(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

Power stones people, Gimme it.

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-DETECTED HOST'S RESOLVE

-QUEST GENERATED

-Deep sense:

Develop a means of breaking through bloodline Spatial Veil without use of any system given skill.

DURATION: 3 years

REWARD: Random.

ACCEPT/DENY?

Orion glanced at the newly generated mission with a faint smile.

But the smile got tempered when he looked at the duration of the mission. Three years was an unbelievable amount of time compared to how long he thought it'd take.

He seriously had to reconsider the difficulty of the task he'd just been assigned, it wasn't the longest duration he'd been assigned a mission but the system assigning such a long period of time knowing he wasn't even sure where to begin was a scary sign.

He just sighed.

He glanced at the time on his bracelet. The glowing digits read: 09:12. The meeting was at ten. Enough time to grab something light to eat and head down to the lobby.

He stepped outside his room, the door shutting quietly behind him.

Orion stepped into the hallway, adjusting the hem of his uniform as he headed toward the dining hall. The air was warmer now, filled with the gentle hum of morning activity. A few doors around him opened as other first-years filtered out, some still looking half-asleep, others already energized.

He spotted Caelum ahead, standing near the staircase with that familiar posture—straight back, hands loosely clasped behind him, alert even at this hour. Orion walked up beside him, and Caelum offered a small nod.

"Good morning, young master."

"Morning," Orion replied. "Breakfast?"

Caelum fell into step beside him without question.

They reached the dining hall a minute later. The wide double doors slid open at their approach, revealing a spacious room lined with neat seating clusters. The aroma of warm bread, citrus, and lightly spiced tea filled the air.

But it wasn't the food Orion noticed first.

It was the faces.

Some familiar from the previous day, some unfamiliar, and a few missing entirely.

"Dorm reshuffling," Caelum murmured, following his gaze. "The results of the trial were finalized last night."

Orion didn't need further explanation.

He scanned the room a second time, this time counting.

Eight… nine… maybe ten changes at most.

Most of the new faces belonged to first-years he vaguely recognized from the trial—those with good performance. The ones who had been here originally remained. Orion wasn't surprised. Magnum One was already filled with exceptional students from the Chronos branches.

The academy didn't make impulsive rearrangements.

As he moved forward to pick out food, he froze subtly.

Kaelen.

The boy was seated at a corner table, posture impeccable, eyes sharp even in the middle of breakfast. Kaelen glanced up at the same moment—just a flicker of recognition, nothing more. Their gazes met briefly.

Kaelen looked away deliberately.

Orion smiled, slightly amused.

He didn't mind.

They hadn't ended on good terms in the trial arena, and Margaret's words rang faintly in his mind:

He'll come for revenge.

Orion had no issue with that. If Kaelen wanted another attempt, he'd take it head-on.

"Are we sitting here?" Caelum asked, indicating an empty table off to the side.

"Yeah, this works."

They set down their trays—Orion's lighter, Caelum's neat and precise with a surprisingly balanced selection of food. Orion took a sip of warm tea before speaking.

"So," he began, "plans for today?"

Caelum straightened further. "Outer Magnums. Two and three. I'll begin with an environmental sweep, then move on to the public facilities—shops, gyms, arenas, courtyards. I'll map out the safest routes and likely student congregation spots. If there's a senior population shift, I'll note that too."

Orion nodded. "Makes sense."

"You?" Caelum asked.

"Library," Orion said simply.

Caelum didn't question it. "You should find plenty of material. 200 years worth of knowledge condensed into one place."

Orion huffed softly. "Supposedly." Though he couldn't hide the tinge of excitement in his voice.

"Any other thoughts on the orientation?" Caelum asked after a moment.

"Nothing surprising," Orion replied. "But helpful. The floor restriction system is well-designed. The sigil access rules make things predictable. And the seventh floor…" He paused. "…that's where everything gets interesting."

Caelum agreed with a curt dip of his head. "Miss Rhaena's explanation was thorough."

"It was," Orion said. "We'll get used to the place quickly."

They ate in brief silence. More students trickled into the hall, some laughing, some whispering nervously, some still examining their new bracelets as if they were priceless artifacts.

Orion observed the room out of habit—not out of paranoia, just natural inclination. The reshuffling was minimal, but the shift in atmosphere was noticeable. A few students carried themselves with new confidence. Others seemed uncertain about their sudden relocation. Orion didn't dwell on it long.

When they finished, they left the dining hall and made their way out of the dorm.

Selene and Seris arrived at almost the same moment—Selene calm and composed as usual, Seris noticeably more energetic, probably due to the early morning buzz of the academy.

"You both took long enough," Seris complained.

"We arrived at the same time," Caelum replied with a raised brow.

"No one asked you, Caelum."

Caelum opened his mouth to retort but Seris just silenced him with her finger.

Selene sighed.

Orion ignored their bickering and instead addressed all of them. "We know the plan. From today, we start covering ground separately and regroup at the end of the week."

Seris nodded. "Second floor lounge, here I come."

Selene smoothed her hair back. "First floor for me. I'll attend the lecture and gather information on the departments."

Caelum looked to Orion.

"Outer Magnums," he said simply.

"And you?" Seris asked Orion, even though she already knew.

"Seventh floor," he replied.

Selene gave him an approving nod. Seris wrinkled her nose. Caelum showed no reaction.

They walked together toward the Main Spire.

At the entrance, the colossal structure rose above them—sleek, towering, and threaded with runic patterns that shimmered faintly with spatial power. Students flowed in and out like a steady river, bracelets glowing softly as they passed the sigil checkpoints.

"See you all later?" Orion asked.

"Yes, sir." Seris replied with a salute.

Orion offered a small smile and turned toward the nearest sigil terminal. The panel lit up as he raised his wrist. His bracelet glowed in response.

ACCESS: FLOOR SEVEN — PERMITTED

SIGIL ACTIVATING…

STAND BY…

The floor beneath him lit with delicate runes, and a cool sensation washed through his limbs.

A breath.

A flicker.

Then the world dissolved.

For a heartbeat, he was weightless—caught in a smooth, soundless transition of space folding and unfolding.

When the light around him settled and the pressure equalized, he found himself standing on polished marble unlike any he had seen yet. The air was cool, still, and faintly perfumed with something ancient—ink, parchment.

He raised his eyes.

And froze.

The Grand Library stretched before him, vast beyond comprehension. It wasn't a hall. It wasn't a room.

It was a world.

Gigantic shelves spiraled upward like wooden towers carved from starlight, some disappearing so high into the ceiling that his eyes couldn't trace their tops. Wide bridges of white stone arched between shelf clusters, crossing above and beneath each other like an elegant maze. Floating platforms drifted lazily between levels, each carrying stacks of books or students deep in study.

Soft blue lanterns floated in the air, shedding gentle light without flame. The silence was absolute—thick, reverent, almost holy.

Orion gulped without meaning to.

It was overwhelming.

In the best possible way.

He stepped forward slowly, feeling as though he had walked straight into the heart of knowledge itself.

His mind sparked with excitement.

"This…" he whispered under his breath, "…is perfect."

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