Lesson 1: There are three types of monsters: Demi-Monsters, Full-on Monsters, and Savage Monsters. Demi-Monsters are halflings usually created by a human and a monster; they have high intellect and human traits but still possess inherent specie abilities. Full-on monsters are pure-blooded creatures possessing much greater power than halflings; they are self-aware and could pose as dangerous depending on the type of race. Savage Monsters are monsters that have low intellect but immense destructive power, they solely rely on their instincts and senses to hunt down prey.
I look at my whole body in the tall mirror downstairs. It's been two weeks, but I still get goosebumps with the way I look—my brown skin turned to pale white, my acne disappeared, and I even grew taller. The change brought forth by immortality is pretty sweet, except for one thing: my shadow disappeared. After learning that even Karan and Uncle Neo can't see my shadow, I realized that your shadow is your soul, since it was the only thing I traded for immortality.
After what happened, "Death's Memoir" also changed. The once blank pages are now filled with different races of monsters and detailed information about them. "Death records those who pass the gates of the afterlife." Every type of monster that died is written here, from common ones such as Werewolves to rare ones such as Wendigos. I read it all—the thousands of pages—in the span of two weeks.
As we prepare ourselves for school, Karan asks, "Why did you do it bro? Was it self-righteousness? Were you touched by Death's story so much so that you were willing to trade your soul?" He looks at me with a serious face and says, "We're no protagonists bro, and this isn't some fantasy novel; I need you to understand that."
"I already know my dude," I said as I returned my gaze to the mirror and zip up my red hoodie. “I didn't follow Ms. Death only just because of her story, I followed her because it's what I wanted." He looks at me puzzled as I wrap the black kit around my waist and take out Arkinsaw's gift. "Bro, do you know how long I waited to experience the world of magic in this life?” Every day I fantasize and indulge in these stories just so this mundane life can have some excitement."
I equip the Iron golem gloves while saying, "Life is too boring and predictable; I don't want to be normal and live day to day in a job while waiting for something thrilling. If I can help Death while reaching my dream, then I have no problem fighting the gods."
"I hope you can still say that after seeing what those gods can do." We put on our masks and leave for the School of Mystics.
Monday 4PM
Elise Willow Pov:
Damn it! I tried my best to find him, but what the hell is this? According to Oso's tracking sense and my dad's journal, he's been to at least six portals. I already visited four of them and found some of my dad's stuff, but I can't visit the last two. The Forest of the Damned and Tomb of the Fallen are classified as the two most dangerous gates in Arcanegrove. Just seeing eye to eye with some of the monsters here is already a death sentence.
"Hey, does Ghost have a brother by any chance?" Misty asks as she looks at Ghost and the guy right beside him. The guy is wearing the same outfit and mask, but it's red. He looks at my classmates with amazement, and after a while he starts asking for selfies. Ghost scolds him, telling him to behave and sit down. I didn't know Karan had a brother.
"Ms. Willow and Mr. Ghost, please head to Room 37 for an urgent emergency meeting." The principal spoke through the speakers in the classroom. Karan and I went together, and his friend tagged along while being in awe of the school hallway and everyone walking past him. I looked at Karan and said, "Who is he?"
He looks at me and Ghost#2 butts in, but before he could answer, Karan quickly covered his face along with his mouth and said, "Just a friend of mine. He's new to the mystic world, and it's actually quite sad since he can't talk, so I'm just guiding him around."
I look back at Ghost #2, and his eyes smile as Karan puts him in a headlock. We went to Room 37, where the majority of the people were students like us, including Cassidy, Vincent, Jason, and at least a dozen others. We sat on the free seats, and the principal sitting in the middle said, "All of you here right now have been thoroughly selected as qualified participants for the portal subjugations. We determined that your skills would be a great asset in protecting our beloved town of Arcanegrove from monsters that lurk outside and inside the portals. Of course, you are not required to fight if you don't want to, but that also means you would be turning down certain privileges."
"At the cost of fighting monsters with your life on the line, you will receive certain student benefits like money, weapons, and enhancements that can boost your abilities. Your reward also depends on your contribution to the subjugation of monsters. We as instructors know that you lack experience on the battlefield, and that is why we will arrange you into groups so you can have experience."
The instructors began to arrange us, but it felt more like picking favorites. They take turns one by one and pick their types, and I was picked by a woman with an eyepatch and silver hair. There are only a few people left, and suddenly I hear, "You!" The eyepatch woman points at Ghost #2. Shit, he should've left already. Does he not know how uptight the instructors are? The eyepatch woman comes closer, stares down at him with sharp eyes, and says, "You! You're mine; now go to the back of my line!"
Karan and I look at each other, surprised by what just happened. All of us fall in line, and our team consists of Cassidy, Karan, Ghost #2, Jason, Misty, me, and six more people. Ghost #2 smiles at us with his eyes, but as soon as he saw Cassidy, he froze and just stared at her. I actually get it since Cassidy is really beautiful, but throughout the entire hour of the presentation, he did nothing other than stare at her. Cassidy ignores him, but he still won't budge. I'm not going to lie; he's super weird, even by mystic standards.
"Oi, did you guys listen to the presentation? To keep it short for those who didn't listen, the portal we're going to tomorrow is called Forest of the Damned." My eyes widen as she mentions our location. "Usually the Forest of the Damned is off limits to newbies, however we need all the help we can get. The monsters are about to overflow, so our mission tomorrow is to minimize their numbers as much as possible. The battle is just in the front area of the portal; no one is allowed to go farther since higher ranking monsters reside there. Any idiot who steps even just on the boundary line will get something special from me." Nice! With this, I can finally continue my search for my dad.