The cool stone corridors of the academy felt vastly different than they had just a few hours ago. To Kai, the heavy architectural pillars, the polished floors, and even the ambient mana humming through the ventilation system felt incredibly fragile. When your effective attributes bordered on the edge of upper-tier hunters, the civilian world began to look like a house of glass, waiting for a single misstep to shatter.
As Kai walked toward the dormitory sector, he focused his mind inward, expanding the system interface to analyze the structural changes his body had undergone during the double level-up. Reaching Level 5 had unlocked a deeper layer of the Infinite Evolution System, revealing a critical milestone that every awakened hunter eventually had to face.
[System Notice]
> Host has reached the midway point to Class Awakening.
> Combat Class Selection will unlock automatically upon reaching Level 10.
> Current Class Status: Unawakened.
> SSS-Rank Talent 'Eye of the Primordial Sovereign' is currently analyzing local spatial data to generate unique, non-standard Class paths.
In the modern world, the Level 10 Class Awakening was the true dividing line between amateur novices and professional military assets. Upon hitting Level 10, a hunter's raw, chaotic mana would crystallize, forcing them to choose a specialized combat class such as Iron Vanguard, Arcane Mage, or Shadow Assassin. This choice permanently locked their attribute scaling and determined the type of skill books they could comprehend.
However, Kai could see that his system was already rejecting the standard templates, preparing sothing entirely unprecedented for his tenth level.
Alongside this structural shift, his milestone progression had granted him his first innate active skill, a direct manifestation of his sovereign power.
[Innate Skill Unlocked: Void Shroud - Level 1]
> Skill Type: Active / Passive Aura
> Mana Cost: 2 MP per minute when active.
> Description: Completely masks the user's true level, attributes, and talent rank from external inspection skills. To observers, the user will appear as a standard F-Rank entity unless a high-tier combat skill is actively deployed.
Kai instantly toggled the passive component of the skill. A microscopic, undetectable layer of negative mana rippled across his skin, folding his massive attribute density inward. To the rest of the world, he was once again nothing more than a baseline human with a broken core.
"You walk remarkably fast for soone who supposedly lacks a combat class," a soft, crystalline voice echoed from the shadows ahead.
Kai stopped. Elena Reinhardt stepped out from the shadow of a grand arched window. Without the blinding glare of the outdoor pavilion, her silver hair seed to pulse with a gentle, rhythmic luminescence. Her deep blue eyes locked onto his, searching for any sign of panic, hesitation, or submission.
"The trial is over, Lady Reinhardt," Kai said evenly, his hands resting loosely in the pockets of his dark trousers. "I believe I have a dormitory assignnt to locate."
Elena let out a soft, lodic laugh that lacked any true warmth. It was the sound of a high-born noble accustod to absolute obedience. "A dormitory? Kai, do you honestly believe you are going back to a standard F-Rank bunk after what happened out there? My father’s scouts aren't blind. The physical velocity you displayed when you cracked that Chieftain's core was registered by the central imperial array."
She stepped closer, the hem of her white-and-gold magister robes brushing against his boots. "A normal unawakened novice cannot manipulate kinetic force with that level of precision. The system scales are absolute, which ans only two possibilities exist. Either the awakening stone malfunctioned in a way the empire has never seen in three hundred years..."
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a razor-sharp whisper. "...or you are intentionally suppressing your trics until you hit the Level 10 Class threshold. Tell , Kai. What class path are you aiming for? A Vanguard that can parry a boss? Or an Assassin that leaves no magical trace?"
"The world is full of anomalies," Kai replied smoothly, his tone entirely dry. "Perhaps I am just naturally agile."
"Don't play a fool, it doesn't suit the man who just made Leo Vance look like a terrified toddler," Elena countered, straightening her posture. She drew a thick, black card from her sleeve and held it out between two fingers. The card was forged from compressed obsidian and stamped with the silver crest of a roaring dragon—the personal seal of Grand Duke Reinhardt. "My father is waiting in the VIP reception pavilion at the apex of the academy. He doesn't like to be kept waiting, and more importantly, he has a proposal that will guarantee the Vance family can never touch you, regardless of what lies Leo tells his uncle."
Kai looked down at the black card. He could feel the dense, high-grade spatial mana humming inside the material.
Going with her ant stepping directly into the deep, volatile waters of imperial politics. The Grand Duke was one of the three pillars of the empire, a man who commanded legions of max-level hunters. If his system’s evolution capabilities were exposed to a man of that caliber, the consequences could be fatal.
But staying in the general student pool was no longer viable. Marcus Vance would eventually realize how his enforcers were bypassed. The academy board would investigate the hidden sub-dungeon anomaly. Survival in the dark required a massive shield, and a Grand Duke was the strongest shield available in the secular world.
Kai extended his hand and took the card. The mont his fingers brushed the obsidian surface, his system flashed a warning.
[System Notice]
> Direct teleportation key detected.
> Destination: Reinhardt Sovereign Domain.
> High-density spatial displacent imminent. Do you wish to authorize transit?
"Lead the way," Kai said quietly.
Elena smiled, a genuine flash of interest lighting up her crystalline eyes. "I'm glad you're reasonable, Kai Raven."
She reached out and tapped the center of the black card in his hand. The obsidian material cracked, releasing a violent, swirling vortex of silver and violet light that swallowed them both whole, pulling them out of the academy corridor in the blink of an eye.
When the blinding silver light faded, Kai found himself standing inside a massive, circular chamber that seed to float in the middle of a starry sky. The walls were made of transparent, reinforced mana-glass, offering a panoramic view of the entire imperial capital thousands of feet below. A massive round table made of ancient white stone sat in the center, and seated there was a single man.
The Grand Duke, Arthur Reinhardt, looked remarkably young for soone who had fought in the First Cataclysm. He had the sa striking silver hair as his daughter, but his eyes were a dark, stormy gray that looked as if they had witnessed the collapse of entire civilizations. He wore no armor, only a simple black tunic, yet the sheer volu of his passive aura was so imnse that the air inside the chamber felt heavy.
[Entity: Grand Duke Arthur Reinhardt]
> Rank: S-Rank Vanguard (Level 92)
> HP: ??? / ???
> MP: ??? / ???
> Primary Class: Dreadnought Sovereign (Tier 4 Awakened)
> Danger Level: Fatal.
Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read the data. Tier 4 Awakened. It was a stark reminder of the world's hidden power structure. When a hunter reached Level 10, they gained their basic class. At Level 30, Level 60, and Level 90, they underwent Class Ascensions, transforming their base classes into mythological tiers. A Tier 4 Dreadnought Sovereign possessed defensive skills that could withstand localized nuclear detonations.
"Sit, boy," the Grand Duke said, his voice a deep, resonant baritone that vibrated through the stone floor. He didn't look up from the ancient manuscript he was reading.
Elena walked over to the table, taking her place silently behind her father’s chair. Kai remained standing, his stance perfectly straight.
Arthur Reinhardt suddenly raised his head, and a terrifying, invisible weight slamd into the room. It was the Grand Duke's passive class skill—Sovereign's Domain. The pressure was designed to crush the willpower of lower-ranking entities, forcing them to their knees through sheer chanical stat disparity.
Kai felt the phantom weight press against his shoulders, attempting to buckle his knees. But his system reacted instantly.
[System Notice]
> External ntal and physical pressure detected.
> Activating Innate Skill: 'Void Shroud' to redirect spiritual friction.
> SSS-Rank Talent 'Eye of the Primordial Sovereign' has neutralized the suppression effect.
Kai didn't move a single inch. His breathing remained perfectly steady, his violet eyes locking directly onto the older man’s stormy gaze.
A sharp glint of profound shock flashed across the Grand Duke’s gray eyes, quickly replaced by a dangerous grin. He waved his hand, dismissing the pressure. "Remarkable. To stand entirely unmoved beneath a Tier 4 Sovereign aura before you've even reached your Level 10 Class Awakening... Elena wasn't exaggerating. Your core structure is a complete anomaly."
The Grand Duke leaned forward, resting his interlaced fingers on the white stone table. "The Vance family is going to petition the High Council to have your mana channels permanently cauterized. Marcus is a proud man, and his nephew’s cowardice has severely damaged their political standing. Within twenty-four hours, they will fabricate a case of sabotage that the Academy Board cannot ignore."
"And your proposal?" Kai asked, his voice entirely calm.
"I will issue an Imperial Decree declaring you a private shadow vanguard of the Reinhardt House," Arthur said, his eyes locking onto Kai with absolute intensity. "Under imperial law, a shadow vanguard answers only to the Duke. The academy will have no jurisdiction over your trials, your attribute cultivation, or your loot. More importantly, I will grant you direct access to the unmapped sectors of the Great Abyss Rift once you hit Level 10."
The Grand Duke paused, his expression turning deeply serious. "As an unawakened anomaly, you must know that standard class paths will limit your potential. If you choose a generic Vanguard or Assassin class from the academy's public library, your attributes will be forced into a standard template, destroying whatever unique trait you possess. But the Great Abyss Rift contains pristine Class Cores—ancient relics that can mutate your Level 10 awakening into a Unique or Legendary hidden class branch."
Kai analyzed the terms through his internal interface. The Grand Duke's assessnt was correct. The system had already indicated it was calculating non-standard class paths based on his SSS-rank talent, but it required high-density prival mana to materialize those options. The Great Abyss Rift was the perfect catalyst.
"I accept the decree," Kai said, his voice firm and unwavering. "But I have one condition."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the boy's audacity. "An unawakened novice setting conditions for an S-Rank Duke? Speak."
Kai pulled his hands from his pockets, his violet eyes flashing with a cold, predatory light that caused Elena to straighten up behind her father. "The Vance family. When the ti cos for to settle the debt with Leo and his uncle... your house will not step in to save them."
The Grand Duke stared at Kai for a long, quiet mont, before a sharp, booming laugh erupted from his chest. He extended his hand across the table, his palm crackling with silver mana. "Deal. A noble house that cannot defend its own territory from a rising predator deserves to be wiped from the ledger anyway."
Kai stepped forward and gripped the Duke's hand. The mont their palms t, the system finalized the arrangent.
[System Notice]
> Shadow Vanguard Pact established with House Reinhardt.
> Imperial authority recognized. Academy restrictions successfully bypassed.
> Tracking arrays on Host's survival badge have been permanently deactivated by sovereign decree.
> Current Level: 5 (430/1000 EXP)
> Path to Class Awakening (Level 10) is now cleared of dostic interference.
The silver and violet currents of their mana intertwined briefly before fading into the air. Kai stepped back, sheathing his intentions behind the quiet veil of his Void Shroud. The political pieces of the empire were moving, but they were moving precisely where he needed them to be. The countdown to Level 10 had officially begun.
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