Infinite Undying [Post-Apocalypse LitRPG]

Someone finally stepped out from behind the backstage entrance and onto the stage. At once, the attention of every new student gathered below shifted toward the person everyone had been waiting to see.

Was the Headmaster finally about to make an appearance?

Instead, the one who walked out was a man who looked to be in his fifties, with neatly slicked-back blond hair parted down the middle. It was Instructor Wazo, the Rank 8 Sage, the same man who had opened yesterday's Selection Test.

He walked across the stage at an unhurried pace before stopping in the center with a completely flat expression. Somehow, that expression alone was enough to make many of the students swallow nervously. Several instinctively stiffened, while cold sweat slowly formed across their backs.

It seemed they were all thinking the same thing.

Surely they were not about to be teleported into another ravine and fed to a giant spider monster... right?

It was only natural that most of them had not fully recovered from yesterday's Selection Test. They had nearly fallen into a deep ravine, spent hours climbing its steep cliffs, and then been forced to run beneath a blazing sun that felt hot enough to scorch their skin.

If they had been given a choice, they would have gladly taken the day off just to recover mentally. At the very least, they wanted a week before facing another nightmare.

“Congratulations to all of you for earning your place here. From this day forward, enjoy every step of the journey ahead. Make the most of every opportunity this academy has to offer. You have two years before you, and that is more than enough time to reach Rank 2 Guardian if you dedicate yourselves wholeheartedly.”

“During those two years, absorb every lesson you can. Learn from your instructors, build lasting friendships, discover your own purpose, and leave this academy far stronger than the person who first arrived here.”

“You may spend up to five years at this academy, but the next two years will be the most important turning point in your journey. Make sure you treasure every moment, because the choices you make during this time will shape the path that lies ahead.”

"The future of humanity rests in the hands of those who stand on the front lines against the Rifts. Your presence here proves that you are among the few who were chosen after completing the Selection Test. It was never meant to be easy. And in case any of you are wondering, yes, I designed every part of that test myself."

He paused for a brief moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Although, to be completely honest, I already made it as easy as I could. I honestly expected far more people to pass."

The moment those words left his mouth, most of the students looked like they had just been punched in the stomach. Several even clutched their stomachs in disbelief.

Easy?

That had been a nightmare.

Where exactly was this man's sense of normal?

"Well, there isn't much else for me to say. As the Head of the Department of Rift Operations, I simply hope that one day you'll visit our department, and eventually join us to sharpen your abilities even further on the front lines. We are always looking for Guardians who never stop growing."

"I hope there are no questions. After this, attend your classes, complete your practical training, make full use of every facility the academy provides, and take advantage of every opportunity available to you.”

“What you do with those opportunities is entirely up to you. Thank you."

Without waiting for anyone to respond, the man turned around and calmly walked off the stage. Before the students even realized that his speech had already ended, he had disappeared behind the backstage entrance.

Only then did applause finally spread throughout the crowd.

After that, the students found themselves feeling a little confused.

Was the opening ceremony really over just like that?

Seriously?

Only one person had given a speech?

It wasn't as if that person wasn't important. He was a Rank 8 Sage. That wasn't just powerful. He was unimaginably powerful. A person capable of leveling an entire building with nothing more than a snap of his fingers.

But... perhaps their expectations had simply been too high.

Not long after, all of their class information and schedules were updated on their academy wristbands. Their lunch access, library privileges, and various other academy services were also activated.

There were plenty of additional features available as well, although most of them were still locked for first-year students. Even so, none of them were in a rush to unlock everything. The basic facilities alone were already far more than they had expected.

That same afternoon, they attended their first class. Rather than being separated into individual classrooms, every first-year student gathered inside a large lecture hall.

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Rows of tiered seats filled the room, while a raised stage stood at the front beneath a massive display screen.

Since Zeph couldn't be bothered climbing all the way to the upper rows, he simply took the first available seat he found near the front.

Malon and Hugh sat directly behind him, while Suki took the seat beside him.

A few moments later, the instructor walked into the lecture hall.

He was surprisingly tall, easily close to two meters. His skin was slightly dark, and the little hair he had left was cropped so short it was almost shaved. His physique, however, was incredibly solid, with broad shoulders and thick muscles that made him look more like a veteran fighter than an academic.

To be honest, he didn't look like someone who would be teaching theory. He looked far more suited to leading combat training.

"Yo, how's everyone doing? Good to see you all. I'm Instructor Yanuli, Rank 5 Grandmaster."

A quiet wave of murmurs spread through the hall.

Although his rank was noticeably lower than Instructor Wazo's, Rank 5 Grandmaster was still an incredibly high rank. In fact, it was probably around the average level for instructors at the academy.

"Today we're going to talk about Sigils. I assume all of you already understand the basic idea behind them. After all, every Rank 1 Apprentice possesses one."

He turned toward the massive screen at the front of the room, where several diagrams appeared.

“A lot of people will eventually hit a bottleneck sooner or later. They become stuck at their current rank and spend years, sometimes even decades, unable to break through. It's one of the most common challenges every Awakener faces.”

"The biggest reason is simple. They fail to absorb the Sigil that best matches them."

He walked slowly across the stage as an animated illustration appeared on the screen behind him.

“The most common opportunity to obtain a new Sigil comes when you reach a bottleneck, such as at Levels 20, 30, 40, and every major milestone after that. At those points, you'll typically absorb the Core of a monster you've personally defeated to obtain a Sigil and make your breakthrough.”

"That's the basic concept."

"In reality, though, it's much more complicated than that."

With another snap of his fingers, the display shifted to several new diagrams filled with symbols, elemental charts, and monster classifications.

"The monster you choose has to match your elemental affinity, the Core's compatibility, the nature of your existing Sigils, your mana circulation, and several other factors."

"The better those factors align, the higher your chances of successfully absorbing the Sigil. More importantly, the stronger the Sigil you gain will be."

He paused, allowing everyone enough time to study the diagrams.

"That's why you should start planning your path as early as possible."

"What kind of Awakener do you want to become?"

"Which element do you want to specialize in?"

"What kind of Sigils are you aiming for?"

"What type of monsters should you hunt in the future?"

"Every one of those decisions matters."

"They determine how your build develops, how efficiently you keep ranking up, and how far you'll ultimately be able to go."

His expression grew noticeably more serious.

"And never forget this."

"A bad decision when choosing a Sigil..."

"...is a mistake you'll carry with you all the way to your grave."

To be honest, Zeph hadn't expected the instructor to dive straight into the lesson without any lengthy introduction. Judging by the expressions around him, most of the students hadn't expected it either. They barely had time to settle into their seats before they were already discussing one of the most important subjects in an Awakener's career.

Still, this was a fundamental topic.

More importantly, it was the kind of fundamental knowledge that could shape someone's entire future.

Zeph knew he needed to think about it much more carefully than most.

His Core was unique. His very first Sigil was unique as well.

That meant he couldn't afford to choose his next Sigil carelessly. Every decision from this point onward had to fit the path he wanted to build. One wrong choice could limit his potential for years to come.

His first Sigil alone was already a Transformation-type Sigil. It had granted him an entire suit of armor, a powerful weapon, and, judging by the incomplete abilities he had yet to unlock, the potential to summon that skeletal dark warhorse as a mount.

It was an incredibly versatile Sigil.

But at the same time...

Wouldn't that only make choosing his future Sigils even more difficult?

The more unique his current abilities became, the more carefully he would have to plan everything that came next.

“Unlocking a Sigil doesn't only happen by absorbing monster Cores,” the instructor said with a faint smile. “There are many other factors and methods involved.”

“But for now, we'll focus on this basic method first. We'll cover the more advanced topics later.”

Zeph nodded.

That lined up with something he had already been wondering about.

In reality, he had never actually absorbed the Core of the Night Cavalry.

He had simply defeated the creature. He passed out, and when he finally woke up, he had already advanced to Rank 1 Apprentice and unlocked his first Sigil.

So... that wasn't absorption, was it?

The same thing had happened to Madou.

He had reached Rank 2 Guardian after being afflicted by the undead's curse. He hadn't absorbed any of the undead's Cores either. Instead, he had survived the curse, overcome it, and somehow turned that very curse into his second Sigil.

Then there was an even more unbelievable case.

Lena. Her very first Sigil had been a Legendary-grade Sigil.

That alone was already extraordinary. No... it was beyond extraordinary. It shouldn't have been possible.

According to what Madou had told him, that Sigil had been left behind by Lena's parents.

But how?

How could her parents have left a Sigil for her when they disappeared before Lena had even awakened her Mana Core?

There had to be more to that story.

Zeph decided he would ask Lena about it when the opportunity finally came.

It was obvious that this topic had captured everyone's full attention.

After all, a Sigil was more than just a source of power.

It was an Awakener's identity.

It defined their path, shaped their fighting style, and determined how they would continue to grow.

Once someone unlocked a Sigil, it would remain with them for the rest of their life. A Sigil wasn't merely a mark that resembled a tattoo. It was engraved into both their body and their Mana Core, becoming part of their very existence.

If someone awakened a Sigil they didn't need, one that clashed with their Core, or one whose grade fell far below their expectations, they would carry that burden for the rest of their lives.

Worse still, it could severely limit how far they would ever be able to progress.

This was a path that demanded careful planning.

Mistakes weren't lessons here.

They were lifelong penalties.

"So don't you dare fall asleep in this class!" the instructor suddenly barked, his booming voice echoing throughout the lecture hall. "You there, stop zoning out. This is one of the most important lessons you'll ever attend. Don't stumble through your career without knowing what you're doing. Pay attention."

Several students visibly flinched at the sudden shout.

The instructor then turned toward the massive screen behind him, where several unfamiliar emblems appeared one after another.

Zeph recognized them immediately. They were the symbols used to represent the different Sigil Types.

"Now," the instructor said with a faint smile, "let's move on to the more interesting part."