The white space trembled faintly.

Hundreds of Astralis Arcanum students stood scattered across the endless brightness, their figures small against the infinite void. The echo of the mysterious woman's voice still lingered in the air—

"Competition of the Conscious Nexus!"

A wave of confusion erupted instantly.

"What competition!?"

"Is this some kind of joke!?"

"Send us back—NOW!"

"This… this has to be a dream, right? RIGHT!?"

"Someone pinch me—AH! NOT SO HARD!"

Chaos spread in seconds.

Some panicked.

Some trembled.

Some tried running, only to find their steps leading nowhere.

Some crouched on the floor, covering their heads.

And some… simply stared blankly, unable to understand any of it.

Amid the noise, Ron, Lia, Selene, and Jax stood together in a small circle — each trying to process the situation.

Ron scanned the endless space.

"There's no exit. No walls. Nothing."

Lia held her hands close to her chest, silver-tinted hair glowing faintly in the bright space.

"This feels… too real to be a dream."

Jax exhaled sharply, running a hand through his chestnut hair.

"Why us? Who would drag an entire dorm of students here…?"

Selene bit her lip, voice low.

"This presence… whoever that woman is, she's not normal."

Before any of them could speak again—

DING—

The cheerful yet unsettlingly calm voice of the mysterious woman returned, echoing across the blank space.

"Everyone, attention please~!"

The students froze.

"You all… have been chosen to participate in this wonderful competition."

"CHOSEN!? By who!?"

"What for!?"

"At least explain something—!"

The voice continued, ignoring the questions entirely.

"And the winner…"

Her tone brightened dramatically, like she was announcing the grand prize on a stage.

"…will receive a unique and powerful artifact!"

Silence.

Then—

"Artifact…?"

"A powerful one?"

"W-wait, what level are we talking about? Legendary? Mythic?"

"A real artifact!?"

Even those who were panicking a moment ago slowly lifted their heads.

Excitement crept into their eyes.

Temptation.

Curiosity.

After all, in Astralis Arcanum, even touching an artifact was a privilege.

Owning one?

A dream most mages would never achieve.

And now a mysterious entity was offering one as a prize?

Whispers spread like wildfire.

"Maybe this competition is worth it…"

"I mean, if the reward is real…"

"Artifact… an actual artifact…"

"If we win… our futures would be made!"

Jax frowned deeply.

"This isn't good… People are getting hooked."

Selene nodded with a worried look.

"It's intentional. Temptation to control the crowd. Whoever she is… she knows exactly how to handle people."

Ron clenched his fists.

"I don't like this at all…"

Lia's eyes narrowed, sensing something deeper.

"Something… is wrong."

But the voice only laughed lightly, as if enjoying the growing mix of fear and excitement.

The competition was about to begin.

Astralis Arcanum – Teachers' Residence

Zane's Room

From the outside, Zane's room looked completely normal — quiet, tidy, and empty as always.

Exactly what a student or teacher passing by would expect.

But inside…

The entire room was wrapped in a thick blue mana barrier, humming softly like a giant heartbeat.

It sealed the room completely — soundproof, sense-proof, even resistant to spatial detection.

Inside that sealed environment, Zane sat comfortably on a chair, one arm resting on the armrest, the other lazily supporting his chin.

Before him floated a massive holographic screen, projected from a sleek grey laptop on his desk — the surface engraved with a glowing, stylized Z.

On the screen:

The white space.

Hundreds of panicked students.

Voices overlapping.

Selene clutching her chest.

Ron scanning the surroundings.

Lia calming herself.

Jax confused and annoyed.

The entire scene played out clearly, as if Zane were watching a livestream.

He exhaled softly.

"Looks lively."

Beside him hovered Eira — the real one — her holographic projection floating a few inches above his technowatch.

She was holding a tiny holographic mic, shimmering with pink sparkles.

Eira leaned slightly toward the screen and cleared her throat dramatically.

"Khm—khm~!

Participants, get ready!

The explanation for the Competition of the Conscious Nexus is about to begin~!"

Her cheerful voice echoed into the white space, but her body remained right beside Zane, not inside the void.

Zane raised an eyebrow.

"…Why are you using a mic? Your voice already projects directly."

Eira puffed her cheeks.

"It feels more professional, Boss! Like a real host announcer!"

Zane stared.

Expression blank.

William stood on the table nearby — monocle glinting, cane held politely — watching Eira's performance with fascination.

"Boss…" William whispered. "Is she supposed to sound this enthusiastic?"

Zane leaned back in his chair, expression thoughtful.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Her personality's changed quite a bit from what she originally was."

William tilted his head. "Originally?"

Zane nodded slowly.

"Before… she was a mortal-hating immortal goddess."

His voice remained calm.

"She absolutely despised anything troublesome and would never do something like hosting a competition."

William blinked several times.

"…And now she's… like this?"

Eira, still ignoring both of them, raised her tiny mic again.

In a bright, enthusiastic tone, she announced into the white void:

"All contestants, please calm down and remain where you are~!

Your instructions will be given shortly!"

On the screen, dozens of students jolted in surprise.

Some screamed.

Some shouted questions.

Some panicked even more.

Zane watched with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"So begins the Conscious Nexus."

He leaned back in his chair.

"And let's see who survives this round."

The blue mana barrier pulsed faintly, sealing the room tighter.

No one in Astralis Arcanum would know what was happening here.

Not yet.

--

The white space trembled with noise.

Students were shouting, panicking, or shaking their heads in disbelief.

Some backed away, others tried running, but no matter where they moved, everything remained the same blank white.

Ron, Lia, Selene, and Jax stood close together.

All four wore tense expressions—except Jax, who looked like he still hadn't fully processed the situation.

Then Eira's cheerful voice echoed again, bright and loud:

"Okay participants~! Time to explain the rules of this competition!"

Her words rolled through the space, cutting through the chaos.

Slowly, the students fell silent.

Eira continued:

"The competition will be held in teams of four.

You may create a team with anyone you want… until the timer ends.

After that, teams will be decided automatically."

A wave of murmurs followed.

Some students gulped.

Some clenched their fists.

"There will be three phases," Eira said.

"Tests based on teamwork, individual strength, and quick thinking."

That statement put even more pressure on the atmosphere.

Students exchanged glances, realizing this wasn't going to be easy.

"The stages will be difficult. And yes— you can die here."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"But don't panic!" Eira added quickly.

"If you die here, you won't die in the real world…"

A sigh of relief spread—

until she finished the sentence.

"…but you will forget everything that happens in the Conscious Nexus."

Confusion returned immediately.

Some students looked horrified.

Others looked angry.

And some were just stunned.

Eira raised her voice again:

"If more than one team clears all three phases,

there will be a final round—

a Team Battle Royale!"

The words hit the crowd like a thunderbolt.

Shouting started again.

Some students panicked, others pumped their fists in excitement.

"Only ONE team of four," Eira announced,

"will win the final prize—

a unique and powerful artifact!"

At those words, the entire white space shifted.

Fear was replaced with greed.

Excitement mixed with tension.

Everyone understood how high the stakes were now.

Ron stayed rigid, jaw tight.

Lia's fingers trembled slightly.

Selene took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

And Jax looked around dumbly.

"…So… when does this start?" he muttered.

Selene stared at him in disbelief.

"How are you calm right now!?"

Jax blinked.

"I'm not calm. I'm just waiting for it to start, I mean we can't do anything else, right ?"

Selene dragged a hand down her face, sighing deeply at Jax's confused reaction.

"…You're impossible."

There was no point arguing with him right now. Everyone around them was tense, and her patience was hanging by a thread.

Before any of them could speak again, the mysterious woman's voice echoed smoothly through the endless white space.

Bright, cheerful, and completely unfitting for the situation.

"Alright, participants~! It's time to form your teams of four!"

The announcement rolled across the void, causing the already tense crowd to stiffen.

The voice continued:

"If you want to team up with your friends, simply stand together in a circle… and raise your hands."

A flicker of movement rippled through the students.

Some immediately ran to their friends.

Some hesitated, scanning the area for someone they trusted.

Others simply froze, unsure what to do.

Ron turned first, eyes settling on the three people he trusted most here.

Lia met his gaze, worry in her eyes but a quiet resolve behind it.

Selene looked between them, taking a steady breath.

Jax caught all their stares and blinked before giving a small, awkward nod.

Without needing to speak, they stepped closer and formed a small circle.

Ron lifted his hand slightly.

"On three. One… two…"

All four raised their hands together.

A soft pulse of energy spread under their feet.

Light gathered around them — gentle at first, then brighter as it wrapped their group in a glowing ring.

Selene's eyes widened as the glow strengthened.

"…So this means we're recognized."

Lia exhaled slowly, relief and tension mixing on her face.

"It's official, then. We're a team."

Jax tilted his head, watching the glow with mild fascination.

"Huh… kinda cool."

Ron allowed himself a small nod, though his jaw remained tight.

"This works."

Around them, more circles of light began appearing as other students completed their groups.

Some groups glowed brightly with confidence, while others flickered with hesitation and fear.

Formations took shape one after another, filling the white space with clusters of faintly shining teams.

The atmosphere shifted noticeably.

The panic softened.

The confusion faded.

What remained was a tense, focused anticipation.

The first step of the Conscious Nexus had begun.

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