The Grand Hall of the Imperial Academy was an architectural masterpiece of white marble, gold leaf, and floating mana-nterns that cast soft, shifting light across the vaulted ceiling. Every inch of it was designed to remind those who entered that they were small in the grand scheme of power.

  For the students of the Imperial Css, it was their birthright.

  For Zef, it was a nest of vipers wearing silk.

  As he walked toward his assigned seat at the very back, the ambient mana in the room spiked.

  Hundreds of eyes followed him — some curious, most cold and measuring.

  Invisible probes brushed against his mind like spider silk: detection spells, appraisal techniques, subtle mental scans from faculty and students alike.

  [System Notification: Entering High-Density Mana Zone]

  [Warning: 47 active detection & appraisal spells targeting Host]

  Zef felt the familiar itch across his consciousness.

  They were trying to peel back yers, to see what hid beneath the bcksmith’s son.

  ‘Persistent,’ he thought, lips curving into the faintest, coldest smirk.

  ‘System. Open the Shop. I need something to end this noise.’

  [Opening System Shop… Version 2.0 Catalog Loaded]

  [Avaible Soul Shards: 10,000 (Completion Bonus)]

  The translucent blue interface appeared only to him.

  He scrolled past forbidden artifacts, ancient scrolls, and rare elixirs until his gaze locked on one item in the Deception & Protection category.

  Item: Veil of Ordinary

  Rank: Unique (Growth Type)

  Cost: 5,000 Soul Shards

  Effect: Creates a multi-yered psychic veil around the Host’s status, mind, and aura. Any appraisal, scan, or detection spell will return falsified data: Level 15, Average Talent, Commoner Mage Affinity. Grants immunity to low- and mid-tier mental manipution and probing.

  ‘Purchase.’

  [Purchase Successful. 5,000 Soul Shards deducted]

  [Equipping Veil of Ordinary… Falsifying Mana Signature… Success]

  The moment the veil settled, the itching vanished.

  The probes slid off him like water on gss.

  To every mage and noble in the room, Zef’s aura suddenly fttened into something utterly unremarkable — a talented but ultimately ordinary commoner boy.

  He sat down in the st row, arms crossed, expression bnk.

  Around him sat the true elite of the new generation.

  In the front rows were the most prominent prodigies:

  Reian Astria — the Golden Son of the Astria Duchy — sat with perfect posture, radiating holy mana so pure it almost hurt to look at directly. His presence alone made the air feel warmer, brighter.

  Elena Valfor lounged with her boots propped on the desk, a scarred rapier leaning against her shoulder. She looked more like a sellsword who had survived too many wars than a student.

  Kaelen the Silent sat wrapped in bandages, his shadow moving slightly out of sync with his body — a quiet, unnerving presence.

  Further back sat Lirien Voss, heir to the Voss arcane dynasty, her fingers tracing invisible runes in the air absentmindedly.

  Beside her was Darius Kaelthorn, whose crimson eyes glowed faintly even in daylight, a boy rumored to have demon blood somewhere in his lineage.

  And there were others — more than a dozen students whose names already carried weight in noble circles.

  The Imperial Css was not three people.

  It was a battlefield of prodigies.

  The Headmaster ascended the podium — an ancient man whose mere presence made the mana in the room feel heavier, like a sleeping volcano.

  “Welcome, scions of the Empire,” he began, voice low but carrying effortlessly to every corner.

  “Here, your lineage is your shield. Your merit is your sword.

  There are no gentle teachers — only Masters of War and Arcane who will push you until you break… or become something greater.

  If you survive the first month, you may earn the right to call yourselves mages.”

  No flowery words.

  No promises of friendship or growth.

  Just a blunt invitation to survive or be culled.

  [New Quest Alert: The First Lesson]

  [Objective: Surpass at least three elite students in the upcoming 'Survival Assessment']

  [Reward: 5,000 Exp, Unlocking 'Soul Synthesis' Tier 1]

  As the ceremony ended, Reian Astria stood and turned slowly.

  His golden eyes found Zef at the back of the hall.

  For a fraction of a second, the falsified data of the Veil of Ordinary flickered under his gaze.

  He said nothing.

  He didn’t need to.

  The look was challenge enough — a predator recognizing another predator wearing the skin of prey.

  Zef leaned back in his seat, fingers interced behind his head.

  The System Shop was open.

  His identity was masked.

  The elite students — more than just three — were watching.

  The Silver Fox curled around his neck, two tails flicking zily.

  It hissed softly toward the golden light radiating from Reian.

  Zef’s whisper was so quiet it barely stirred the air:

  “Let the semester begin.”