Chapter 61 Prelude to Paired Evaluation (2)

Words : 1639 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

After the day wound down, I made my way to Professor Nero's office. The corridors of Mythos Academy were still bustling with late-night energy—students cramming for exams, cadets running simulations in the VR rooms, and drones humming overhead, running maintenance on the academy's high-tech infrastructure. I stopped in front of the magnetic sliding door and knocked lightly. It hissed open without a sound. "Come in, Arthur," Nero's voice greeted me from inside. I stepped through, the door sealing shut behind me with a quiet thud. The office was minimalist in design—sleek, glass walls, floating holographic screens displaying various reports, and a single metallic desk that seemed to adjust itself based on Nero's posture. He sat behind it, his usual unreadable expression in place. "Take a seat." He gestured to the chair across from him. I did, sitting up straight as his sharp gaze flickered over me, no doubt already running a silent assessment in his head. "You reported that you unlocked your Gift over the fall break," he began, cutting straight to the point. "Describe it for me in detail." I nodded, having already prepared for this. "Yes, Professor. My Gift is called Lucent Harmony. It grants me affinity with all eleven elements of mana, even those I naturally lack. I can also cast a limited number of five-circle spells through spell weaving. Finally, it enhances my ability to control ambient mana with extreme precision, which increases my overall effectiveness in combat." Nero tapped a few commands into his desk, a data file opening in midair, likely my student profile being updated in real time. He studied my words carefully before nodding. "Hmm," he mused, fingers steepling together. "A multi-elemental Gift, limited five-circle casting, and fine-tuned control over ambient mana. This is an incredibly versatile ability, Arthur." He paused before adding, "And a dangerous one." I raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous?" "Because versatility, when mastered, can turn into unpredictability," he said simply. "That is something neither your allies nor your enemies will ever be fully prepared for." I absorbed his words, letting them settle. He wasn't wrong. The ability to adapt to any situation using multiple elements, combined with precise mana manipulation, made me difficult to read. "Since you've also reached high Silver-rank, I need to adjust the assignment I originally intended for you and Seraphina," he continued. I nodded, waiting for him to elaborate. "Given that you now have access to five-circle magic—even if limited—I'm recommending that you be placed in Spellcasting III. Your previous assignment already showcased perfect use of mana weaving. At this rate, it would be a waste not to hone your spellcasting further." A small flash of satisfaction sparked in me. Spellcasting III was a class reserved for White-rank students or anomalies like me. Even Rachel, with her prodigious magic talent, had not entered it yet. "Your progress has been exceptional, Arthur," Nero said, his tone firm. "Continue to work hard." I stood, offering him a slight nod. "Thank you, Professor." He didn't reply, already turning his attention back to the floating screens in front of him. Taking that as my cue, I exited the office, the door whispering shut behind me. As I walked down the corridor, I felt Luna's presence stir within my mind. 'Spellcasting III,' she mused, her voice a serene hum in my thoughts. 'Five-circle magic will serve you well.' 'Do I really need it, though?' I questioned, adjusting my jacket as I stepped into the academy's main atrium. It was quieter now, the evening rush settling into scattered conversations and dimmed neon signs. 'Yes,' Luna answered with certainty. 'My magic as a Qilin follows different laws from human spellcraft. While it grants you greater control, it does not inherently complement structured spellcasting. Mastering human magic will only make you stronger.' That made sense. Luna's power was instinctual, raw, woven into the very essence of nature. Human magic, in contrast, was calculated—structured through formulas and theoretical frameworks. The more I understood both, the more I could refine my abilities. 'Understood,' I replied. As I exited the main building, heading toward the student hub, I sent a quick message through my neural interface. [Arthur: You at the usual place?] [Rose: Yep. Thought you forgot about me.] I chuckled to myself. I hadn't seen Rose yet since coming back from the Northern Continent. Time to change that. __________________________________________________________________________________ The cafe was one of those cozy, tucked-away spots that managed to be both futuristic and timeless. Holographic menus floated over every table, displaying shifting images of coffee, desserts, and every possible customization a caffeine addict could dream of. The air smelled of roasted beans and something faintly sweet—maybe vanilla or caramel. It had been nine days since I last saw Rose, which was strange, considering how often we used to meet. Between the trip to the Northern Continent, the chaos at the Isle of Azure Breeze, and then returning straight into the madness of the academy, I hadn't even had time to check in with her properly. She was already seated when I walked in, a steaming cup in front of her. She looked up as I approached, her eyes narrowing just slightly before she leaned back in her seat. "Well, well," Rose drawled, tapping her spoon against the edge of her cup. "Look who finally remembered I exist." I sighed, sliding into the seat across from her. "Nice to see you too, Rose." She tilted her head, studying me with an unreadable expression before huffing out a soft laugh. "You look like hell." "Thanks," I said dryly, flagging down a passing drone server. "I've been busy." "Yeah, no kidding," she muttered. "I heard you nearly got yourself eaten by a six-star beast." The drone chirped as I placed my order—just a simple coffee, no frills. I turned back to her. "Not eaten. Just… strategically outmatched." Rose arched a brow. "Strategically outmatched?" I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Fine. I ran for my life while other people handled it." Her lips twitched, but she didn't push. "And here I thought you liked keeping a low profile. First, you come back from the Island Survival as Rank 1, then you somehow outmaneuver an entire year's worth of second-years in the VR war. Now you're off fighting six-star monsters and coming back with…" She gestured vaguely at me. "A Gift?" I met her gaze, surprised. "You heard about that?" She snorted. "Please. The moment you stepped back onto campus, people started talking. It's not every day someone suddenly unlocks their Gift mid-semester. So, what is it?" "Lucent Harmony," I admitted, leaning back as my coffee arrived. "It lets me use all elements, control ambient mana, and cast limited five-circle spells." She whistled. "Not bad. And here I thought you were going to be stuck as 'that guy with decent aura control.'" "Glad to exceed your expectations," I said, taking a sip. The bitterness was grounding, a welcome contrast to the sheer unpredictability of the past few weeks. Rose rested her chin on her hand, watching me with an expression that was a mix of curiosity and mild exasperation. "So, are you ever going to tell me why you didn't send so much as a single message for nine days? Or do I have to guess?" Guilt pricked at me, but I shrugged. "It wasn't intentional. I barely had time to think between all the missions and training. And when I got back, things just kept piling up." "Uh-huh," she said, unimpressed. "You know, normal people at least check in when they go off risking their lives against overgrown lizards." I set my cup down. "You worried about me?" She rolled her eyes. "I was curious. There's a difference." I smirked. "Sure." She clicked her tongue, but there was no real heat behind it. "So, how's the next disaster looking?" I raised a brow. "What makes you think there's a next disaster?" Rose gave me a flat look. "Arthur, you attract chaos like a black hole. I'd be more surprised if things were finally normal." She wasn't wrong. I sighed. "Paired evaluation. They're having us fight six-star beasts in teams to test synergy." "Of course they are," Rose muttered, stirring her drink. "And let me guess—you got paired with someone who makes things extra complicated?" "Seraphina Zenith." Rose blinked, then let out a soft laugh. "The ice queen herself? Wow. Good luck." I snorted. "She's not that bad." "Oh, sure. She's not bad. She's just... difficult." I thought about Seraphina's blank expression, her detached way of interacting with the world. She wasn't difficult in the way Cecilia or Ren were—she wasn't openly hostile or dismissive. But she had an air of untouchability, a quiet indifference that made it hard to tell what she was actually thinking. "It'll be fine," I said. Rose didn't look convinced. "You know, if you keep saying that every time you're thrown into a mess, I might start believing you actually enjoy this stuff." I chuckled. "I enjoy winning." "And yet, you still suck at keeping in touch." I raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll make sure to send a message next time I go off fighting nightmare creatures. Happy?" She smirked. "Extremely." We lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, the kind that came from knowing each other long enough that words weren't always necessary. The last nine days had been a whirlwind, and sitting here, drinking coffee with Rose, felt like the first moment of normalcy I'd had in a while. seaʀᴄh thё NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Chapter 61 Prelude to Paired Evaluation (2)

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