Kael left Lilith’s room feeling satisfied.

Not because he had mastered illusion magic.

Not because he had successfully formed a Demonic Core.

But because he had finally solved one of the biggest problems that had been bothering him ever since his Demon Seed awakened.

At the very least, he could now control his demonic mana properly.

Still, an uncomfortable thought lingered in his mind.

Auriella Voss.

Even after everything that had happened, she could still see more than a thousand methods to kill him.

That fact alone reminded him how weak he still was.

Illusion magic would help, but only to a certain extent.

The problem wasn’t understanding it.

The problem was using it.

Demons naturally possessed advantages when casting spells. Their bodies were practically built for mana manipulation. Kael, on the other hand, had only learned the foundations.

Knowing how something worked and being able to apply it effectively in battle were two completely different things.

"I’ll need more practical experience."

The academy possessed one of the best tools for that.

The VR Combat System.

Students could battle simulations of other students, study fighting styles, and even challenge recorded versions of academy graduates.

Unfortunately, Kael couldn’t access most of it.

The academy restricted access heavily.

First-year students could only challenge fellow first-years.

Upperclassmen were locked away.

Graduate records were even harder to access.

To fight those simulations, a student needed special privileges.

Student Council.

Disciplinary Committee.

Academic Committee.

Or simply being strong enough to enter the academy’s Top Ten.

The rules existed to prevent weaker students from relying on information they hadn’t earned.

Kael clicked his tongue.

"If I had access to those records, I’d improve much faster."

There were countless techniques hidden within those simulations.

Techniques that wouldn’t appear publicly for years.

Unfortunately, his current rank wasn’t high enough.

For now, he would have to wait.

His footsteps eventually brought him back to the academy gym.

The building was mostly quiet at this hour.

Pushing open the gravity room door, Kael immediately sensed something was wrong.

Or rather— 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Something had changed.

Charlotte was still sitting in the Lotus Position exactly where he had left her.

But the pressure inside the room felt noticeably heavier.

Kael glanced toward the control panel.

Then froze.

"Two times gravity?"

His eye twitched.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the setting.

Then he laughed.

A short, disbelieving laugh.

"Don’t tell me..."

His gaze shifted toward Charlotte.

"You increased the gravity by yourself?"

Charlotte didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, Kael sensed a familiar fluctuation.

Mana.

Large amounts of mana.

The energy surrounding Charlotte’s body was gathering toward a single point.

Kael’s eyes widened slightly.

"A Mana Core..."

He had expected her to succeed eventually.

That was never the issue.

Charlotte possessed the talent necessary to become a Warlock.

The problem was timing.

He had expected it to take at least a week.

Maybe two.

Not a single day.

"You’re kidding me..."

Even Kael felt slightly jealous.

He possessed two cheat abilities and knowledge from the future.

Charlotte possessed neither.

Yet she had formed a Mana Core in one day.

The gathered mana suddenly compressed.

A pulse spread through the room.

Charlotte’s eyes opened.

She immediately spotted Kael standing nearby.

"Oh, you’re back."

She stretched her arms.

"I feel amazing."

Kael crossed his arms.

"You increased the gravity."

Charlotte scratched her cheek.

"A little."

"A little?"

"Okay, maybe more than a little."

Kael rubbed his forehead.

"I told you to train."

"I did train."

"I didn’t tell you to experiment."

Charlotte smiled sheepishly.

"The gravity thing worked."

"That’s not the point."

Charlotte blinked.

"It isn’t?"

"What if you passed out?"

"What if you collapsed?"

"What if you cracked your skull open on the floor?"

Charlotte stared at him.

"That sounds oddly specific."

Kael immediately looked away.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes.

"That happened to you, didn’t it?"

"It doesn’t matter."

"It happened."

"It doesn’t matter."

Charlotte laughed.

Kael sighed.

"Just don’t do it again without someone watching you."

"Fine."

She didn’t sound particularly convinced.

Charlotte stood up.

The difference was immediately obvious.

Her mana felt more stable.

More refined.

The newly formed core was already beginning to circulate energy throughout her body.

"So what now?"

Kael blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"The training."

Charlotte pointed at herself.

"You promised you’d make me stronger."

"I did."

"So what’s next?"

Kael looked genuinely confused.

"The rest of your training was supposed to happen after the tournament."

Charlotte stared at him.

"What?"

"You weren’t supposed to finish this part today."

"What was your actual plan?"

Kael shrugged.

"I thought you’d need at least a week."

Charlotte looked offended.

"Only a week?"

"Maybe two."

Charlotte looked even more offended.

Kael ignored her.

"The point is, you’ve already completed nearly two weeks’ worth of preparation."

Charlotte folded her arms.

"Then teach me something else."

Kael considered it.

There were techniques he could teach her.

Several, actually.

The problem was her condition.

"You don’t have enough energy for that today."

Charlotte groaned.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

Charlotte finally nodded.

They left the gravity room together.

The gym was mostly empty by this point.

Only a few students remained inside.

As they walked toward the dormitory building, Charlotte suddenly spoke again.

"What was your original plan if I didn’t form a Mana Core?"

Kael answered immediately.

"You’d brute force your way into the Top One Hundred."

Charlotte stopped walking.

"What?"

Kael continued walking.

"You heard me."

"With what?"

"A little mana manipulation."

Charlotte looked horrified.

"That’s your backup plan?"

"It would work."

"No, it wouldn’t!"

Kael simply ignored her complaints.

In truth, it probably would have worked.

Most of the truly terrifying monsters of this generation hadn’t arrived yet.

Leon.

The future Hero.

His companions.

His rivals.

The future villains.

The people who would eventually shake the entire continent.

Most of them weren’t even enrolled yet.

Compared to that generation, the current first-years weren’t nearly as overwhelming.

Charlotte could probably reach the Top One Hundred through determination alone.

Whether she could remain there was another matter entirely.

They eventually reached the dormitory building.

Both entered the elevator.

Silence filled the space.

When the elevator reached Kael’s floor, he stepped out.

"Good night."

Charlotte nodded.

"Good night."

The doors closed.

As the elevator continued upward, Charlotte stared at her hands.

Mana crackled faintly around her fingers.

A Warlock.

Even now, the title felt unreal although it hasn’t happened yet but being told she had the potential to be one.

Only a few weeks ago, she had been an ordinary orphan trying to survive.

Now she possessed an element.

A Mana Core.

And a future she had never imagined.

The elevator continued upward.

Charlotte smiled.

For the first time in years, she felt excited about tomorrow.

Kael returned to his room.

The moment his head touched the pillow, exhaustion hit him.

Training.

Dungeons.

Charlotte.

Lilith.

The Demon Seed.

Everything was happening too quickly.

Yet one thought remained.

"I still need to get stronger."

Moments later, he fell asleep.

At the highest point of the academy, two figures stood on the rooftop.

One wore pink bunny-shaped pajamas.

The other wore a black yukata.

The contrast was ridiculous.

Unfortunately, nobody present was foolish enough to laugh.

The man wearing the pajamas was Xavier.

The strongest individual in the world.

Beside him stood Damon.

A veteran hunter and one of the academy’s instructors.

Damon looked annoyed.

"Why exactly did you drag me up here?"

"We have a dungeon excursion tomorrow."

Xavier ignored the complaint.

Instead, he asked a question.

"Who do you think is the most talented first-year?"

Damon didn’t hesitate.

"Auriella Voss."

"Reason?"

"Her eyes."

A reasonable answer.

Auriella’s bloodline ability was terrifying although her mother is a bit of a psycho but it was a valid answer.

Damon continued.

"If not her, then Zion."

"The sword kid?"

"He’s talented but it might take some time for him to awaken his aura."

Xavier laughed.

"Both wrong."

Damon frowned.

"Then who?"

"Kael Draven."

Damon blinked.

"The boy you mentioned before?"

Xavier nodded.

"I plan on taking him as my disciple."

Damon looked unconvinced.

"Because he copied the first form of the Celestial Star Sword Style?"

"That’s part of it."

"Copying a movement isn’t enough."

"He couldn’t even replicate the power behind Zion’s attack."

Xavier’s grin widened.

"Oh, but he could."

Damon’s expression changed.

"He what?"

"He simply couldn’t handle the strain."

The rooftop fell silent.

Xavier’s blindfold fluttered slightly in the wind.

"That’s what makes him interesting."

Damon folded his arms.

"You really think he’s that talented?"

Xavier thought for a moment.

Then smiled.

"No."

Damon blinked.

"No?"

"I think he’s even more talented than that."

Before Damon could respond, Xavier vanished.

Only empty air remained.

Damon stood alone on the rooftop.

His expression complicated.

"Kael Draven..."

The name sounded both familiar and unfamiliar he knew his mother was powerful, but as for the boy.

Yet Xavier almost never praised anyone.

That alone made the boy worth watching.

After several moments, Damon disappeared as well.

The rooftop became silent once more.