Chapter 213
DISPLEASURE (3)
IAM frowned.
People dying?
He hadn't heard anything about that. Not from the academy, not from the brochures, not even during his meetings with Thor. This wasn't just something you leave out of orientation.
He opened his mouth, questions already forming on his tongue—but Reuel kept going.
"From what I understand," Reuel said, "after they finish collecting all our results—physical, mental, behavioral—they look through it all, combine it, break us into tiers… and then assign us goals."
He paused, swallowing dryly. "Depending on how we perform, they start sending us out. Real missions. Outside the academy."
"Missions?" IAM repeated, eyebrows pulling together.
Reuel nodded. "Could be anything. Helping local police. Escorting convoys. Tracking lost items. Gathering information. We'll do all sorts of jobs... but it's not uncommon to die on them."
IAM leaned back slightly, thinking it through. "Okay… that's bad, sure. But I still don't think that explains your reaction. You look like you saw a ghost."
Reuel met his eyes, and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"That's the thing. That's not all."
He looked down at his hands. "She told me… some of those missions involve deadline creatures."
There was a second of silence. IAM was slightly surprised, but it didn't seem that out of the world.
Then he looked to the side.
Henry stood up and backed away from Reuel like he was carrying a deadly plague.
"What? Deadline creatures? That's insane!" he snapped as his eyes locked onto Reuel. "Why would they send us to deal with them?! We're students!"
His hands hovered in the air, unsure of whether to clench into fists or just stay raised in sheer confusion.
Yohan, usually quiet, looked even worse. His jaw was clenched tight, and he reached forward, grabbing Reuel by the collar in one swift motion.
"You've got to be joking," he said, his voice low and panicked. "Tell me that's not true. Why would they do that? Why would they risk that?"
Reuel didn't fight the grip. He just shook his head slowly.
"I wish I was," he said softly. "I really do."
Seeing their reactions, IAM realised something.
The fear toward the Deadline creatures… it was far higher than he'd ever truly understood.
He had known they were feared, sure—but this? This was different. This was an instinctive reaction. Henry backing away like Reuel had said something cursed. Yohan practically shaking as he grabbed Reuel's collar. These weren't just signs of surprise. They were signs of real fear engraved in their very bones.
And after thinking about it, it made sense.
These creatures made no logical sense in this world. They weren't just threats—they were violations. Horrifying, unpredictable beings that had reaped the lives of billions. There was no pattern or real explanation for what they were or how they operated. They came in all shapes, forms, and behaviors, but every version of them ended the same way: in death.
Of course people feared them.
It was impossible to truly understand them—and fear of the unknown was buried deep in human nature.
IAM had forgotten that.
He realised just how skewed his own view had become. How desensitised he was to the creatures, purely because of the path that had led him here.
His memories flickered.
The first time he ever saw one—it was a Devil. A real Devil. And even then, it hadn't been alone. A single Spawnling had accompanied it, and that was enough to decimate his entire team within minutes.
The second time, it was only Spawnlings. Lesser versions of those horrors. And even then, he'd nearly died.
And every mission after that, no matter how low the tier, no matter how "weak" the creatures was said to be… the result was always the same. Blood, Injury and Close calls.
That was the truth about Deadline creatures.
There were no weak ones. Not really. Every tier was deadly. Every encounter could be the last.
And now that the others had heard they might be sent to face them, even as students—of course they reacted the way they did.
Of course they were afraid.
They should be.
Reuel continued, his tone a little quieter now—like he was still trying to process it himself.
"She recounted to me one of her missions... where all her friends and group were instantly murdered by a Spawnling..." he said, voice trailing slightly at the end.
The room froze again.
"A literal Spawnling," he added, almost like he was trying to make sure they heard it right. "And it wasn't even complicated to kill it... which she did, after. She was the only one left. Just her."
He looked down at the floor for a second, then back up.
"And after that… she came back to the academy and applied to stop going out on missions. She didn't want to take the risk again."
Henry, who had both hands on his hips and had been staring at the floor like it held all the answers, slowly looked up as Reuel spoke again.
"Thankfully," Reuel said, "you are given the option to decline."
Henry let out a small breath—almost a sigh of relief.
"But... declining wouldn't be as good as accepting. Not even close," Reuel added. "Because the resources they give you... the experience, the skills—you don't get those anywhere else."
He looked around the room.
"That's why many still choose to take the path. They know it's dangerous. But they stay. And if you manage to not only survive... but make it to the end of the course like that, you graduate. All of them did."
"Choosing it," he finished, "basically guarantees that you graduate from the academy."
The room fell silent again—but this time, it wasn't out of fear.
It was of thought.
They'd all been ready to shake their heads and swear never to go near that path. The first half of what Reuel said had made it sound like a suicidal. Something no sane person would volunteer for.
But the second half… changed everything.
Graduation from Hope Academy wasn't just a formality. It was considered legendary. It meant something. It was a symbol of your future as an ascender.
IAM leaned back slightly, eyes flicking up toward the ceiling.
Graduating from the academy was no small deal. It was incredibly difficult and even more rewarding—worth far more than the 200 gold coins.
IAM said, "I'm definitely going to do it."
The other three stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"I'm serious," IAM added quickly. "Being here is cool and all, but the experience and opportunities out there… they'll let me grow far more than just staying here the whole time."
"But the Deadline creatures…" Yohan said, unease creeping into his voice.
"Them? I've faced a few already," IAM replied, shrugging slightly. "As long as you don't stare too hard at what they look like, I'm not too worried. Well… I am, in a sense. I've seen what they can do. But I'm not going to run from them. Think about it—those soldiers in the military bases face them every day. They fight, despite their doubts, despite their fears, for people like us. It would be a great displeasure to turn down an opportunity like this just because you're scared."