she want from tricking me?
I had nothing other than my empty titles and a few connections as the Crown Prince. Obviously, ignoring the wealth of future knowledge that no one should know about.
Anyway, acting against me would just ruin her entire career and make her the prime target for the Royal Family.
Why would she, a revered battle-honed warrior and captain–The Scarlet Reaper, do such a thing?
’Ahh, I’m overthinking again! It’s not that Professor Vale has tricked me but it seems the future has changed again due to my actions.’
’Right! That must be it!’ Feeling enlightened, he suddenly felt tense as he gazed at those present inside, his eyes landing on the first girl.
Sylfaen Marlowe.
A noble from the Eastern Highlands. A genius in mana inscription, known for her cold intellect and merciless critique. In the original novel, she had been a secondary antagonist—later turned ally under Lucian’s charisma. She was quite a tricky opponent due to her powerful combat magic.
His gaze then moved around the table to the next person.
The second was a beastkin—a fox-eared youth with vibrant red hair and slitted pupils. His tail flicked lazily behind him as he leaned against the sofa with a half-lidded smirk.
Riven Thorne.
A cunning illusionist and thief, once part of the rogue guild Crimson Veil before being scouted by the Academy. Wildcard personality, but deadly in team settings.
The third one was a small girl with brown hair and spectacles—sitting quietly in a corner, nose buried in a thick book.
Mira Elunwe.
A half-dwarf researcher with a rare affinity for strategic mind and revelation magic. She had no presence in the original novel until Book 3, where she suddenly became a strategic asset to Lucian during the Heavenly Tournament arc.
The fourth one was a tall, green-haired beauty with long, flawless legs sitting cross-legged beside Mira. Her entire presence was that of nature itself–peaceful, calming, and tranquil. She had sharp, pointy ears that revealed her identity as an elf, and her vibrant green hair was tied into a ponytail that further accentuated her beauty.
’A nature elf and not just any nature elf but one with the marked blessing of the World Tree itself.’ Cassian’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he gazed at the girl’s neck, where a small yet vivid green tattoo of a four-leaf clover shimmered faintly under the roomlight.
Sarah Elvineaor, better known as the fortune archer.
She was a powerful awakened being in the distant future who had somehow grasped the mysterious luck magic, a powerful yet uncontrollable force, and made it her own. The fortune archer could bless someone with immense luck, making them temporarily God’s child, but she could also as easily strip them of their luck, drowning them in the never-ending misfortune simply through her magic arrows.
Cassian shuddered slightly, remembering her future feats and achievements. She was truly the worst enemy one could ever dream of.
His gaze subtly bypassed her and landed on the final member, a dark skinned, eyeless young boy with two bony wings protruding out from his back. He instantly recognized the individual; how could he not actually?
This person was responsible for almost annihilating an entire race all by himself, and not just any race, but one filled with monstrous beings, immensely powerful and standing at the top of the food chain alongside races like humans, elves, dwarves, jotunns, etc.
’What luck truly!’
He immediately realized that they were just newbie children right now, nowhere near their future selves.
’The story is just getting started right now.’
As the look of realization dawned upon him, a small smirk stretched across his lips. He hurriedly looked away, feeling a subtle sense of dread from that individual’s eyeless pupils.