How To Survive A Calamity-Chapter 250: Arslan D. Blank [1]
It was evening, nighttime at Aegis, after I finally separated from the eccentric Student Council President. Aurhea had vanished just as suddenly as she appeared on my doorstep.
She never did tell me why she came to see me, but the moment she'd had enough of my teasing, she stormed off—with my milkshake.
As sudden and unexpected as Rhea's appearance had been, it ended up being a strange kind of respite I didn't know I needed. Today of all days, actually.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I did climb the Ranks today after all," I muttered absentmindedly, walking alone beneath the darkening skyline. The sun was long gone; it was basically nighttime now. My breath came out in faint white wisps, fogging in the chill.
Winter was almost here in full, the temperature dipping harder at nights like this.
It took extreme weather conditions to disturb an Awakened, after all.
I was strolling aimlessly through the campus for fresh air after Aurhea left, my thoughts drifting.
Truthfully, I was trying not to think about what happened today—or about how uncertain my future at Aegis had suddenly become.
But I guess I couldn't avoid it. I had to think about it. I needed to figure out what to do next.
It just felt like too many things were coming at me all at once.
I still had to figure out what to do about the karma. In the meantime, I had to keep it hidden—not just from the Academy, but from literally anyone else. On top of that, I also had to worry about climbing high enough to land at the very top of Aegis' suspect list. Not to do that.
Then there was the matter of proving my worth so the Academy wouldn't decide to kick me out prematurely. And of course, the mysterious culprit behind that strange letter was still out there.
Frankly, with how quiet that last one had been, I was almost beginning to think it really was nothing but an ill-timed prank. My so-called "secret admirer" hadn't shown themselves or made any follow-ups.
But now I struggled to believe anything around me happened by chance.
I couldn't take risks, couldn't let my guard slip. So I stayed on edge, waiting for the moment things would finally go wrong.
If the culprit tried sneaking into my room, I was ready. If another letter slid under my door, I'd be waiting.
Still, I had to admit it—
I felt lost.
There were too many things to keep track of, too many threads pulling at once. I hadn't even had the chance to properly receive my last reward before something else appeared:
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====
• [DING!]
• [A New Side-Quest has been assigned:]
» Name — Lost Fragment
» Type — Retrieval
» Description —
Your third and final reward, [Location of a Fragment of Goliath], has been revealed: The Underworld.
Due to unstable circumstances, this location may change. To encourage swift action, a new quest has been assigned — Retrieve the Fragment of the God-Slaying Spear, Goliath (Replica), before it's too late.
» Duration — 46 Days (One Month and Fourteen Days)
» Reward — A Fragment of Goliath
» Penalty — Loss of the Fragment
====
The strange quest had appeared out of nowhere a few days ago, the same way they usually did.
Just a few days after that weird letter—and some days before today.
The third reward from the Alexander mission was supposed to be the location of one of the fragments of the God-Slaying Spear, Goliath. And up until now, I'd treated it like it was already mine. I thought all I had to do was check it out when I felt like it, so I kept sidelining it.
But the appearance of the side quest was like a slap back to reality.
The System wasn't directly handing me the fragment—it was only giving me a chance to obtain it.
If I didn't move soon, I'd lose that chance. The location could change… or disappear entirely. That explained both the reward and the penalty written in the quest.
But with all that said—
I still had no idea what "The Underworld" was.
I mean, was the System being literal, or was this some kind of expression? I had no idea.
The Underworld… wasn't that supposed to be where souls go after death? Did it even really exist?
'Well, I guess if this world has demons, then maybe…'
It sounded surreal, but the System was always straightforward with its quests. At least, until now.
I still had a little over a month to figure it out. My guess? Once the forty-six days were up, the current location of the fragment would either change or disappear altogether.
Not that it would be lost forever. This was just one fragment of Goliath—the God-Slaying Spear. There were still four more out there.
But clearly, the time limit meant I couldn't keep sitting on my hands. The System was pushing me to move, to retrieve the fragment before it was too late.
And whether that was just to forward its own interests, like always… well, I'd only find out later.
But I couldn't leave the Academy. Not right now. I'd need a valid excuse to do that.
And first, I still had to figure out what exactly "The Underworld" meant. Only then could I make any real decisions or preparations.
That was why, for now, the side quest sat at the back of my mind. Still, the clock was ticking—I didn't have as much time as it felt like.
My thoughts lingered as the Quest Screen flickered once and vanished.
Night had fully settled in. The temperature dropped lower with every breath, the air crisp, my breath fogging faintly as I walked. The moon hung overhead, and curfew was still a little ways off.
Lost in thought, I wandered aimlessly through the grounds until I found myself at a small park—one of the quieter spots on campus that was empty at this time of night.
On a nearby hill sat a convenience store, its bright lights cutting into the darkness. The lamps outside hummed, drawing moths and insects toward them like tiny sparks of life.
Between the park's orderly lamps and the lone store perched above, the place had a kind of quiet view to it.
"—??"
It turned out I wasn't the only one in the park after all. Someone was sitting quietly at one of the benches.
The night sky wasn't pitch-black. The moon was out, and the scattered lamps, along with the glow from the convenience store, cast enough light across the area. On top of that, my eyes had no trouble cutting through the distance.
That was when I noticed the figure. Unexpected. Familiar.
I froze mid-step, my foot hanging awkwardly in the air.
My first instinct? To turn around. Pretend I'd never even been here in the first place.
And so I did. I made a clean U-turn, walking back the way I came without missing a beat.
But just as I did, a silky, smooth voice cut through the quiet night air.
"Oh, hey there."
I froze. Just for a moment.
'What are the chances he's not talking to me?' Without turning around, I kept walking.
"Yes. You. The only other person in this empty park. The male cadet walking away right now. Don't leave just like that." the voice resounded carefreely again.
This time, no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't ignore it.
Like a wilting flower, my expression faltered as I turned, blinking, and pointed to myself.
"Me?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
Inside, I cursed my luck.
How the hell was this happening again?
The same smooth voice tugged me from my thoughts as its owner rose slowly to his feet.
"Oh, hey, aren't you…"
He was striking—almost unnervingly so.
Medium-length hair of burning red and orange spilled across his face and down his neck. Eyes like molten flame met mine. His build was tall and slender, his skin pale as ivory, his features sharp enough to look sculpted from jade.
A loose white linen shirt and black silk pants clung to him with lazy perfection, as if style itself bent around him. And yet… behind the grace lingered something else—an eerie, magnetic air that unsettled even as it drew you in.
I swallowed hard as the man swept his falling red hair back with an easy motion, the long, silky strands slicking away from his face.
Then his gaze locked on mine. Piercing. Unwavering. A casual smile tugged at his lips, yet it was enough to pin me in place—power without hostility, weight without malice.
How could I not feel it? How could I not feel crushed by it?
"Why don't you come sit with me for a moment?" His tone was light, almost friendly. When he noticed the stiffness in my shoulders, he chuckled softly and gestured toward the bench.
The laugh didn't ease the tension. If anything, it pressed deeper.
The last time I'd seen this man, Deandra's words had echoed in my head.
Crimson Emperor.
Arslan D. Blank.
My Vice Headmaster.
