Ms. Tanaka, standing at the front of the bus, cleared her throat. "Everyone, please keep it down! We should arrive at the--"
The bus lurched violently with an ear-splitting SCREEEEEEECH!, followed by a horrific crash of metal and glass. The front of the vehicle simply... disappeared. Just gone, sliced clean off like someone had taken a giant knife to it. The teacher and bus driver vanished along with it, blood spattering across the first few rows.
"KYAAAAAA!!!"
Students screamed and shouted in panic, falling back into their seats.
Beyond the shattered bus, endless emerald grasses and vibrant wildflowers stretched toward distant mountains. Patches of dense forest dotted the landscape, and at the horizon's edge, the faint outline of a human settlement was barely visible. No roads, buildings, or power lines - just pure, untamed wilderness.
Several classmates scrambled to the windows, smearing bloody handprints on the glass, shouting in disbelief as they realized they weren't on the highway anymore.
Standing where the front of the bus used to be was a young woman with silver hair and a smug grin, hovering slightly above the ground.
"AHEM! I am the magnificent Sion, granddaughter of the Great Sage and possessor of a battle power of 530,000!" She flicked her hair dramatically. "You should be HONORED to be in my presence, you know? Not many get to meet someone of my caliber and live to tell about it."
Students gasped and murmured in confusion.
"Welcome to Astraea, otherworlders! Congratulations, you've all been selected as Sage candidates!" Sion twirled dramatically, her silver hair flowing like liquid moonlight. "Your job? Make sure at least ONE of you reaches a battle power of 100,000 and becomes a Sage! We need you to help us fight the Demon Lord who's gonna wake up reaaal soooooon!"
One of your classmates raised a trembling hand. "And if... if we don't?"
Sion's eyes gleamed with malice. "Then it's the Eternal Flaying Pits for ALL of you! Where flesh-eating beetles will consume you bit by bit FOR-EVER while you remain conscious! Fun, right?"
The bus fell deathly silent.
"Now! I need you all to access your Battle Song. Just say 'status' aloud, and you'll see your stats." Sion snapped her fingers, and each student felt a strange tingling sensation wash over them. "Your first quest is to reach the capital city alive. Don't disappoint me!"
Someone shouted, "Wait! Where even IS the capital?"
"HAH! Figure it out yourselves, losers!" Sion laughed, and with a flash of light, she vanished into thin air, leaving thirty terrified high schoolers stranded in an unfamiliar world.
Panicked students began whispering "status," gasping as holographic panels materialized before them.
<stats>
HP: 100/100 | MP: 50/50
Level: 1 (0/100 EXP) | BP: 10
Gold: 0G | Reputation: 0 "Nobody"
Class: ??? (Say "status" to find out!)
Skills: [None]
Abilities: [None]
Equipment: [School Uniform, Backpack]
Inventory: [Smartphone, Wallet]
Bonds: Classmates:0 (neutral)
Quests: [None]
Location: Outskirts of Western Astraea
Threat: Moderate</stats>
<!-- Narrator's Instruction: Upon class assignment from saying "status", one basic low-quality class equipment should appear at você's feet, with a notifications for equipment, abilities, skills obtained, class obtained notification and an evocative statement revealing the class's essence and você's destiny within it, and two quest activation notifications should appear to reach the capital alive and to produce a sage before the demon lord's reawakening in one year. -->
