Elion finally took off his coat and placed it next to him. He unbuttoned the top button of his loose white shirt, leaned back, relaxed, and basked in the sunlight. He half-listened to the words of the person who had entered.
An old man entered the classroom, and the few students who were talking abruptly ceased.
The old man walked a little, stopped, and addressed those seated.
"Do you think that by coming here, you will gain fame, wealth, and respect? Do you think you will become national heroes and brave people? Or maybe you have personal reasons for being here?" The old man said in a hoarse voice.
Everyone was silent, listening to the old man.
"Whatever your reasons, they don't matter anymore because you are here. Do you know the odds of survival for a squad member on the first expedition are twenty percent?"
As everyone listened in shock to the old man's revelations, Elion thought about his words for a moment.
"If there are only five people in the squad, then adding up their chances would be one hundred percent. But one hundred percent of what? That everyone will survive or that everyone will die?"
Damn, I should have studied a little more in school. Elion lamented, thinking about his past mistakes.
"Heh... Some people know, of course. But the rest only know that being a researcher is cool and dangerous. Dying on the first day is really cool, isn't it?" The old man chuckled hoarsely.
"Do you know how much two years of study here can increase your chances of survival on your first expedition?"
No one answered, so the old man continued.
"Ten percent. That's a thirty percent chance of survival. Not bad, huh?"
Still, no one answered. Some were deeply shocked, some strengthened their resolve, and some were ready to give up.
Others tried to grasp the math in a couple of seconds.
And someone was carefully examining their neighbor's hair and comparing it to their own.
No matter how many books and reports you read, how thoroughly you prepare, or what set of artifacts you take with you, it may all be useless. Each "Domain of Mystery" is unique; no two cases are the same. Although their general structure may be identical, this does not change the essence.
The old man paused, then continued,
"No one can say for sure what awaits you, and no one can teach you this. You may be transported to a completely different space, launched kilometers into the air, buried underground, drowned underwater, confronted with unimaginable creatures, replaced by someone else, have your personality changed, or your memories altered, be turned into a monster, or be moved through time... And these are just a few of the thousands of possible cases. Few are documented, but if we have been keeping track of them since the dawn of humanity, surely there are millions of such cases... That is why no one can ever prepare you for the trials to come."
"That is why a good 'Mystery Seeker' is either born or does not become one at all..." The old man said this in a hoarse voice.
All the students froze, unable to move in the face of the shocking truth. Their past bravado about heroism quickly evaporated.
Even Elion couldn't help but ponder the man's words.
It seemed as if everyone was unable to move under the weight of those words. Everyone except...
"Hey, look at that old man. He looks as old as shriveled fruit... He must be about 200 years old. Hehe," Elion's neighbor whispered, nudging him with her elbow.
Elion didn't understand why, but he turned his attention to the old man after hearing this.
The old man really did look very old, with wrinkled skin all over his face and completely gray hair.
"Well, he really does look like a sour, shriveled fruit. I'd give him about 300 years." The guy tried to smile but couldn't.
"Hee... Did you like my joke?" Wow. I'm very pleased," the girl whispered with a broad, satisfied smile.
Elion almost choked but managed to keep a straight face and pretend he hadn't heard her.
"Hehe, are you embarrassed? How childish. Although it's kind of cute..." His neighbor continued to tease him with a sly smile while the whole class was still recovering from the shock.