I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

"What? Who's coming?" I asked, staring at her in confusion.

Lilith stepped forward, folding her wings neatly behind her back. Standing before me, she replied with a calm, measured voice.

"Karton."

"Karton?" I tilted my head. "Who's that?"

Seriously, what was she talking about?

I had no idea who Karton was, and I couldn't understand why Nathalia had sent Lilith in her place. Then again, knowing Nathalia, there was likely a reason behind it.

Seeing my confusion, Lilith elaborated.

"Karton is one of the thirteen gods of Olympus, the God of Time."

Before she could continue, I quickly interrupted her, holding up my hand up.

"Wait. Wait. The God of Time?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow slightly.

If I remembered correctly, all the gods had vanished from Earth long ago. So how could one of them be.

"By 'coming,' you mean he's coming here, to Earth?" I asked, needing confirmation.

Lilith nodded, her expression still unchanging.

"Yes."

I blinked.

Was she serious?

"Wait a second, how do you even know that?" I asked, more bewildered than ever.

"Our gods informed us," she replied simply, her voice like still water.

Well, my gods didn't inform me of anything.

Before I could say more, she conjured a red envelope from thin air and held it out toward me.

"What's this?" I asked, eyeing it warily.

"Master Nathalia wanted you to have this," Lilith explained, handing me the envelope. "She instructed me to give it to you once you woke from this dream."

That left me even more confused. How was I supposed to receive this envelope in the real world? But considering it was Nathalia, someone who could bend the lines between dream and reality, I decided not to question it.

"What's inside?" I asked.

Lilith shook her head slightly, her expression softening with apology.

"That, my master did not tell me. But she did say it contains the answers you're currently seeking."

That made me shiver a little. How could Nathalia know exactly what I was looking for? Was she watching me somehow?

I glanced around the temple feeling uneasy.

...Was she stalking me?

I immediately shook off that ridiculous thought and took the envelope from Lilith, I tucked it safely inside my coat.

"Now then," Lilith said, bowing respectfully, "please allow my departure, Sir Paradox."

"You're leaving already?" I asked.

She had just dropped the bombshell that a literal god was descending to Earth and now she wanted to walk away as if she'd told me the weather forecast?

But I wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.

"Before you go," I said, making her pause and lift her gaze back to me, "didn't you say gods can't interact with mortals? So how exactly is one descending?"

Her response was immediate.

"That's what Master Nathalia went to discuss."

"With who?"

I had assumed it was with other Authority holders, but Lilith's next words surprised me.

"To Amadeous."

Ah. That made sense.

If anyone could rival Ylthea or understand divine limitations better than the rest of us, it was Amadeous.

"If your questions are answered," Lilith said softly, "then I bid you farewell."

Her form shimmered and vanished, and the world around me began to blur. Light fractured the space like glass, dissolving into darkness, until I finally returned to reality.

…

Location : Infirmary, West wing, Nova Academy.

Three figures stood around a sleek, white metallic bed. On it lay a boy with tousled black hair, eyes closed, though beneath his lids, his pupils twitched slightly as if lost in a dream.

"Looks like he's dreaming," said Julius, who had rushed to the infirmary the moment he heard about Zane fainting in the middle of the cafeteria.

In response, Anna added quietly, "He told me just yesterday that he wasn't feeling well. And now this…"

Her gaze lingered on Zane's pale face.

"Maybe he didn't sleep much last night," Aria offered, calmly peeling an apple and placing the slices neatly on a small plate beside the bed.

The three friends exchanged concerned glances, each offering their own thoughts on what might have caused Zane to collapse so suddenly.

"Ahem." A cough interrupted their musings. The nurse stationed beside Zane folded her arms sternly before speaking. "Could you three please keep it down? Your voices are disturbing the other patients."

She narrowed her eyes. "If this continues, I'll have to report all of you to the Headmistress. And you know how seriously she takes the code of conduct."

The trio looked around, suddenly realizing the infirmary, despite being within the academy was nearly full, with students resting on almost every bed.

They lowered their heads in a silent apology, not out of fear, but out of respect for the others trying to recover.

"Sorry."

—BAM!

The sudden sound of the door crashing open startled everyone. Heads turned instantly toward the entrance.

Standing there, framed in the doorway, was none other than the Headmistress of Nova Academy—Ruby Oliver.

She was breathless, soaked in sweat, her crimson-red hair untied and flowing messily over her shoulders. Her uniform was slightly disheveled, as if she'd come running without a moment's pause.

"H-Headmistress?" the nurse stammered, clearly stunned. "Wh-What brings you here?!"

"Haa… Haa…" Ruby inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes scanned the room, then locked onto Zane's unconscious figure.

"How is he?" she asked immediately, her voice filled with urgency.

The room fell completely silent.

Everyone had always known Ruby Oliver as the composed, intelligent headmistress of their academy and as the current Rank-3. She was elegant, graceful, and always in control. But the look on her face now, as worry etched deeply into her usually calm expression, it shattered that image entirely.

She moved swiftly toward Zane's bed. And as she stared at his sleeping face, the panic in her eyes slowly faded.

There was no doubt, her concern was real.

"Headmistress," Aria spoke up first, "the doctor said he fainted due to stress and exhaustion. He should be fine with rest."

Stress and exhaustion? Ruby repeated the words in her mind.

Was it because of the auction house yesterday? Or did something else happen?

Her thoughts churned with questions. But for now, her focus remained on Zane.

She knew better than anyone, Zane wasn't someone who would simply collapse from being tired. No. If he had fainted, something significant had happened. Perhaps someone had done something to him. Someone powerful, someone beyond his current level.

The idea made her stomach twist with unease.

But she couldn't allow anyone to see this side of her. She needed to remain composed, for his sake, and her own.

"Nurse Julie," Ruby said, her tone suddenly regaining its commanding calm, "treat this student as your top priority. And…"

She turned to the trio.

"...do not inform his sister. Not yet. She must remain focused on her mission."

Zane's sister, Elise, was currently on assignment in Aquadore, its an important mission assigned by Nova. If she learned of Zane's condition, it could jeopardize both her mental state and the mission itself.

The trio nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of her words.

Then Aria, hesitant but curious, raised a question.

"But, Headmistress… why are you here?"

"...Hm?"

Ruby flinched slightly at first, though no one seemed to notice. She quickly composed herself.

"What do you mean?" she asked politely. "He's my student. I made a vow to always come running when one of them is in trouble."

Right. As if anyone was going to take that seriously.

There were easily three students being admitted every week. She didn't come running then.

So why was she treating Zane any differently?

The others had the same thought—and almost instantly, they arrived at a silent conclusion on their own.

Anna, Aria, and Julius exchanged glances and gave a synchronized nod. Anna looked up at the headmistress and smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Headmistress. You're so kind. We understand."

Understand what exactly?! Ruby wanted to yell. But she held herself back in front of her dear students.

Nodding, she instructed, "Now go back to your classes, all three of you. Master Envy's lesson starts in a few minutes." She checked the time as she said it.

The moment the name 'Envy' was mentioned, all three of them went pale.

Sweat began to drip from their foreheads before panic settled in.

"O-oh, I almost forgot!" Julius cried, tugging at his hair.

"I wanna go home," Anna muttered helplessly.

As for Aria… she didn't seem too fazed. Maybe she was just used to her mother's punishments.

A few seconds later, the trio left the infirmary, leaving only two people behind—

Ruby, and the boy lying unconscious on the bed, Zane.

Ruby had dismissed the nurse earlier, asking for some privacy. The nurse complied without question.

"…Fuuuu."

With a long sigh, Ruby walked over to Zane and leaned against the empty desk beside his bed.

Raising an eyebrow, she said casually,

"They're gone. You can wake up now."

"..."

Slowly, Zane opened his eyes, and Ruby's face was the first thing he saw.

"Hey, Ruby..."

…

Opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was Ruby's mesmerizing face.

"Hey, Ruby…" I greeted her casually.

Ruby frowned. "It's Headmistress Ruby to you."

Oh… right.

"I'm sorry. Headmistress Ruby," I corrected myself politely.

She leaned in slightly, her voice softer but firm. "So? What happened this time?"

"I fainted," I joked.

"Zane." Her tone turned cold. "I'm serious."

Scary…

I hesitated. "It's about them."

Ruby's eyes widened. She immediately understood who I meant.

Without wasting a second, she asked, "Explain."

Honestly, I was still confused.

Lilith had said the red envelope would hold the answers I needed.

But no matter how many times I checked my pocket, there was nothing there.

Just as I was about to speak, my right wrist began to glow, white light cascading across the room, reflecting off both our faces.

—Suaaa

"…!?"

Ruby flinched, while I instinctively grabbed my wrist, trying to keep it down.

Something… something was trying to escape out.

"Ugh!" I groaned, biting my lip.

But in the next moment, the light faded, it simmered down, retreating into my wrist.

And when I looked again, a red envelope had appeared beside my hand.

"It's here," I said, picking it up.

I read what was written in bold white letters on its surface.

[From Karton, The God of Time.]

[To Paradox, The Apostle of Ylthea.]