City of Shangjing.

”Students, today we have the honor of welcoming Zhang Kai, a member of the famous Scarlet Hunt Squad. He will be in charge of this class on paranormal phenomena.

So please give him a warm round of applause.”

The teacher’s voice had barely faded when a young man with a nonchalant air stepped onto the platform, wearing a visibly bored expression.

”Wow! He’s really a member of the Scarlet Hunt Squad!”

”Isn’t their squad already ranked B?”

The students, faces filled with excitement, all turned their eyes toward the platform.

At the back of the room, Wang Ye, listening to his teacher’s words, felt a flicker of memory surface.

The Scarlet Hunt Squad?

That had been quite a competent team.

From his memories, that team had eventually reached A-rank before being completely wiped out in a paranormal incident.

At the time, that event had caused an enormous stir.

”To begin with, as the person directly involved, I think teaching you all is absolutely pointless.”

Zhang Kai’s first sentence froze all the students in place.

”If it weren’t for these wretched merit points, I wouldn’t set foot in here for the rest of my life.

”Before long, perhaps, you’ll all be nothing but corpses…

”Of course, if by some miracle you manage to survive a paranormal incident, you might still need us to come save you… becoming nothing but a burden.

”Worse still, Awakened Ones could lose their lives because of you.

”That is the only value you hold, as mere citizens.”

Zhang Kai’s icy words rang out without interruption through the whole room. The students’ faces immediately turned pale.

At the back of the classroom, Wang Ye nodded silently.

During a paranormal incident, an ordinary person was nothing but dead weight.

If they were smart enough to listen to orders and carry them out without argument, things would still be fine.

But if they did nothing but hide in a corner, screaming and crying…

They put everyone else in danger.

Sometimes it only took one person to cause an entire rescue operation to fail, or even bring about the complete annihilation of a team.

That was why, later on, the rules had been changed.

In such situations, civilians could be abandoned.

And if necessary, they could even be eliminated in order to allow the greatest number to survive.

It might seem cruel. But in an age where horror reigned over this world…

That was simply reality.

”So this is the only thing I can teach you: if a paranormal incident occurs, know your place.

”As long as you don’t get in the way of the Awakened, you’re already providing the greatest help you possibly can.”

At these words, a boy stood up abruptly, unable to hold back his anger.

”You really look down on us! Why do you say we’re burdens?”

”Why?”

Zhang Kai gradually dropped his lazy attitude.

His gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed on the boy.

”Because you still have the luxury of living safely in this school and saying such childish things!”

As he spoke, he slammed his palm violently on the desk.

A dark green light flashed from his eyes as he stared coldly at the student.

Caught off guard, the boy who had just stood up turned pale.

He stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

Seeing this class of terrified students, a flicker of disappointment crossed Zhang Kai’s gaze.

Do these people really represent the future?

If the world’s future rested in their hands… could this world even continue to exist?
The next moment, his gaze settled on Wang Ye, sitting in a corner of the room.

Unlike the others, Wang Ye didn’t seem the least bit affected by his intimidation.

He remained calmly seated, simply waiting for Zhang Kai to continue.

”Interesting…”

Zhang Kai’s gaze swept over Wang Ye.

This kid is rather interesting.

But in his mind, it went no further than that passing thought.

”I have nothing else to say to you. Make the most of this life you’ve obtained with such difficulty.”

After saying these words, Zhang Kai resumed his nonchalant air and left the room with a lazy stride.

At the back of the classroom,

Wang Ye sank into deep thought.

Just as expected…

Not everything would unfold exactly as it had in his previous life.

As long as he changed his actions, events would take a different direction.

In that case…

Maybe I’m no longer doomed to die?

In his previous life, he had never managed to awaken any power at all.

And yet, as a mere human, he had joined an A-rank hunting squad.

In the eyes of countless civilians, Wang Ye had become a true idol.

But an ordinary human remained an ordinary human.

However calm he might be.

However intelligent he might be.

However excellent he might be in combat.

When faced with a high-level paranormal incident…

He remained terribly powerless.

Fate had granted him a second life.

But… he still remained nothing more than an ordinary human.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Wang Ye’s lips.

In his previous life, he had undergone countless examinations.

The result had always been the same.

He had absolutely no possibility of awakening.

As he was lost in his thoughts,

Zhang Kai, who had left the room only moments before, suddenly came back.

This time, his face was extremely grave.

”I’m pleased to announce some news.

We have just… been caught up in a paranormal incident.”

”I’ve already requested reinforcements from our captain.

”What we need to do now is survive for the next thirty minutes.

Good luck to all of you.”

The very moment the students stood frozen in shock, the lights suddenly went out.

The entire classroom was plunged into total darkness.

”…”

Wang Ye silently leaned back against the wall at the rear and let out a resigned sigh.

”I just wanted to try something new by transferring schools to come study in the neighboring city… and here I am, caught in a paranormal incident the very day I arrive?”

”Did this school experience such an event in my previous life?”

He no longer had any memory of it.

After all, every year, countless paranormal incidents broke out all over the place.

Not to mention that, in the current world, travel between cities and the flow of information had become extremely complicated.

In the darkness, Zhang Kai’s icy voice rang out again.

”Paranormal threat level: unknown. Ability: unknown.

If you don’t want to die, I suggest you hide in a corner, close your eyes, don’t speak, don’t move, and don’t make a sound.

”That’s the best way to maximize your chances of not making any mistakes.

Of course… if you feel like dying, do as you please.”

He had barely finished speaking when sobs and panicked movements could be heard throughout the room.

Zhang Kai seemed to have long expected that these students wouldn’t follow his instructions.

He showed no surprise at all.

Only a faint green glow shone in his eyes.

That was his Awakened power, Green Glow.

In a corner, Wang Ye sighed as he picked up his bag.

He really hadn’t expected to get caught up in a paranormal incident on the very first day of his rebirth.

With his current body,

his physical abilities were still far too weak.

Surviving alone would be extremely difficult.

After a light sigh, the full layout of the classroom appeared in his mind.

For a mere human, if he couldn’t perfectly memorize a terrain, he simply didn’t have what it took to join an A-rank squad.

Very quickly, he maneuvered around the desks and chairs with remarkable ease.

A few moments later, he arrived at the spot where Zhang Kai was standing.

”Hey…

Are you short a person on your team?”

”Take me with you.”

In the darkness, Wang Ye looked in the direction where, according to his memories, Zhang Kai had last stood, then spoke these words in a calm tone.