Capítulo 433: New Students
Seol-ah Moyong tilted her head, her golden eyes narrowing as she scrutinized her reflection in the polished mirror of her new dormitory. The Mythos Academy uniform fit snugly, a stark departure from the attire she had grown accustomed to at Starcrest Academy. The crisp white shirt and tailored black skirt, falling just to her knees, carried an understated elegance. The black coat, adorned with gold trimmings and the Roman numeral V etched into the pocket. The ensemble spoke volumes—of prestige, of competition, of a world far removed from what she once knew.
She brushed a strand of onyx-black hair behind her ear, her gaze steady. This uniform marked the beginning of a new chapter. It was neither exciting nor nerve-wracking; it simply was. Seol-ah was no stranger to shifting sands.
"No need to dwell," she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible, and turned away from the mirror.
Stepping out of her room, the bright sunlight of the academy grounds greeted her. Mythos Academy, an island unto itself, loomed as a fortress of brilliance—both in architecture and the formidable talents it housed. As her boots tapped against the smooth stone pathways, she noticed a figure waiting nearby. Tall, composed, with a mop of blonde hair that caught the light like polished gold.
Lucifer Windward.
"I wasn't expecting you," Seol-ah said plainly, coming to a stop a few paces away.
Lucifer ruffled the back of his head, his expression hovering somewhere between casual and awkward. "Professor Lilith wanted to make sure the new students made it to class without any trouble. She assigned some of us to help." He shrugged lightly. "Even though it's hardly necessary."
"Agreed," Seol-ah said simply. Her tone betrayed no emotion, yet her mind briefly wandered to the difference in culture between the two academies. Mythos might have been vast, spanning its own island, but its layout was compact. The classrooms, hyperloop stations, and dormitories were all designed with purposeful efficiency—a far cry from the sprawling, almost labyrinthine grounds of Starcrest.
The two began walking toward the hyperloop station, their pace unhurried but not aimless. The silence between them felt weighted, though not oppressive. A current of familiarity ran through it, borne from shared battles and a rivalry unspoken.
"You've improved," Lucifer said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet like a well-aimed strike.
Seol-ah glanced at him, her expression calm but with a flicker of curiosity in her golden eyes. "Thank you. You as well."
Lucifer nodded, and for a moment, an awkward stillness lingered in the air again. Words seemed poised on the tip of his tongue, but whatever he intended to say was left unsaid. Seol-ah, for her part, didn't press him. She preferred silence to needless chatter.
The hyperloop arrived with a soft hum, its sleek, glass-paneled design glinting in the sunlight. The two stepped aboard, the transport whisking them smoothly toward the fifth-year building.
As they exited and approached the class, Seol-ah noted the elegant simplicity of the building. Its stone façade gleamed with mana-infused veins, intricate runes carved into its foundation to maintain the structure's aura of quiet authority.
Inside, the atmosphere of Class 5-A was electric. The presence of the three new students had shifted the dynamics. Once a tight-knit group of eight, the addition of Seol-ah, Aria Gu, and Ava Peng brought an undercurrent of curiosity and, for some, trepidation.
The seating arrangement had been altered, with three new seats added to the back of the class. The original two columns and four rows now extended into a fifth row, seamlessly accommodating the new arrivals.
"Lucifer, Seol-ah, welcome," Professor Lilith greeted them, her voice carrying its usual calm authority. Her blonde hair shimmered under the classroom's light, her verdant eyes sharp as they swept over the two. "Lucifer, take your seat as Rank 2. Seol-ah, your seat will be as Rank 5."
Seol-ah blinked, the announcement confirming what she already knew. She stepped forward without hesitation, her movements fluid as she made her way to her assigned seat. As her eyes scanned the room, they briefly met Arthur Nightingale's. His azure gaze lingered on her for a moment before he returned to whatever notes he was scribbling in his leather-bound book.
Taking her seat, Seol-ah felt the weight of the class's collective attention, even if no one was outright staring. This was Mythos Academy's Class 5-A—its strongest, its most ambitious. The air here was thicker, heavier, charged with the palpable tension of those destined for greatness.
She let out a soft breath, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of her desk.
"So it begins," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Eleven students, all of whom had scaled the Wall. This alone was a feat unprecedented in the academy's long and storied history.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the weight of her words settle over me. So even this has changed, I thought, comparing the current state of the world to the novel I once knew. The geniuses of this era were growing faster, more prodigious, and far more dangerous than they should have. It wasn't just me disrupting the timeline—something greater was at play.
Seol-ah Moyong was the most glaring anomaly. In the original story, her brilliance had been snuffed out before it had the chance to bloom. Now, she stood here, alive and thriving, her golden eyes sharp and unyielding. She exuded an aura of strength that belied her reserved demeanor, and I found myself watching her more closely than I intended.
'She should be Rank 3,' Luna's voice echoed in my mind, her tone carrying the weight of absolute certainty.
I nodded imperceptibly. That assessment aligned with my own thoughts. Seol-ah's swordsmanship was nothing short of extraordinary.
Class 5-A had become a crucible of talent, far surpassing even the legendary cohorts of Mythos Academy's past. Five of us had already reached mid Ascendant-rank, while the other six were at low Ascendant-rank, though rapidly closing the gap. Lucifer and I stood on the precipice of high Ascendant-rank—a threshold we would undoubtedly cross within months.
When the school day ended, it was little more than a formality for me. My academic standing was secure, thanks to the arrangement I'd made with Valerie, and there was little left for me to gain from rote lectures. Instead, I decided to head to the training grounds—a place where progress could be forged through effort, not words.
The air there was charged with the familiar hum of mana and the clash of steel. My eyes caught sight of Lucifer and Seol-ah sparring at the center of the arena, their movements fluid and precise. They were surrounded by a loose crowd of onlookers, all captivated by the raw display of talent.
I leaned against the wall, folding my arms as I watched the duel unfold.
'Sword Goddess versus Sword God,' I mused silently, a faint smirk playing at the corners of my lips. The title felt apt, almost poetic.
Lucifer's movements were relentless, each strike a calculated blend of power and finesse. His Sword Heart pulsed visibly in his chest, fueling his strikes with astral energy that cut through the air like thunder. Yet Seol-ah met him blow for blow, her blade dancing with an artistry that made her seem untouchable, even in the face of his overwhelming strength.
'Incredible,' I thought. In terms of pure swordsmanship, she was better. Her counters were impeccable, each motion precise and devastatingly effective. She anticipated Lucifer's attacks as though she were reading the flow of his mana itself. Yet, no matter how perfectly she wielded her blade, the gap in Gifts and spellcasting prowess was insurmountable.
Lucifer's first Gift, Yin-Yang Body, flared with visible intensity. The elements he commanded—ice, fire, lightning, and more—wove seamlessly into his strikes, turning each exchange into a small-scale battle of nature's fury. Seol-ah deflected and parried with astonishing grace, but it was clear that she was fighting uphill, her reserves strained against his raw output.
The duel reached a crescendo as Lucifer unleashed a seven-circle spell mid-swing, combining astral energy and magic in a way that only his prodigious talents could manage. Seol-ah countered with an array of defensive movements, her blade carving through the air in an intricate pattern.
But as the dust settled, it was Lucifer who emerged the victor. Seol-ah stood, her breathing labored, her golden eyes steady even in defeat.
She offered him a curt nod before stepping off the field, her expression unreadable. Lucifer accepted the gesture with a faint smile, though the flicker of respect in his eyes did not go unnoticed.
I remained against the wall, silent and contemplative. The gap between them was clear, but it was narrowing. Faster than I had anticipated.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder