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Faulty Contract
Chapter 16 – Stone Circle
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The team returned to the edge of the Black Forest as dusk approached.
The two survivors were transported back to the academy that very night.
Their injuries were severe but not life-threatening.
The official mission was complete.
At least… on paper.
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But the next morning—
Elias received an order to report to the Council.
Not a routine report.
A confidential hearing.
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The stone chamber was cold.
Five elders sat around a round table.
No insignia.
No students.
No public records.
Only Elias.
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One spoke first.
"Your report says there was a third party in the forest."
"Correct."
"Could they have been targeting the academy?"
"No."
Elias paused.
"They were targeting Rei."
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No one seemed surprised.
An older elder spoke slowly:
"We had guessed as much."
Elias looked up.
"Then why still send students into that area?"
A few seconds of silence.
The man replied:
"To see how they would react."
---
Elias understood.
His team—
Was bait.
Not for magical beasts.
For the system gap hunters.
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"Do you know who they are?" Elias asked.
An elder said:
"An unofficial research group."
"They believe the summoning system has limits."
"And Rei is the proof."
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Elias clenched his fists.
"You're letting them experiment on students."
"No."
The elder looked him in the eye.
"We are observing both sides."
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A magical screen appeared in the center of the room.
An image showed up.
The stone circle the woman had mentioned.
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Elias frowned.
"This is…?"
"A soul-filtering formation."
One elder explained:
"Very ancient structure."
"Used to classify beings during summoning."
Elias understood immediately.
It was the foundation of the academy's entire summoning system.
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"So what are they doing with it?"
"Testing a hypothesis."
The elder looked at Elias.
"What happens if Rei is placed at the center of that formation?"
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Elias's voice was cold.
"You want to see if he is human."
"No."
"We want to know what kind he is."
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Elias recalled the woman's words in the forest.
> "You don't have the scent of humans."
And the system always recorded:
> Classification: ERROR
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Another elder continued:
"The soul-filtering formation cannot be wrong."
"If Rei steps inside…"
"We will have the answer."
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Elias stood.
"No."
The room fell silent.
He continued:
"You are talking about a person."
"Not a test subject."
An elder looked at him.
"You are attached."
"That is not good for your magic."
---
Elias said nothing.
He knew they were right.
His shadow magic—
Required no emotional attachment.
But that wasn't the issue.
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An elder spoke calmly:
"We are not forcing him."
"Just bring Rei to the stone circle."
"The final decision will be his."
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Elias froze.
"You… will let him choose?"
"Yes."
"That is the fairest way."
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Outside the council chamber—
Rei sat on the stone steps.
He wasn't called in.
But he knew the meeting was happening.
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A student passed by.
Whispered to a friend:
"Is he really human?"
"I heard even the beasts in the forest didn't recognize him."
"So… what is he?"
---
Rei did not react.
These questions—
Had been appearing more frequently recently.
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The council doors opened.
Elias stepped out.
His gaze heavier than usual.
---
Rei looked at him.
"New mission?"
Elias paused a few seconds.
Then said:
"Yes."
"We return to the Black Forest."
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Rei stood.
No further questions.
Only said:
"When?"
Elias met his gaze.
"Tomorrow."
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Rei nodded.
As if it were an ordinary mission.
But Elias knew—
This trip was different.
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If Rei stepped into the stone circle—
The ancient system would determine the nature of his soul.
He could not hide.
He could not fake it.
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And if the result was…
Not human.
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That night.
Rei lay in bed but could not sleep.
A question repeated in his mind.
> If there were a system that could define me…
> Would I want to know?
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Internal status board updated:
> Rei (零)
Upcoming event: Soul classification test
Uncertainty level: Extremely high
A new note appeared:
> "Subject is about to face the definition of himself."
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Arc 2 continues.
And this time—
It is not combat.
But a reckoning of how Rei exists in this world.