System, please just shut up

The silence on campus shattered as examination rooms broke open.

Students poured into the hallways, their excited chatter filling the air with youthful energy.

Kael stepped into the teeming corridor of Classrooms Block A, a relieved smile playing across his face.

That was it—the final test he had for the month. Now, he could finally venture into a more personal task.

...

[Mission Pending: Kill 7 Tier D Beasts]

[Progress: 6/7]

[Reward: 1 Archive Credit]

[Duration: None]

...

But first, he had somewhere to be.

Looking down at the rune watch attached to his wrist, which read 8:37 AM, he couldn't help cursing. 'Shit, I'm going to be late.'

With newfound urgency, he immediately dashed across the halls, maneuvering through the currents of students with practiced ease.

He wove through a series of steps and winding corridors until he finally shot out of Block A.

He burst into the open grounds, speeding through the scattered crowds, bumping into a few people along the way, but instantly resuming his run.

After jogging for a while, he finally arrived at the Academy Train Terminal, a sleek, elongated structure of polished steel and reinforced glass that gleamed under the morning sun.

Its transparent walls offered glimpses of the rapid, silent mag-lev trains gliding in and out. One train was just about to pull away, its departure chime echoing.

Kael jumped aboard, landing lightly just as the doors hissed shut.

He sat there for about five minutes before it came to a halt in a completely different part of the academy grounds.

He immediately jumped down and bolted again, following a familiar path.

He was running so fast that people he passed by stopped what they were doing, turning their heads to stare at him questioningly.

But he paid them no mind, just increasing his pace even more.

After two minutes of continuous sprinting, he finally slowed down when a tall, grand building came into view.

This was the Heartforge District, a private academy area dedicated to smiths of all types—Arc-Smiths, Runesmiths, Golemsmiths, and more.

The main teaching building, a magnificent structure of dark, rough-hewn stone, seemed to absorb the light, its arched windows framed by intricate, glowing metal filigree depicting hammers, anvils, and stylized flames.

Connected to it by a sturdy, ornate bridge, a second, larger building loomed, a sprawling, lower-slung complex of iron and smoke-blackened brick, humming with latent energy—the forge itself.

Kael slowed and immediately tried to adjust his crumpled uniform before calmly proceeding toward the first building.

As he walked, decorative pieces adorned the path, miniature, perfectly crafted golems stood sentinel, their metallic eyes glowing faintly, alongside towering sculptures of elemental spirits forged from shimmering alloys.

The air thrummed with a faint, rhythmic CLANG… CLANG… CLANG that vibrated deep in his chest.

He quietly went through the front door and, with practiced familiarity, headed straight for the counter situated at the corner.

Behind the table was an elderly woman, her face kind and weathered, who immediately smiled when she saw him.

"Oh, Kael, are you here to see your friend again?"

Kael smiled back in return. "Yes, Ms. Elara."

He quietly took out a badge from his pocket and placed it on the table. The badge had the words 'CADET' inscribed on it, with five shiny stars surrounding it at the top.

She took the badge, scanned it on a device, and gave it back to him, her warm smile still in place. "You know the way."

Kael took the badge, gave her a grateful nod, and headed straight for a side door that led to the next building.

Just from the outside, the deep thrum of metal hitting metal and the wave of intense heat emitting from within gave away what was happening inside.

He swiftly went through the only available door, which opened into a small, short tunnel that ended at another heavy door.

He marched to it, carefully opened it, entered, and locked it behind him.

The inside of the building was even more breathtaking.

Far more cavernous than it appeared from the outside, the ceiling seemed to stretch to infinity, lost in the smoke and heat.

A literal waterfall of molten lava flowed downwards at the far end, glowing with fierce, orange light, casting dancing reflections across the vast space.

The sound of hammers was like music, thousands of rhythmic CLANGS reverberating every second.

Thousands of individual working tables, each bathed in the glow of a forge or the shimmer of raw mana, were occupied by students, some barely visible through the haze, intently shaping metal and channeling energy.

The tables were arranged at various levels, connected by crisscrossing bridges and lifts, giving the place a chaotic yet strangely organized feeling.

Kael navigated through the lower tables, took a lift upwards, then continued navigating until he arrived at a particular table where a young man with a bare chest, glistening with sweat, was destroying a metal set with a hammer, looking quite annoyed.

Noticing someone behind him, he turned and smiled. "Kael, you're finally here."

"Yeah, sorry, the test took longer than I thought."

Rylen just smiled, standing up and heading to a corner that had a large metal box.

"No worries, I just finished adding some enchantments anyway." Saying that, he opened the lid and carefully pulled out a gleaming piece of steel, presenting it to Kael.

Kael slowly walked forward, his body twitching in excitement as he stared at the flawless design.

Resting within a sleek, dark scabbard made of polished black leather, the sword's hilt was a subtle work of art.

The pommel was a smooth, rounded cap of polished obsidian, cool to the touch, and the guard featured a minimalist, crescent-moon curve in dark silver, hinting at the blade's theme without being overly ornate.

The grip was wrapped in tightly braided, dark blue cord.

"Well, go on, try it out." Rylen chuckled, shoving the sword into his hands.

Kael accepted it, weighing it.

Perfect.

It was exactly as he had described.

He grabbed the hilt and pulled out the blade.

It gleamed, a cool, luminous moon-steel that caught the firelight, giving it a graceful yet deadly look.

Kael then focused on the blade as a string of text relating to it popped up in front of him.

...

[Name: Umbracrescent]

[Type: Sword – One-handed]

[Grade: Uncommon – Runesmithed]

Forged beneath the veiled moons of Myrraden and laced with silverfold rune traces, this blade hums faintly with latent lunar essence.

[Attributes:]

+6 Agility

+8 Strength

+5 health

[Passive Effects:]

Lunar Veil - Slightly obscures movement under moonlight or low light, increasing dodge chance by 5%.

Shadow Slash - 5% chance for a first strike to be shadowed by another, dealing 50% increased damage.

Heavy Hitter - 2% chance for a random strike to deal 120% more damage.

[Active Effects:]

Arc of Silence - Unleashes a wide, silent arc slash that briefly slows enemies on hit.(Cool down time:10 Seconds)

Energizer - Can be used to store energy from moonlight, which can then be slowly transferred to the wielder in case of fatigue or loss of stamina.

...