He dashed out of the old building.
It stood silent behind him, its stone walls cracked and overgrown with ivy.
It was preserved in this state with the help of mana. The last time it was used was a few centuries ago, back then the world still trained its youth with nothing but sweat and steel. Now it was empty, kept standing only for history's sake and personal sentiment.
As humanity now had simulation chambers, gravity chambers and so on equipment it was no longer needed.
'This looks way different than those fanarts,' he commented inwardly. "I hope the women aren't that different from them…"
His boots slammed against the gravel path. Cold night air burned his lungs as he ran while huffing. The torn tactical vest flapped against his chest. Dried blood flaked from his face with every stride.
The academy grounds blurred past — empty courtyards, glowing streetlights, the distant silhouette of current Ironheart Academy.
He reached the Awakening Hall in under two minutes.
"Woah… It looks like a gate leading to a throne room or something," he remarked.
The wide double doors stood open. Golden light spilled out onto the steps.
Without ceremony, Alex stepped in and his gaze fell on dozens of students already waiting inside, dressed in fresh uniforms, chatting and laughing while hiding their nervousness.
The moment he stepped through, a voice echoed throughout the hall and every head turned toward him.
"Look at that loser," someone sneered.
"Tch. He could at least wipe that blood, is he trying to gain sympathy?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Some took out their phones and a few whistled upon seeing his state.
At the front row, a woman with auburn hair tied in a ponytail, sharp brown eyes and face that screamed beauty turned her head towards him and gave him a flat, bored look, as if he were a stain on the marble floor she couldn't be bothered to wipe away.
'Rayna Howls.' Alex clenched his fists at the side.
Although he wasn't her real cousin, he had all of his memories and knew how much trouble she had caused for original Alex.
Rayna studied him for a moment before she rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze away from him.
'What a bitch,' he thought. Even though he wasn't the one she had hurted, he was already planning to make her and her parents pay.
Just then, a girl with long blonde hair, ruby eyes and a face that looked way more innocent than she was pushed through the crowd and looked at him with a faint smile.
Seeing her, he froze for a moment. Deep hatred blazed inside him.
She was Ceyna Marvin, the same girl Alex had once loved with every stupid fiber of his heart. The one who had smiled sweetly, took his gifts, used his feelings like a stepping stone, and laughed about it behind his back.
While Alex had done everything to win her over, she was playing her own games.
"Ew, seriously?" Ceyna called out, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Go home, Alex. No one wants to see your pathetic face right before awakening. You're just going to get yourself killed in Zyandra anyway."
Disgusting remarks flew from her lips like knives. The crowd howled with laughter.
'Now wonder he had killed you.' He gritted his teeth and ignored everyone.
His gaze shifted and stayed locked on one person standing near the center of the hall.
Andreus Lionel.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with calm blue eyes that made princesses fall into love and hair that looked like pure silver.
To many he was the perfect image of a protagonist.
The future Hero.
The one who would awaken SS-Rank – Sword God talent and carve his name into legends.
In the novel, after the original Alex had slaughtered everyone, Andreus Lionel, who always had a white knight hero complex, became his worst enemy.
However, unlike others Andreus wasn't stupid.
He didn't try to fight him directly; Instead, he built alliances, married princesses and high ranked officials from other races, gathered power across continents, yet even after doing all of that, he still died at Alex's hands.
But not this time.
This time the Monarch in Gray needed allies.
The entity that had driven the original Alex mad waited somewhere deep in Zyandra. According to the novel, it was something that shouldn't be seen or heard and unfortunately, Alex had done both and in that process, his mind fell apart and madness took over him.
The last bit of sanity which had kept him from just slaughtering everything vanished and he became Evil Incarnate.
"Focus," he mumbled.
Andreus noticed him coming. His expression turned sombre and full of worry.
'Is he feeling bad for me?' Alex thought.
It made sense, that was the kind of person Andreus was.
If he knew about the things that original Alex had gone through, he would've helped him, but others were also aware of his personality so they had weaved a net around him, keeping him unaware of their immoral acts.
A deep bell rang across the entire hall following it a blue holographic screen with glowing golden text appeared before all of the students.
[Connecting Alex Voss to the Origin Dominion…]
The hall instantly fell silent. The fake calm vanished and everyone's face turned nervous.
"Shit!" Alex cursed and broke into a sprint.
He shoved past the students, boots squeaking on polished marble.
"What the hell are you doing?!" The students shouted and cursed at him.
The professors tried to calm everyone with their words but he was unable to hear them.
Once he got close enough, he stopped and yelled, "Andreus Lionel! Meet me after you return!!"
Andreus frowned, his lips parted.
[Teleporting…]
Before he could answer, blinding white light erupted from the floor and swallowed every student at once.
Alex felt his body lift and his vision turned black then a monotonous sound reached him.
[Player Alex, You have been connected to Origin Dominion.]