Chapter 1: Going through the Portal

"Hey, look! That's the adopted son of the Havenglow family."

"What is he doing here? Wasn't he in Veras City for his engagement with the young miss of the Mailon Family?"

"Didn't you hear that he was rejected by her father because he has no innate talent?"

"I wonder why the Havenglow family adopted this trash then."

Rio was walking toward the auditorium for the first day of school. He had been hearing such harsh comments since he had come back from Veras City, but they didn't affect him much.

He was a very good-looking young boy. A single gaze at him would make the innocent hearts of young maidens beat frantically. He had crimson-colored hair and sea-green eyes, while his eyebrows were sword-like. He was 184 centimeters tall, taller than many of the students around him.

He took a seat in the last row of the auditorium. It was almost full since he arrived late, but the headmaster still hadn't arrived.

Students were wearing their gray uniforms and waiting for the headmaster.

A few minutes later, a grey-haired elderly man appeared.

He had a mustache that curved down around both sides of his mouth and connected to his beard, which only covered his chin. It looked almost like a French-cut beard. He walked onto the stage, his neatly styled hair slick with a light shimmer. He seemed to be someone very powerful with a unique aura.

He didn't use a mic and boosted his voice using mana so it would sound all around the auditorium, "Today is the day you will all be sent to the Land of Asuras for the first time in your life. You have joined the military school because it has become necessary to start your three years of training before you become part of society.

As the Dhovrix race invaded our planet two hundred years ago, we had no choice but to fight them. Our strength paled in comparison, and we lost even though we were greater in numbers.

However, our scientists made a breakthrough in technology, and we were able to build a portal that led us to the Land of Asuras. This allowed us to gain the strength to contend against the Dhovrix race, as we found magical beasts that gave us powerful skills.

The Dhovrix race had taken over one-third of the Earth's region, and they would have expanded their borders if we hadn't found this treasure land that allowed our strength to grow. Because of the Land of Asuras, we were able to stop the Dhovrix race from taking over our Earth.

But, we are barely equal to them in strength, and we don't know their true power. They might start a war again, so we need to be prepared.

To save humanity and not let them steal more from us, we need the power to face them. So, we will give you training that will help you grow and help the human race fight against the Dhovrix race."

Students started whispering to themselves as they heard that humans were still barely equal to them. They had grown up thinking that the human race had already surpassed the Dhovrix race, but they were kept in the dark.

The headmaster continued, "Today, you all will go through the portal and become familiar with the Land of Asuras. You don't have to fight beasts or monsters there before your classes start; that is in one month.

You just need to get used to that place and report to us if you have been teleported to our nearby shelters. We will try our best to assign you a superior in your shelters, even if you're teleported to a faraway one. We will contact their headquarters and ask them to assist you."

"Why are they not telling us about the shelters that are under the Asuras' control? I heard they have taken control of a few of our shelters. They make slaves of those who unluckily teleport there."

"They know that if we knew, most of us would run away, but the government didn't give us a choice. We would be breaking the law if we don't do as the headmaster says."

"Isn't this the same as becoming a slave of the government instead of a slave of the Dhovrix?"

The headmaster had a good hearing but ignored these comments, as it was the same every year. He further added, "If you don't have your AI watches, then collect them from the school office and head to the portal area. Make sure to report to us after you return from your journey. Good luck to all of you."

With that, the headmaster walked out of the auditorium.

Rio looked at his AI watch, given by his new mother, and thought inwardly, "I still can't understand what ulterior motive that lady had to adopt someone like me."

He started walking towards the portal that was situated at the gate of the school.

There were two guards at the entrance of the portal. They checked his school card and let him enter the portal.

The portal was like a medicine capsule with a silver-painted door and AI installed.

He went inside and felt that it was very comfortable. However, there was nothing inside, and only one person was allowed to use the portal at a time.

He tapped his watch, which rang with some notification sounds, and synced with the portal as its door closed.

A text appeared on the screen of the AI watch with the letters "Teleport."

Rio tapped it, and his body was enveloped in white light. He felt as if the ground was ascending, but the blinding white light didn't let him see anything.

After a few seconds passed, the portal door opened, and he stepped out of it.

But what he saw in front of him turned his mind upside down.

There was a big magic circle below the portal capsule, and it was situated in a white hall that was big enough to cover ten houses of a peasant family.

Eight middle-aged men and three women in their thirties were standing around it. Two things they had in common were the color of their eyes, which was red, and the uniform they were wearing, which was blue with purple lines that went vertically down.

They were all looking at Rio as if he was their new slaughtering lamb. He could see pity in some of their eyes, but three of the men had mocking smiles on their faces, as if thinking about what would happen to this new human.

"Their eyes are red, and they are wearing the uniform of the Asura Race." His heartbeat started thumping when he understood what happened.

He instantly ran back to the portal and started tapping his watch so he could return to Earth.

"Oh... shit... it's not working," Rio cursed inwardly.