Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Simulation Key
After leaving Sean behind, Kael continued walking through the academy grounds.
The stone path beneath his boots was damp with dew, and the air carried the faint scent of polished metal and crushed grass. Students still milled around in clusters near the dormitories, but the isolated section where the duel had taken place was eerily quiet now. No one had seen. No one needed to.
Sean was still lying unconscious in the isolated section of the academy. His body lay crumpled against the wall, both arms gone from the wrist down. In reality, the severed limbs were still attached, untouched. The blood pooling beneath him was an illusion, but the terror on his face had been very real.
From the moment Sean had turned around during their duel, he had already been trapped inside Kael’s illusion. Kael hadn’t needed to swing his blade more than twice. The rest was done by manipulating Sean’s senses, twisting his perception until he believed every cut, every loss of flesh, every moment of agony.
The fight itself had been real. The clash of steel, the shift of weight, the timing of each strike – Kael had moved his body, read Sean’s openings and punish them
The fear had been real. Kael had seen it bloom in Sean’s eyes the moment he realized that Kael was adapting and copying his technique the rest became easier.
The pain had been real. Illusions didn’t create physical wounds, but the brain didn’t know that. Sean’s nervous system had reacted as if his arms had been sliced off. The shock alone had been enough to drop him.
But the beheading? That had been nothing more than an illusion. A flick of Kael’s wrist, a burst of demonic mana, and Sean’s vision had gone black as his mind registered a blade through the neck.
A demonstration. A warning.
Kael’s red eyes briefly glowed. The light faded almost as fast as it appeared, swallowed by the shadow of his bangs. He stared down at Sean’s twitching form and exhaled slowly.
"Killing him now would create unnecessary complications with the Velvet Gang," Kael murmured. The words were barely audible, meant only for himself. "He can go to the infirmary to heal his arms." The Academy’s wards would regenerate the illusionary damage within the hour. Sean would wake up sore, humiliated, and convinced he’d died with a bit of trauma nothing much.
He looked back in the direction he had come from. The main courtyard was visible in the distance, students moving like ants between buildings. No one was looking this way.
"But I will kill him eventually." His voice was flat. No anger, no malice. Just a fact, like stating the time of day. "Lilith is mine."
His voice was calm. Almost casual. As if discussing the weather. That was the part that disturbed him most – how easy it had become to say things like that and mean them. The Demonic Seed inside his Mana Core stirred, pleased by the resolve. Kael ignored it.
The illusion surrounding Sean would break eventually. When it did, Sean would wake up believing he had experienced death itself. The memory would be burned into him: the cold of the blade, the rush of blood, the moment his head left his shoulders. Hopefully that would be enough to make him stay away till his death day.
Kael adjusted the academy badge attached to his uniform and continued toward the Staff Faculty Building. The badge was cool against his fingers. It tracked his location, recorded his duels, stored his merit points. Right now, it held proof of what he’d done to Sean. He wasn’t worried. The system would log it as a sanctioned duel. That was all that mattered.
His objective hadn’t changed. He still needed access to the academy’s VR Simulation System. The thought of it pushed the Sean problem to the back of his mind. Although learning illusion magic from Lilith had improved his combat options significantly, his biggest advantage remained [Perfect Copy]. The ability let him replicate any technique he witnessed, as long as he had the mana to fuel it.
And the fastest way to abuse that ability was through the academy’s combat simulations. It was the perfect training ground for [Perfect Copy].
As he walked toward the building, a familiar purple-haired girl suddenly stepped into his path. The movement was abrupt, deliberate. She’d been waiting.
Kael stopped.
Charlotte folded her arms. Her expression was a mix of annoyance and exhaustion, the kind someone got after chasing down a person who refused to stay put.
Kael immediately recognized the look on her face. She had been searching for him.
"What do you want now?" he asked.
Charlotte’s eye twitched. "What do you mean what do I want?" Her voice was sharp. "You were the one who told me to meet you for training today. Meanwhile you’ve just been wandering around the school like a hobo."
Kael nodded thoughtfully. "That’s fair."
Charlotte looked even more annoyed. "That’s not a compliment."
"Well, something important came up."
Charlotte stared at him suspiciously. Her gaze flicked past him, toward the direction of the Staff Faculty Building. "You were heading toward the Staff Faculty."
Kael nodded. "Yeah."
"There’s something I plan on getting."
Charlotte tilted her head. "What exactly?"
"Access to the school’s VR Simulation System."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but we need a higher rank to get access to that."
Kael shrugged. "Normally. But our class assignment was special. So Miss Stella gave me another option."
Charlotte waited, arms still folded.
"If I challenge a student to a duel and defeat them, I’ll receive access."
Charlotte thought about it. Then looked unimpressed. "I don’t see how that helps me."
"That’s because it’s not helping you." Kael’s tone was matter-of-fact. "It’s helping me."
Charlotte stared at him. "What do you mean helping you? What about me?"
Kael sighed. The sound was tired, like he’d explained this three times already. "That’s exactly why I said your early mana core awakening would create problems."
Charlotte blinked. "What problems? Isn’t this what you wanted?"
"Yes, but you learn too quickly."
Charlotte looked pleased at that. A small smile tugged at her lips.
Kael looked tired. He gestured with his head toward the Staff Building. "Come on."
Together they continued toward the Staff Faculty Building. The large building was considerably quieter than the student areas. The walls were made of pale stone, reinforced with runes that dampened sound and magic. Most teachers were either grading reports, preparing assignments, or handling academy paperwork, but most of their focus was on the incoming Students Tournament. Posters lined the walls advertising brackets, dates, and prizes.
The moment Kael stepped through the entrance, he spotted Stella. She was standing behind a tall desk, stacks of parchment threatening to collapse around her. She looked like she had already had a very long day.
Charlotte waved politely. "Miss Stella."
Stella immediately noticed them. Her eyes narrowed slightly when they landed on Kael.
"So what are we doing here?" Charlotte asked, glancing between them.
Kael stared at her. For some reason she resembled a pink starfish. Or maybe a goldfish. due to the stupidness of the question.
Deciding not to comment, Kael walked past faster than Charlotte and headed straight for Stella’s office.
Knock. Knock.
The door opened before he could knock a third time.
"Oh, you’re back." The voice was smooth, melodic, and laced with something dangerous.
Kael immediately felt a chill run down his spine. There was only one person who could make a simple greeting sound threatening.
"Miss Lyra."
The elf floated comfortably inside the office, legs crossed in midair.
"Wow. You’re looking pretty as ever today."
Lyra smiled. "Oh Kael. Aren’t you looking adorable today?" She clasped her hands together dramatically. "That’s what you sound like."
Kael immediately frowned. "Flattery won’t get you anywhere. Especially after the stunt you pulled."
He pointed accusingly. "But you assaulted a student."
Charlotte looked between them, completely confused. "Um... Kael. Who is she?"
Lyra immediately turned. For the first time noticing Charlotte. Her eyes sparkled. "Oh. I didn’t notice this cutie."
Charlotte froze. "Cutie?" Her cheeks instantly turned pink.
Lyra floated over, graceful and silent. "Aww. You’re adorable. Don’t let Kael ruin your cute personality."
Kael looked offended. "You’ve known me for one day."
"That’s all the time I needed." Lyra answered immediately. "To know you’re a bad influence."
Charlotte nodded without hesitation. "Yes."
Kael stared at her. "Traitor."
Charlotte looked away, still blushing.
Lyra looked victorious. The office door opened again.
Stella came out. She immediately saw Lyra practically attached to Charlotte.
"You really enjoy meeting my students, don’t you? Don’t you have work to attend to? Or do your students not disturb you?"
Lyra shrugged. "Well they do visit occasionally. But I avoid most of them."
Stella stared. "You avoid your students?"
"Most of them are geniuses anyway. Or special talents from influential families. A few pointers here and there are usually enough. I don’t really see any reason to get involved, they don’t need me that much."
Stella rubbed her forehead. For some reason, talking to Lyra always gave her a headache. Eventually her attention shifted back to Kael.
"Alright. You can’t tell me you already found a student from Class A or Class B to defeat."
Kael smirked. The arrogant expression immediately made Stella suspicious.
"But I did." He handed over his badge. The academy badge was one of the most important items issued to students. It tracked their location, stored their merit points, recorded official duels, and functioned as identification throughout the academy. Whenever two students accepted a duel, the badges automatically recorded the battle through specialized runic enchantments. The process itself was complicated enough that Kael had stopped trying to understand it.
Stella cast a verification spell over the badge. A small projection appeared in the air, replaying the duel in miniature. She studied it for several moments. Her expression didn’t change, but her shoulders dropped slightly.
Then she sighed. A very long sigh.
"You didn’t defeat a first-year."
Kael blinked. "Oh."
"You idiot." Stella rubbed her forehead. "You defeated Rank 434 in the second year, not a first year."
Charlotte’s eyes widened. "What?"
Lyra gasped dramatically. "You see! I knew it. You have absolutely no respect for your elders."
Kael immediately groaned.
Lyra pointed at him. "You ambushed some poor second-year while he was using the bathroom. I knew you were a bad influence on Cutie."
Charlotte looked horrified.
Kael looked offended. "It was a duel. And stop making up stories about me. I never assaulted anyone in the bathroom."
Lyra ignored him completely.
Charlotte looked uncertain. "Wait. So he really beat a second-year?" She asked.
Stella nodded. "Apparently."
Kael frowned. "So that’s why." While playing the game as Leon, he had never encountered Sean. The academy had contained thousands of students. Missing one wasn’t surprising. Still, realizing Sean had been a second-year explained quite a few things.
"Do I get my reward?" Kael asked.
Stella stared at him. Then sighed again. "Yes. Do whatever you want. I’ll handle the paperwork."
She paused. "If I don’t give you what you want, you’ll probably challenge another student and maybe assault them in the bathroom for real this time."
Kael looked offended. "Hey. I’m not like that."
Both Lyra and Stella stared at him. Neither looked convinced.
Kael clicked his tongue. "Thank you, teacher." Then he left before they could say anything else.
Charlotte hurried after him. Her steps were quick, and she kept glancing back at the office.
Soon only Stella and Lyra remained inside the office. The atmosphere immediately became quieter. The playful energy drained from the room.
Lyra’s playful smile disappeared. "I’m guessing you sensed it this time."
Stella narrowed her eyes. "Yes. That girl has formed a mana core. And awakened her affinity..."
Stella stopped. The situation genuinely didn’t make sense. "If she had awakened that affinity earlier, she wouldn’t have remained in Class D."
Lyra nodded. Then turned toward Stella. "Do you actually possess some secret technique that allows students to form mana cores in a day? Or are there suddenly hidden geniuses appearing throughout your class?"
Stella stared at her. Then rolled her eyes. "Stop being stupid. I barely studied magic. How would I know something like that?"
Lyra laughed softly. Then turned toward the door. "I’ll keep an eye on those two."
Stella didn’t answer. She was already thinking about something else. Specifically the duel recording.
After Lyra left, Stella activated the badge projection again. The recording began to play. Kael’s movements flickered across the air, fast and precise.
And for the first time that day – Stella looked genuinely interested.
