The battlefield had become a scorched, shadow-stained wasteland, a testament to the brutal efficiency of my gambits. Every breath I took burned in my lungs, the air thick with the scent of ozone and dissipating magic. Across from me, her form a stark silhouette against the dying, fiery light of the virtual sky, stood Nyx—the final obstacle. Her eyes, the color of fresh blood, glowed with a mystic flame, her aura surging with a volatile, untamed power. My hands trembled, not from fear, but from sheer mana exhaustion. But I wasn't going to lose. Not now.
She raised her staff, the obsidian tip gathering a swirling vortex of black and purple flame.
I drew my blade, the shadows around it writhing in anticipation.
And then—the world exploded.
BOOM!
Fire and shadow collided in a cataclysmic blast that shook the very foundations of the battle zone. Explosions of void energy and crackling darkness lit the field as our spells and swordplay danced in a deadly, chaotic harmony. We clashed midair, her corrupted fire meeting my shadow-forged blade, her lashing winds of void energy slicing past my cloak.
"Shadow Bind!" I shouted, thrusting my hand forward, attempting to hold her in place, to create even a second of an opening.
She simply snapped her fingers, a gesture of contemptuous ease. "Mana Flash!"
A burst of pure, blinding light magic—an unexpected and brilliant counter to my darkness—erupted from her position, shattering the shadowy tendrils before they could even form. The concussive force of her spell sent me flying backward, my body tumbling through the air before I hit the dirt with a sickening thud.
[System Alert: Host HP at 17%. Structural integrity of avatar is failing.]
I struggled to my feet, my vision swimming, blood dripping from my lips.
"Still standing?" she taunted, her voice a low, amused purr.
"Always," I spat, wiping the blood from my chin with the back of my glove.
We rushed at each other again, our forms blurs of black and purple.
SLASH—FWOOSH—BLOCK—PARRY—EXPLODE.
It was a frantic, desperate dance. It felt endless—like we were twisted reflections of each other, perfect, mirrored destruction. Her staff glowed with the power of the void, my shadows pulsed with a desperate, hungry energy. Every movement took a toll, every attack hurt, every parry sent a jolt of pain through my battered frame.
Then—I overextended. A desperate lunge, a gamble that didn't pay off. She sidestepped, her movement fluid and impossibly fast, and slammed the butt of her staff into my ribs.
[System Alert: Host HP has dropped to 4%. Ejection protocol imminent.]
The world dimmed, the vibrant colors of the battlefield fading to a dull, muted gray. I fell to one knee, my breath catching in my throat, my vision tunneling. This is it...
But Nyx didn't deliver the final strike.
Instead… she lowered her staff, her own body flickering with the tell-tale signs of mana exhaustion.
"I surrender," she whispered, the words barely audible over the ringing in my ears.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
She walked toward me slowly, bits of her avatar's code beginning to flake away from her frame like dying embers.
"You're impressive, Ashen Crimson… You won fair and square. I have no mana left." She offered a small, genuine smile, a look of grudging respect in her crimson eyes. "I didn't lose because I was weak. I lost… because you were stronger today."
With that, her form dissolved into a shower of virtual dust, returning to the real world.
[VR Message: Congratulations. Trial Cleared. Final Rank: #1. Ejecting Player…]
Exit
My eyes snapped open.
The cool, sterile air of the VR chamber filled my lungs. The low hum of the capsule's machinery replaced the roar of battle. The headset detached with a soft hiss.
I was back—in the real world, surrounded by the cold, blue light of the laboratory.
I sat up, my body aching with a phantom pain that was all too real.
Only to find myself surrounded.
The Whitehounds, Eren and Noora. Rin. Seraphina. Liora Nowa. Cecilia Thorne. Juliana. Even the professors, including the perpetually unimpressed Professor Vael. They all stood there, their expressions a mixture of shock, awe, and grudging respect.
I stood, my legs still trembling slightly, and walked toward the broadcast camera at the far end of the room. I stared straight into its lens—into the eyes of the entire academy, of the entire world.
"This… is just the beginning," I said, my voice low, steady, and filled with an unshakable conviction.
"If anyone dares to fight me—this is your warning. Plot behind my back? Form alliances? It doesn't matter. You'll lose."
"And if you're wondering why you lost… let me make it clear: it wasn't your fault."
I let a slow, predatory smile spread across my face.
"It was your parents' fault… for giving birth to you in my era."
"My ruling era."
"I will continue to reign. I will continue to rise."
"So give up your hopes… before I crush them."
Gasps rippled through the room. Silence. Shock.
Only Nyx and Cecilia, who had just exited their own pods, weren't stunned. They were smiling, a shared look of amusement and understanding passing between them, as if they'd seen something they already believed to be true.
I looked away, a private smirk on my own face. "Fuck this system," I muttered under my breath. "*If those two ever propose to me—I'll use the previous Ashen method. What was it again? Oh, right—sleep with me, Liora. Hah. LOL."*
Aftermath
I returned to my inn room, the adrenaline finally fading, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
I collapsed onto the bed.
And slept like a baby.
When I woke up, my academy watch was flooded with notifications.
Hundreds of messages from unknown numbers. My DMs had overflowed. Dozens of missed calls—even from distant Crimson family members who had barely acknowledged my existence before.
Now they see me.
I scrolled past all the noise, deleting message after message without reading them.
Then I saw the official academy notification:
[Academy Message]
Congratulations. Your combined score for the entrance examination is 1st overall.
Assigned Class: 1A
Starting Ceremony: Tomorrow, 8 AM
Your official uniform and Rank 1 insignia will be delivered to your registered address shortly.
[System Notification: Main Quest Completed - 'Academy Conquest - Phase 1']
▸ Reward: [Lightning Affinity] Unlocked
▸ Reward: All Core Attributes +30 (Distributed Automatically)
[USER STATUS PANEL – UPDATED]
Name: Ashen Crimson
Rank: C
Class: Shadowbound Duelist
Subclass: Tactical Summoner
➤ ATTRIBUTES:
▸ Strength: C
▸ Mana: SS+
▸ Agility: C
▸ Intelligence: S
▸ Charisma: S
▸ Luck: E+
➤ AFFINITIES:
▸ Shadow (Advanced - 55%)
▸ Lightning (Novice - Unlocked)
▸ ???
➤ ACTIVE SKILLS:
▸ [Shadow Echo]
▸ [Shadow Bind]
▸ [Bomb Shadow Creation]
▸ [Echo Step]
▸ [Shadow Pierce]
▸ [Shadow Slip]
▸ [Return to Shadows]
▸ [Lightning Barrage (S-Rank)]
▸ [Shadow Army (Innate)]
➤ SUMMONS:
▸ Volkin (Rank D+)
▸ Shadow Minions (4)
➤ PASSIVES:
▸ [Mana-Body Sync Boost (+20%)]
▸ [Lightning Affinity (C)]