"CHAPTER 001: DOOMSDAY AND SCHOOL OPENING

Blistering flames carrying massive boulders tore through the ink-black night sky. Grotesque monsters descended alongside the falling debris upon the slumbering world. Beneath the starry expanse, colossal warships representing an advanced civilization drifted silently, their shadows morphing into soul-devouring demons.

All of this coalesced into the image of a divine sword, potent enough to cleave mountains and sever rivers, wielded by an invisible giant hand, wantonly ravaging the land. Humanity, homes, the planet itself! Slowly, all succumbed beneath its edge. The apocalypse had arrived with shocking suddenness. Was this pure annihilation, or a stern, unforgiving judgment?

Our homes were obliterated, our flesh devoured, our souls scourged! It was the statues falling from the heavens that granted us rebirth! There are no gods in this world. Only by our own hands can we achieve salvation. Only with our indomitable spirit can we annihilate our foes! Humanity will rise again. The planet shall be restored! Dedicated to our brethren who fell before the dawn of the New Era. Sworn upon the dignity of humankind. Final victory will be ours. Year 1 of the New Era—Excerpt from Chronicles of the Epochs: Prologue

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""Ow! Hey, handsome, stop shoving me!"" a female voice snapped impatiently.

seemingly goofy-looking young man had somehow managed to bump straight into the girl who’d spoken! And this bewildered guy was lugging several large bags too!

""Sorry, sorry! Totally my fault,"" the young man stammered, hastily bowing his head apologetically at the girl he'd jostled. ""It's just... the crowd is insane here!""

The girl, hearing him, glanced around. Her expression instantly morphed into one of shared frustration. He was right—the place was absolutely packed!

Today was the opening day for Donghua Academy! And they were right at the academy's main gate, easily thronged by tens of thousands. Everyone was here for one reason: registration sign-in.

Donghua Academy—no, actually, all academies in this world—were fundamentally different from those of the pre-cataclysm era. These institutions admitted everyone aged five to twenty-five. Upon turning five, admission was mandatory. Why? Because this was the apocalypse. Survival here demanded skills, and the only path to learn those skills was through the academies.

In fact, the crowd of just tens of thousands at the gate was considered light. Donghua Academy sprawled across an area comparable to a small town, designed to house hundreds of thousands—a population it indeed possessed. Thank goodness registration was staggered over days; otherwise, this place would have literally exploded!

The ""school gate"" was essentially a city gate! Imposing walls of bluish-gray stone, easily fifteen meters high, encircled the entire academy. Resembling a fortress more than a school, the main gate itself stood ten meters tall and five to six meters wide. (If you can't picture it, imagine ancient Chinese city gate complexes from historical dramas.)

The noise level was off the charts. As mentioned, mandatory enrollment started at age five, so the crowd wasn't just adults—children aged five and up were everywhere! And kids, naturally, were full of energy. Some chattered non-stop with friends; others dashed about wildly. Expecting them to stand patiently in line? Impossible!

Even the older students weren't paragons of orderliness, though they weren't nearly as chaotic as the young children.

Seeing the scene unfold before her, the girl sighed, her frustration now directed at the situation itself rather than the clumsy guy. Getting bumped was practically inevitable in this human crush. She waved a dismissive hand, signaling it was fine, and prepared to merge back into the seething mass of bodies.

""Wait! Please, wait!"" the flustered male voice called out again just as she turned.

The girl spun back around, unsurprised to find the bewildered young man staring at her and her companion with that same lost-puppy look.

""What now?"" she demanded, her tone dripping with impatience.

The young man flinched, a bead of sweat forming on his temple. He swallowed nervously. ""I... um... could you tell me... where the New Student Reception Center is?""

""Can't you just get in line and ask one of the supervising instructors?"" she retorted, rolling her eyes dramatically. Registration day—obviously, the registration staff were the ones to ask!

Chastened by her expression, the young man gave an embarrassed, self-conscious laugh. ""Ah, well, you see, I'm not here to register myself. I need to find the Reception Center Director. But this place is enormous... I'm hopelessly lost.""

The girl scrutinized him properly now. He wore a plain button-down shirt, unremarkable pants, and ordinary shoes. Combined with his vacant expression, neither she nor her friend had bothered to take note of his actual features before.

""You're not a student?"" she asked bluntly.

""Nope! Not a student!"" He nodded vigorously, like a woodpecker attacking a tree.

""Oh... I see."" The girl let out a soft, thoughtful hum. Then, a corner of her mouth twitched upwards into a faint, utterly inscrutable smile.

She cleared her throat softly, as if composing herself. Her expression abruptly shifted into one of exaggerated, righteous seriousness.

""Since you're not affiliated with our academy,"" she announced with mock solemnity, ""it becomes my duty to assist you!"" She pointed authoritatively towards the main gate. ""Alright. Go through those gates. Find the ten-story building right ahead. Once you see it, turn right. Walk about five hundred meters down that way, then turn left. After another three or four hundred meters, turn left again…"" She continued rattling off directions: lefts, rights, straights, distances in meters—a bewildering torrent of information lasting a solid three or four minutes.

The young man stared, looking increasingly dazed by the deluge.

""Hold on! Hold on!"" he blurted out as she seemed poised to leave again. He fumbled desperately at the pockets of his shirt. ""That was... a lot. Could you maybe say it once more? I'll write it down!""

""You couldn't even remember that?"" The girl feigned shock. ""Shame on you for being human! That was nothing!"" She sighed dramatically, as if bestowing an immense favor. ""Fine, fine. Listen up."" She repeated the entire convoluted list of directions at lightning speed. Then, adopting an expression of profound disappointment, she leaned in. ""So, handsome, you've got it now, right? For a human, this should be child's play. Please don't tell me you lack even that level of competence.""

The young man had initially slumped in dejection at her scolding. But at her final, challenging words about his competence and humanity, his head snapped up. His eyes suddenly blazed with a fierce, bright light. He straightened his shoulders, meeting her gaze squarely.

""Of course!"" he declared, his voice firm, suddenly radiating unexpected confidence. ""Lacking that would indeed disqualify me from being called human! I've got it! Thank you both!"" With a final, decisive nod, he plunged back into the crowd like a shot, vanishing almost instantly.

The sheer abruptness of the transformation left the girl utterly speechless, mouth slightly agape.

""Pfft... Hahahaha!""

soft chuckle erupted beside her. It was her companion, finally unable to hold back her laughter.

""Seriously,"" the friend giggled, ""that was evil! Why trick the poor guy?""

""Hmph!"" The first girl shrugged, her earlier fake solemnity replaced by a playful smirk. ""Did you see that goofy expression? I just felt like messing with him a little. Let him suffer some frustration!"" She exchanged a conspiratorial glance with her friend, and both burst into genuine, sparkling laughter that drew curious looks from those nearby.

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""See? Told you I could remember it! If I couldn't manage something this simple, how could I ever hope to surpass my big brother?"" the young man murmured to himself, striding quickly down the path. Inside the academy grounds, relative quiet prevailed. Most students were still battling the crowds at the gate, and it was still early. Besides imposing metal towers looming on either side, few people were visible. He didn't seem to care about the volume of his voice. ""Alright, after this left turn, it should be straight ahead to my destination!"" His words came out louder than intended. He turned sharply left.

The moment he rounded the corner, his eyes flew wide open. He froze completely, rooted to the spot by the sight before him. His jaw might as well have hit the pavement.

""Caw! Caw! Caw!""

It felt like three very smug crows cawed mockingly right over his head. His head instantly felt three times its size.

""Sigh... I knew it!"" The deflated voice cut through the imaginary cawing. ""I knew I couldn't possibly remember it all! I'm utterly useless!"" The young man stood stunned for another second before a wave of despair crashed over him. He grabbed his head with both hands, dropping into a low crouch. Agonized groans escaped him as he berated himself mercilessly. ""Worthless... completely useless...""

He remained huddled like that for a long, miserable moment. Finally, he pushed himself slowly to his feet. He lifted his head, blinking rapidly. The faintest glisten of moisture, almost invisible, clung to the corners of his eyes. Could something so trivial truly wound him so deeply?

He wiped roughly at his eyes with the back of his hand. He tried forcing a faint, unconvincing smile onto his face.

""Ah well... Gotta find someone else to ask, I guess. Seriously useless... couldn't even remember that."" His voice was thick with self-reproach.

He sighed and finally took a proper look ahead. A despairing shake of his head followed immediately. The promised student reception center was nowhere in sight.

He hadn't found the administration building. He had found a dead end—a cul-de-sac. And judging by the scattered debris and faint, unpleasant smell permeating the small enclosed space, this secluded corner was likely the designated garbage collection point for this section of the academy."