The duel was over.
Yet no one left.
Students clustered in small groups, whispering while stealing glances at Noah.
"Did you see that?"
"He predicted every attack."
"Maybe his F-Rank is fake."
"No... the crystal couldn’t have been wrong."
Cassian Valerius walked silently through the crowd.
None of his followers dared speak.
His pride had taken a heavy blow.
Noah and Eric exited the arena together.
Eric stared at him for nearly a minute.
Finally—
"...Who are you?"
Noah blinked.
"What?"
"The Noah I met yesterday couldn’t fight like that."
"I got lucky."
Eric stopped walking.
"...You’re a terrible liar."
Noah chuckled.
"I’ve had practice."
Eric shook his head.
"Whatever your secret is..."
He smiled.
"...I’m glad you’re on my side."
Noah looked away.
"For now."
A loud bell echoed across the academy.
DONG!
A magical screen appeared above every building.
Golden letters slowly formed.
FIRST-YEAR COMBAT RANKINGS
1. Luna Frost
2. Cassian Valerius
3. Arthur Ravencrest
4. Sophia Nightingale
5. Damien Ashbourne
...
Noah scanned the list.
Nothing.
He frowned.
Then...
Near the bottom.
198. Noah Blackwood
"...Seriously?"
Eric burst out laughing.
"They really put you at one hundred ninety-eight?"
"There are two hundred students."
"I noticed."
"So you’re third from last!"
Noah rubbed his forehead.
"They’re judging me by mana talent."
Eric shrugged.
"Works in our favor."
He wasn’t wrong.
The lower Noah ranked...
The less attention he’d attract.
Or so he hoped.
Meanwhile...
Inside the Headmaster’s office.
Professor Elena stood before Leonhardt.
She placed a report on his desk.
"He concealed his strength."
The Headmaster nodded.
"I know."
"He never used mana."
"I know."
"He read Cassian’s movements before they happened."
"I know."
Professor Elena frowned.
"Then why rank him one hundred ninety-eight?"
Leonhardt smiled.
"Because that’s where the world expects him."
Silence.
"The safest place for a king..."
He looked out the window.
"...is among pawns."
Elsewhere...
Deep beneath the academy.
Torchlight flickered through an ancient stone chamber.
A circle of hooded figures surrounded a massive stone table.
One figure removed his hood.
It was the academy instructor who had visited Noah’s room.
"The message reached him."
Another hooded figure asked,
"And the key?"
"He has it."
Silence followed.
Then an old woman spoke.
"So..."
"The Seventh has entered the academy."
Another nodded.
"The countdown begins."
One by one...
The hooded figures extinguished the candles.
Only one flame remained.
Crimson.
The old woman whispered,
"Before the end of the semester..."
"...the first seal will break."
That night...
Noah returned to Room 117.
He threw himself onto the bed.
"...What a day."
The room was quiet.
Moonlight filtered through the window.
His eyes drifted toward the small black key lying on the desk.
The key that the System couldn’t identify.
He picked it up again.
Nothing happened.
He turned it over.
Still nothing.
Then—
A faint click echoed inside the room.
Noah froze.
"I didn’t..."
He hadn’t touched anything.
Another click.
This time...
It came from the bookshelf.
Slowly...
One of the shelves slid backward.
A hidden compartment.
Cold air flowed from the darkness behind it.
Noah stood.
His heartbeat quickened.
He hadn’t searched for the hidden door.
The hidden door...
Had found him.
From somewhere within the darkness...
A soft female voice echoed.
"...Finally."
"I’ve been waiting for you."
The System remained completely silent.