The classroom door slamd open with a bang that made three students jump in their seats. Twenty heads snapped toward as I strode in, my shadow stretching unnaturally long across the floorboards.
[System: Dramatic entrance check: Success!]
The usual suspects were all there:
Liora and Noora imdiately started whispering behind their hands, their smirks sharp enough to flay skin.
Rin was holding court with his usual sycophants, barely glancing my way before dismissing like yesterday’s trash.
Nyx’s crimson eyes locked onto like a predator spotting wounded prey, her lips curling in amusent.
Cecilia pointedly turned her head away, frost creeping across her desk in clear dismissal.
Eren was too busy glaring daggers at Sasha Whitehall - daughter of the Whitehound Knight Commander - to notice enter. Interesting.
Seraphina sat primly in the front row, flanked by her entourage of elf and half-elf nobles who all looked at like I was sothing they’d scraped off their boots.
Three empty seats waited:
Beside Nyx - basically volunteering for poison in my coffee
Next to Cecilia - guaranteed frostbite in uncomfortable places
Adjacent to Sasha - the only survivable option
I slid into the chair beside the knight’s daughter. "This seat taken?"
She flinched like I’d pulled a dagger. "N-No... Lord Crimson."
Before I could enjoy her discomfort, the air crackled with ozone.
The Headmaster’s Welco
Evelyn materialized at the lectern in a flash of lightning, her silver braids coiled tight as whipcord.
"Well well," she purred, her violet eyes locking onto mine. "Our esteed Rank One has graced us with his presence for the... let check..." She made a show of consulting a scroll. "Third ti this sester. Though I hear he’s made a solemn vow to attend every class until finals."
Her smile turned razor-sharp.
"And if he fails?" She mid waving goodbye. "Poof. No more academy."
That absolute bitch.
[System: Checkmate.]
Mana Shield Lesson
The lesson on Tier-3 Mana Shield formulas should have been interesting. Key word: should.
As Evelyn droned on about "nodal resonance frequencies" and "inverse mana vectors," my attention wandered to:
The elf contingent’s constant glaring (their ears actually twitched when angry - hilarious)
Sasha’s white-knuckled grip on her quill (did she think I’d bite her?)
The growing urge to test if shadow magic could make soone’s hair fall out
Then it happened.
One of Seraphina’s lackeys - a particularly pointy-eared bastard nad Lirien - made a show of whispering sothing while staring straight at . The words "disgrace" and "filthy human" carried just fine.
My fingers twitched. One Shadow Bind around his throat. Just one. Who would even—
[mory Fragnt Activated]
Mother’s voice, soft but firm: "No discrimination, Ashen. No violence based on race. Every life is precious in God’s eyes."
I exhaled sharply through my nose and flipped open a fresh notebook. With deliberate strokes, I wrote:
"Mother’s Rules:
1. No discrimination
2. All races equal
3. God loves everyone
4. Even arrogant elf bastards
5. Be a good boy
6. Don’t murder classmates
7. I love you, Mom"
[System: ...Are we having a moral crisis?]
Fuck off.
Around , quills scratched parchnt as students copied formulas. I stared at my notebook, at the words that felt like chains around my instincts.
Then, very deliberately, I drew:
A crude stick-figure elf
A shadow spear through its chest
A smiley face
Balance.
The Headmaster’s Eye
As class ended, Evelyn’s voice cut through the noise: "Crimson. A word."
She waited until the room emptied before speaking. "Interesting notes you took."
I didn’t bother asking how she knew. "Philosophy lesson."
Her gaze dropped to my doodle. "And this?"
"Advanced art theory."
For the first ti, sothing like genuine amusent flickered in her eyes. "Just rember - no dismbering classmates before finals."
"Even the elves?"
"Especially the elves." She vanished in a crackle of lightning.
[System: I think she likes you.]
Unfortunately.
The classroom emptied like rats fleeing a sinking ship. I turned to Sasha, who was gathering her books with trembling hands.
"Why’s everyone scattering?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
She blinked up at , her brown eyes wide. "It’s... elective week, Lord Crimson. We’re free to choose our classes for the next four days before submitting applications."
Shit. Ashen’s fragnted mories surfaced—he’d signed up for Physical Combat Training, a glorified brawling session that Rin and Eren dominated. No fucking way was I stepping into that pit.
"And you?" I asked, leaning against her desk.
"R-Research thodology," she stamred.
A slow grin spread across my face. Perfect. "Lead the way, my lady."
[System: Since when do you do research?]
Since never. But it beats getting punched.
The Research Class Farce
The research hall slled of dust and desperation. I lingered at the doorway, scanning the room—until I spotted Aurelia hunched over a stack of ancient tos, her golden hair tied in a ssy bun.
I backed out before she could notice .
[System: Coward.]
Tactical retreat. I adjusted my collar. "Actually, I should focus on my weaknesses. Like... not dying."
I wandered the halls, weighing options:
Alchemy - Too many explosions
Ancient Runes - Too much reading
Beast Taming - Too much fur
Then—
"Crimson."
Evelyn materialized from a crackle of lightning, her silver braids coiled tight. "You’re wasting ti."
I opened my mouth to protest—
"Special training. Lightning resistance. Now."
She grabbed my wrist, and the world dissolved into blue-white agony.
The Lightning Crucible
We reappeared in a cavernous training hall, the air thick with ozone. Towering mana batteries lined the walls, their surfaces crawling with captured storms.
Evelyn released . "You survived thirty minutes at 20% output. Today, we try 40%."
I wiped blood from my nose. "What if I say no?"
She smiled. "Then I revoke your dorm privileges. You can room with Rin."
[System: She’s diabolical.]
Lightning gathered in her palm. "Begin."
The first bolt hit like a runaway carriage. My bones vibrated. My teeth sang. My shadow scread.
[Lightning Resistance: B → B ]
Evelyn’s eyes glead. "Again."
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l
Reviews
All reviews (0)