The additional activities—as their name suggested—were presented to us as nothing more than side activities, ones that wouldn't significantly affect our overall evaluation.
We were told they were merely shared tasks, where each batch would be sent on a group activity, and at best, we could earn a few contribution points from them. Nothing more.
Some of you might think it was simple. You could go and enjoy your time, or ignore them if you weren't interested in participating.
From the outside, they looked like nothing more than an optional choice—something you could accept or refuse without any real consequences.
But let me ask you one question.
If that were truly the case, then why did I feel this sense of anxiety from the very beginning?
The answer was simple… because they were not "additional activities" at all, despite what their name implied.
We were sent on various missions, without knowing their details in advance, and divided into teams of ten students, chosen randomly from first-year students, each led by a second-year student.
We had no say in the team composition, nor in the type of mission.
All that was asked of us was to participate, as if everything were perfectly normal.
There was a wide range of missions available for each team, differing in difficulty and risk, yet sharing one thing in common:
they were nowhere near as easy as they appeared.
Even so, these additional activities were a huge opportunity for upper-year students—especially second-year students.
The higher your rank, the more resources you needed, and the more resources you needed, the more indispensable contribution points became.
On top of that, there was one thing everyone had to be wary of… bad luck.
The kind of bad luck that could place you in the same group as Zion.
Just hearing his name was enough to make you imagine the worst-case scenarios, as if everything that could push you to the edge of death naturally gathered around him.
Anyone who ended up in his group could only be pitied.
In truth, I didn't need to imagine it at all.
Moreover, since I already knew what would happen with Zion, I also knew that this was the period when one of the main scenarios of the academy arc would begin…
A battle against a low-ranking member of the Latran.
The Latran were a group of people who had shared the blood of demons—something akin to a cult.
This would be the first major event Zion would face since joining Amber Academy.
An event I wished not to be involved in—even from afar.
Just imagining myself there made the hair on my body stand on end, and I found myself desperately praying that I wouldn't end up in Zion's group.
"Ugh…"
I took a deep breath and turned my gaze away from the notice board in the hallway.
I was on my way to class, muttering unconsciously:
I don't want to be in his group… I don't want to be in his group…
I repeated it over and over, as if words alone could change my fate, until I suddenly found myself standing in front of the classroom door without realizing when I had arrived.
Then, I heard a voice calling out to me from ahead.
"Rion?"
I snapped back to my senses and found Rina looking at me with slight confusion.
"Why are you standing there?" she asked. "Aren't you coming in or what?"
"Ah…" I muttered quickly, apologizing in a hurry before entering the classroom with rushed steps, as if I were trying to escape my own thoughts.
As soon as I lifted my head, Darwin waved at me enthusiastically, pointing to the seat beside him.
The moment I saw him, a thought crossed my mind immediately:
Why won't you just leave me alone…
But as usual, I didn't have the courage to ignore him, so I went over and sat beside him in silence.
Before I could even fully settle in my seat, I heard Rina's voice again—this time in an official tone that caused the classroom to quiet down instantly.
"It seems you've all seen the announcement."
Most of the students nodded—some excited, others curious.
"Alright," Rina said. "Let me explain the details."
She began explaining what the additional activities were, their objectives, and how we would be divided into groups.
I already knew almost everything she was saying, and yet… I found myself enjoying my classmates' reactions just a little.
The looks of shock.
The uneasy whispers.
And those expressions that slowly realized this wasn't just a "side activity" as they'd been told.
For the first time, I felt like I wasn't the only one who was anxious.
When Rina finished her explanation, a short silence filled the classroom—before she said a single sentence that was enough to make my heart tighten.
"Alright… now I'll announce the group assignments."
At that moment, I swallowed unconsciously.
My heart started racing, and I found myself praying again in my mind, with the same desperate plea:
Please… just don't put me in his group.