The academy corridors stretched endlessly like a palace carved from white stone and floating crystal.
Mana lights hovered above every hallway, gently pulsing like living stars.
Kael walked forward without hesitation.
Behind him, whispers followed like shadows.
“Unknown classification…”
“Is he even a mage?”
“I felt sothing strange from that crystal…”
Lyra walked beside him quietly.
She glanced at Kael once.
“You’re attracting attention.”
Kael replied calmly.
“…I noticed.”
“That’s not normal here.”
“I know.”
That was the end of the conversation.
Lyra studied him for a mont longer, then sighed.
“You really are strange.”
Kael didn’t respond.
Instead, his eyes moved across the academy environnt.
Everything here was structured.
Controlled.
Ranked.
Even the air felt categorized.
Then—
The system flickered.
====================
New Quest Issued
Objective: Gather Information About Academy Ranking System
Progress: 0%
Reward: Shadow Insight Upgrade
====================
Kael exhaled slowly.
“…So this is how it works.”
Lyra tilted her head.
“What?”
Kael answered quietly.
“The system doesn’t just want to fight.”
“It wants to understand first.”
Lyra frowned slightly.
“That’s… unusual thinking.”
Kael looked ahead.
“It’s efficient thinking.”
They reached a large open training courtyard.
Students stood in groups, each surrounded by different levels of mana pressure.
Lyra pointed subtly.
“See those divisions?”
Kael followed her gaze.
Three large stone platforms stood in the center of the courtyard.
Above each platform floated glowing inscriptions.
Outer DivisionInner DivisionElite Division
Lyra continued.
“Academy ranking is simple.”
“Your mana stage determines your division.”
Kael observed silently.
Lyra pointed to the first group.
“Common Mage students start in Outer Division.”
“They rely on ditation manuals and basic training.”
Kael nodded slightly.
That matched what he expected.
Lyra pointed again.
“Rare Mages enter Inner Division.”
“They start learning combat techniques, beast hunting, and artifact handling.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“…Artifacts.”
Lyra nodded.
“Yes.”
“That’s where real power begins.”
Kael’s system flickered slightly.
====================
Information Registered
Mana Stone Economy Detected
Artifact System Analysis Pending
====================
Lyra continued.
“Legendary and Mystical Mages enter Elite Division.”
“They’re treated like future nobles.”
Kael spoke quietly.
“And Divine?”
Lyra paused.
A rare hesitation.
“…We don’t talk about Divine Mages often.”
Kael looked at her.
“Why?”
Lyra lowered her voice slightly.
“Because there are barely any.”
“And those who exist…”
“…don’t stay human for long.”
A silence passed.
Kael processed the information.
So power had a ceiling.
And above that ceiling…
Sothing changed.
Lyra suddenly changed topic.
“You need to understand mana stones too.”
Kael turned slightly.
“Currency.”
“Yes.”
She raised a small pouch.
Inside, faint glowing stones clinked softly.
“Mana stones are dropped from magical beasts.”
“Used for everything—training, manuals, artifacts, even contracts.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Lyra continued.
“Three main grades are common in circulation.”
“Common, Rare, and Legendary.”
Kael morized everything instantly.
The system responded.
====================
Information Quest Progress: 15%
New Data Recorded: Mana Stone Economy Structure
====================
Kael looked at the stones.
“…So strength is literally currency.”
Lyra nodded.
“In this world, yes.”
Before Kael could respond, a voice interrupted.
“Hey.”
A group of students approached.
Three of them.
All wearing Inner Division insignia.
Their leader looked at Kael with clear disdain.
“So you’re the ‘unknown classification’ freak.”
Lyra stepped slightly in front of Kael.
“Don’t start trouble.”
The student smirked.
“Relax, I’m just curious.”
He looked Kael up and down.
“No mana signature. No known rank.”
“But sohow you triggered the crystal.”
Another student laughed.
“Maybe it’s broken.”
Kael said nothing.
But the shadows under his feet shifted slightly.
The leader noticed.
“Oh?”
He stepped closer.
“You feel that? That weird pressure?”
Kael finally spoke.
“…Move.”
The student blinked.
Then laughed.
“Or what?”
Kael looked at him calmly.
“…You don’t want to find out.”
A brief silence.
Then the student’s expression hardened.
“Inner Division isn’t impressed by empty words.”
He raised his hand slightly.
Mana gathered.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed.
“Stop—”
But it was too late.
The student attacked.
A burst of wind mana shot forward.
Kael didn’t dodge.
He didn’t block.
He simply stepped sideways.
Shadow Step.
WHOOSH.
The attack missed completely.
The student’s eyes widened.
“What—?”
Kael reappeared beside him.
Quiet.
Calm.
Too close.
The shadows around Kael condensed slightly.
Not fully activated.
Just… responding.
Kael leaned slightly forward.
“…You wasted mana.”
The student flinched.
Then anger rose instantly.
“Don’t—”
Kael spoke again.
Softly.
“…Next ti, don’t aim at what you can’t see properly.”
Then he walked past him.
No strike.
No violence.
Just dominance without effort.
The student stood frozen.
Lyra exhaled slowly.
“…You’re going to cause problems here.”
Kael replied without turning.
“I already did.”
Far away—
Inside the academy tower.
An elder watched through a crystal screen.
“…Shadow-type reaction.”
Another spoke.
“Shall we intervene?”
The head elder shook his head slowly.
“No.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Let him grow.”
Then added quietly:
“And watch who tries to kill him first.”
Because in the Central Academy…
Geniuses didn’t rise peacefully.
They survived.
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