It spread like wildfire.
The moment the assessment ended, the news shattered the walls of the academy and raced across empires.
Seven magic affinities. All weapons mastered. Eight legendary beast bonds. Both godmark and demonmark.
No one in recorded history. Not even the ancestors of the divine bloodlines. No one.
Auron Valor.
The name was whispered in every hallway. Spoken behind every closed door. Painted into every letter sent by magic messengers across kingdoms.
---
By the end of the day, the following had happened:
The King of Solairan personally sent a royal decree to the academy, requesting Auron to be transferred into the Royal Court's Elite Division.
The Demon King of Obsidian Hollow offered a blood pact—a contract that hadn't been proposed in three centuries.
The Head of the Arcane Syndicate dispatched two envoys to monitor him, their presence cloaked in invisibility spells only the principal could perceive.
And a dozen aristocratic daughters were suddenly "interested" in pursuing the Academy's political science course.
---
In the dorms, students whispered like rats in the dark.
"He's not human," one murmured.
"He's going to be the next Eternal Emperor," said another.
"But he's godmarked and demonmarked. That's blasphemy."
Girls giggled in corners.
"Have you seen his eyes? Silver. Cold. Just like snow."
"And he didn't even flinch during the test."
"I'd let him step on me if he asked."
"I heard even Princess Velira tried to talk to him and he ignored her."
"I wish he'd ignore me like that."
---
The instructors argued behind closed doors.
"Should we restrict his access to high-level spells?"
"He's too dangerous."
"We should be teaching him everything. What if the Demon King takes him first?"
"I say we give him everything he wants and pray he doesn't turn on us."
---
Principal Zaerion sat alone in the highest tower of the Academy, staring into a pool of time-threaded water. He watched Auron's every movement unfold like strands of fate.
And in a language long forgotten, he whispered:
"A true breaker of destiny... has arrived."
---
Auron walked silently through the academy's western corridor, indifferent to the storm he'd ignited. The stone walls shimmered with ancient enchantments, murmuring the past.
He didn't care.
He didn't need attention. He didn't crave praise.
In his past life, he'd climbed the mountain of blood and fire only to be betrayed at its peak.
Now, he was climbing again—but slower. Smarter.
This time, he would shatter the peak itself.
---
It happened by the side gardens.
A quiet place where few students went, too small for dueling, too far from the spell arenas.
Auron paused.
Ahead of him, three students stood in a semicircle.
A girl knelt before them, trembling. Her robes were dirtied, her face bruised.
"Say it," one of the boys growled. "Say filth like you shouldn't be here."
The girl's lips trembled.
"I—"
"You're a waste of mana. You shouldn't have been accepted."
One of them raised a hand, glowing with fire.
Auron watched. His silver eyes glinted.
System prompt: "Save the girl. Loyalty protocol will initiate upon threat elimination."
He didn't move forward.
He simply took a single breath—and unleashed a fraction of his presence.
The world seemed to freeze.
The fire died instantly.
The bullies stopped mid-motion.
Then, like puppets cut from strings, all three collapsed to their knees—choking on the sheer weight of his magic.
The sky above them darkened.
The trees shook violently, as if bending in deference.
He walked forward, each step calm.
The bullies' eyes filled with terror as if they were staring into the eyes of a divine judge.
Auron didn't look at them.
He knelt before the girl, who stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.
Her hair was disheveled, her lip bleeding. Her mana core was fractured—born weak, perhaps too weak for the academy's cruelty.
He extended a hand.
"Get up."
She blinked, frozen. "Y-You…"
"I said get up."
Shaking, she placed her hand in his.
When their skin touched, the system flared to life.
Loyalty Protocol Initiated: Individual Name - Selene Avarra. Role - Support Mage. Trait: Empathy. Affinity: Time and Restoration. Status: Trauma-bonded. Loyalty Level: 10%.
Auron let go.
"You'll follow me now."
The girl, Selene, looked up. "Why… why did you help me?"
He didn't answer.
He turned, walking away. She followed like a shadow.
---
That night, across the Academy's six towers, conversations turned dark.
The prince of Solairan, still shaken by his exposure, sat in his private chambers, a golden hawk perched on his shoulder.
"So, this Auron… he eclipsed us all," he muttered.
The hawk screeched softly.
The prince's eyes hardened. "Then we'll see what he does when the real trials begin."
---
In the Moon-Tower, the princess of darkness stood by her mirror, brushing her jet-black hair, the mark of the Demon glowing faintly on her skin.
Her lips curved into a rare smile.
"So he's the one. The storm I've been waiting for."
She turned to her shadow attendant. "Bring me everything on Auron Valor. Every whisper. Every lie. Every truth."
---
Meanwhile, Auron sat alone on the academy's rooftop, legs crossed, staring into the stars that slowly wheeled overhead.
Selene stood a few feet behind, silent. She hadn't left his side since the encounter.
"Why are you really here?" she asked softly.
Auron didn't respond for a while.
Then, in a voice too soft to carry to anyone but her:
"To kill the God of Infinity."
She stiffened. "That's… insane."
"No," he said. "It's inevitable."
He looked at the stars again.
"And I'll do it even if I have to burn every realm, every sky, and every god who stands in my way."
Selene watched him—not with fear.
But awe.
Something had awakened.
---
System prompt: Hidden Quest Unlocked – "Path to Divinity"
Stage One: Claim your first artifact in the Tomb of Forgotten Names.
Reward: Authority over Divine Flame (Sealed).
---
End of Chapter 6