UNMEI: Pantheon's Game-Chapter 122: Seven Great Beasts

Dune, Mindya, and Atlas stepped through the towering doors, and as they entered, they all slowed down at once, their eyes rising to take in the sight.

The inside of Bloodrose Academy was nothing like what they had imagined. Polished marble floors gleamed beneath their feet, chandeliers of crystal hung like stars from the high ceilings, and golden patterns ran along the deep red walls. Every corner felt rich, ancient, and powerful, a place where only the elite gathered.

"Woah..." Mindya's mouth fell open as she spun slowly in place, trying to take everything in at once. "This is... crazy!"

Atlas nodded, his face lit with quiet awe. Even Dune, who tried to keep his cool, couldn't help but stare a little longer than he meant to.

They made their way toward the main hall where a wide desk stood. Behind it sat a beautiful woman, her long blonde hair tied neatly behind her, and glasses perched lightly on her nose as she scribbled something on a parchment.

Behind her were towering shelves filled with books, scrolls, and strange items they couldn't even name, glowing stones, metallic spheres, and even what looked like a floating feathers

suspended in midair.

The woman glanced up, her gaze sharp but not unkind. "Hello, i'm Freya, what about you?"

Dune stepped forward. "Dune. And these two are Mindya and Atlas."

She nodded, flipping through a ledger. "Dune. Mindya. Atlas. All S-Class... impressive." She reached beneath her desk and slid three small keys across the counter, each attached to a thin card.

"Your room keys and numbers. You're in the east wing, second floor. Rooms 207, 208, and 209. Your class is in Hall Three, west wing. Classes begin at the first bell, don't be late." Her voice held the kind of authority that made even Mindya straighten up.

"Yes, mA'aM!" Mindya blurted out, grabbing her key like it was treasure.

As they turned to go, she whispered loudly, "Did you see those floating books?! Why didn't we have stuff like that in Varrinor? This place is so cool!"

They followed the winding hallways, and every turn seemed to show off something grander, statues of legendary fighters, stained glass windows depicting ancient battles, and golden signs pointing in different directions. When they finally reached their rooms, they paused again.

Their rooms looked more like small apartments. Each had a wide door carved with their numbers in gold, and when they stepped inside, they found a space that made them all freeze. A living area with soft couches, a desk, a full bath with shining mirrors, and a bed so large it could fit three people. Everything was clean, rich, and glowing with a faint magic light.

Mindya let out a loud gasp. "Is this all for me?! This is mine?!"

She dashed inside, throwing herself on the bed and rolling around like a child. "I'm rich! I live here now! Look at this place!"

Dune chuckled under his breath, shaking his head but smiling. "Calm down, it's just a room."

Mindya peeked her head out from under the covers she'd wrapped herself in. "I'm never leaving this bed. Academy? Forget it. I'm staying right here!"

Dune snorted. "You were just as excited about class five minutes ago."

Mindya grinned, stretching her arms out wide. "Yeah, well... plans change!"

The three of them laughed, the tension of their long journeys easing as they looked around their new adventure. It really felt like a new beginning.

A few minutes had passed since they were led from the academy yard, but to Dune, it felt like a shift much bigger than that. Now, he, Atlas, and Mindya found themselves seated inside the grand lecture hall of the S-Class, the top class of Bloodrose Academy.

The room was elegant, unlike anything Dune had ever stepped into before. The long rows of dark wooden desks stretched wide, polished so well they reflected the golden glow of the ceiling lamps.

Each desk was matched with velvet-lined chairs, soft yet sturdy, as if to remind the students that while they were here to learn, they were also weapons in training.

Around him, twenty-two more students took their seats, murmurs filling the air like quiet ripples. Dune's eyes shifted, scanning the faces, faces he recognized from the tests.

Azrael Rodeny, sitting with that usual half,

lidded, cold stare. His brother, Raves Rodeny, with that arrogant gleam in his eye.

Hazel Amelia was there too, her brow hair shining under the light, posture straight as an arrow. She was from the powerful Amelia family back in Rendely, one of the elites.

Cedric Valefort, Leonard Amelia, as well as Lucas Neville. And there also was Seraph Neville, she was beautiful with a soft features, her white long hair and academy uniform matching perfectly.

These weren't just random students. They were the top 25, the best from the Academy's brutal selection. Dune could feel it, this class wasn't going to be easy.

Strong. Every single one here... strong.

His gaze flicked to Atlas beside him, who sat calm as ever, and then to Mindya, who was already slouched, clearly unimpressed but fidgeting like she had too much energy to sit still.

The murmurs stopped suddenly.

A presence stepped into the room, graceful but commanding.

The woman who entered had long black hair flowing past her waist, and eyes that glowed softly with an orange hue. She wore a sleek black academy uniform, but hers was more decorated, with a red rose stitched over the heart, a mark of status.

She stepped forward and smiled lightly, but her gaze was sharp. "Silence," she said, and the room obeyed instantly.

She stood at the front, her voice calm but firm as it carried through the hall.

"My name is Professor Lenora Velstein," she announced. "I will be your instructor for theory, specifically in history and Neba studies. We will meet for lectures like this, while your physical training and Neba practice will occur every three days under different masters."

Dune straightened in his seat. Lenora Velstein... He hadn't heard that name before, but the weight in her voice and other students reaction made it clear, she wasn't someone to take lightly.

"Now..." Lenora's gaze swept across them, her orange eyes glowing just a little brighter.

"Let's start with the basics. What is Neba?"

The room was still.

"Neba is the aura. The flow of energy that exists in everything and everywhere in this world," she continued. "It's life itself, it fuels the air you breathe, the ground you stand on, and even the power you wield. People like us use it for combat, but the truth is... Neba's possibilities are endless. Anything is possible, as long as you understand it, and learn how to control it properly."

Dune listened carefully. He knew what Neba was, at least, on the surface."

Lenora's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Now... let me take you back. To where it all started."

"A long time ago, before history was recorded," Lenora said, her voice weaving the story, "the world wasn't divided. Back then, all seven of our current worlds were one massive world, called a paradise, where humans, gods, angels, devils, and countless races lived together. Under one sky, they coexisted... until the rise of one god named Zeus."

Dune blinked. Zeus? That name wasn't unfamiliar. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"Zeus was the one who first taught the gods how to wield Neba," Lenora went on. "With this power, they sought to control everything, to enslave other races and rule absolutely. War broke out. Chaos consumed the world. But among the oppressed stood a lone human... Zet. He alone rose up to challenge Zeus."

Her voice grew sharper now, as if slicing through the silence.

"Zet's power was... strange. Yet it rivaled Zeus. For years, they battled, shaking the very fabric of reality, until both vanished. Their final clash... shattered the world."

Lenora gestured wide with her hands.

"And from that destruction, our world split into seven parts, seven new worlds."

She paused, letting the weight settle. "Who can name them?"

Hazel Amelia stood up smoothly, her brown hair swaying as she spoke with crisp confidence.

"First — Earth, the world of humans.

Second — The Land of the Dead.

Third — Etheome, the world of gods.

Fourth — Heaven.

Fifth — The Underworld.

Sixth — The Spirit World.

And lastly... the World of the Unknown."

Lenora nodded, a faint glint of approval in her glowing eyes.

"Correct. Very good, Hazel. The seven worlds, separated yet connected in ways deeper than most can comprehend."

Lenora' continued. "Now... you might wonder," she said. "If the world was destroyed so violently, how are we still alive? How did humanity and other races survive such devastation?"

The class stayed silent.

She stepped closer.

"The truth is, after Zeus and Zet vanished, they left behind their powers. Zet chose to share his unique gift, which later came to be known as Zeten, with a select few humans."

"Meanwhile, Zeus spread Neba... to everything. Every living being, every object, every creature was touched by his essence. That's how we, humans, can also wield Neba now. But the original users? They were gods."

Dune felt a chill run down his spine.

Why did Zeus give Neba to humans?

Lenora's smile faded slightly.

"And as for how the world survived... That is thanks to the Seven Great Beasts, ancient gods themselves. When the world split, they each took root inside the core of every world, becoming its very heart. They keep Neba flowing, sustain life, and protect us from collapse. They are the true guardians, the source from which all Neba spreads."

Mindya, who'd been slouching, suddenly leaned toward Dune, whispering loud enough for a few nearby students to hear.

"So you're telling me... there are monsters living inside our world right now?" Her sharp-toothed grin twitched. "That's kinda creepy."

Dune shook his head, his voice low but firm.

"No... If i understand this correctly, each world has only one. Earth has one old god inside it, and the others, like Etheome and the Spirit World, have their own.

Mindya blinked at him, looking halfway between confused and impressed. "Huh. Well... that's kinda cool too."

Professor Lenora let the silence linger for a moment, letting the weight of the history she'd shared sink into every student. Then, her glowing orange eyes swept over them again, sharper now, like blades testing the edge of each mind in the room.

"And now," she said, her voice firm, "we move to your reality. Your next step as S-Class students."

"For the next month," Lenora continued, "your focus will be on preparing for your first Neba Trial. This is the true mark of stepping forward as wielders of Neba, and survivors of it."

Her words hit like a stone dropping into still water. Dune could feel the ripple inside him.

The Neba Trial... so it's finally coming.

"You will each be given Neba beast cores," Lenora explained, folding her hands behind her back. "Your task is to absorb them one by one, and build your Neba mastery. Each core contains raw Neba, extracted from powerful creatures. It is dangerous... but it is also your key to growth."

Murmurs returned, whispers spreading through the class like nervous static. Dune could feel it too, this wasn't going to be easy.

"Now listen carefully," Lenora's voice cut through the whispers, snapping attention back to her. "Every student here will reach their first threshold, 10% Neba mastery. And that is when your first Trial will begin."

She paused again, letting those words hang heavy.

"When you reach 10%, you are given a choice... whether to begin your Trial immediately or wait. But..." her eyes narrowed,

"if you hesitate for too long, you will be forcefully teleported into the Trial in twenty four hours. This is how it works. You cannot escape it."

Dune felt a cold chill slide down his back.

Forced...? So even if you're not ready... it doesn't matter.

"This," Lenora went on, "is why Bloodrose Academy pushes you to train together, to reach 10% at the same time. So you will enter together... and have a better chance to survive. Because the truth is..."

Her voice lowered now, the glow in her eyes dimming just a little.

"Trials are deadly. Incredibly hard. Only about five percent... return alive."

The class went completely silent.

Dune's fists clenched under the desk. He could hear his heartbeat, steady but hard.

Five percent...? Out of every twenty, only one might come back...

Lenora's gaze was cold now, as if daring them to flinch.

"And even worse," she continued, "the Trials carry what we call the Curse. No one who survives is able to speak about what happens inside, not to anyone except those who were there with them. The curse makes it impossible to tell. So no guidebooks, no stories, no tricks passed down. All we know is this, You must survive, and you must obey the rules of the Trial. If you fail... you die."

Dune swallowed hard. He could feel Mindya shift beside him, her energy suddenly more subdued. Atlas, as usual, remained calm, but even he had a slight crease between his brows now.

Lenora's eyes flickered brighter as she gave her final command.

"So prepare yourselves. Study Neba theory. Train your bodies. Help each other, because when the time comes... you will go in together, and only together will you have any chance of coming back."

She turned toward the large academy bell as it tolled, signaling the end of class.

"Class dismissed. Next session, we begin practical Neba absorption with the cores. Be ready."

With that, she stepped away, her long black hair swaying behind her like a dark banner. The doors opened, and the murmurs returned, louder this time, anxious, sharp with fear and excitement both.