The Underworld Academy stands as a grand, majestic citadel in the central land, a prestigious institution where the most talented youths are forged into the underworld's future leaders. Here, everything is taught, from humble farming to sublime magic, from delicate crafting to brutal swordsmanship.
But the school is a labyrinth of mysteries and dangers. It is whispered that even the professors have only mapped 20% of its endless, shifting corridors. Rooms open into new dimensions, and the students and professors are the least of its inhabitants; trolls, ghosts, sirens, and even worse lurk in the shadows.
Out of sheer boredom, Principal Amazel, the Glacial Witch, issues a challenge that sends a ripple of desperate hope through the students: "Any student who can bring me the red flag placed outside the main gate will be granted one wish. Any wish within my power."
The commotion is massive. Students try, some solo and some in groups. But day after day, they are caught—by stoic golems, wailing specters, or amused professors. Some fall victim to the school's own chaotic architecture, disappearing into trap doors or pocket dimensions. Slowly, the hope in the students' eyes fades, and even escaping the dorms becomes a myth.
---
In the Cafeteria
The lunch line shuffles forward, each student holding a dented steel plate. At the helm is Grorg, a half-troll, half-demon cook with a permanent scowl, his massive apron stained with ominous crimson and earthy brown smears. With a grunt, he slops a ladle of murky soup onto each plate and slams a long, unbending loaf of bread beside it.
Rin the elf steps up, her plate held out.
Clank!
The bread lands with a sound that is less a food on plate and more a rock on shield.Her eyes widen. She pokes the loaf. Instead of a soft, spongy texture, it is cold, unyielding, and rigid.
'Is this... a weapon?' she wonders, utterly baffled.
She carries her culinary disaster to a corner table where her friends are seated. Sia, an ark-demon, is deeply engrossed in an arcane book, its pages shimmering with faint magic. Beside her, Sam the angel is engaged in a different kind of struggle. He has his sword out, not for training, but for lunch. He is vigorously sawing at his own loaf, sending tiny sparks flying with each grating scrape.
"Good morning, Sam, Sia." Rin greets, carefully setting her plate down.
"Morning, Rin," they mumble in unison, barely looking up.
Rin watches, horrified, as Sam lifts his sword to check the edge. His frowning reflection is perfectly visible in the polished steel. Undeterred, he adjusts his angle and continues his grinding assault.
Her mind reels. 'Is that bread or a whetstone?!'
"Why is the bread so... hard?" Rin finally asks, unable to tear her eyes away from the spectacle.
Sam shrugs, his wings twitching with the effort. "No idea."
Sia doesn't look up from her book. "It's because Chef Grorg was a blacksmith before he became a cook," she states, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.
'A BLACKSMITH?!'
A dead silence falls over the table. Rin slowly pushes the bread to the far edge of her plate, deciding to focus on the soup. She takes a sip. Nothing. No taste. No warmth, just a vague wetness. She stares into the murky depths, her expression one of profound betrayal.
"This is so depressing," she groans, stabbing the lone, limp vegetable floating in the bowl. "My taste buds have given up and moved out. I'd kill for a decent meal."
Distracted by her complaint, Sam puts too much weight into a final, desperate push.
SNAP!
The sound is clean and sharp. Sam freezes, his hands trembling as he lifts the hilt of his sword. The blade is cleanly broken, the other half lying on the table beside the victorious, barely-scratched loaf of bread. His shoulders slump, his wings droop to the floor, and all the color drains from his face, leaving him a statue of pure despair.
Sia lets out a long, weary sigh. "Guys, I'm trying to figure out how to un-done a paradoxical spell. Can the existential food crisis wait, like, five minutes?"
"But Siaaa," Rin whines, "You have demonic powers! Can't you just... Summon a pizza? Or a sandwich? Anything that doesn't double as construction material?"
"Not in the syllabus," Sia says, finally looking up and rubbing her temples. "But... since you're both being so loud about it... what if you could get whatever you wanted? Like, anything."
Sam seems to regain a flicker of life. He and Rin stare at her, their eyes glimmering with a faint, desperate hope.
"Think about it," Sia says, leaning forward and lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know Principal Amazel's stupid challenge? The one she thinks no one is dumb enough to try? Sneak out, grab that dumb flag, and get to her office. One wish. No limits."
For a glorious second, paradise seems within reach. Then, reality, cold and unforgiving as the cafeteria bread, slams back down.
"Sneak out?" Sam yelps, his voice cracking. "Are you insane? The halls have Grumble the golem! The east wing has that shrieking ghost! Professor Mortis literally has eyes on the back of his head—and the front, and probably the top!"
"And don't forget Sparky by the gate!" Rin adds, shuddering. "The guy who tried last month still convulses if he hears a sizzling sound!"
Sia just shrugs, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, but those guys are amateurs. We're not. Just imagine it, Sam. A real sword. Not this junk. A 'Stygian Steel Sword' that sings when it cuts the air."
Sam's eyes go distant. A loopy, dreamy smile spreads across his face. "The Stygian Steel Sword…" he whispers, miming an elegant swing and nearly upending his soup bowl.
"And Rin," Sia says, turning her hypnotic grin on the elf. "A lifetime supply. The crispiest bacon. The cheesiest, most perfect pizza. Golden, seasoned fries that are always hot. All you can eat. Forever."
Rin's jaw drops. She is lost in a gustatory nirvana, a world of endless buffets and chocolate fountains. "A never-ending feast..." she murmurs, hugging herself in ecstasy.
The fantasy bursts. Sam slams a fist on the table, a new, fiery determination in his eyes. "Okay. I'm in. Let's do it."
"For a lifetime of real food," Rin declares, her voice steady with resolve, "I'll risk it."
"Great," Sia says, looking relieved. "First problem: the main door is a total no-go. It's basically professor central."
Sam frowns. "So what's the plan? Fly?"
"Worse. The gargoyles on the ceiling are total snitches," Rin says, shaking her head. Then she leans in so close their heads almost touch, her voice a ghost of a whisper. "But... I might have found a backdoor. A secret way."
Their eyes bulge. "A secret passage?!" they blurt out in unison, a bit too loudly.
Rin immediately shushes them, putting a finger to her lips. "Ssssh! Not so loud!" She glances around nervously before continuing in the faintest whisper. "Meet me in the library tonight."
Sam and Sia nod, a mix of terror and excitement on their faces. The plan is set.
---
The Nether moon hangs high in the starry night sky.
Golems, specters, and professors roam the school's corridors, their dim, light-green lamps casting long, dancing shadows. Yet, three students manage to slink through the darkness, reaching the library unseen.
'Arcane lamp.'
Sia waves her wand,summoning a small torch of arcane flame that illuminates their path with a soft blue light.
Rin guides them to the very last section: Culinary Arts. She points to a thick, red book in the top corner. "Pull that one."
Sam gives a soft flap of his angelic wings, hovering just enough to reach the shelf. He pulls the red book.
Creak!
A rusty sound of gears echoes in the silence. The bookshelf shudders and begins to slide sideways, revealing a dark opening and a ladder leading down.
As Sam lands, his heel comes down squarely on a stray, rolling scroll. His feet shoot out from under him, and he crashes backward into the adjacent bookshelf with the force of a falling tree.
BAAAM!!!
The sound is catastrophic. Instantly, the library door swings open. A ghoul stands there, its head wrapped in stained bandages, large, rusted nails pierced through its skull and jaw. It holds a lantern that pulses with a sickly green light.
"Grrrr…" it groans, shuffling into the room, examining every corner.
Sia acts in a flash. She grabs Rin, and Sam grabs Sia's arm. With a grunt of effort, they haul themselves up, clinging to a heavy ceiling lamp just as the ghoul reaches the pile of fallen books.
They hang directly above it, holding their breath.
Suddenly, Rin whispers into Sia's ear, her voice tight with panic, "My shoe… it's slipping!"
Sia and Sam look at her with wide eyes, then their gazes drop to her left foot. The worn-out shoe is dangling precariously from her toes. Rin's toes curl, desperately trying to hook it back on. But with a final, fateful wiggle, the worn-out leather slips free. It seems to fall in horrifying slow-motion, tumbling once, twice, before landing with a soft thwack directly on the ghoul's bandaged head.
"Grh… grrr." The ghoul flinches, turns around, and stares at the shoe on the floor. It looks up, its nailed face scanning the darkness. Seeing nothing but shadows, it grumbles, picks up the shoe, and shuffles out of the library, shutting the door behind it.
The moment the door closes, Sia drops her illusion spell and they all land softly on the ground, heaving a collective sigh of relief.
"That was too close..." Sam breathes, wiping his brow.
Without another word, they turn and climb down the rusty ladder.
---
The ladder leads to a narrow tunnel that, after a tense crawl, finally spits them out into the open air. They are outside the school building, but still within the massive, looming boundary wall.
Rin triumphantly pulls out a crumpled piece of parchment. "My map!"
Sia and Sam lean in,their faces etched with intense focus. Sia tilts the map horizontally, then vertically, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Rin asks, "What happened? Why are you both looking at it like that?"
Sia squints. "You've made an incredible map that successfully confuses us about where the hell we are!" She scowls. "What a crap drawing. A toddler with a crayon could do better."
Rin pouts and snatches the map back. "Well, if you're so smart, why don't you make the map, SMARTASS?"
Sia's eyes narrow. "What did you say?!"
"IS YOUR EAR OK? SMARTASS!" Rin yells back.
"Let me give you some smart advice, wooden brain!" Sia shrieks, grabbing two fistfuls of Rin's hair.
"You! Better! Keep! Your advice! To yourself!" Rin retorts, pulling Sia's hair right back.
Sam stands utterly confused by the sudden violence. Suddenly…
ROOOAARR!!!
A gargoyle's roar echoes across the grounds, the sound so terrifying it sends a cold shiver down their spines and freezes them mid-fight. Rin and Sia instantly break apart and sprint for the cover of the nearby woods, with Sam quickly overtaking them.
After an exhausting run through trees and thorny bushes, they stumble onto the shore of a vast, serene lake. The Nethermoon's silver light reflects perfectly on the calm water, creating a scene of breathtaking tranquility. Sia and Rin are momentarily immersed in the beautiful view.
Sam breaks the silence. "Hey! This is the lake right below our training ground! That means just after crossing it, we'll reach the main gate!"
Rin and Sia look at him as if he's just grown a second head. In perfect sync, they think, 'Musclehead.'
But they have to agree with the conclusion. Rin uses her plant manipulation to weave the nearby reeds and branches into a strong, durable boat.
They all board and begin to paddle across the tranquil lake.
When they reach the midpoint, a sweet, bewitching sound drifts over the water.
"Laaaalllllaaaaaa…Lolllllllo…"
A wave of drowsiness hits them.Sam quickly uses his purification ability on all three, allowing them to resist the lullaby. Rin spots the source: a beautiful woman sitting on a half-submerged rock. "A siren…"
The siren, realizing her song isn't working, increases its volume and intensity. The magic becomes overwhelming, and even Sam's purification can't fully neutralize it. They clutch their heads in agony.
Then Sia looks up, determination in her eyes. "I know how to deal with them."
She waves her wand.'Amplify—sound!'
She holds the wand to her throat,takes a deep, dramatic breath, and begins her own opera.
"Llllaaaaaaaaaaa…Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa…Ooooooooollllllaaaaa!!!"
Her voice is far more terrible than any siren's. Before, Sam and Rin are hit with drowsiness; now, it feels like a crab has their skulls in a vice-grip.
"AAAAAAA!!!Someone stop her!" Sam screams.
Her song is so awful that the siren herself cannot endure it. Her eyes roll back, and she faints, slipping silently beneath the water. The gargoyles and spectrals flying patrol in the sky suddenly clutch their heads and plummet to the ground and into the lake with a series of sickening thwacks!
Sia ends her world-ending performance and opens her eyes, pleased to see the siren is gone. A triumphant grin spreads across her face as she looks at her teammates.
Rin and Sam are lying unconscious in the boat like dead fish, faint foams bubbling from the corners of their mouths.
Sia grumbles, poking Rin's unconscious form. "What a useless friend I have. In such a dangerous situation, they are sleeping."
Sia waves her wand. 'Thundershock' A small zap hits both of them. Both of them jolt awake and shout "Sparky!!"
Sia hits both of their heads with her wand. "Not Sparky. It's me, idiot. We have less time, quickly row the boat."
Both of them quickly follow her order as they just now witness the terrifying power of her, capable of even knocking out Spectrals and Gargoyles.
---
They reach the other end of the lake, the school's high outer wall now clearly visible in the Nethermoon's light.
Hope surges as they begin to push through the final line of bushes. As they break through into the open ground, brightening smiles spread across their faces. Freedom is in sight!
But their smiles instantly twist into despair. Standing between them and the main gate is Sparky, a notorious black golem with arcs of lightning snaking across its rocky body.
Sizzle!! ZAP!!
As Sparky registers their presence, the electricity around it crackles violently. Rin nocks an arrow. Sia raises her wand, summoning several arcane bolts. Sam takes out his sword, its blade hastily reattached with tape and what looks like domestic glue. The broken blade tilts at a sad, droopy angle.
Rin and Sia glance at the pathetic weapon and mumble in sync, "What the fuck…"
Zap!
A bolt of lightning shoots towards them.They barely dodge. Rin and Sia then unleash a rapid volley of arrows and arcane energy, but they bounce harmlessly off Sparky's chassis. The golem merely flexes a rocky arm, and a shower of sparks flies out, hitting both girls square in the chest.
"Heeeeeeuuuuu!!!"
Instantaneously, their hair explodes into perfect, smoking afros. Dark fumes billow from their mouths. Their wand and bow clatter to the ground. Defeated, they lie on their backs, placing their hands in a cross over their hearts.
"We surrender," Sia mumbles.
"Hah…This is all our capacity,"Rin sighs.
They gaze upward at the starry sky.
"Today,I find that the Underworld night sky is beautiful."
"Yeah…I agree with that."
But Sam refuses to surrender. With a battle cry, he charges, his pathetic sword held high. But Sam, being Sam, trips over the very same stone his foot dislodges. He falls forward with a yelp, the momentum jolting the poorly-taped blade loose. It flies from the hilt like a misguided dart, clattering harmlessly against Sparky's chest and landing on the ground in front of the golem.
Clank!
Sparky takes a heavy step forward to detain them. Its rocky foot comes down squarely on the broken blade, causing it to skid out from under him. The golem loses its balance, trips, and begins toppling forward, directly toward a prone Sam.
In a final, desperate move, Sam pulls the ultimate weapon from his pack: the legendary Cafeteria Bread. He doesn't even swing it—as Sparky stumbles, its own massive rock head drives down upon the bread's end with the force of a falling anvil.
CRRRUNCH!
There is a sound like a mountain cracking. The bread stands unyielding. Sparky's head does not, shattering into a thousand pieces. The lightning in its body fizzles out with a sad pffft.
Sam stands up, dusts off his clothes, raises his wings and the victorious bread high. "I won!"
"Huh!?"
Sia and Rin snap out of their serene surrender,glancing between the glorifying Sam and the headless, crumbled Sparky.
"Won!?But how?" they ask in perfect, bewildered unison.
Sam blushes and rubs the back of his head. "Actually—"
ROOOAARR!!!
A gargoyle's roar interrupts him. Sia immediately cuts in, "Answer us another time. For now, we should focus on our main objective!"
Rin nods vigorously. "Yes, after Sparky's defeat, the other guards will be on high alert!"
Sia and Rin start to dash towards the main gate. Sam follows with a grumpy face. "Tch!" he mutters. "A rare chance to brag, and now even that's washed out."
"Hah… Hah…"
They finally reach the main gate after a die-hard sprint, breathing in heavy, rasping gulps. And there it is. The red flag, planted just a few meters away. Victory. The dreams they have clung to all night are about to become real, shimmering in their eyes.
"Stygian iron sword…" Sam whispers.
"Pizza…burgers…desserts…" Rin chants like a prayer.
"High-Tier spell book…"Sia envisions.
"And where are you three students going?"
The voice from behind splashes over them like a bucket of ice water. They turn their heads slowly, like rusted machines. All the color drains from their faces, leaving them pale as ghosts.
'Professor Mortis!!'
Professor Mortis, the devilish necromancy professor, is sitting comfortably in a wooden chair. He takes a slow sip of black tea from a delicate cup, a newspaper held open in his other hand. He hasn't even looked up from the news.
Sia stammers, "Professor… that… hmm… RUN!"
She puts on a final burst of speed,lunging for the flag. For a moment, Rin and Sam are dazed, then they too begin to run.
As Sia's finger is just about to brush the red fabric…
Snap!
All three of them lose consciousness.
---
In the underground jail of the school, reserved for those who break the rules, the three students sit in a dimly lit cell. The air is filled with the sound of scratching quills and despair. They are desperately writing their apology letters. 500 times each.
"I will not attempt to claim my boon through underhanded means. I am sorry for exploiting magic, offending the Siren's musical tastes, creating excessive noise pollution, destroying school property and for being dumb enough to think the main gate wouldn't be watched. My priorities are skewed, and I promise to reflect on my actions, specifically my poor choice in snacks and weaponry. Sincerely, [Sia/Sam/Rin]."
Sia drops the quill, clutching her cramping hand. "Ahhh! My hand! I'd rather fight Sparky again than write one more word!"