Information about Death Sinks was fairly common knowledge, especially among those who had awakened Aether and aspired to become Devil Hunters.

It was widely understood that Death Sinks never appeared in densely populated areas—particularly not in places where powerful warriors gathered. Locations such as academies or the Great Hall had never once experienced such phenomena, and there was a clear reason behind it.

It all came down to energy.

Strong warriors who awakened skills naturally possessed far more positive energy than ordinary civilians, who only carried the bare minimum required to survive. That surplus of positive energy acted as a deterrent, suppressing the conditions necessary for a Death Sink to form.

Because of this, the probability of a Death Sink manifesting near such locations was considered virtually nonexistent.

That was why what Guinevere had just revealed shattered their understanding.

"An army camp?" Kevin asked, his brows knitting together in disbelief.

The older woman nodded. "Yes. On the western border of Gahalia. A Death Sink appeared directly within the camp—on the training grounds—while the soldiers were asleep."

A murmur rippled through the room.

"However," Guinevere continued, her tone steady, "soldiers are not civilians. They do not require minutes to collect themselves when danger arises. Despite being caught off guard, they managed to suppress the threat, even while facing several ranked devils."

Mia shuddered. "Several…"

From her perspective, dealing with even one ranked devil was an impossible task. She had heard firsthand how difficult it had been for William during the Goblet of Honor. That alone spoke volumes about the sheer strength of the Empire's military.

Guinevere folded her arms. "That incident raised serious concerns. In the past thousand years, there has never been a case where an area so densely saturated with Aether became vulnerable to a Death Sink."

William frowned slightly.

Unlike the calamities of ancient times, the streets were not overrun by demons. Corrupted beings had not surged in alarming numbers. Everything about this incident felt… wrong.

A student from Daverfall raised his hand. "Commander, is it possible that an external factor is involved? Something we don't yet understand?"

The room stilled.

Several heads turned toward him. The idea itself was unsettling—because it was something none of them had seriously considered.

Death Sinks were known to originate exclusively from the Underworld.

For a moment, many expected Guinevere to dismiss the question outright.

Instead, she said, "The investigation is ongoing. We cannot rule out that possibility."

Natalie blinked. "Wait—are you saying someone might actually be helping the Devils?"

A scoff came from the Daverfall side. "Corrupted humans aren't just characters from children's storybooks."

Natalie rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

Guinevere spoke again, her voice calm yet heavy. "As I said, we have yet to determine what caused this anomaly. But if an external factor truly exists, the situation for civilians could become far more dire."

The implication settled uneasily over everyone present.

Imagine gathering an entire village together, believing that the concentration of Aether would prevent a Death Sink from ever forming.

And then—

In the heart of that crowd, a crimson crack splits open.

Devils begin to pour out.

It would be nothing short of catastrophic.

Something unprecedented was unfolding.

And they were standing at the edge of it.

Guinevere continued, "For now, our priority is learning how to assess the threat level of each Death Sink, how to respond based on that assessment, and what actions are strictly forbidden during an ambush."

As she spoke, she turned toward the board and began writing.

Class IV — Minor Sink

"Typically," she explained, "you will encounter several common Devils and, at most, one ranked devil. For students at your level, a team of five to seven should be sufficient to contain the situation and evacuate civilians safely."

She set the chalk down and turned back to the class.

"Any questions?"

No hands were raised.

Not because the information was simple—but because it conflicted with everything complex the students of Ardentia had learned so far. The ranking system they were familiar with was entirely different.

Guinevere did not comment on their silence. Instead, she wrote again.

Class III — Operational Sink

"Here, you should expect more than two ranked devils," she said, tapping the board lightly, "along with up to a hundred low-level Devils. When it appears, you would feel slight gravity deterioration and the crack is far wider than Minor Sink. Along with that, Operational Sink influences their surroundings to a certain degree."

She paused deliberately. "Low-level," she repeated, "not mob Devils. They are weaker than low-level Devils and should not be confused."

Turning to face them fully, her gaze sharpened.

"All twelve of you combined would still be unable to suppress an Operational Sink on your own."

A heavy silence followed.

"So," she continued, "if you encounter an Operational Sink, what should be your first move?" Her eyes shifted. "Emma?"

The silver-haired girl, who had been diligently taking notes, looked up at once.

"Inform the authorities," she answered calmly. "Wait for backup, and prioritize evacuating civilians."

Guinevere nodded in approval.

"Correct. That is the only acceptable response. Anything else would be risking your lives unnecessarily—and endangering the very people you are meant to protect."

She turned back to the board and wrote once more.

Class II — War Sink

"This," Guinevere said slowly, "is something you see and run from."

The room grew quiet.

"When a War Sink manifests, space itself distorts. The ground collapses, weather patterns shift violently, and the air becomes saturated with Nyx."

She crossed her arms.

"Students like you cannot withstand the pressure a War Sink radiates. Civilians exposed to it often lose their sanity long before any Devil reaches them—and are later corrupted simply by proximity."

After a brief pause, she continued, her voice measured.

"You should expect tens of ranked Devils, all commanded by a ruling General."

A weight settled over the class.

"At present," Guinevere added, "only a united Great Hall—every seated member acting together—can suppress a War Sink."

She let the words sink in before finishing, "Alternatively, the Royal Knight Order."

William felt his breath tighten.

Part of him tensed at the sheer scale of destruction such a phenomenon implied. The other part—against his better judgment—thrummed with excitement.

He couldn't imagine the devastation a single War Sink could unleash.

He had fought a ranked Devil once and knew firsthand how overwhelming they were. Against a General-ranked Devil, he hadn't lasted more than a second before losing consciousness.

That realization alone was enough to chill him.

And along with excitement, came another realisation

'I have a long path ahead. I am nowhere strong enough to stand even against two Ranked-devils.'

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- This information is quite important so I would rather you not skip it. Thanks for reading.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.