The moment Rynelle Aeris and his team stepped into the portal—
The world disappeared.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
But violently.
---
Light swallowed everything.
Sound vanished.
Weight vanished.
Even breath felt distant.
For a single moment—
There was nothing.
No ground.
No sky.
No direction.
Just endless white.
---
Then—
Gravity returned.
Violently.
Brutally.
Without warning.
---
Wind screamed past their ears.
Cold air tore against their skin.
Their bodies dropped—
Fast.
Too fast.
Too fast to react normally.
Too fast to think calmly.
They were falling.
---
Sky stretched endlessly above them.
Clouds tore past like shredded fabric.
The ground below—
Still far away.
But getting closer.
Rapidly.
Terrifyingly fast.
---
Kael's voice shattered the panic.
"WE'RE FALLING—!"
Soren shouted back.
"NO SHIT—!"
Elric's voice remained sharp despite the chaos.
"CONTROL YOUR DESCENT!"
---
Rynelle forced his breathing steady.
His eyes scanned downward.
The ground was still distant—
But approaching faster than expected.
Below them—
Endless plains stretched outward.
Green grass.
Rock formations.
Sparse trees.
The Outer Plains.
Layer One.
---
Across the sky—
Dozens of groups were falling.
Not just them.
Hundreds of students scattered across the sky.
Each team separated by distance.
Each group dropped into different locations.
Even the VIP group—
Falling elsewhere in the distance.
Tiny figures cutting through the sky.
Seraphina Lys among them.
Descending toward her own landing zone.
---
Kael panicked slightly.
"WHAT DO WE DO—?!"
Elric shouted immediately.
"USE YOUR SKILLS!"
That was the only answer.
The only solution.
The only survival method.
---
Rynelle moved first.
Mana surged through his body.
Threads formed instantly.
"Elemental Weaving."
Wind threads gathered beneath him.
Spreading outward.
Forming resistance.
Slowing descent—
Slightly.
Not enough yet.
But it helped.
---
Kael followed.
"Wind Spear—Stabilize!"
Air currents shifted around his body.
Reducing drag.
Redirecting airflow.
Slowing his fall.
---
Elric activated defensive reinforcement.
Mana hardened around his body.
Reducing impact damage.
Preparing for collision.
---
Soren created short bursts of air pressure.
Small adjustments.
Minor corrections.
Maintaining balance.
---
All across the sky—
Students activated their own skills.
Some stabilized.
Some slowed successfully.
Others—
Panicked.
Misjudged.
Failed.
---
Then—
A strange humming sound appeared nearby.
Mechanical.
Steady.
Not natural.
Not magical.
Technological.
---
Rynelle looked upward.
A floating drone hovered near their descent path.
Small.
Metallic.
Silent.
Its surface shimmered faintly with recording runes.
Behind it—
More drones appeared across the sky.
Watching.
Recording.
Observing.
---
Back at the academy—
Teachers stood before massive viewing screens.
Watching the descent in real time.
Every student visible.
Every landing monitored.
---
Beside them—
Upperclass students stood silently.
Those who had already become Awakeners.
Watching carefully.
Evaluating.
Observing the new generation.
---
Further behind—
A group of unfamiliar faces stood quietly.
New students.
Recently recruited.
Dormant-ranked beginners.
Because while the current students entered the Dream Realm—
The academy had already begun recruiting the next generation.
Replacing those who might not return.
Preparing for the future.
No matter the losses.
---
Back in the sky—
The ground rushed closer.
Too fast.
Too dangerously fast.
---
Kael shouted again.
"WE'RE GETTING CLOSE!"
Elric responded instantly.
"FINAL PREPARATION!"
Soren tightened his grip on his daggers.
"…Brace!"
---
Rynelle exhaled slowly.
Mana surged outward.
Threads layered rapidly.
Wind.
Earth.
Air resistance.
All condensed beneath his feet.
The ground was now only seconds away.
---
Then—
Impact.
---
Kael struck first.
BOOM.
Dust exploded outward.
Grass tore beneath his landing point.
But he remained standing.
Barely.
---
Elric landed second.
His reinforced armor absorbed the shock.
Stone cracked beneath his feet.
But he held firm.
---
Soren landed next.
Rolling forward.
Reducing force.
Sliding across grass.
Then stopping.
---
Finally—
Rynelle landed.
Wind threads dispersed beneath him.
Impact softened.
Grass bent beneath his feet.
Dust rose slightly—
Then settled.
---
Silence.
Sudden.
Heavy.
Alive.
---
They stood still for several seconds.
Listening.
Feeling.
Waiting.
But—
Nothing attacked.
Nothing moved.
Nothing roared.
No Dream Beasts.
No immediate threats.
---
Kael exhaled heavily.
"…We survived."
Elric scanned the surroundings carefully.
"Landing successful."
Soren looked around slowly.
"…No hostiles detected."
---
Rynelle lifted his wrist slightly.
The scanning watch activated.
A small projection appeared.
Location confirmed.
Layer One: Outer Plains.
Status: Stable.
Nearby Threat Detection: None.
---
Kael looked around cautiously.
"…Isn't it weird?"
Soren nodded.
"…Too quiet."
Elric added calmly.
"…Remain alert."
---
Above them—
One of the drones hovered silently.
Watching.
Recording.
Observing.
Their landing.
Their survival.
Their beginning.
---
Far in the distance—
Other groups could be seen landing.
Tiny figures scattered across the plains.
Some successful.
Some injured.
Some struggling to stand.
---
Rynelle adjusted his grip on his sword.
The wind moved gently across the plains.
Grass swayed slowly.
No movement.
No creatures.
No threats.
Yet.
---
Kael turned toward the horizon.
"…So what now?"
Elric answered immediately.
"We move."
Soren nodded.
"…Exploration phase begins."
---
Rynelle stepped forward first.
One step into the unknown.
One step deeper into the Dream Realm.
---
And so—
They began walking.
Across the endless plains.
Moving farther from their landing zone.
Deeper into the first layer.
Searching.
Hunting.
Waiting.
For the moment when silence would finally break—
And the Dream Realm would show its true face.