Chapter 13: The Arcane Crucible

Lucian slowed as he passed beneath the enormous iron gates of the Arcadia Grand Academy of Mysticism.

For the first time in his life, he found himself standing inside an academy.

He had never attended one.

He had never sat through a lecture, followed an instructor's orders, joined a class, or taken an examination alongside other students. Most of what he knew about academies had come from books, reports, and the experiences of others.

Seeing one in person was... different.

His eyes moved across the sprawling grounds.

Floating crystal lanterns drifted above the pathways, casting soft colors across the polished marble. Towers rose into the sky, connected by suspended bridges of enchanted glass. Students moved in every direction, some carrying books beneath their arms, others discussing spells while faint sparks danced between their fingers.

Lucian stopped for half a second.

So this is how an academy actually works.

He watched a group of students enter through another corridor.

They were immediately separated by several instructors, each directing them toward different halls.

Lucian frowned slightly.

Are they divided according to rank? Affinity? Age?

He had no idea.

He continued walking.

The further he went, the more unfamiliar things he noticed.

Mana flowed through channels beneath the academy like an enormous network of veins. It wasn't merely present in the building—it was being deliberately circulated.

The entire academy is part of a magic formation.

His eyes narrowed.

The formation wasn't simple.

Hundreds of smaller formations were connected to it, each performing a different function. Some stabilized the mana within the building. Others seemed to regulate temperature, reinforce the walls, or conceal certain areas from perception.

Whoever designed this understood large-scale magical architecture.

Lucian's senses expanded.

His perception had reached a level where ordinary barriers could no longer hide much from him. Through the walls, he could hear fragments of conversations and the faint sound of spells being cast.

A burst of flame erupted somewhere several corridors away.

Another student was practicing an illusion spell, creating what appeared to be dozens of glass birds flying through the air.

Further still, he detected the rhythmic pulse of a defensive formation.

Lucian's expression remained calm.

But internally, he was curious.

So this is where they teach magic.

He almost smiled.

There was something strangely refreshing about experiencing something he had only ever heard about.

Then he entered the Grand Hall.

And immediately—

He stopped.

Something changed.

Lucian's senses reacted before his mind could understand why.

At the far end of the enormous chamber stood a woman dressed in deep violet robes.

Silver hair fell over her shoulders, woven with thin strands of golden magic that seemed to move of their own accord.

She hadn't done anything.

She simply stood there.

Yet Lucian could feel her presence.

Not as raw pressure.

Not as overwhelming mana.

It was something else.

His eyes narrowed.

What is this?

He quietly activated his heightened perception.

Mana appeared around the woman.

Then disappeared.

He tried again.

The result was the same.

Her power wasn't behaving like ordinary mana.

It wasn't flowing outward.

It wasn't being suppressed.

It was as though the surrounding space itself had accepted her existence and adjusted around her.

Lucian's expression became slightly more serious.

Interesting.

He had encountered powerful beings before.

This was different.

The woman raised one hand.

She snapped her fingers.

Snap.

Every conversation in the hall vanished.

Lucian's eyes sharpened.

The students were still moving their mouths.

Some were even shouting.

But no sound reached him.

Not silence.

Something far stranger.

The sound itself had been removed.

Lucian looked around.

She didn't silence the room.

His gaze returned to the woman.

She altered the laws governing sound.

For the first time since entering Arcadia, Lucian felt genuine interest.

The woman stepped forward.

“My name is Elysia Valtaren. I am the Chancellor of Arcadia.”

Her voice wasn't particularly loud.

Yet every person in the hall heard her perfectly.

“Welcome.”

Her gaze swept across the students.

“You may come from powerful families. You may possess extraordinary talent. Some of you may already be regarded as geniuses.”

Her expression remained cold.

“None of that matters here.”

The golden threads woven into her robes began glowing faintly.

“Arcadia does not care about the name written on your family crest.”

A pause.

“It cares about what you can accomplish with your own power.”

Lucian watched her carefully.

There was no arrogance in her words.

Only certainty.

Elysia raised her hand.

A massive formation appeared above the hall.

Hundreds of glowing symbols arranged themselves into a complex magical structure.

Several students immediately looked nervous.

Lucian, however, stared at the formation.

She constructed that without an incantation.

He studied its structure.

And without consciously controlling every individual rune.

That was even more interesting.

Elysia continued.

“Your entrance examination begins today.”

The formation changed.

A gigantic image of a forest appeared above them.

“This examination is called the Arcane Crucible.”

The image shifted, revealing several enormous creatures moving through the forest.

“You will enter the Crucible in teams of five.”

Immediately, the hall erupted into whispers.

Elysia didn't react.

“Inside, you will encounter monsters of varying strength. Every monster carries a designated point value.”

A number appeared above the formation.

100 POINTS — PASS

“Your objective is simple.”

Her eyes hardened.

“Earn one hundred points.”

She lowered her hand.

“The larger and more dangerous the monster, the greater the reward.”

A student near Lucian raised his hand.

“Chancellor, are we allowed to choose our own teammates?”

Elysia looked toward him.

“Yes.”

Another student quickly asked, “Are there restrictions on the magic we can use?”

“No.”

A third voice followed.

“What happens if someone is injured?”

“The academy will intervene if your life is genuinely threatened.”

She paused.

“But don't mistake that protection for permission to be careless.”

Her gaze became colder.

“This is an examination. Not a training exercise.”

The murmurs gradually died down.

Elysia's final words echoed through the hall.

“If you fail to reach one hundred points, you will not be admitted.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“There will be no second attempt.”

The floating formation vanished.

Immediately, the hall came alive.

Students began searching for teammates.

Some approached friends.

Others immediately began negotiating with unfamiliar prodigies.

Names, ranks, magical affinities, and family reputations were thrown around as everyone tried to assemble the strongest possible group.

Lucian remained where he was.

He wasn't interested in any of that.

His attention was elsewhere.

He looked around the hall, quietly observing the mana within each student.

So this is their average level.

His perception moved from one person to another.

Some possessed impressive reserves.

Others had refined mana control.

A few were clearly talented.

But compared to Lucian, the difference was enormous.

He frowned slightly.

If I use even a fraction of my actual power, I'll stand out immediately.

That wasn't what he wanted.

He needed to suppress himself.

Not simply enough to hide his identity—

but enough to appear ordinary.

Lucian lowered his gaze toward his hand.

A faint thread of mana moved beneath his skin.

He carefully reduced its intensity.

Too much.

He lowered it again.

Still too high.

Again.

Closer.

He continued adjusting his mana until it settled around the level of the stronger students nearby.

Only then did he relax.

For the first time since entering Arcadia, Lucian allowed himself a faint smile.

Now... let's see what this academy is really like.

Lucian had barely finished adjusting his mana when a blond youth approached him.

He looked to be around Lucian's age, dressed in the same long-tailed academy coat as the others. His posture was confident, his smile easy, but there was enough restraint in his movements to suggest that his confidence wasn't entirely empty.

He extended a hand.

“Maximus Ravenshade. Nice to meet you.”

His eyes dropped briefly to the emblem fastened to Lucian's coat—the unmistakable Rutherford crest.

A flicker of recognition crossed his face.

“Rutherford, huh?”

Maximus's smile widened.

“Then you should join my team. We're called the Ravenshade Vanguard.”

Lucian looked at the offered hand, then back at Maximus.

He decided the team's name before even asking anyone else?

Still, there was something straightforward about him that Lucian didn't dislike.

He shook his hand.

“Why not? I'm Lucian Rutherford. Nice to meet you.”

Before Maximus could respond, a faint chill brushed past them.

Lucian glanced to the side.

A young woman stood nearby, her long hair shifting slightly despite the absence of wind. A thin layer of frost had gathered around her fingertips, vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared.

She looked at Maximus.

Then at Lucian.

Then back at Maximus.

“What was the name he said?”

Maximus blinked.

“Lucian Rutherford.”

The girl studied Lucian for another moment.

“Ah.”

Her expression remained completely indifferent.

“I thought I heard something else.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

Was she always this blunt?

Maximus sighed.

“This is Isolvia Valmont.”

Isolvia gave Lucian a small nod.

“Isolvia.”

“Lucian.”

That was apparently enough for her.

Another young man approached them soon after.

Unlike Maximus, he carried himself with quiet seriousness. His academy coat bore the crest of the Draxen family, and his eyes were calm and observant.

He extended his hand.

“Lucian Rutherford?”

Lucian shook it.

“Yes.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. Elias Draxen.”

Elias hesitated for a moment before adding,

“And... I'm sorry for the loss of the Rutherford Patriarch.”

Lucian's expression softened slightly.

“Thank you.”

The words were simple, but sincere.

Before the conversation could continue, Maximus suddenly stared at Lucian.

His eyes widened.

“Wait.”

Lucian looked at him.

“You're Edmund Rutherford's son?”

Lucian nodded.

“Yes.”

Maximus nearly shouted.

“Edmund Rutherford?! The Nation's First-Rank Magic Swordsman?!”

Several nearby students turned toward them.

Lucian stared at Maximus.

“Apparently.”

Maximus looked as though he'd just discovered a treasure chest in the middle of the street.

“You're his son?!”

Lucian gave him a strange look.

“Yes.”

He paused.

“I'm starting to wonder why that's more surprising to you than the fact that I'm standing here.”

Maximus ignored the comment.

“The First-Rank Magic Swordsman's son is actually here!”

Lucian rubbed his forehead.

“Magic Swordsman...”

He muttered under his breath.

Even I didn't know that.

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

I thought I caught a meg while fishing for sharks.

Elias raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Lucian looked back at them.

“Yes. I'm the youngest son of the Rutherford family.”

Maximus grinned.

“This just became much more interesting.”

Before Lucian could respond, hurried footsteps came from behind them.

A young man came running toward the group, his hand resting against the hilt of the sword at his waist.

He stopped in front of them, slightly breathless.

“I heard the First-Rank Magic Swordsman's son was here.”

Elias nodded toward Lucian.

“Yeah. This is Lucian Rutherford.”

The swordsman's eyes immediately lit up.

He extended both hands without hesitation.

“It is an honor to meet you. Viker Ardent.”

Lucian looked at the two hands.

Then at Viker.

He shook one of them.

“An honor to make your acquaintance.”

Viker smiled.

Maximus stepped back and spread his arms proudly.

“Well, now that everyone is here, allow me to introduce the members of the Ravenshade Vanguard.”

Isolvia's hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

Her expression was frighteningly calm.

“Who gave you permission to name our team?”

Maximus froze.

“...I did.”

Isolvia's fingers tightened around his shoulder.

“I wasn't asking who named it.”

Maximus's smile became slightly strained.

“I see.”

“We haven't agreed to that name.”

“But it sounds cool.”

“No.”

“It does.”

“No.”

Maximus looked toward Lucian.

“Tell her it sounds cool.”

Lucian stared at him.

“I just met all of you.”

“Exactly. You have an unbiased opinion.”

Lucian considered it for a moment.

Then shrugged.

“It sounds like the name of a group that would lose its way in a forest.”

Elias coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.

Viker looked away.

Even Isolvia's expression twitched slightly.

Maximus stared at Lucian in disbelief.

“You've been here for five minutes.”

Lucian gave him a faint smile.

“And yet I already have doubts about our survival.”

Before Maximus could defend himself, a deep bell echoed across the academy.

BOOOOOONG—

The enormous gate ahead of them began to open.

Brilliant light poured through the widening gap, forcing many of the students to shield their eyes.

Above the gate, glowing runes shifted.

Then a single number appeared.

001

Viker looked at the gate.

“Why isn't anyone going in?”

Maximus folded his arms.

“Maybe whoever is supposed to enter first forgot their number.”

Isolvia slowly turned toward him.

“You received a paper from the invigilator at the beginning, didn't you?”

Maximus blinked.

“A paper?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

He reached into the inner pocket of his long-tailed coat.

After a moment of searching, he pulled out a badly crumpled piece of paper.

He unfolded it.

Stared at it.

Then looked at the gate.

Then back at the paper.

“Why is 001 written here?”

Silence.

Isolvia stared at him.

Elias closed his eyes.

Viker looked toward the ceiling as though silently asking for patience.

Lucian simply watched.

So this is how academies work.

Isolvia finally walked over.

Smack.

She hit Maximus on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“This is your entry number, you idiot.”

Maximus rubbed his head.

“Ah.”

He looked at the glowing 001 above the gate.

Then at the paper.

“Oh.”

He paused.

“So... we were supposed to go in when it appeared?”

Isolvia stared at him.

“Yes.”

“Why didn't anyone tell me?”

“You were told.”

“Oh.”

Maximus nodded thoughtfully.

“Right.”

Lucian looked at Elias.

“Is he always like this?”

Elias sighed.

“You've known him for less than ten minutes.”

“I know.”

Lucian glanced back at Maximus.

“That's why I'm asking.”

Viker suddenly laughed.

Isolvia covered her face with one hand.

And Maximus, completely unfazed, pointed toward the glowing gate.

“Come on, Ravenshade Vanguard!”

Isolvia immediately grabbed his collar.

“We are discussing that name later.”

Maximus was dragged toward the entrance.

“Fine! We can call it something else!”

“What?”

“Lucian can decide!”

Lucian stopped walking.

“Why me?”

Maximus grinned.

“Because you look responsible.”

Lucian stared at him for several seconds.

Then glanced at Elias and Viker.

Neither of them looked particularly willing to help.

Lucian sighed.

I have been at this academy for less than an hour.

He stepped toward the gate.

And somehow I've already joined a troublesome group.

The five of them entered beneath the glowing number.

001.

The five of them stepped through the gate.

The world changed.

For a brief moment, Lucian felt as though he had stepped into another dimension.

The entrance hall was gone.

In its place stood a massive amphitheater carved entirely from pale moonstone. Towering walls surrounded the arena, their surfaces covered in thousands of glowing runes. Thin streams of mana moved through the stone like veins, feeding the enormous formation beneath their feet.

Mist drifted across the battlefield.

Above them, countless spectators watched from the surrounding platforms.

Lucian slowly looked around.

So this is the examination ground.

He could feel the density of mana immediately.

It was considerably higher than outside.

At the highest platform stood a woman dressed in a long white-and-blue robe. Her dark hair moved gently in the artificial wind surrounding the arena.

She raised one hand.

“I'm Professor Elara.”

Her voice carried effortlessly across the entire amphitheater.

“I will be overseeing your examination.”

Her eyes moved across the five students.

There was no hostility in her expression.

But there was no warmth either.

“Use whatever abilities you possess.”

She lowered her hand.

“Survive.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“Begin.”

The moment the word left her mouth—

BOOOOM!

Five enormous summoning pillars erupted with light.

Mana surged toward the sky.

The ground trembled.

Lucian's eyes widened slightly.

Interesting.

The formation wasn't simply creating creatures.

It was constructing them.

Mana gathered around the pillars, forming bodies piece by piece—metal, bone, flesh, and magical energy taking shape simultaneously.

The first creature emerged.

A towering humanoid construct covered in jagged pieces of blackened steel.

Above its head, glowing red letters appeared.

GOLEM OF SHATTERED STEEL

Before Lucian could examine it further—

Several smaller creatures emerged behind it.

Four-legged.

Long claws.

Eyes glowing an unnatural yellow.

Their mouths opened, revealing rows of spectral teeth.

WRAITH HOUNDS

They charged.

Maximus grinned.

“Finally.”

Wind exploded around his body.

He thrust his hand forward.

A lance of compressed wind shot across the arena.

BOOM!

It struck the Golem directly in the chest.

The steel armor shattered outward.

Fragments flew across the battlefield as the massive creature stumbled backward.

Maximus rolled his shoulder.

“One down.”

Lucian glanced at him.

Fast.

Not overwhelmingly powerful, but efficient.

Then Elias stepped forward.

He raised both hands.

Mana gathered around his palms.

“O spark that knows no master's chain,

Devour the void, unleash thy flame—

Rise, fire of despair and dawn,

Let the stars themselves be drawn!”

The temperature of the arena suddenly increased.

A massive sphere of fire formed between his hands.

Lucian's eyes narrowed.

His chant isn't just for appearance.

The words were guiding the mana.

The structure of the spell changed with every line.

Elias thrust both hands forward.

“Burn.”

The sphere exploded.

A wave of fire swept across the charging Wraith Hounds.

They disappeared inside it.

Their spectral bodies burned away until nothing remained.

Lucian watched carefully.

So that's how they shape elemental mana.

There was no fixed spell structure.

The caster could alter the spell while creating it.

That was different from the magic systems he had previously encountered.

Before he could analyze it further, another group of creatures emerged.

Long serpentine bodies.

Black scales.

Fangs dripping with luminous venom.

ARCANE SERPENTS

Isolvia stepped forward.

She lifted her staff.

The weapon was beautifully crafted—an icy rod decorated with intricate golden engravings.

The air around her froze.

Water molecules condensed from the atmosphere, forming a translucent barrier around her body.

Then the mana gathered at the tip of her staff.

It began rotating.

Faster.

Faster.

Until—

“Freeze.”

A beam of ice erupted.

It struck the first Arcane Serpent.

The creature froze instantly.

Viker didn't waste a second.

His hand went to his sword.

He vanished.

SHING!

An emerald flash crossed the battlefield.

The frozen serpent split apart.

Viker landed several meters away.

Another serpent lunged.

Isolvia froze it.

Viker cut it down.

Again.

And again.

Their movements were almost perfectly synchronized.

Lucian's eyes sharpened.

They've practiced together.

That was the difference.

They weren't simply attacking at the same time.

They were creating openings for one another.

And against a venomous creature, that mattered.

Even a single drop of the serpent's poison could potentially end the examination for a student.

Lucian smiled faintly.

Not bad.

Another wave appeared.

More Golems.

More Wraith Hounds.

More Serpents.

The battlefield became chaotic.

Magic filled the arena.

Fire exploded.

Ice spread across the ground.

Wind tore through the mist.

Emerald sword arcs flashed between the creatures.

Lucian remained near the center of it all.

Watching.

Learning.

He had witnessed powerful magic before.

He had fought Hunters who possessed extraordinary abilities.

But there had always been a limit.

Most of those abilities were things their bodies had awakened naturally.

Here...

There was no such restriction.

Mana was the medium.

Imagination was the boundary.

With enough control, they can shape mana into almost anything.

That realization genuinely interested him.

Then two Wraith Hounds broke through the chaos.

They rushed toward him.

Their jaws opened.

Saliva-like spectral energy dripped from their mouths.

Lucian raised one hand.

Mana gathered around his fingers.

He remembered the basic fire spell he had read about in the Rutherford library the previous night.

He had only studied the fundamentals.

But that was enough.

“Inferno Orbs.”

Three spheres of molten fire appeared around him.

The hounds leaped.

Lucian moved one finger.

The first orb struck.

BOOM!

The Wraith Hound vanished.

The second orb followed.

BOOM!

The other disappeared.

The third sphere continued forward.

It struck the Golem's knee.

CRACK!

The enormous construct buckled.

Maximus turned around.

“Lucian!”

Lucian looked at him.

Maximus grinned.

“That was actually pretty good!”

He pointed toward the remaining monsters.

“I was starting to think we'd have to fight everything ourselves.”

Then he looked at the battlefield.

His smile slowly faded.

“Although... I don't think they would have put something like a Void Titan in an entrance exam, right?”

Elias glanced toward him.

“You just had to say that.”

A deep rumble echoed through the arena.

The summoning pillars suddenly burned black.

The temperature dropped.

Everyone looked toward them.

A massive shadow began emerging from the flames.

Its body was larger than the previous Golem.

Far larger.

Stone-like armor covered its enormous frame, but strange black energy moved beneath its surface.

Every step cracked the ground.

Maximus stared.

“...That's not a normal Golem.”

Elias swallowed.

“No.”

The creature lifted its head.

Above it appeared a single designation.

GIANT VOID TITAN

Maximus's face went pale.

“Oh.”

He looked toward Elias.

“How much mana do you have left?”

“Almost none.”

“Isolvia?”

“Enough to freeze a cup of water.”

“Viker?”

Viker slowly raised his sword.

“My arms are barely listening to me.”

Maximus looked toward Lucian.

Lucian was still standing calmly.

“Of course,” Maximus muttered. “The new guy still looks completely fine.”

***

High above the arena, several instructors watched the battle.

On the Imperial Balcony, Headmaster Veridion frowned.

“Was the Giant Void Titan really necessary?”

Beside him, Professor Lysandra Wythe crossed her arms.

“Don't start.”

Veridion looked at her.

“We're supposed to test them, not bury them.”

“They're future talents,” Lysandra replied. “If a Giant Void Titan is enough to break them, then perhaps they aren't ready for Arcadia.”

Veridion's expression darkened.

“You know very well that we aren't invisible to the King.”

Lysandra's expression changed.

Veridion continued quietly.

“If word reaches him that Arcadia destroyed promising young talents before they even entered the academy, I doubt he'll care about our entrance standards.”

He turned toward the exit.

“I'd rather not explain that to him.”

From the elevated throne overlooking the arena, the Chancellor remained silent.

Then she spoke.

“He's right.”

Her eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.

“Prepare to intervene if the situation becomes fatal.”

***

Below, the Giant Void Titan roared.

The sound shook the arena.

The remaining students instinctively stepped backward.

Maximus tried to move.

His legs nearly gave out.

“Damn it.”

He looked at his hands.

No mana.

Elias was in the same condition.

Isolvia lowered her staff.

Viker could barely lift his sword.

The Titan began walking.

BOOM.

The ground cracked.

BOOM.

Dust rose.

Then—

It accelerated.

Its enormous body moved far faster than something of its size should have been capable of moving.

Maximus's expression changed.

“Lucian!”

Lucian looked toward him.

“Move!”

The Titan was already approaching.

Lucian slowly placed his hand on the hilt of Nihility Fang.

He had kept the weapon's true appearance concealed.

For the examination, he had altered its form into an ordinary-looking sword.

There was no reason to attract unnecessary attention.

He glanced toward his companions.

They had already demonstrated enough.

Maximus had shown his offensive power.

Elias had demonstrated his fire magic.

Isolvia and Viker had shown excellent coordination.

They had done their part.

Now it was his turn.

Lucian took one step forward.

The Giant Void Titan raised its enormous arm.

Maximus shouted.

“LUCian!”

The Titan swung.

The massive fist descended.

Lucian didn't move.

He waited.

Closer.

Closer.

At the final instant—

His hand moved.

SHING!

The sword left its sheath.

For less than a heartbeat, the arena was filled with a brilliant flash.

No one saw Lucian move.

Not Maximus.

Not Elias.

Not Viker.

Not even most of the instructors.

One moment, Lucian stood directly in front of the Titan.

The next—

He was standing behind it.

His sword was already back inside its sheath.

Click.

Silence.

The Giant Void Titan remained standing.

Maximus blinked.

“...What?”

Lucian looked down at his sword.

Then—

A thin line of light appeared across the Titan's body.

The creature slowly split apart.

BOOOOM!

Its enormous body collapsed into two massive halves, crashing against the arena floor.

Dust swept across the battlefield.

Everyone stood frozen.

Lucian simply turned around.

His expression remained completely calm.

He hadn't even drawn his full strength.

But for the students watching him, it looked as though he had simply disappeared—

and returned after the battle was already over.

Viker stared at the fallen Titan.

Elias's mouth opened slightly.

Isolvia's eyes narrowed.

Maximus looked between Lucian and the destroyed monster.

Finally, he spoke.

“...You know, I think I might have underestimated our team.”

Lucian looked at him.

Maximus pointed at the Titan.

“No.”

He pointed at Lucian.

“I definitely underestimated you.”

Lucian gave him a faint smile.

“I didn't do much.”

Maximus stared at him.

“You cut a Giant Void Titan in half.”

Lucian glanced at the remains.

“It's already dead.”

“That doesn't make it better!”

For the first time, Lucian actually laughed.

Above them, however, the instructors weren't laughing.

They were staring at the place where Lucian had stood.

Because none of them had clearly seen his movement.

And that was far more concerning than the strength of his attack.

From a distant place, far beyond the academy grounds, Magnus watched the events unfolding within the arena through a magical projection.

For several moments, he said nothing.

His expression remained unusually still.

Then he finally exhaled.

Magnus: “What a monster…”

His eyes remained fixed on Lucian.

“To think he learned the second form—Hellfire Cross Rend—in a single night.”

A faint trace of disbelief entered his voice.

“It took me years to master that technique.”

Beside him, Cadrina folded her arms, her expression considerably more serious.

Cadrina: “I never expected him to keep his word either.”

She glanced toward the projection.

“But this is becoming troublesome.”

Magnus turned his head toward her.

Magnus: “Because he is attracting too much attention?”

Cadrina nodded.

“Once word spreads about what he accomplished during the entrance exam, people will start digging into his past. Some will become curious. Others will become suspicious.”

Her expression darkened slightly.

“And if she happens to notice him…”

Magnus's eyes narrowed.

Magnus: “Then what?”

He studied Cadrina's face.

“Will she discover that he isn't truly a Rutherford?”

Cadrina sighed and brought three fingers to her forehead.

“No.”

She paused.

“Fortunately, our clan has spent generations making sure our secrets never reach the outside world.”

Her eyes returned to the projection.

“If anyone begins asking questions, we can create an explanation for his past. His sudden appearance. His abilities. Even his connection to the family.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“We have enough secrets to bury one more.”

Magnus chuckled quietly.

“That sounds reassuring.”

“It wasn't meant to be.”

Before Magnus could respond, the magical projection shifted.

The arena had fallen completely silent.

***

Professor Elara stood at the center of the battlefield.

The remnants of shattered golems and frozen serpents littered the arena floor, while the enormous body of the Giant Void Titan lay motionless behind Lucian.

The professor slowly raised her staff.

A series of luminous glyphs appeared overhead.

One after another, they connected into a massive formation.

BOOM.

The arena gates began to open.

A wave of mana swept through the stadium as the entrance barrier dissolved.

Professor Elara looked toward the five students standing together.

Then she raised her voice.

Professor Elara: “Ravenshade Vanguard—200 points.”

For one heartbeat, there was silence.

Then the arena erupted.

Cheers thundered through the stands.

Applause followed from every direction as the five students walked through the gates.

Maximus immediately raised one fist into the air.

Maximus: “WE DID IT!”

Isolvia looked at him.

“We?”

Maximus froze.

Then slowly lowered his fist.

“…We.”

Elias sighed.

Viker simply smiled.

Lucian walked between them, his expression calm as ever.

He had expected them to pass.

What he hadn't expected was the attention.

Hundreds of students were staring at them.

Some looked impressed.

Some looked irritated.

Others were whispering among themselves.

Lucian could already hear fragments of conversation.

“Did you see that swordsman?”

“He cut a Giant Void Titan in one strike.”

“That wasn't normal swordsmanship.”

“Who is he?”

“Ravenshade Vanguard scored two hundred points…”

Lucian quietly frowned.

So much for keeping a low profile.

Before he could think further, a woman's voice descended over the crowd.

“Impressive.”

The cheering stopped.

Lucian's eyes shifted.

He hadn't sensed anyone approaching.

That alone caught his attention.

The students slowly turned around.

Standing among them was Chancellor Elysia Valtaren.

No one had seen her arrive.

Her violet eyes swept across the arena, calm and unreadable. A faint current of violet mana moved around her, but unlike ordinary mana, it didn't feel like energy.

It felt like the world itself was responding to her presence.

Her gaze settled on the five students. “I didn't expect this generation to still possess this much talent.”

The students immediately became quiet.

Maximus straightened.

Isolvia's expression became serious.

Even Elias and Viker focused completely on the Chancellor.

Valtaren continued.

Valtaren: “Therefore…”

She paused.

The entire arena seemed to hold its breath.

“I am assigning all five of you to…”

Her violet eyes narrowed slightly.

“Grandmaster Class.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

For several seconds, nobody reacted.

Then—

“What?!”

The arena exploded.

Students began shouting from every direction.

“Grandmaster Class?!”

“They just entered the academy!”

“That's impossible!”

“Not even Sixth-Class magicians get assigned there immediately!”

“Who are those people?”

Some students looked excited.

Others looked furious.

A few quietly stepped away from the five, as if merely standing near them had suddenly become dangerous.

The Grandmaster Class wasn't simply another classroom.

It represented an entirely different echelon within Arcadia Grand Academy.

Its students received privileges, resources, training, and access to arcane knowledge far beyond what ordinary students could obtain.

Even among accomplished magicians, reaching the Sixth Class was considered an achievement worthy of a lifetime.

Yet Grandmaster Class stood above even that distinction.

For many students, it was a destination they could spend their entire lives chasing without ever reaching.

And these five had been placed there on their first day.

Maximus stared at the Chancellor.

Then he slowly turned toward the others.

Maximus: “Did… did she just say Grandmaster?”

Isolvia crossed her arms.

“She did.”

Maximus's eyes widened.

“We're Grandmasters now?”

“No.”

She gave him a flat look.

“We're students in the Grandmaster Class.”

“Oh.”

Maximus nodded thoughtfully.

“That makes much more sense.”

Lucian glanced at him.

I'm beginning to understand why Isolvia looks tired all the time.

Elias covered a faint smile.

Viker, meanwhile, looked genuinely stunned.

“Grandmaster Class…”

He looked at the others.

“We actually made it.”

Isolvia's expression softened for the briefest moment.

“Yes.”

Lucian said nothing.

He simply looked toward Chancellor Valtaren.

There was something about her that continued to bother him.

Not because she was powerful.

He had encountered powerful people before.

Her existence itself was different.

Her mana didn't simply circulate through her body.

It seemed to exist around her.

As though the laws governing the space near her had quietly accepted her authority.

Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Interesting.

The Chancellor's gaze suddenly shifted toward him.

For the briefest instant, their eyes met.

Lucian felt something brush against his presence.

Not an attack.

Not even an attempt to probe his strength.

It was closer to recognition.

His expression didn't change.

Neither did Valtaren's.

After a moment, she looked away.

Lucian's thoughts became slightly more cautious.

She noticed something.

He didn't know what.

And that made the Grandmaster Class considerably more interesting than he had expected.

The five students stood together before the Chancellor.

Then, almost instinctively, they bowed.

Not because of their family names.

Not because of their status.

But because, after everything they had shown inside the arena, they had earned the recognition.

For the first time since entering Arcadia, Lucian felt that perhaps this academy might actually have something worth learning.

***

The Chancellor sat behind her desk, carefully reviewing the documents of each student, her expression focused yet in a doubt.

Headmaster Veridion stepped forward, his tone thoughtful.
"Lady Elysia, have you heard anything about the youngest son of House Rutherford?"

The Chancellor shook her head, eyes narrowing slightly.
"No. I find it puzzling, to be honest. That’s why I’m examining his records closely. There’s a possibility they’ve been forged."

Veridion folded his arms.
"I once attended a banquet at the Rutherford estate. I remember seeing only Magnus and Cadrina—not a third heir. But still forged documents by them... is to much to say."

Elysia leaned back in her chair, her gaze distant.
"You are correct, Rutherford's are not ordinary peoples, if they want they can hide there secrets even from king or an a whole nation. I still doubt that Edmund is still alive somewhere."

***

That evening, the Azure Dining Hall, an exclusive dining chamber reserved for students of the Grandmaster Class, glowed beneath hundreds of floating crystal lanterns.

Soft blue light spilled across the long tables, reflecting off silver cutlery and enchanted glassware. Plates of spectral cuisine continuously replenished themselves, steam rising from dishes that seemed to shimmer between the physical and the ethereal.

The atmosphere was nothing like the tense examination earlier that day.

There were no monsters.

No spells.

No pressure.

Only laughter, celebration, and the occasional burst of conversation from students still discussing the entrance exam.

Maximus raised his goblet high.

Maximus: “To Lucian Rutherford—our unexpected champion.”

Several students around the table lifted their glasses.

Lucian looked at him for a moment before raising his own.

A faint smile touched his lips.

Lucian: “This is only the beginning.”

The toast was met with another round of cheers.

An hour passed.

The celebration had grown louder, though the five members of Ravenshade Vanguard had gradually settled into their own corner of the enormous hall. The enchanted drinks had been flowing freely, and while most of the group had already begun feeling the effects of the long evening, Lucian and Maximus remained surprisingly composed.

Perhaps it was their unusually strong constitutions.

Or perhaps Maximus simply refused to admit that anything could defeat him.

Either way, he was still talking.

And talking.

And talking.

Lucian had begun to suspect that Maximus possessed more stamina for conversation than for combat.

Across from them, Isolvia leaned back in her chair, resting a hand against her comfortably full stomach.

She looked completely satisfied with the meal.

Then, after glancing around to make sure no one nearby was listening, she lowered her voice.

“Have you heard the rumors?”

Lucian turned toward her.

There was something different in her tone now.

Less casual.

Lucian: “What rumors?”

Isolvia leaned slightly closer.

“About what lies beneath the academy.”

Lucian's eyes narrowed.

“Beneath the academy?”

She nodded.

“They say there is a hidden chamber somewhere beneath Arcadia.”

Viker immediately leaned across the table.

His eyes lit up.

“A hidden chamber?”

Isolvia nodded.

“A vault.”

Lucian's expression remained calm, but his attention sharpened instantly.

Finally.

Something useful.

Viker nearly rose from his seat.

“You mean ancient relics? Forbidden artifacts? Lost weapons?”

Elias, who had been quietly cutting into his steak, glanced toward him.

“You've already decided what's inside?”

Viker paused.

“…Not yet.”

Elias sighed.

Isolvia continued.

“According to the rumors, the vault contains something far more valuable than ordinary relics.”

She lowered her voice further.

“They say the Grimoire of Primordial Light is sealed inside.”

Lucian's fingers stopped against the edge of his goblet.

Even he had heard of that name.

The legendary grimoire was said to contain spells from an age when magic had yet to be divided into its modern classifications.

Some stories claimed its spells could manipulate the fundamental structure of reality itself.

Most scholars considered those stories exaggerated.

Lucian wasn't so sure.

Elias: “The Grimoire of Primordial Light…”

He frowned.

“I thought that was nothing more than an old myth.”

“So did I,” Isolvia replied.

“Until I started hearing the same story from three different people.”

Viker's excitement returned immediately.

“Then it's real!”

Isolvia gave him an unimpressed look.

“I said the rumor is consistent. I didn't say the grimoire is real.”

She picked up her handkerchief and calmly wiped the corner of her mouth.

“And even if it is real, nobody can simply walk into the vault and take it.”

Viker leaned closer.

“Why not?”

“Because the vault was supposedly created by Arcadia's original founders.”

She paused deliberately.

“And they didn't leave it unguarded.”

The table became quieter.

Isolvia continued.

“According to the oldest accounts, anyone seeking the grimoire must first complete a series of trials designed by the founders themselves.”

Viker's eyes widened.

“What kind of trials?”

Isolvia shrugged.

“Ancient traps. Living enchantments. Illusions. Magical constructs.”

Her expression became slightly more serious.

“And supposedly, some of the trials change depending on the person attempting them.”

Elias stopped cutting his steak.

“So the vault tests the person rather than simply their strength.”

“That's what the stories say.”

Viker's excitement was now impossible to contain.

He pushed himself halfway out of his chair.

Viker: “Then I should try the—”

Maximus, without even looking up from his drink, interrupted him.

“I didn't know you were capable of dreaming while awake.”

Viker froze.

The table went silent for half a second.

Then Elias laughed.

Even Isolvia's lips curved slightly.

Viker slowly sat back down.

“I was only going to say that I should investigate it.”

Maximus finally looked at him.

“Of course.”

A pause.

“Investigate it from a safe distance.”

Viker frowned.

“That isn't very heroic.”

“Neither is getting eaten by an ancient magical trap.”

Their argument continued, drawing laughter from the table.

But Lucian remained quiet.

His eyes had shifted toward the enormous moonlit windows.

Beyond the glass, Arcadia Grand Academy rose beneath the night sky, its towers illuminated by countless magical formations.

Beautiful.

Ancient.

And filled with secrets.

His fingers slowly tightened around his goblet.

As I expected.

An academy like this would be the perfect place to hide an ancient artifact.

His gaze drifted toward the floor beneath them.

Somewhere below those polished halls, beneath layers of stone, formations, and forgotten history, something might be waiting.

Something powerful enough to have survived for centuries.

A faint smile touched Lucian's lips.

Now this is getting interesting.