章節 150: Second Year
After Rachel's party, I found myself heading to the Mount Hua sect for Seraphina's birthday celebration.
It was the same formal affair as ever, with one notable difference—Sun Zenith's eyes lingering on me.
I had almost forgotten about him.
Sun Zenith was not someone to be taken lightly. As an ally, his strength would be invaluable. But as an enemy, he was one of the worst you could face. And right now, I wasn't sure where he stood.
I owed a lot to the Mount Hua sect, even excluding my connection to Seraphina. Li Zenith, a Master of the sect, had taught me the Illusion Sword technique and significantly sharpened my swordsmanship. The sect had helped me grow, and I didn't want to see it fall, especially given how crucial they could be in future battles against our enemies.
But at the same time, I knew better than to act rashly when it came to Sun Zenith. He was extremely talented, four years older than me, and had already surpassed the Wall—a feat that earned him the title of "Divine Dragon of Mount Hua." A title of that magnitude wasn't just given; it bordered on the mythical.
In the past, the Murim's top genius would earn the title of Divine Dragon. But after the Murim world was introduced to the other continents, that title stopped being handed out—because while Murim produced great talents, they no longer held the top spot on a global scale.
Sun Zenith, despite his prodigious abilities, wasn't the greatest genius in the world either. Lucifer Windward and Jack Blazespout both surpassed him in potential and power. But a title, once given, cannot be taken away, only overshadowed.
Still, "Divine Dragon" felt like the wrong fit for Sun. "Malevolent Dragon" seemed more appropriate.
I shook the thought away as I put on my academy uniform.
The Roman numeral 'I' that had once marked me as a first-year student had now been replaced with a 'II,' a small but significant change that signified my second year.
The dorm room I was assigned to was largely the same as last year's, though the location was different—another wing, another year, but everything else felt familiar.
Except this year would be different. Very different. The classes, the challenges—everything was about to get a lot more intense.
At least Nero would still be our professor. One constant in an ever-shifting landscape.
I took the hyperloop system to class, feeling a sense of clarity wash over me. The whir of the magnetic rails and the speed at which I traveled helped focus my thoughts.
Luna hadn't spoken to me since Alastor had performed mind magic on me. Her silence was strange, unsettling even, but I could still feel her presence. Lucent Harmony still flowed through me, so I knew she was there.
But for now, I let it be. I trusted Luna. Whatever the reason for her silence, it had to be important.
As I arrived at the academy, I could feel more eyes on me than usual. People had always stared—I was Rank 8 and part of Class A—but the attention was different now. After nearly defeating Lucifer in the Sovereign's Tournament, and dancing with three princesses at their sweet sixteen celebrations, I had become a figure of greater interest.
'Speaking of birthdays, I'll be turning sixteen soon,' I thought.
At Mythos Academy, the first years started three weeks after the other classes, which meant my birthday was now going to fall during the school week. Not that it really mattered to me.
Arthur, from what I could tell from his memories, didn't care much for birthdays either. In fact, he hadn't cared for much beyond the sword. That was his world—everything else was just noise to him.
I took the elevator up to the fifth floor, where Class 2-A was located. The faint hum of the machinery did little to calm my nerves as I approached the door, clearly marked with the emblem of Mythos Academy. My hand rested on the cool metal handle for a moment before I opened it, stepping into the classroom.
As I opened the door to Class 2-A, the familiar faces of my classmates came into view. Seated according to rank, with Lucifer at the front, I could feel the weight of their gazes as they noticed me entering the room.
Before I could take a step further, the sudden chorus of voices hit me.
"Arthur!" Rachel, Seraphina, and Cecilia all called out in unison.
My eyes widened as I watched the three of them get up from their seats, moving toward me together. My eyes widened in surprise as they approached me together, almost like they had choreographed the moment.
Lucifer, seated at the front, glanced back briefly, his eyes narrowing, before turning his attention elsewhere. Ren remained silent, his focus steady on his notebook, while Jin and Ian simply exchanged a glance.
It was a strange feeling, seeing the three girls so united in their reaction, yet each with their own emotions swirling behind their eyes.
"What's going on?" I asked with a small chuckle, trying to ease the tension in the air.
Rachel was the first to speak, her voice soft but filled with warmth. "We just... missed you, that's all."
Cecilia smirked, folding her arms. "And we wanted to make sure you weren't getting into too much trouble."
Seraphina, more reserved than the other two, simply gave a small smile and nodded. "It's good to see you, Arthur."
I could feel the weight of their emotions, and for the first time in a long while, I realized just how deeply they cared. It wasn't just about their feelings for me—it was about the bond we had built, the trust we shared.
"Missed me, huh?" I teased lightly, trying to keep things lighthearted. "Well, I'm here now. Let's get through this year together."
The three girls exchanged a glance, their expressions softening, before nodding in agreement.
As I took my seat in the second row, second column, I couldn't help but notice how everything felt both familiar and different at the same time. The relationships, the connections—everything had shifted in subtle ways since last year.
And this year, things would only get more complicated.
As I scanned the room, my gaze inevitably landed on Lucifer.
'Monster,' I thought, my eyes narrowing slightly.
It was clear as day—he had already absorbed and integrated a significant portion of his mana core. The way his aura flowed, the precision with which he controlled his power, it all pointed to one thing.
'Has he already completed the first stage of integration?' I mused.
The first stage alone tripled one's mana capacity and output. In simple terms, there was now a wide gap between Lucifer and me. A gap that hadn't existed before. I clenched my fist tightly at the thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
I had expected this. I knew the quirks of White-rank well. Still, knowing and experiencing were two different things, and it wasn't a pleasant realization.
Ren, on the other hand, remained at more or less the same level. His pace was similar to mine, and we were both on the verge of starting the integration process. There was no gap between us yet, but that would change soon.
Rachel had reached White-rank as well, though she was far off from beginning the integration process. Her progress was steady, but the gap between White-rank and Integration-rank was immense.
The other four—Jin, Ian, Cecilia, and Seraphina—were all at High Silver-rank. With luck, they would reach White-rank by next year.
I took a deep breath, trying to settle my thoughts. The difference in power wasn't something I could ignore, but it wasn't insurmountable either.
'Focus,' I reminded myself once again. There was still time, and I would close that gap, one way or another.
My thoughts shifted to Jack Blazespout. 'Jack must have completed the first stage of integration by now as well,' I mused. The inter-academy festival loomed just four months away, starting in the first week of December. By then, both Jack and Lucifer would have completed the integration process and reached full Integration-rank.
Ren, meanwhile, would likely have finished the second stage of integration, his progress slightly ahead due to the quirk of White-rank. Rachel, on the other hand, would have just finished the first stage of her own integration process.
Age played a big part in this. The older one was, the faster they could ascend through the ranks due to their body's physical resilience. This explained why Lucifer had been stuck in White-rank for so long—his body needed time to handle the transition into Integration-rank.
'If I didn't know the method to speed up the process, I'd be stuck at the second stage of integration alongside Ren,' I thought grimly. Knowledge, especially of the future, was my only advantage here.
But I wasn't the only one lagging. Jin was still at High Silver-rank. If I wanted him to be useful at the festival, he'd need to reach White-rank before then. And that was something I could help with.
I smirked slightly. 'It's time to give my shadow a little push,' I decided.
每周推薦票狀態
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榜單 
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