NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26: VERDICT
Nyssa's smile lingered as her gaze drifted away from Selene, sweeping lightly across the sea of Grade D faces. Warm, almost tender yet the weight behind it was like a polished blade.
Every student who had once held their nose high, boasting their family crests and noble bloodlines, now felt that pride crumble. Like glass dropped onto stone, the shards of their arrogance scattered silently. None dared meet her eyes for long. Her stare dared them, and every one of them faltered first.
Her lips curved further, soft, melodic.
"I suppose Evelis has already given you all a replacement mana crest, hasn't he? That banner tied around your wrists…"
A faint glow from the etched sigils at their wrists pulsed as if answering her voice.
Eran's head turned sharply at that name. Evelis?
The system purred, alive in his skull.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!
{SCAN. }
INITIALIZING...
Name: Evelis Rawn
Age: 24
Race: Human
Ability: Necromancy
Title: Duskmire
Level: Rank IV(Grade C)
Mana: 12000/ 15000
Eran's breath slowed, a smirk tugging faintly at the edge of his lips. Necromancer, (Rank IV…) so this place doesn't just hold power, it hides monsters in human skin. The hierarchy stretches farther than I imagined.
Nyssa's voice rang again, silky and firm.
"Evelis will give you your first training."
The Grade D students shifted, murmuring to one another. Some whispered his name like a curse, others clung to the word training with a nervous laugh, but none masked the edge of fear in their voices.
Evelis stepped forward at that cue, a heavy book resting easily in his grip. His robe trailed the floor, shadows almost bending with his stride. When he spoke, his tone was calm, cold, carrying the certainty of someone who had seen death and made it kneel.
"I know none of you have the mana to withstand this field. Even with the banner binding your wrists, you'd crumble halfway." His eyes gleamed under his hood, scanning them one by one. "But the crest stabilizes balance, and I will make sure your cores are properly attached to it. Only then will you stand long enough to learn… and survive."
A hush spread through the crowd, the weight of his words pressing over every trembling noble heart.
Eran, standing amidst them, only smirked wider. Survive, huh? So this is what it means to step into their world.
His eyes narrowed faintly. Attach the core? Stabilize balance? His system thrummed quiet, as if even it was gauging the field's density.
To the rest of the Grade D students, Evelis's words sounded like scripture but to Eran, they were a puzzle waiting to be stripped bare. He exhaled through his nose, steady, gaze flicking briefly to Selene where she stood aloof and composed. Just a glance, quick enough not to be caught. She knows more than she lets on…
Evelis's hand hovered over the tome. Pages shifted on their own, flipping with a rustle like whispers from the dead. His fingers stretched outward, curling, and then drew a circle across the floor. The chamber pulsed. Lines of light etched themselves into the stone, forming a glowing crest.
"Step forward," Evelis intoned.
One noble obeyed, straight-backed, though his legs betrayed a faint shake. As he stood within the circle, Evelis's hand dropped.
FWWWHHHHHMMM
The crest erupted, golden light slashing upward like flames. Students gasped, whispering, shrinking back, but the chosen noble stiffened. His body arched as the light twisted through him, threads of mana pulling like veins across his chest.
The banner on his wrist flared alive, binding itself with his pulse. And in that moment, his aura bloomed brighter, surging. A soul-like shimmer flickered above him, white, ghostly then vanished, absorbed into his core.
"He has been granted," Evelis said simply, closing the circle with a sharp gesture.
The boy stumbled out, chest heaving, but his eyes burned with a new sharpness. His mana had clearly climbed.
The rest of the Grade D whispered furiously, fear and envy mixing like fire and oil.
Eran only stared. So that's how it is. Step into their circle, let them rip you open, let their field force mana into your veins. A trial, and a gift, depending on who you are.
His fingers twitched at his side, the system's hum echoing like a predator waiting to be unleashed.
BUT THEN...
One after another, the students went through the circle some trembling, some collapsing to their knees, but all emerging changed. Their eyes burned brighter, their mana steadier.
Then it came to Miyu.
Her steps were light, but her presence carried a composure rare among her peers. When she entered the circle, the crest bloomed even harsher than before, gold lines wrapping her like armor. Her banner flared so brilliantly it washed across the field.
Gasps rippled.
"She's… balanced…"
"Look at that flow!"
Evelis himself paused, his sharp gaze narrowing, studying her with a flicker of something unreadable. The way her core harmonized with the crest was unlike the others. She stepped out with barely a stumble, and the silence that followed was heavy...awed, tense, almost reverent.
Then...
"Eran."
The name cut through the hush like a blade.
He stepped forward slowly. The moment his feet touched the circle, the air tightened. Evelis's glare fixed on him, drilling deep, as if peeling layers away until he was staring directly at Eran's soul.
"…No mana."
The words were sharp, loud enough for all to hear. A beat later, it started snickers, then full laughter spilling from his peers.
"Worthless."
"Why is he even here?"
Eran's jaw clenched, but he said nothing, only lifted his chin as their mockery rippled around him.
From the side, Miyu flinched. Her lips pressed together, and with a small huff Hmph!.. she turned her face away, arms folding beneath her chest, refusing to meet the scene head-on.
But Nyssa… Nyssa did not laugh.
Her eyes softened, studying Eran differently not with pity, not with scorn, but with a quiet, unreadable depth that silenced the mockery in her presence alone.
Evelis's eyes lingered on Eran longer than the others, sharp and dissecting.
"How," he muttered, voice laced with suspicion, "did someone like you even step foot in a Grade C chamber? Let alone withstand the field's pressure?"
The students stirred, curiosity bubbling into whispers.
Eran stood calm, unreadable. Beneath the mask of weakness he wore, a smile almost tugged at his lips. If only they knew…
But Evelis pressed, gaze piercing. "You carry no mana. That much is clear. Or…" His eyes narrowed further. "Are you hiding something?"
Eran said nothing, only let his eyes drift first to Miyu. She stood stiff, head high, pretending aloofness, but her knuckles were tight at her side. For all her feigned indifference, she'd shielded him more than once, and Evelis seemed to sense it too.
"Hmph." Evelis folded his arms. "Regardless, you can't participate in this training. You'll collapse before the first test."
A few students snickered again, but the sound died as Selene moved.
She stepped forward gracefully, her presence swallowing the room's noise. Her voice was warm, disarming, but steady as iron:
"He can."
All eyes turned.
"I will provide him with some Mana."
Eran's eyes flickered, the faintest knowing curve touching his lips. She's playing it well…
Selene walked toward him, each step slow and deliberate. Eran tilted his head down slightly, hiding that smile no one else could see.
Then her hand touched him.
The world shifted.
Violet-purple light surged, wrapping his frame like lightning given form. Bolts charged across his skin, flaring with a rawness that stole even his breath for a heartbeat.
Gasps echoed.
"What—?"
"Professor…?"
Eran stared down at the aura rippling around him, feigning surprise but inside, he marveled. So this is the mana she meant to lend me…
Their eyes locked. Selene's smirk was small, deliberate, and matched his. It was a quiet exchange, a secret vow neither voiced aloud.
Evelis broke it with a scoff, lips twisting into his own smirk.
"Well, well… I never thought I'd see the great Professor Selene playing so soft with one of her students."
The teasing lilt in his voice sent a ripple of laughter among a few nobles. Selene only chuckled softly in return, turning from Eran with that same grace.
But the shock in the chamber was undeniable. Eyes darted from the violet glow still clinging faintly to Eran, to Selene's retreating form. Whispers rose. Disbelief lingered.
And Eran?
He only straightened his shoulders, the faintest trace of a smile hidden beneath his calm mask.