Lin held his scythe in his arm as he ran through the forest.
*Crack*
A tree in front of him fell, but before it could reach the ground, it was cut in half and Lin continued on his way, soon he got bored and decided to increase his speed, dust trails were left behind him.
As he was close to rwching his destination, something with red eyes and purple skin with a black exoskeleton was on the road.
It was a monster, beings created from the pieces left behind by the corpse of the Primal goddess, Taimat. These monsters will endlessly be created as long as certain things were met in conditions.
The monster in front of him was a creature that had the head of a wolf and the hind legs of a deer, it was simply an abominations.
Lin stopped on his tracks, his shoes creating a small dust rise. Without any words, the blade on his scythe turned upward and now his scythe looked more like a spear.
He spinned it for a it before placing his right leg in the front and his left leg at the back while crouching, the monster roared and rushed towards him but Lin moved and the appeared behind the monster.
The monster stood their motionless but Ig one was to look at it, they would see a large hole on it's head that looked like it was pulled out unprofessionally.
Lin let out a breath of air and then stretched, his spear head returning Into a spears then he walked towards his hunt, he crouched down above the monsters head and pulled out a small purple crystal.
He pondered for a moment then he slid open the middle of his scythe handle, a metal needle was pointing from the up and one facing down. These were Taimat crystals, an energy used for various purposes in this world.
It also allows for supercharging Morphtech, his scythe was one. It would be useful ton his way to Babylon academy, meeting monsters were very annoying and his Tai was limited. He could use his trait but that would be wasting too much energy. He placed it inside and closed it.
Either way, the black haired youth with red eyes and wearing a jacket with a white shirt underneath Continued on his way.
---
One and a half days passed and Lin was finally at the entrance of Babon academy, his scythe on his shoulder and he had a relaxed smile on his face. It was currently almost getting dark
There was a long line that needed to be crossed before one could even think of trying to enter Babylon academy, he was already in line and the only thing he needed to do was wait.
He looked around seeing some other people his age with their own Morphtech...there was also someone who had a clocked theme arm shield, he really wondered about some people's artistic sense.
"Look, it's a disgusting Anima, I wonder what they are doing here in Babylon." Someone near Lin said mockingly to a boy with gray hair and cat ears. Anima's, a subhuman species that were created when the Goddes died, it was said in ancient times it was a curse cast upon humanity for defying Taimat, so a lot of people criticise them.
The cat Anima didn't look bothered, he wad just minding his business, on his back were dual guns with light green and gray markings, there was also a dagger strapped to his arm.
Lin then minded his business, he narrowed his eyes and his vision zoomed towards the gate, it seemed to be closed, he sighed and his vision returned to normal. It looks he would have to wait till Sunser before they open it.
"Don't you think the students here are less than what was suppose to be?." The voice of a girl said curiously.
One of her friends replied. "Yeah we each for individual messaged but the principal said almost 300 hundred Hunters and Huntress were chosen but I only see one hundred and twenty eight."
"Well it could be some were unlucky and met the Dark Clawed Union or they met a high level Monster, it means everyone here isn't weak." One of her other friends said.
Lin smiled, he wondered how the academy.y was going to be. "I wonder how things will be." He muttered to himself.
As time went on, the sun finally retreated and as if a command was implanted, the gates opened and the empty dark streets were filled with lamps that lit up like domino's falling.
"Last to enter is the biggest lover if the year." Someone said as they rushed forward, they left behind trails of golden light, a speed Trait?, Lin thought.
The Hunters and Huntress were triggered by his words and everyone began rushing in, of course Lin also ran leaving quite a few people behind, his speed was impressive to say the least.
The students continued running along the streets with some even using Tai to jump across buildings, some even used their traits to speed up showing different abilities.
Soon they arrived at a wide area where a single person stood, it was an old man with a white beard and a cheerful smile on his face, he tapped his staff on the ground and the students stopped almost immediately with controlled precision.
"Woah, coming true?!!."
*CRASH*
Well there was always such a person in a group, the old man turned around and blankly looked at the young man wo crashed on the fountain his body upside down.
The old man with the white beard gave a deep sigh, shaking his head as he approached the student who had crashed into the fountain. The boy, a lanky teenager with short brown hair and a cracked pair of glasses, groaned as he tried to sit up. Water dripped from his soaked clothes, and a small fish flopped out from under his jacket.
"Ah, another one," the old man muttered under his breath, before raising his voice, "Next time, lad, remember—momentum without control is the path to ruin. Or, in this case, the fountain."
A few of the students snickered, while others whispered quietly. Lin stood near the edge of the group, his sharp eyes noting the casual ease with which the old man had controlled the crowd. The air had shifted the moment he tapped his staff. That wasn't just an ordinary staff—it was a Morphtech, Lin was sure of it.
The old man turned, facing the gathered students with a warm smile that seemed to hide something sharper beneath.
"Welcome, young Hunters and Huntresses, to Babylon Academy. I am Professor Argus Cendrel, your Head Instructor." His voice, though calm, echoed through the plaza like a ripple in still water, and everyone felt it resonate within them.
"Before you are properly registered, let me explain the rules of survival here." He raised a single finger. "First, no one is coming to save you. Your power, your Trait, your skill—those are your shields. The academy is not responsible for any unfortunate accidents that may occur."
Some students stiffened at his words, others tried to hide their nervousness. Lin only smirked slightly, gripping the shaft of his scythe a bit tighter.
"Second," Argus continued, "respect the staff, the grounds, and the rules. Those who break them will face consequences… though I do admire a bit of rebellious spirit from time to time." His eyes twinkled dangerously.
"Now then, this academy is fair so both the boys and girls may share the same poem depending on the team assigned to them which will be decided after the trial that will take place later at midnight, for now you all can converse with one another and explore the streets, remember, this place is not inky an academy but also a city." Argus's words hung in the air, like a subtle but heavy veil draping over the gathered students. Lin tilted his head slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing in thought. A trial at midnight, huh? Seemed like the academy didn't waste time testing them.
Around him, the plaza began to buzz with hushed murmurs, some students grouping together while others stood alone, sizing each other up. The soft glow of the street lamps painted warm halos on the cobbled ground, casting long, stretching shadows.
A small group of students approached the cat Anima Lin had noticed earlier. The gray-haired boy glanced up lazily, his green eyes half-lidded as if they hadn't fully processed the approaching tension. The same sneering voice from earlier spoke up, louder this time.
"Hey, Anima. Think you'll survive the trial tonight, or are you going to scamper away like a scared little rat?" The speaker was a tall, broad-shouldered youth with short, spiked blond hair and an axe strapped across his back. His friends chuckled behind him, all radiating the smug confidence of a pack looking for prey.
Lin had enough now, he walked towards the group and then spoke. "Are you guys trying to feed your ego or something?."
The boy looked at Lin menacingly. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?, His gather hahaha."
"I'm pretty sure you don't want have one so why are you speaking like that, do you want to fight, looking at you I would guess you're a mothers boy."
The air around them shifted like a taut wire pulled too tight, tension thick enough to cut. The blond boy's smirk twitched, eyes narrowing into sharp slits as a few of his friends gave low whistles or muttered under their breath, some even taking cautious steps back. His hand twitched toward the handle of his axe, but Lin simply tilted his head, his crimson eyes half-lidded, the picture of disinterest, as if this whole scene bored him more than anything else.
"You little—" the blond spat, his voice rising, but before he could finish, he felt like he couldn't move anymore, it was like he was frozen, unable to react at all.
A grinning face appeared in front of him, sharp teeth and green eyes like that of a foul swamp, a girl that was short and had pink hair stood there looking at the blonde haired kid casually. "Bullying is bad, If I were you I would turn around, is that okay~."
The boy did not know what compelled him to, but he did as the girl said and walked away, his group stood there for a few seconds before they ran away in fear.
The girl turned around and looked at Lin, actually Lin saw the girl coming after he was about to act but everyone saw it as she wasn't there, her traits seems to be a perspective type.
Lin's eyes flicked over to the pink-haired girl, a slight spark of curiosity lighting in the depths of his crimson gaze. She wore a loose-fitting hoodie that seemed too big for her frame, sleeves covering her hands entirely, and a pair of mismatched socks peeking out from worn sneakers. Her grin was wide, sharp, and lingering just a second too long.
"Hmm." Lin hummed, tilting his head. "Interesting entrance."
The girl tilted her head back at him, mirroring his motion like a cat toying with a new object. "You think so?" she asked in a sing-song voice, one that carried a playful edge. "I just love stirring the pot. Makes things… fun."
"Fun," Lin echoed, though his tone was dry, skeptical. "Right."
The cat Anima, who had been watching the exchange with mild surprise, flicked his ears once and gave a half-smile. "Thanks," he muttered, though it was unclear whether he directed it to Lin or the pink-haired girl
"No problem, people like that are annoying." Lin said adjusting his scythe.
The girl nodded. "Yeah, they are mean and I try not using my Trait to chase them away, it also affects me too, by the way my name is Dorothy, nice to meet you two."