A piercing morning breeze swept through the courtyard of Asgard Academy. The fog had yet to completely lift from the condensing grass, and the sound of metal clanking from the training grounds could be heard faintly in the distance.
Verchiel stood in front of the main administration building. His eyes narrowed at the royal symbol carved above the door: two eagles back to back, each holding a scroll and a sword.
"The elite behind the curtain," he murmured, then pushed open the door.
Today was no ordinary day. He was summoned directly by the Academic Council—a council that rarely appeared except for vital matters. In the original script, only two characters were ever summoned by them before their third year.
Verchiel didn't write this.
Inside a dark room with a round table and walls covered in magical symbols, nine silhouettes sat staring at him.
"Verchiel Schwarz. Level 6. It's only been three weeks since you entered. But you've already caused so many... ripples."
An old man in purple robes spoke. His voice was soft yet carried a mental pressure that would make a normal student's knees tremble.
Verchiel stood still.
"You don't want to know why you were summoned?"
"My guess is, you're afraid."
"Afraid?"
"Because the system set off an alarm. I wasn't part of your plan."
A silence fell over the room.
"Who wrote this system?" Verchiel asked, his tone sharp.
"Not us," replied a voice from the shadows. "We're just guarding it. The system doesn't belong to anyone. It chooses, and now... it's chosen you."
Verchiel narrowed his eyes.
"And that means...?"
"That means... someone will be hunting you."
When he returned from the room, Aetheria was waiting for him on the balcony of the observatory tower.
"You were summoned by them."
"Yes. They think I'm some kind of glitch."
Aetheria didn't look surprised. She twirled her hair and said, "They spy on all system users. But only a few can penetrate the depth protocols. You're... different."
Verchiel glanced at the girl, considering.
"You know more than you say."
"And you're hiding a lot. But that's okay. This world has more secrets than I can fathom."
There was a moment of silence. Verchiel's gray eyes stared coldly at him.
"So? What's your plan?"
Aetheria didn't answer. But something inside her began to unravel: a strange aura, a faint glow that blended with the air.
[Main Character - Aetheria Arvane: Advanced System Authorization] [Memory Linkage: 12% Synchronization with 'Original Lore']
Verchiel felt something in his system begin to beat rapidly.
"You're not just a wild NPC. You're... one with the system core."
That night, a system alert sounded.
[Inversion Gate Opens in the East District of the Academy] [Class C to B Monsters Will Appear in 30 Minutes]
Verchiel ran alongside the elite students. This time, he wasn't a trainee, but part of the academy's defense.
When the gate opened, the air felt like it was being pulled into another dimension. From behind a floating black rift, a lizard-like creature with crystal spikes on its back emerged.
[Name: Shardscale Ravager] [Level: 18] [Type: Beast / Crystal Hybrid]
Verchiel drew his scythe. This time, he wasn't just fighting for survival—he was fighting to understand more deeply what had allowed his skills to improve.
He charged at the creature at high speed. Several students retreated, unable to withstand the pressure of the Ravager's mana.
His attacks were initially mental. But he continued to read the creature's movements, analyzing the pulse of mana around its body.
[Skill: Writer's Instinct has increased understanding of the enemy's fighting style.]
Several slashes later, Verchiel received a wound to the side of his abdomen. But he smiled—because the attack was painful enough to trigger his body's limits.
[Skill: Scythe Mastery shows response to extreme pressure. Progress to the next level is recorded.]
With a twist of his body, he leaped, his scythe spinning like a dark vortex. The Ravager's head was sent flying.
Crystal blood rained down on the arena.
[Level Up → 7]
---
A few hours later, in the quiet medical room, Verchiel and Aetheria met again.
"You realize you can't level up haphazardly. There has to be a fight that nearly kills you."
"I know. That's why I'm looking for a big opponent."
"That will kill you quickly. You have to level up. You're only level 7 now."
"I know the limits. But this system also has loopholes."
Aetheria seemed hesitant. But finally, she said, "There's one place. It's forbidden to enter. But it's full of dangerous monsters. I'll take you there."
"Why?"
"Because... I want to know what you'll do once you learn the secret of this world."
Aetheria activated the symbol on her wrist. The door to the underground staircase opened. They stepped through room after room, growing darker and colder.
"This used to be a place for sealing artificial monsters. A failed project. But... now they roam."
Verchiel smiled coldly.
"Fitting. Failed monsters make for failed writers."
---
[Verchiel Schwarz Stats - End of Chapter 6]
Level: 7
HP: 162
MP: 95
STR: 13
AGI: 16
INT: 17
VIT: 14
[Active Skill]
Awareness D
Writer's Instinct C
Scythe Mastery C (Progressing towards B)
[Passive Skill]
Battle Insight (Initial)
[Special Stats]
Privilege EXP x3
Initial Bond: Aetheria Arvane