"And so, the ritual of celestial attunement requires you to inscribe three minor seals in perfect symmetry…"
Delacroix droned, his chalk tracing floating diagrams in the air, glowing softly in arcane blue.
I blinked once.
Twice.
Nope. Still didn't get a damn thing.
To be clear—I'm not stupid. Not even close.
But this? This was straight-up magical calculus.
Like someone smashed alchemy, engineering, astronomy, and geometry into one horrifying new subject and handed it to us with a smile.
Seriously, what the hell was "celestial resonance threading through dimensional ley-grid harmonics" supposed to mean?
I squinted at the diagram. It looked like someone had traced a triangle, a spiky sun, and some cursed spaghetti.
The longer I stared at it, the more it looked like it was staring back.
"I thought this body was supposed to be a genius," I muttered under my breath.
"Aren't I supposed to just understand this shit, like the way I understood how to dodge a blade to the throat without thinking?"
{Natural instinct in combat doesn't translate to understanding the mechanics of divine rune-sequencing}
Echo replied with that maddening calm she always had.
{Sorry, Snowflakes.}
"Well then help me out."
Desperate whisper.
I tapped my quill against the desk like it would somehow beat a translation out of the glyphs.
'Just translate whatever he's saying into, I don't know… Earth logic. Or common sense.'
{I could} she said, with that thoughtful pause that always meant trouble, {but if I help you every time, you'll just rely on me to cheat. And that defeats the purpose of learning.}
'…What?'
{Knowledge isn't valuable if it's borrowed endlessly.
I want you to grow beyond dependency.}
I stared at the runes.
Then back at my paper.
Still blank.
"So let me get this straight—" I whispered.
"You could help me… but you won't… because if you help me, you're not helping me?"
{Exactly.}
'…Echo, that's not help. That's emotional damage with extra steps.'
{I believe in your potential.}
'You gave me false hope and then crushed it like an empty can. That's abuse, Echo.
That's actual, Aether-sanctioned gaslighting.'
{Your sarcasm is deflection. Try focusing on the diagram.}
'The diagram is giving me a migraine.'
I gave up. Dropped the quill like it offended me personally and leaned back in my seat, staring at the floating chalkboard like it owed me money.
A few seats over, someone cleared their throat. I ignored it.
Then came a soft voice beside me.
"You're not writing," Glory said quietly, not even turning her head.
I glanced at her. She hadn't missed a single rune, still scribbling in perfect, tiny script.
"Yeah," I muttered. "That's because I have no idea what this man is saying.
I think he's casting a curse every time he opens his mouth."
Glory didn't laugh.
She chuckled. The soft kind—the one you only hear when she's truly amused and not trying to embarrass you.
"Okay," she said simply. "I'll walk you through it after class."
And just like that, my lungs unclenched a little.
Around me, everyone else was hyper-focused.
Justin Bridge was scribbling with that knightly determination, eyes darting between symbols and his notes like he was planning to slay the diagram.
Thalia Renwild looked calm and poised, her page already halfway filled.
To my left, I spotted Selene Vaelthorn, eyes half-lidded but still taking notes with elegant strokes.
Probably pretending to be bored while writing things more advanced than what Delacroix was saying.
And then—
Cassia.
I blinked.
Cassia Virelle Duskmoor was actually taking notes.
No blood. No threats. No maniacal laughter.
Just… focused.
She even bit her lip in concentration, hair tied up, black-gloved hand moving across the page in fast, looping motions.
It was honestly terrifying.
I leaned back again and whispered, "I thought this girl only knew how to cackle and cause trauma.
What the hell is she doing being good at class?"
{Prodigies are often gifted in more than one aspect, Snowflakes} Echo replied smugly.
{Just because she's unhinged doesn't mean she's underperforming.}
'So being dangerously intelligent is part of the package now?:
{Correct.}
I groaned.
This was going to be a long semester.
After what felt like two lifetimes trapped in a lecture built by sadistic gods and powered by the tears of confused students, class was finally over.
The floating chalkboard vanished with a hiss of blue light, and Professor Delacroix, in all his ageless elf-y composure, turned to us with a serene smile.
"You'll each submit a practical rendering of your minor celestial seals before week's end.
Points will be awarded based on precision and resonance balance.
Those who fail risk temporary disintegration. Figuratively, of course."
I didn't catch most of it. The moment I sensed freedom, my soul had already begun slipping out of my body in search of caffeine and air that didn't reek of magic formulas.
My eyes darted to the back of the room—Cassia's seat was empty.
Shit.
Panic hit me like a spellblast. I grabbed my bag, turned to Glory.
"Meet you at the cafeteria."
She blinked. "Wait, Eden, let's just—"
"Can't. Gotta escape. I mean—go ahead. I'll be there in five."
Before she could respond, I was halfway to the door.
Not running, but definitely evading.
{You know, for someone classless, you've mastered the art of tactical retreats}
Echo said dryly in my head.
'It's not cowardice. It's Cassia avoidance. Very different skill tree.'
I stepped out into the hallway just as the classroom door hissed shut behind me.
{Snowflakes} Echo piped up again, voice a little too cheerful.
{When does the kidnapping event happen again?}
"Around lunch time," I muttered, glancing at the clock on my smartwatch.
'While everyone's crowding the cafeteria. It's textbook misdirection.'
{And the explosion?}
'North courtyard,' I replied.
'Storage wing near the old summoning amphitheater.
They use it to create chaos and also a distraction.'
A pause.
'Don't worry. Nobody dies.'
{That's good—}
'Well, one guy loses a limb. Arm, I think. Or a leg? It was a leg.'
{Oh.}
I shrugged. 'He lived. That's what counts. Mostly.'
{You're disturbingly calm about that.}
'This is the world of Eternal Realms.
Losing a limb is like misplacing your pen here.
Happens every other week.'
I'd just rounded the bend toward the courtyard exit, about to make a clean escape, when—
"BABY BOY~!"
No.
No no no.
I looked up.
And there she was.
Cassia Virelle Duskmoor, the chaos goblin herself, was waving at me from outside, a radiant grin stretched across her face like she just found out blood was back on the menu.
She wasn't wearing the jacket of her uniform properly—just draped over her shoulders like some smug vampire CEO—with the crimson lining catching the wind as she stood near the ivy-covered columns.
Her platinum-blonde hair danced in the light, and her violet eyes locked on me like I owed her something.
Spoiler alert: I probably did.
"Oh come on! How the hell did she get here so fast?!" I hissed under my breath.
{She's a vampire, Snowflakes} Echo reminded me, tone flat.
{They're very fast.}
'Fast I can handle. This is teleportation-level nonsense.'
Cassia skipped closer, and I swear birds flew away from nearby trees like they sensed a storm coming.
"Baby Boy!" she chimed, waving like we were lovers reunited at the end of a tragic war.
"I was waiting! Why didn't you say goodbye?
It's so rude to vanish on a girl who's been so helpful."
Helpful?
What part of our entire existence together did that word even apply to?
I plastered on the weakest smile known to man.
"Cassia. Wow. You're… outside."
"Yes," she beamed.
"Felt the urge to stretch my legs. And stalk you a little."
I blinked. "You mean find me."
"Oh, sweetie." Her fangs flashed.
"If I meant find, I'd already be behind you whispering in your ear, Baby Boy."
I tensed.
She smirked. "Relax. Not yet."
{She's teasing you} Echo whispered like she wasn't sure if she should be amused or calling security.
"Cassia, I—uh—have somewhere to be."
"Oh, perfect! I do too." She looped her arm around mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"We can go together. Besides…" She leaned in, voice dangerously sweet.
"You still owe me a favor, Baby Boy. Don't think I've forgotten."
I sighed.
Cassia tugged me toward the cafeteria path. I followed—half-willing, half-praying someone would call me back for another lecture.
No one did.
Of course they didn't.
I was about to resign myself to whatever fresh hell she had planned—
and then I heard it.
BOOM.
No, felt it. A heavy, concussive thud that rattled the very air.
A blast that echoed across the academy grounds like some ancient beast exhaling its fury.
My head snapped up.
The sound came from the north courtyard.
{Explosion detected} Echo stated coolly.
{Judging by trajectory and echo density, that was approximately thirty-five meters west of the old summoning amphitheater.}
"No shit," I muttered.
'And here I thought I might get a normal lunch.'
Around us, students froze mid-step.
No panic.
Just… confusion.
A group of fairy girls near the fountain paused, blinking as if someone had just sneezed too loudly.
A tall Wulfgarn guy eating a meat stick looked up, squinted at the smoke rising in the distance, then casually took another bite.
Someone actually muttered, "Again?"
It was like the collective student body couldn't decide whether to panic or chalk it up to another Tuesday.
Some began drifting toward the direction of the sound—curiosity pulling them like moths to a flaming disaster.
Others shrugged and went back to their scrolls, floating runes, and whatever overpriced caffeine potion they were sipping.
A couple even bet coins on what kind of explosion it was.
"Summoning mishap."
"Nah, probably a first-year duel gone wrong."
"Ten aether coins says it's the alchemy wing again."
The air was buzzing—but not with fear.
Just vague curiosity, mixed with a healthy dose of magical apathy.
And the professors?
Cooler than iced spiritshade.
A tall, fox-eared lecturer in a navy trench coat barely lifted his gaze from the crystal tablet he was reading.
Another professor with glowing green eyes tapped his smartwatch once, nodded, and walked in the explosion's direction like he was going to pick up coffee—not investigate an act of indoor terrorism.
No one screamed. No one ran.
This was Silver Mist Academy, after all.
Where a casual explosion was just part of the weekly schedule.
{That was it} Echo chimed in.
{The signal for the kidnapping event. It's happening.}
'I know.'
'It's just… damn. That came faster than in the game.:
Cassia?
She smiled.
And not the kind of normal, human smile. No, she looked thrilled.
Eyes wide. Fangs out. Excitement bubbling under her skin like a child hearing the first firework on festival night.
"Mmm~" she purred, her voice practically dancing.
"That sounds fun."
I blinked at her.
"Fun?"
"Yeah!" She grabbed my sleeve.
"Come on, Baby Boy, let's go see what blew up!"
"Of all the things to call this—'fun'—was what came to mind?"
I deadpanned.
"People might be hurt. Or dead.
You don't explore explosions like they're amusement park rides."
She grinned, unbothered.
"That's because you don't know how to live."
{She might be right} Echo whispered unhelpfully.
{Statistically speaking, explosions are 42% more interesting than lectures.}
Before I could even finish glaring at her—
I was already there.
Smoke was curling from a freshly blasted stone wall.
Students were cautiously approaching from multiple sides, peeking around pillars and corners.
Lecturers had begun to create a perimeter, murmuring barrier incantations under their breath, but they still weren't running.
Smoke curled from a partially scorched stone wall, and a massive crater now scarred the courtyard just a few meters away from the northern supply shed.
Debris scattered across the grass. Something was burning, crackling softly under the filtered sunlight.
Someone shouted, "Medic!"
Another voice yelled, "He's bleeding!"
A third: "WHERE IS HIS LEG?!"
Oh. Found the guy who lost the limb.
He was crying. Loudly.
Poor dude.
One minute he's walking to lunch.
The next he's legless, and a vampire girl is humming beside him like she's at a concert.
"Told you someone loses a limb," I mumbled to Echo.
{And you shrugged it off} she replied dryly.
'Still not my business,' I said, backing up.
{A girl is about to be assassinated. That is your business.}
I blinked.
Wait a minute...
'How the hell did we get here so fast?'
{She's a vampire, Snowflakes} Echo said again.
{Speed is part of the kit.}
'No. This wasn't 'speed.' This was—this was frame skipping. That's a cutscene warp.'
Cassia leaned beside me, violet eyes wide with joy.
"Ooooh~ that was awesome. Did you see the backpack flip?"
I didn't even answer. My brain was still rebooting.
And then, the quest window popped again.
---
📜 Quest Reminder:
Main Story Event: Protect the Heroine
A key female lead is about to be Assassinated.
Location: North Courtyard Storage Sector
Objective: Prevent the abduction before it occurs.
❗ Penalty for failure: ???
❗ Time limit: 02:34 minutes remaining
[ Accept ] [ Decline ]
---
I smacked [Decline] so hard it was disrespectful.
{You declined again.}
'I'm not messing with this story. Let fate do its thing.'
'Let Justin earn his protagonist points.'
{You're right though, deviation from the original storyline can cause ripple effects—}
'Yes, Echo. It's called the
Butterfly Effect.'
'And in every novel I've read, that butterfly usually turns into a dragon and eats the MC by book three.'
I crossed my arms.
'Not today. Let the plot run its course.
I'm not here to be a hero. I'm here to survive.'
Cassia, meanwhile, clapped her hands once, delighted by the chaos.
"Did you see that man fly through the air?! That was amazing.
I think his shoe is still spinning."
I turned to her.
"Cassia. You're standing three feet from a human jigsaw puzzle and smiling."
She beamed. "Not my fault he has bad reflexes."
{I like her} Echo whispered, unhelpfully.
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
This school was going to kill me.
Probably soon.
The smoke had mostly cleared out now, thanks to a wind mage who looked more bored than helpful.
A few third-year healers were already tending to the unlucky students caught in the blast—patching bruises, restoring limbs, and offering tissues like this was some regular Tuesday morning procedure.
And in Silver Mist, it probably was.
No sign of the intruders, though.
No blood trail. No masked menace. No obvious villain holding a "Kidnapper Here" sign.
Because they were already gone.
I knew this part.
The explosion was just a distraction.
A diversion.
The actual kidnapping had already happened.
{Snowflakes} Echo said suddenly, sharp. {Up there.}
Someone shouted it before I could even react.
"UP THERE!!"
Heads turned.
Voices gasped.
And then—
There they were.
Silhouetted against the late-morning sun.
Dressed in black cloaks that fluttered like feathers.
Their faces were masked, eyes glinting like wolves in moonlight. Sleek, silent, armed—ninjas. Fucking ninjas.
And one of them?
One of them had a girl slung over his shoulder like she was a rolled-up tapestry.
"Well," I muttered, "I have to admit... that's a little cool."
The ninja squad darted across the rooftops, leaping from spires like crows on caffeine.
The kidnapped girl's blonde hair flailed behind her as she dangled like a sack of potatoes that had just failed gym class.
Some students around me actually cheered.
"I bet this is a practical test!"
"Should we be helping!?"
"Nah, I'm betting on them escaping."
{Why are they running toward the school gate?}
{Even if they make it, the wards on the front perimeter will fry any unauthorized teleportation.
That escape route is highly inefficient.}
'They're not escaping through the gate.'
{Then why run that way?}
"Because that part of the school is outside the range of the suppression field," I said, voice dull with familiarity.
'There's a dimensional anchor around the academy's core. Pocket portals can't open unless they're far enough out.'
{So they're running to a less-secure zone?}
'Yup.'
{And they know this because...?}
'Because there are moles in the academy.'
{Multiple moles?}
'Plural. Yeah.'
Echo went silent for a second.
Then said:
{Whoever wrote the Eternal Realms game script is clinically insane}
'Right?!' I threw my arms up.
'Kidnapping students, pocket dimensions, traitors in the staff—this is still Arc One! I haven't even survived it yet!"
The crowd had already begun to shift. Fourth-years and third-years started organizing like clockwork.
You could tell by the matching cloaks and weaponry—they moved like they'd trained for exactly this.
A professor in a white combat coat lifted a comm-rune crystal to his mouth.
"Fourth-tier containment squads, follow the intruders! Don't engage until they're outside the suppression perimeter."
Another lecturer, a woman with short silver hair and four scars down her left cheek, stepped forward.
"Support teams with me! Shield any students caught in the crossfire!"
Spells flared. Boots thudded. Students either stepped back or scrambled to follow the action.
"Move! Now!"
Mages were already vaulting over rails. A sword-user vanished with a shimmer.
One winged student kicked off the stone steps and launched into the air like a bird of prey.
And then—far ahead, slicing between two dorm towers—
I saw him.
Blonde hair glowing like polished sunlight.
A figure surging forward in streaks of gold and violet.
His aura burned hot and noble like a rising sun.
Each stride looked more like a divine march than a run.
Justin Bridge.
"Finally," I muttered. "The hero's here."