UNMEI: Pantheon's Game-Chapter 133: Names

Ramires stepped back from the board, dusting his hands as the final glowing rune of Titan faded into view behind him. He scanned the class, a slight smirk touching the edge of his lips.

"I know what you're all thinking..." he said.

"Which Path am I walking?"

A few students glanced at each other, and a murmur spread through the room.

"You want to know?" Ramires said, folding his arms. "Then it's time to look within."

He turned back to face the glowing board, then tapped a finger against his chest. "To find your path... travel into your Neba Heart. The place within your soul where the first core you absorbed resides. That beast, is your foundation."

The room stilled.

"Focus your Neba, not into one part of your body, but all of it. Let it flow evenly. Only then will you touch your center."

Dune exhaled slowly. All of his classmates closed their eyes. He followed, pushing his breath down deep into his core. He activated his Neba, arms, legs, chest, back, head, feet, all at once. A soft glow ran through his veins like threads of light beneath his skin.

Where are you, Bulby?

The world around him shimmered.

And then it changed.

He stood barefoot on an open field, grass swaying gently beneath a bright blue sky. The air was warm, fresh, filled with the quiet hum of life. Dune blinked, then smiled.

"...It's been a while."

From the tall grass, a small green creature bounced into view, round, bright, with stubby ears and too-big eyes.

Bulby.

"Hey!" Dune dropped to one knee, laughing softly. Bulby leapt into his arms without hesitation. Dune held him close for a moment.

I missed you buddy.

Then something strange happened.

A soft glow pulsed from Bulby's side. "Oh so you even know why i'm here?

Dune leaned in as a glowing mark formed, not written in words, but symbols older than language. And yet Dune understood it instantly.

Chaos.

He blinked.

Chaos?

Bulby blinked up at him innocently, as if nothing had changed. Dune's smile faltered slightly. Was that good? Or bad?

He didn't have time to think, he had to go back fast, the field shimmered again, and he felt himself being pulled back.

Dune opened his eyes. The classroom was dead quiet. Dozens of students slowly stirred, some confused, some smiling, some whispering to each other.

Ramires paced slowly before the class, his long white beard flowing with each deliberate step. His eyes, calm but piercing, scanned the students as they returned from their Neba heart meditation.

"Now that you've met the first creature bound to your soul," he said, "there's something else you need to understand, something crucial, especially before you take your first trial."

He lifted his hand, drawing symbols in the air with Neba as glowing colors formed a vertical spectrum.

"There are four classes of Neba-born creatures," he began, his voice steady, etched with years of mastery. "Each class is defined by the color of their Neba, by the power that radiates from their core."

The spectrum shimmered.

"Green to Yellow are known as Hollows," Ramires said, pointing to the soft hues. "Lesser threats. Weak, unstable, but unpredictable. Often mistaken as harmless... until they show their true power."

The colors shifted.

"Orange to Red, these are Terrors. Aggressive, volatile, and brutal. Most early deaths in the wild come from these."

He tapped the air again, and a deep blue glow emerged.

"Blue creatures are called Nephilims. Graceful, intelligent, and powerful, many carry near-mythical traits. If you ever see one, consider retreat."

Finally, a surge of violet flooded the space above the class.

"Purple... the rarest and deadliest. These are Calamities. Forces of destruction. They don't just fight, they change the land, the air, even fate itself. Only a fool tries to tame one. Only the desperate... succeed."

He let the words linger.

"These names are not poetic. They are warnings. When you face your first trial, remember, it's not always the strongest beast that kills, it's the one you underestimate."

Dune thought to himself, piecing it all together, So Bulby's a Hollow...

Dreadmarch, Dedany, and that massive whale I saw on my way to Rendely, they were all Calamities.

Ned's red serpent fits the Terror class, and Cadogan's blue neba and beast... that makes it a Nephilim. It was starting to make sense now, how different they all were.

"Neba users, also have their own names." Ramires continued as he raised his hand, and a soft pulse of Neba from his palm illuminated the blackboard behind him. Names appeared in glowing script

"At the lowest level, we have Whispers," Ramires continued, his finger tracing the name. "They are green and yellow Neba users who are still learning to control their abilities. The Whispers are often unpredictable but can still contribute meaningfully in battles if guided well."

He tapped the next name. "masters." The name flickered. "These are the individuals who have endured hardship and survived, often through trials that leave a permanent mark on their Neba and their bodies. They are orange and Neba users."

He paused, letting the words hang in the air before moving on. "Then we have a blue Neba, Demigods, those whose mastery of Neba elevates them to near divine status. Rare, powerful, and often feared, they stand at the edge of the heavens."

Ramires's hand lingered on the final name, and for a moment, a faint sense of reverence filled the room. "Flaws," he said softly. "These individuals are the pinnacle of Neba power. They are not just Purple Neba users, they are embodiments of it. With control beyond comprehension, they can shape reality itself."

The room was silent, the weight of his words settling on each student.

Ramires looked around. "Your Neba and Path will decide your name. What you become is in your hands. And that, students, is the path each of you is walking."

The bell rang with a low hum, marking the end of Ramires' lecture. As the murmurs of students filled the room once again, Dune rose from his seat, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

The academy's halls stretched wide, smooth stone floors catching light from the luminous orbs that hovered just beneath the high ceilings.

Dune stepped out of the class wing and into the heart of the main academy area, he passed under a vast archway that led into a circular chamber lined with desks, notices, and quietly working staff.

At the center sat a woman behind a long, obsidian desk. Her dark red hair was tied in a sharp braid, and a small pair of silver-rimmed glasses perched on her nose.

As Dune approached, she looked up from a scroll, her gaze calm but focused.

"Dune," she said, adjusting her glasses. "You're here for your Neba core, aren't you?"

He gave a silent nod. "Right"

She sighed lightly and rolled up the scroll. "You won't be receiving one today."

Dune blinked once but didn't speak. She continued, her tone level and bureaucratic.

"Your progression has been noted as abnormally fast. Far ahead of the average pace for new entries. The higher-ups believe it would be best if the others caught up before you're allowed another absorption."

Dune stood still for a moment. Then, quietly, he nodded. "Understood."

She offered a tight-lipped smile. "Consider this a forced pause, not a punishment. Use the time to reflect and train in other ways, and prepare."

As he turned away and walked down the corridor, his mind remained quiet, unreadable even to himself. There was no irritation, only the calm before a storm he could sense but not yet see.

He passed students chatting in groups, whispering about the upcoming trial. Five days from now, they'd be sent out, every last one of them.

Five days until everything changed again.

And Dune would be ready.