The first ne tond was from the Ice Union, or, as most call it, the cial Union. They are a race of pseudo-humans who one day emerged from beneath the icynds of Antarctica.


    It was a pivotal moment for humanity, considering we had been living on Earth for centuries. Yet, nobody had detected an entirely different race of humans—or possibly aliens—hidden beneath the ice.


    Their arrival was monumental and sparked a war.


    They wanted to im the Earth, but humanity wouldn''t allow it. The battlested just seven days, but thousands perished. Ultimately, the Overlords intervened, and what followed urred behind closed doors.


    After that incident, the Ice Union integrated with humanity, eventually working alongside humans. Over time, the two sides moved past their hostilities and began forming families.


    Naturally, the Ice Union initially felt superior due to their societal structure and upbringing. But that was then. Over time, they became more humble as they witnessed the might and ingenuity of humans.


    The nended, and 2,000 disciples began disembarking. They touched down at the base of the mountain, several timesrger than the biggest airports in the world.


    As soon as theynded, they started moving toward a particr space that required no introduction—it was unmistakably a gathering ce for the first years.


    Everyone began looking around, marveling at the advanced technologies running the ce. There were towering buildings, impressive architecture, and, most notably, air cleaner and denser than anything outside.


    Blue hair.


    That was the defining feature of most Iceborns.


    Nearly all of them had blue hair, pale skin like ice, and an otherworldly beauty. The men and women alike were strikingly handsome and elegant. Among them, a few stood out—the prodigies of the Ice Union.


    But the Iceborns had to wait. The ne from the Southern Unionnded next. Like the Ice Union, the Southern disciples disembarked and moved to the gathering ground.


    Naturally, members of each union stuck together. Even though they harbored grudges or rivalries with some of their own, the others around them were strangers, making unity within their groups the easiest option.


    Of course, a few knew one or two people from other unions, but they held back for now. Maintaining decorum and observing the hierarchy was the priority until everyone arrived.


    The Eastern Union was the third to arrive. As soon as their nended, its disciples joined the gathering.


    By this point, 6,000 disciples filled the massive area. Yet, this wasn''t even half of the total poption expected to arrive at the academy.


    Western Union alsonded shortly afterward, and everyone followed the unspoken rule of finding their section and standing.


    Naturally, theds from the Western Union started to exude their superiority over all others. They are known as the strongest Union because the leader of the Overlords hails from there.


    Most of them are arrogant, riding on the fame of their Overlord, and they seem to think they are above others. But then, there is another union that shares a simr mindset.


    It''s the union presided over by the Fire Queenie, Nari.


    The Equatorial Unionnded next, and the ce grew much livelier when they appeared. Before the apocalypse, they were known as Africans, but now that they are under a unified rule, the Equatorial Union was formed.


    Naturally, they are the union with the highest poption but face the greatest dangers. Before the apocalypse, Africans weren''t as advanced in technology, so the initial phase of the apocalypse hit them the hardest.


    But thinking about it now, that struggle gave them a reason to fight, and as it stands, if the Overlords were excluded, the Equatorial Union would reign supreme based on their strength.


    Most of their people are heavy-weapon fighters, and the monsters and beasts they battle are also heavy hitters.


    However, nobody has time to debate who is the strongest. The warrior tournament will decide who holds that title in a year and a half.


    The Austral Union was the next tond, followed by the Aqua Union.@@novelbin@@


    Like the Ice People, they appeared from beneath the sea and imed a significant portion of it as their territory.


    Thankfully, they arrived with a warm reception, and no battles broke out. Humanity had grown to ept the existence of things beyond their understanding, so when the Water-Borns appeared, they were weed.


    The Water-Borns settled into their designated space, adding to the twelve thousand present disciples. Despite their overwhelming numbers, a significant portion of the area remained unupied. In fact, even if their numbers were doubled, they still wouldn''t fill the ce.


    However, murmurs began to spread among the crowd. These murmurs, naturally, concerned the Northern Union.


    They were expected to arrive first, considering their proximity to the academy. Yet, five minutes after the other seven unions had arrived, the Northern Union was still nowhere to be seen.


    This dy sparked concern among the gathered disciples. But that concern didn''tst long, as the Northern Union finally arrived ten minutes after thest ne hadnded.


    When they appeared, it became clear why they had been dyed.


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    Their ne was stained with various hues of blood, marked with both minor and major injuries.


    It was evident they had endured a harrowing battle on their journey. And indeed, they had. They were attacked while passing through the forbidden zone of the Razor us Diamond Hawk.


    Of course, the weapons retrofitted into the ne yed a huge role in taking out most of those monsters, but it wasn''t enough.


    Thanks to the instructors among them, they managed to pass through without going down. It was a short battle but highly impactful.


    Now that the Northern Union disciples had started to disembark the ne, everyone could tell by the grim looks on their faces that, for the first time in their lives, they had witnessed how dangerous the monsters they would soon be hunting truly were.


    Since Eden Jacobs died, 1,997 disciples carried grim expressions as they disembarked from the ne. Well, except for one, who had spent the past 12-plus hours sleeping like a baby.


    As everyone disembarked the ne, in room 9, us was fast asleep, hugging his sister like a pillow.


    "Wake up, brother. We''ve arrived," Hanna said.


    She, too, had witnessed the dangers on the way and looked afraid. Thankfully, she was with us. Despite knowing they could have died at any moment, she hadn''t panicked much.


    With her little brother around, nothing could happen to her. That was how much she trusted us. Of course, something had changed when she woke up, but she was holding back for now.


    us opened his eyes and looked at Hanna with a small smile. She helped him up, and soon, they started moving out.


    By now, everyone else had already alighted. When us finally appeared at the door, all eyes turned toward him.


    Naturally, 99.999% of them had been waiting for him, but the crowd grew silent when they saw the looks on the Northern Union disciples'' faces.


    Then, a sleepy yet strikingly handsome face emerged, and everyone''s eyes widened—including those of Instructor Constance, who had fought tooth and nail with the monsters just a few hours earlier.


    One might say that us''s appearance was a rather unusual first impression.