That evening, after a quiet meal in the cafeteria, Ruvian returned to his dormitory, his thoughts already unraveling into careful calculations. With Zian absent, the story's course had shifted. The weight of his absence left a void at the top.
Which meant Ruvian's plans were no longer viable.
For the past two days, he had searched.
He had scoured the enrollment lists, watched the new scholars, traced every whisper of names and rankings, all to confirm what his instincts had already told him.
Zian was nowhere to be found.
Not in Class A, where he was meant to be or in any of the other classes, where fate might have misplaced him. Not a single trace of his existence remained. It was as if he had never set foot in Velthia Academy at all.
"He's really not here."
He did not know why. He did not know what had shifted to erase Zian from this place where he so clearly belonged.
But there was no use dwelling on the unexplained.
What mattered now were the things still within his grasp, the moving pieces that had yet to fall into place. Because if Zian was no longer here to take the role of the protagonist…
Someone else needs to step up.
Even the system had suddenly given him a weird quest.
[Due to the absence of the protagonist…]
[Please suggest a character to replace him, the system will accommodate the flow of the story with your selection]
[You can even volunteer yourself… ( >_<)b ]
'....'
'No. I will not.'
However, Ruvian needed more time to think this thoroughly, so he decided to give his answer later. The deadline is also further away—after the end of 'The Vazrun Isle' arc.
So, he still has a lot of time to think about it.
…
The training hall reeked of scorched steel, dried blood that had never been shed, and the stale, burning tang of raw mana.
The floor was littered with corpses in shape only, their bodies flickering at the edges, sometimes vanishing entirely for the span of a breath before glitching back into place.
They were called Lesser Beasts, but summoned ones, shaped from compressed mana.
An Illusion spell used to train combat mages. Althought they were illusions, the pain they dealt, and the strength they demanded to defeat, were real to the mental.
In the center of that eerie battlefield, Julian Rozenberg stood motionless among the fallen beasts.
Sweat ran in thin rivulets down his back, trailing past bruises that were already starting to purple and a series of shallow cuts tracing his ribs and shoulders.
His shirt was folded neatly behind him on a weapon rack, untouched by ash or effort, while he remained half-naked in the haze, steam curling faintly from his skin.
His body was efficient rather than aesthetic. Compact, honed, and battle-worn. A physique that is born noble, but molded by something sterner than birthright.
Two of the summoned illusions was circling him from opposite ends of the hall, their movements smooth and animalistic, like wolves made of glass and shadow.
Julian did not raise his sword yet.
Then, the first Beast pounced, claws like sickles stretched forward. Julian simply slid to the side, his foot gliding across the stone just far enough to change the angle.
His demonic longsword moved with him, effortlessly swung, carving a vicious upward arc that met the creature mid-air.
Red-black flame surged from the edge like a living thing, coiling up the Beast's body before it had time to react. Its frame disintegrated without a sound, scattered into flickering particles that vanished before they hit the ground.
The second came faster. More cautious. It struck low, jaws aimed for his legs, trying to drag him off-balance.
Julian dropped to one knee in response, not stumbling, but choosing his ground. His free hand moved in a sharp gesture, tracing a short glyph in the air.
Flame burst from his palm and wrapped around the length of his sword. He rose in a smooth pivot and drove the sword forward.
Impaling the second Beast through the skull. The illusion convulsed once before the blade erupted with mana, sending a pulse through the specter's core that shattered it from within.
The light dimmed as the room grew silent.
Julian exhaled, then wiped a line of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and flicked it to the ground. The marble beneath his feet still radiated heat.
"Tch. This won't be enough to make him kneel," he muttered under his breath, not angrily, but with the dry resignation of someone who had expected more from himself.
He slid the sword back into its sheath with a single, efficient motion.
The summoning pillars around him hummed and gleamed. Aetherlines crawled across the walls like veins of blue fire, connecting the illusion array to a control console shaped like a stained-glass altar.
He had just defeated 2 Lesser Beasts… alone.
[Training Simulation Terminated.]
[Evaluation: All Targets Eliminated.]
[Mana Efficiency: 94%. Cooldown Recovery: 87%. Spell Control: Excellent.]
[You have exceeded recommended solo parameters for the first-year scholars]
Julian rolled his neck, ignoring the notifications.
"Just two… Is this really all the illusion array has to offer me?" He turned sharply toward the control altar.
"Restart the sequence," he ordered, voice sharp as drawn steel.
"Add 1 more."
The summoning array hesitated.
A hum trembled across the room, as the illusion field shone back to life.
[Override Acknowledged.]
[Initiating: Custom Training Protocol.]
[Spawn Count: 3 Lesser-Beast Illusions. Threat Variants: Mixed.]
The stone pillars surged with light.
One by one, mana gathered into ghostly forms. Some quadrupedal, others slithering, some shrieking inhuman war cries that echoed like broken horns.
The illusions materialized not as pale copies, but as fully rendered beasts with simulated textures, simulated shadows, and simulated hunger.
All of them turned their hollow gazes to the lone figure standing unarmed at the chamber's center.
Julian's expression remained unchanged. With one smooth motion, he drew the demonic sword once more. It reacted to his grip, a starving predator sensing prey.
Flames burst across its jagged edge.
Then, the beasts growled in unison.
But Julian merely rotated the blade once, letting the firelight dance across his sweat-drenched frame, his silver hair falling across his crimson eyes.
He grinned.
"Come… I'll show you how my name will be carved into The World Record and make no one dare speak of greatness without first thinking of me."
The flames in his heart flared upon the world as he made his vow.
…
The next day, that morning, an unfamiliar sensation settled over Ruvian. His body moved with ease, his thoughts sharp and unclouded. It was not merely the result of restful sleep, but improvement.
Progress.
For the past 16 days, every spare moment had been dedicated to refining his mana control, attuning himself to the flow of his Spellcore and improving his physical attributes.
{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}
◇ Name: Ruvian Castelor
◇ Age: 16
◇ Spellcore: Tier 1
◇ Relevance Tier: Stage I – Footnote of Fate
◇ Plot Points: 2400 (PPs)
◇ Current Arc: Arc 1 – The Prologue
[Mana Resonance: (0/100)]
==[General Attributes]==
Strength: F
Agility: F
Endurance: F+
Vitality: F+
Perception: E-
==[Mage Attributes]==
Mana Control: F+
Casting Speed: F
Magic Power: F-
Mana Sensitivity: E-
Mana Essence: [175/175]
==[Innate Blessings]==
- [N/A]
==[Magic Affinity]==
- [N/A]
After he learned about the system, Ruvian managed to accumulate +2400 Plot Points until now.
He also managed to increase his mana essence to 175 with the help of system's quest. However, it was a bit harder to improve other physical and magic stats.
Only Endurance has increased from F > F+.
The difference was subtle yet undeniable.
With quiet purpose, he moved through his morning routine, the motions effortless. Dressing in his academy uniform, he gathered his materials, shouldered his preparations, and stepped out into the halls of Velthia.
Today was important.
The Elemental Affinitas Evaluation.
By the time Ruvian arrived at Class E, a few scholars were already inside, either chatting amongst themselves or idly waiting.
The room gradually filled over the next few minutes, the usual morning chatter spreading through the air.
Then…
Click!
The door at the front of the classroom swung open, and the conversation died down almost immediately.
Professor Edvoss stepped inside.
Behind him, his assistant struggled to carry a large contraption, carefully placing it at the front of the room. It was a magic device, its polished surface embedded with crystallised circuits. Its function as a tool of magical assessment.
Professor Edvoss gave his assistant a nod of acknowledgment before turning to the class.
"Good. You're all here, then let's get started. As you all know, today's session will be your elemental affinitas evaluation. This invention here is a mana resonance calibrator—a device designed to analyze the unique composition of your mana and determine which elemental attributes are most compatible with you."
A few murmurs rippled through the room as the scholars examined the device with curious eyes. Professor Edvoss ignored them and continued.
"The importance of elemental affinitas should already be obvious. Each spell is inherently tied to a specific element. While it's possible to cast magic outside of your affinitas, the effectiveness will be drastically lower."
"This is why the evaluation is necessary."
He crossed his arms and leaned slightly against his desk.
"Now, let's not waste any more time. We'll begin the evaluation immediately. One by one, you'll come forward and place your hand on the calibrator."
His gaze narrowed toward the first row.
"Let's start with you."