Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 673: First Floor

To be honest, the armor on Michael right now would not be able to handle any real damage that could harm him. At his current level, the suit was more symbolic than functional. If something was strong enough to injure him, the armor would shatter before it made any difference.

If anything, wearing it was simply to look the part.

Because if he did not wear it, he would stand out even more than Rynne.

A mage walking into a realm filled with monsters and hostile creatures while wearing nothing but a loose robe would draw too many eyes.

So the armor remained on him.

Michael looked around at his environment.

The outpost was far more crowded than before. At this point, the number of students from all the awakener academies in Aurora that would be entering Hell had finally gathered, turning the entire space into a lively place.

Most students had already stored their academy robes away. Without the crests and colors that usually marked their identities, it was almost impossible to tell who belonged to which academy unless they were standing with their own groups.

But it did not matter.

Everyone here was human.

In Hell, academy rivalry meant nothing. Down there, they were on one side and everything else was on the other.

Michael heard an instructor nearby reminding a cluster of students of the rules. The man spoke loudly enough that the message spread to those around him.

Monsters would not be the only threat.

Other races existed in Hell. Some were violent. Some attacked humans on sight. Some hunted humans deliberately. In the past, there had even been incidents where other races caused more casualties than demons.

The warning was simple.

Be careful.

Stay alert.

If possible, group up.

Strength in numbers.

Michael watched the different students react.

Though the warning also made his mood solemn, it also increased his interest.

Fortunately he didn’t have to wait for long as soon the students were led to a huge portal inside of a huge building.

The portal was a chaotic mix of colors and around the portal were federation soldiers with better strength and equipments than the ones outside.

This part of the outpost existed partly for defense. The soldiers here were not only stationed to guide people through the Gate of Hell. They were also here to guard against the rare occasions when demons broke through. And even worse, against the demonic supernaturals who sometimes slipped out to cause trouble in the human realm.

The presence of stronger troops made sense.

Inside the building, the air shifted as a new figure stepped forward.

An old man in a sleek exo suit approached the gathered students with an easy smile on his face. His stride was calm and confident, and the soldiers nearby stood a little straighter out of respect.

Michael did not use any of his abilities on the man, yet he could feel it. The quiet pressure.

At least Rank 3.

A strong one.

The old man’s smile deepened as he looked over the large crowd.

”You children are the future of the Federation,” he said. His tone was warm. Almost grandfatherly. ”Be proud.”

He continued.

”I will explain this part clearly even if your instructors have told you already, because understanding it is important for your safety.”

He gestured toward the massive swirling portal behind him.

”This particular Hell Gate is stabilized by the Federation. It leads directly to the first floor of Hell.”

His smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious look.

”And unlike your return trip, entering the portal means you will arrive in random locations. You will not land beside your friends. You will not appear as a group.”

A ripple of unease moved through some of the younger students.

”So for the sake of safety, group up as soon as you find yourselves in that world. At least at the beginning. The first floor holds no real danger to awakeners of your strength. Demons there are too weak to threaten you. But remember something.”

He lifted a finger.

”You are not the only ones there.”

Silence.

His voice dropped lower.

”If you grow careless and fall to another race, you will regret it or might not even have the chance to regret it.”

He clapped his hands, and a soldier stepped forward with a metal case.

The old man opened it.

Inside were dozens of small devices that looked like a hybrid of a wristwatch and a compass.

The soldiers moved through the crowd, handing one to each student.

”These devices will only activate inside Hell. Once you enter, the pointer will guide you to the Federation station on the first floor.”

Michael accepted his own device.

The old man gave them all one final smile.

”Remember. This is only the first floor. Think of it as your introduction. Learn, adapt, and make your academies proud.”

He stepped back.

Soldiers raised their weapons in a ready stance.

The portal pulsed brighter, swirling with violent colors that twisted like liquid flame and shattered glass.

Michael felt the faint pull of spatial energy.

Rynne stepped forward.

The instructors signaled.

It was time.

Rynne stepped through the portal.

Michael followed.

The world tore.

For a brief moment there was nothing.

Then everything slammed back together.

His boots sank into something that crunched.

Michael blinked.

Snow.

He stood in the middle of a vast white expanse.

The sky above him was a pale gray sheet, heavy and still, with faint streaks of darker clouds drifting slowly across it. There was no sun.

Wind moved across the frozen land, carrying flakes of snow that brushed against his armor and skin.

Michael looked down.

Beneath his boots, a thick layer of packed snow covered the ground. Here and there, jagged black stone jutted out like broken teeth, but most of the landscape was buried under white.

In the distance, frost covered mountains rose, sharp and severe, their peaks lost to the low hanging clouds. The air tasted clean. Too clean for what people usually imagined when they thought of Hell.