CHAPTER 41: SURVIVAL

Gabby entered the classroom for his chosen subject which is Survival. The room was empty.

He glanced around and thought to himself, "I heard rumors that Survival is one of the most difficult subjects at Robert’s Magic Academy. That’s why most students only take it in their senior years."

Just then, the door creaked open. A towering man, around 6’5", stepped in. His muscular build was barely contained by his perfectly fitted robe. His presence alone seemed to command silence.

Gabby quickly took a seat.

The man spoke in a deep voice, "Welcome to my Survival class. My name is Sylvester Morrison. As you can see, the seniors are preparing for their first practical exam."

Gabby stiffened, "I’m starting to regret this decision," he thought. "Being the only student means all of the professor’s attention is on me. That’s... unsettling."

Professor Morrison stepped forward, his gaze sharp, he said, "Gabby Magus. What is survival?"

"In the apocalypse, survival doesn’t always mean the strongest nor the smartest. It’s their ability to adapt to change."

Professor Morrison gave him a slight nod, "Correct. Superheroes and supervillains are about to emerge. Time will tell how the world reacts but when they do, the monsters will not remain idle. They will evolve. They will adapt. To match the strength of the superhuman, they will mutate. They will learn."

He added, "Some monsters will become resistant to magic. Others won’t be hurt by blades. A few will start copying our tactics—our formations, our spells, even our emotions. And the worst part? They’ll begin to think. Though, that didn’t really happen during the first apocalypse."

"Before we face monsters, we must first adapt to the environment we’re thrown into. Dungeon portals are full of unknown dangers. Once you enter, you won’t know if the world inside is freezing cold, burning like hell, or completely dark."

"Your first practical lesson is to survive in a harsh environment filled with monsters, while some of your senses are restricted. This lesson is perfect for you, since I heard, you don’t need to attend classes for the next three months, except for exams. The preliminary exams will be held in six months."

Professor Morrison continued, "So what I’m saying is, you will spend one week of training in a cruel environment."

Gabby swallowed hard and thought, "This is going to be tough."

He asked, "Is this harder than the Cursed Forest of Monsters?"

"The South, huh?" Morrison replied. "I’d say the Cursed Forest is an unexplored dungeon with extremely powerful monsters. But your survival exam is different. The monsters may seem weaker, but with your senses restricted, it becomes much harder."

"You’ll spend six months inside the Survival Dungeon. But don’t worry, time flows differently there. Six months inside is equal to only three months here at the Academy."

"There will be one hundred senior students taking the exam with you. Most of them are Ascended or even Ascended Heroes."

"The rules are simple: Once you enter the dungeon portal, your goal is to walk for approximately sixty leagues and gather information as many as you can. When you reach the safe zone, a teleportation spell will activate and bring you back to the Academy."

Professor Morrison remarked, "Perfect timing. The Seniors begin their exam tomorrow."

Gabby thought to himself, "I’m not alone. I’ll have strong seniors with me. That alone is reassuring."

Professor Morrison added, "You can meet them today—to build trust and form bonds."

Gabby replied, "I’ll meet them tomorrow. I have other plans today."

The professor simply nodded, respecting his decision, "You’re dismissed. Be careful," he said.

Gabby thought to himself,

"I want to spend the rest of my day learning something new. I guess I should head to the library."

After a graceful bow, Gabby left the room and made his way to the library.

At the front desk, he approached a middle-aged librarian and asked,

"Do you have any books on swordsmanship?"

The librarian gave him a suspicious look. It was an unusual question, especially from a student of Robert’s Magic Academy, where most students focused on magic, not swords.

She pointed toward a dusty corner. "Over there," she said, motioning to wooden shelves covered in spiderwebs.

Gabby thought, "Not a single student even looks at the swordsmanship section."

He carefully browsed the shelves, looking for a style that suited him, but none of the books caught his interest, he thought, "All of these are second-rate styles," he thought. "Only good for one- or two-core swordsmen."

Then, he noticed a book buried under a thick layer of dust. He brushed it off and read the title:

"Tipsy Steel of the Grandmaster: The Art of Drunken Sword, Book 1" by Raron.

Gabby frowned, "Just from the title, this sounds like a joke. Probably written by a commoner—no surname, no reputation. Just hoping for the book that it will be sold."

Still curious, he returned to the front desk.

He asked, "Are there any other swordsmanship styles besides the ones on the shelves?" he asked.

The librarian shook her head.

"No, not in this library. If you’re looking for proper swordsmanship, flashy and refined styles. They’re kept in the Magic Tower. But only top students can access them at the end of the semester."

Gabby nodded. "Then I’d like to borrow this book for three months."

The librarian gave him a serious look, but when she saw the title of the book, her expression changed. She clearly tried to hold back a laugh. Still, she couldn’t mock a student who was eager to learn.

Normally, books could only be borrowed for three days. But this one? It was an exception. No one cared about it. Anyone who practiced that style would be laughed at.

She slid the logbook toward him and asked, "Please sign here. You’re just reading it, right?"

Gabby replied, "No. I’m planning to learn this swordsmanship."

The librarian quickly covered her mouth with her hand and whispered,

"You can’t be serious. I’m only warning you because I care. That style is for commoners."

Gabby responded, "I’ll keep that in mind. But I’ll borrow it for now."