The echo of battle had barely faded when the survivors were summoned. One by one, the remaining contenders appeared in a majestic, coliseum-like hall. Towering walls of ancient runes glowed with serene light. The arena felt alive, watching, judging.
Lucien stood among them—calm, composed, unbothered by the hushed murmurs that followed him.
"That's him... Rank 1." "He humiliated Ignis..." "He's the Arkanveil heir? Doesn't act like it."
Lucien didn't pay them any mind. He was studying the structure, noting the spell arrays laced into the stone, the air density, the mana flows. Every detail mattered. Every inch of advantage was to be exploited.
Then, light.
A platform descended from the skies above, floating with sacred gravitas. Upon it stood a figure bathed in golden energy. The Dean of Nalanda Academy.
A hush blanketed the crowd. Even the air stilled.
The Dean, robes flowing like starlight, spoke only once:
> "The path ahead is yours to forge. Nalanda does not shape heroes—it tempers them."
No cheers followed. Only silence and understanding.
Then the light shimmered. Above every student's head appeared a glowing hologram:
> Trial Rank: 1 – Lucien Arkanveil
And so on, down the line.
One thousand remained. From over ninety thousand applicants.
The rest? Already gone. Some sent home, some guided elsewhere, others too broken to walk.
Class Division:
A bell tolled in the air.
A magical scroll unfurled in the sky, radiant with mana, listing the class divisions:
S-Class (Rank 1–30) – Sovereign Class
A-Class (Rank 31–100) – Elite Class
B-Class (Rank 101–250)
C-Class (Rank 251–400)
D-Class (Rank 401–600)
E-Class (Rank 601–800)
F-Class (Rank 801–1000)
The crowd rippled with murmurs. Several high-ranking heirs exhaled in relief or groaned in fury at their position.
Some stared at Lucien like prey. Others, like a puzzle. One or two... like a throne to steal.
Lucien yawned.
Then came the dorm assignments.
Dorm Assignments:
Projected maps appeared in the air. Dorms floated in rings around the main academy island. The higher your class, the closer to the central spire you lived.
S-Class: Private mansions, artifact-enhanced grounds, exclusive mentors.
A-Class and B-Class: Twin villa compounds, shared resources, limited access to high-grade cultivation zones.
C-Class and below: Basic dorms. Clean, functional... and completely average.
Lucien's name gleamed at the top.
> Lucien Arkanveil – Rank 1 – S-Class Sovereign Dorm – Sky Mansion "Solstice Crown"
A floating mansion above even the S-Class ring. Hidden formations cloaked it from view, but not from legend. It was said the mansion once belonged to the Academy's founder.
A shimmering teleport gate opened. Lucien stepped through.
What awaited him was... luxury refined by arcane brilliance.
White-marble floors laced with gold-etched runes. An observatory dome that shifted with thought. A courtyard of silvergrass and floating lanterns.
A private training ground that adapted to his level.
A miniature library with sealed books too ancient for common students.
Even a mana spring infused with elemental cores.
Lucien walked into his courtyard, sat under the twin moons... and breathed.
For the first time in weeks, peace.
But peace never lasted.
His body trembled—not with fatigue, but with inspiration.
The battles. The blade arts. The fight with Ignis.
All of it surged in his veins like wildfire.
He sat cross-legged on the grass.
> Let's evolve.
His mind plunged into meditation.
Memories replayed. The dance of shadows with Liana. The brutal counterplay against Ignis. Every swing, block, flicker of footwork. Replayed. Refined.
> System Interface: Opening Proficiency Panel...
[Proficiency Panel]
Phantom Blade Arts – Lv 10 – Mastery Unlocked – Evolving...
Shadow Phantom Steps – Lv 9 (4321/5000)
Shadow Binding – Lv 6 (3100/3500)
Spatial Awareness – Lv 7 (2932/3000)
Swordsmanship – Lv 10 – Mastery Reached – Evolving...
Combat Instinct – Lv 8 (4999/5000)
[Trait Synchronization] Iksha-Astra (Mode: Adaptive Weapon)
Sync Level: 34% → 38% → 42%
[Core Rank: C] → [Breakthrough Initiated]
[Core Rank: C-] Achieved! Level 31]
[Mana Capacity: +1800] [Body Reinforcement: +19%] [Perception: Enhanced]
Lucien opened his eyes.
The moonlight bent around him. Shadows rippled unnaturally.
He flexed his fingers. His blade appeared in his hand—lighter, sharper, responsive.
He vanished and reappeared ten meters away in an instant.
> Breakthrough complete.
He was stronger now. Not just by numbers.
By understanding.
By will.
By dominance.
A knock echoed at his front gate.
He didn't rise.
A servant's voice followed. "Sir Lucien, the orientation banquet begins in thirty minutes."
He sighed.
> "Another party. Another stage."
But this time...
Everyone would know who sat on top.