On the second day of class, Empty City wasn't late—he arrived early at the classroom. This was closely tied to that guy named Vivian. Being spotted leaving a girl's room wasn't exactly a pleasant rumor. But since that person seemed close with Night Zero, Empty City confidently left it to Night Zero to handle.

Students gradually filed into the classroom. Though Empty City had technically lost yesterday, they didn't feel like victors. They cared more about what they'd learned from the fight. Of course, they were also curious about the teacher's cross-dressing incident—but it was completely ignored.

As the class bell rang,

Empty City stood on the podium, tidying chalk pieces as if planning to write on the blackboard. He gave up and tossed the chalk aside. Then he called out to the girl who'd asked yesterday's question.

"Winnie—that's your name, right? I apologize for yesterday morning. Today's first lesson will cover that question. After all, Apostles... you might actually encounter them someday."

The petite girl froze for a moment. She'd thought the teacher was joking yesterday. Her face flushed slightly as she began taking notes diligently.

Empty City cleared his throat. Seeing even Maxfield—who disliked him—listening attentively, he felt relieved.

To Estia, Cheng Zhihui, and others, they were just sixteen or seventeen-year-old kids, bodies and minds still developing. Though Estia's figure was indeed terrifyingly large. But they were students. They didn't know what Apostles were, their strength, or classifications.

That's precisely why a teacher was necessary.

Students had likely seen Apostles' appearances. This was a modern classroom—holographic projectors were standard.

But... where was it? He knew from Night Zero the device existed, but where was the switch?!

Watching the flustered teacher on the podium, Cheng Zhihui rested her chin on her hand, gazing at him with disdain.

"If you're looking for the projector switch, there's a red one under the podium."

"Oh. Thanks."

Hiding under the desk to mask his embarrassment, Empty City found the red button. Soon, the holographic system activated. It displayed data borrowed from Night Zero before he left his dorm—records of Apostles from five years ago, detailing their appearances, types, and strengths.

For Empty City, this was just visuals. He was confident his explanation would beat the text.

Because... no one understood Apostles better than him in this world.

The moment the button was pressed, the parsed images transformed the classroom dramatically.

Had technology advanced this much?

Five years ago—or rather, six or seven—Empty City was just starting high school. Back then, classrooms only had ordinary projectors. Nothing like this.

The original classroom vanished, leaving only desks, chairs, and the podium. The surroundings shifted completely.

The white ceiling became a dark sky. Thunderclouds churned; lightning threatened to strike. Students knew it was a projection, so most weren't scared—except the timid few.

Above hung a stormy sky. Below sprawled a bustling city—not as advanced as today's, but still modern.

People walked harmoniously, chatting, working, dating, even fighting.

This was the world back then.

But on that ordinary day, what seemed like simple rain brought the apocalypse.

Black ice flowers drifted down around the students, perfectly recreating the scene.

They fell slowly at first, then accelerated like bullets tearing through air! People raised umbrellas, avoiding contact to prevent catching cold.

But...

When the ice landed, everything ended.

People stared up, confused by the black ice. Some pulled out phones, frantically snapping photos.

Then—the ice on cars, roofs, umbrellas, even humans—exploded like scorching fireballs. Temperatures hit hundreds of degrees Celsius.

Human bodies disintegrated to ash, leaving no trace.

Yet this was only the beginning.

Panicked humans screamed helplessly as untouched ice flowers mutated. They burned on contact, evolving into horrors.

Monsters with black wings, beaked and leathery like pterodactyls, soared. They clutched human corpses, sharp teeth slicing bodies in half that plummeted to earth.

Pure white forms bulged with muscle, towering over single-story buildings. These giants trampled humans into pulp. Missile-like fists smashed skyscrapers—blood and bodies sprayed everywhere.

These were just a few types. Later, more terrifying creatures of varied appearances descended on humanity.

And we call these monsters... Apostles.