Emil remained immobile in the middle of the crowded street, his hands clasped tightly around the letter as if it would disappear into thin air at any second. The words scribbled on it would not make sense:
Empire Academy Admission Letter
His name was written in fancy golden letters, as plain as day:
Recipient: Emil Valcrest
His thoughts whirled.
"This, this has to be a mistake. I'm sure that it is a joke. Or maybe a trap?"
He glanced about, expecting someone to leap forth and laugh in his face, but the world just went on as it was. Merchants cried out their goods, blacksmiths clanged steel, and nobles walked by, too caught up in their own existence to pay any mind to the stupid commoner who stood like a moron in the center of the street.
Why him? Why did he get a random letter for the Empire's best academy?
Emil knew precisely that he was just a nobody. He was not some secret genius, some prodigy secretly gifted by fate. He was merely a talentless brat with the worst possible stats.
His hands shook slightly as he gasped for air. "Okay, okay, let me process this and let's not go crazy. Let's think clearly. If I actually got into the Empire Academy, then"
His voice faded away as one thought consumed him.
"I should check my stats first, and then I will decide what to do next."
If something was changed as if something was going to be changed, his status window would inform him.
Taking one final deep breath, he grasped his fists tight and hissed softly, "Status."
A feeble radiance flickered in front of him, and an ethereal window materialized in front of his face.
He smirked and said, "Okay, so this works well."
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Emil Valcrest
Race: Human
Age: 15
Title: None
Rank: F-
— Attributes —
Strength: 3 (Pathetic)
Agility: 4 (Snail-like)
Endurance: 3 (Weak)
Intelligence: 6 (Slightly Above Average)
Mana: 0 (Non-existent)
Luck: 2 (Cursed)
— Skills —
[None]
— Special Abilities —
[??????] – Sealed (Requires Condition to Unlock)
[??????] – Sealed (Requires Condition to Unlock)
Emil stared at the window for a few seconds, completely unfazed. Then, he let out a small chuckle.
"As expected. I'm not even shocked. This brat is nothing but a useless piece of shit, and my destiny is doomed already. With these shit stats, I can't do anything in this world."
Strength was pathetic. Agility was trash. Mana was nonexistent. He had zero skills.
And his luck? Two.
"Even fate itself thinks I'm a joke," he sighed.
But then, his gaze landed on something strange. Two sealed abilities.
His breath caught.
"Wait a minute, Sealed abilities?"
He racked his brain, trying to think of anything like it from Gods' Final Requiem. Then, he remembered.
"This occurred before. The right-hand man of the protagonist had a sealed ability at the beginning of the novel, and he used to be so weak. But when he unlocked his special sealed ability, he became one of the strongest of all time."
That character had begun weak, similar to Emil. But by unleashing his sealed skill, he became one of the world's strongest warriors.
"But he only possessed a single sealed ability. I possess two? Who the fuck is this brat?"
A peculiar sensation churned in his chest. It was not excitement. Not hope, either. More like disbelief.
"Okay, Maybe I can accomplish something in this world. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I should not give up on hope."
He clenched his fist.
"At least not now. Not when I'm actually part of this world. I have to try to live and make this world better."
Closing the status window, he returned to the letter.
The envelope was of delicate parchment, its border lined with gold. The crest embossed on the wax seal was the crest of the Empire Academy, an image of a flying phoenix encircled by runes.
He gently broke the seal and removed the letter within.
[Empire Academy Admission Notice]
Dear Emil Valcrest,
Congratulations. You have been accepted into the Empire Academy. Your attendance is mandatory at the Imperial Capital within seven days for the enrollment procedure. All arrangements have been made. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be refused.
We await your arrival.
Empire Academy Administration
Emil read it twice. Then a third time.
"This is insane. I never even applied to this damn academy."
His stomach churned. There was no reason for this. Empire Academy took only monsters, individuals who could knock a weakling like him around.
So why did he receive an invitation?
"Something isn't right. Someone wants me there, and this is way too much suspicious."
The letter stated the acceptance was non-transferable and cannot be refused.
"Does that mean I don't have a choice? Well, fine by me. I will go and check what this is all about."
The idea struck fear into his heart. Already living in an apocalyptic world, he now found himself getting pulled directly into the lion's den.
He took a heavy breath and returned the letter into the envelope.
"Well, pacing back and forth here isn't going to solve anything. If I'm to die, at least I'd die trying."
With that said, he began walking through the town.
The Road to the Capital
His initial course of action was obtaining a route to the Imperial Capital. It was too long a distance to walk, so his best option was hitching a ride in a merchant caravan or paying to sit in a carriage.
Emil had walked close to an hour when he came upon an inn. Roasted meat and the smell of fresh bread floated in the air, and his stomach growled in response.
"Perhaps I should take a little rest before going out."
As he was about to enter, a sudden sound froze him in place.
A thud. A second thud. Then a faint, pained whimper.
Emil's head swung around to the alleyway to the side of the inn.
His blood froze.
A group of men stood in a semicircle, their backs to him. One of them kicked back and sent a vicious kick.
Another thud.
A tiny, scrawny body curled up on the floor, covering his head with his arms. A child.
His ripped, dirty clothes, his already-bruised face. He looked barely more than ten years old.
"Tch. Idiot kid. Think you can escape from us?" one of the men taunted.
The kid didn't respond. He just whimpered, not strong enough to fight back.
The leader of the group cracked his knuckles and smiled.
"Heh. Guess we gotta teach you a lesson."
Emil's fingers jerked. His heart thudded in his chest.
He recognized this scene.
Not really, but, he had read scenes like this before.
This was a world where the powerful exploited the powerless. Where individuals like him, powerless, useless nobodies were dismissed at best and destroyed at worst.
He should dismiss this.
He should turn around and leave.
But his feet remained rooted.
His fists closed.
His mouth was dry.
"Damn it, I know I am weak, but I want to save that child."
He was useless. Useless with his strength.
But something wouldn't let him turn away.
And then
One of the men went to grab the kid by the collar, jerk him back to hit him
Emil's body had acted on its own.
"Oi."
The word was out of his mouth before he had even considered saying it.
The men stopped, turned their heads toward him in slow motion.
Cold, smiling eyes met his.
The leader leaned forward.
"Oh? And who the devil are you supposed to be?"
Emil swallowed.
Shit.
He had no idea. No strength. No plan for what the hell he was doing.
But he had already said it.
And now there was no going back.