NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40: DARK RIVAL SYSTEM
NEXT DAY...
By dawn, the soft warmth of night had faded, leaving only the cool morning light spilling across the chamber. Selene's breathing was even, her head still near his shoulder, as though unwilling to break the closeness of the night before. Eran slipped from the bed quietly, his system still faintly humming its previous notification in the back of his mind, as if mocking him.
By the time the sun had fully climbed, the academy was alive with movement. Students gathered in neat rows across the grand hall for the long-anticipated conference. The Dire's speech was not one to be taken lightly, it was the kind that set the rhythm for the academy's next cycle, and no one dared to make light of it.
The hall was near silent, the air carrying a solemn weight that seemed to demand stillness. All nobles of grade C sat upright, their posture perfect, eyes sharp and fixed on the stage. Every word from the Dire and his appointed duries struck like hammer blows, steady and precise, outlining welfare reforms, new disciplinary measures, and reminders of the academy's hierarchy.
Even among the lower grades, there was little noise, only a few whispers dared to break the silence. Eran, seated among them, could feel the quiet power radiating from the nobles around him. Their mana signatures were restrained but unmistakable, and the weight of their presence alone made the hall feel smaller.
He sat motionless, gaze fixed ahead, but his thoughts drifted briefly to the night before... Selene's flushed face, the faint sound of her moans echoing in his memory. He smirked faintly at the thought before returning his focus to the Dire's words.
They were far more than just Grade D, this was an entirely different level of presence, and Eran could feel it pressing on him from all sides. The hall itself seemed to hold its breath.
Selene, Nyssa, and Miyu were seated together in the row just beside Eran, their posture perfect, a quiet contrast to the scattered restlessness of the lower grades. Eran's gaze flicked once toward them, then back to the Dire as the speech continued.
And then...
The Dire raised a call for the parchment dury, thicker than before, as Selene rose first, Nyssa following, their movements smooth and deliberate. Alongside them stood a girl Eran had not seen up close until now, an elf, ears long and elegant, her beauty so refined it was almost unreal.
They moved toward the center of the hall, and every step was its own statement. Their robes glided along the polished floor, the fabric clinging perfectly to each curve before flowing back into place. They didn't simply walk, they commanded the space, the entire hall following their presence.
By the time they reached the center, the hush had become complete. The nobles seemed to lean forward slightly, waiting, the weight of ceremony settling over the room.
Eran leaned back slightly, watching. His gaze lingered on Selene, then Nyssa, his lips twitching faintly as his thoughts turned... whatever this was, it was beyond just a formality. A reminder of how magnificent and untouchable Grade C nobles were compared to the rest.
When Selene, Nyssa, and the elf girl finally reached the front of the hall, they presented the parchment, the same one Evelis had given earlier. The air seemed to grow heavier.
Before the ceremony could continue, a tall girl standing just beside the Dire leaned in slightly, her movement precise and regal, and whispered something directly into Selene's ear.
From where he sat, Eran caught the faintest glimpse of it, and his thought flickered again through his mind... this was because of Evelis's absence.
Within seconds, the nobles straightened their posture, their attention narrowing on the center of the hall. Selene and the elf girl did the same, stepping into position, their robes settling around them like liquid silk.
The tall girl then turned, holding the parchment with both hands, and offered it to the Dire. His gaze lingered on them, on Selene especially, before lowering to the scroll.
He unrolled it slowly, his expression unreadable, his eyes scanning its contents before finally speaking.
"A new blood noble shall be welcomed into the academy today," he announced, his deep voice carrying to every corner of the hall. "He will undergo a certain test after this conference."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut through. Eran's jaw tightened slightly, his mind already running ahead of the words... tests, hierarchy, a new noble.
After the Dire's speech carried on with the usual weight of discipline and hierarchy, the great doors at the end of the hall opened.
Every head turned at once, the air in the hall tightening as if it, too, was waiting.
The moment the newcomer's foot crossed the threshold, Eran's system flared violently ringing like a war bell in his head.
[ SYSTEM ALERT!!! ]
WARNING!
INITIATE: OVERLOAD. 78% > 83 % > .99%
⚔ HOSTILE PRESENCE DETECTED ⚔
– Threat Level: HIGH
– Class:UNKNOWN ...00003.6%LOADING!
– Mana Signature: UNSTABLE ...00003.6%
– Recommended Action: STAY ALERT
[ NOTE: Proceed with caution. Fate Threads are shifting. Hostile vessel resonating with high Mana Core. Target possesses a Dark System ]
The signal burned across his vision, forcing his gaze forward.
For a fleeting moment, Eran's calm expression slipped... darkening with confusion. A dark system?
This wasn't what he'd expected from Selene's words the night before. He had prepared for a simple noble's arrival, perhaps some arrogant Grade C official with too much pride—
but this?
This was a rival.
The system's glow receded, leaving him with the echo of its warning, and Eran leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed on the figure stepping into the hall.
The newcomer carried himself like he owned the floor, each step deliberate, his aura dark enough to make even the nobles in the front rows go still.
And yet...
No one else seemed to notice. The hall remained perfectly still, all eyes politely on him.
But Eran's system flared again, sharper this time, almost insistent:
INITIALIZING...
{SCAN. .... 000000.1% COMPLETE }
TARGET IDENTIFIED
NAME: RAGNA
CLASSIFICATION: Noble — Central House
RANK LEVEL: RANK VI (Grade A)
THREAT ASSESSMENT: HIGH
SYSTEM SIGNATURE DETECTED: DARK-TYPE
STATUS: POTENTIAL ENEMY
His jaw tightened. Grade A… from the central houses?
His thoughts flicked back to last night, to Selene's low voice in the quiet of the chamber. She had told him the central houses hadn't sent students here in years, that this was supposed to be a rare gesture of goodwill... nothing more.
But this wasn't just another noble.
His expression didn't shift, not fully, but his eyes darkened for the briefest second. Grade A?
Everyone else's murmurs stayed soft, unbothered. They believed what the records showed, that this was a mere Grade C noble, another transfer to fill the empty seat.
But Eran knew better.
His gaze narrowed, the faintest shadow crossing his face as the newcomer strode forward, steps too confident, too precise. Eran stayed silent, letting the system's glow fade from his vision, though its warning still echoed at the back of his mind.
Whatever this arrival meant, it wasn't going to be simple.