When Haruto opened his eyes the next morning, he didn't wake up to the sound of an annoying alarm clock or the boring silence of a cheap hostel. Instead, he found Asobi standing silently beside his bed, her porcelain face illuminated by the soft morning light.
"Good morning" she said softly, her voice echoing with a calm elegance.
With a simple wave of her hand, the heavy obsidian curtains glided open. Sunlight flooded the King's Chamber, reflecting off the gold trimmings and making the room feel alive. As Haruto swung his legs over the side of the bed, he noticed several racks of incredibly expensive, vintage clothes—velvet capes, silk tunics, and gold-stitched robes that belonged to the manor's previous royal owners.
Haruto rubbed his eyes and sighed.
"These are a bit much, Asobi. I'm just going to school. I just need my plain school uniform."
Asobi tilted her head, her eyes flickering with magic.
"As you wish. The royal attire is archived. Initializing 'Student uniform'."
A swirl of blue mana swept across the room, and in an instant, his familiar school uniform appeared, hovering perfectly pressed and smelling of fresh ozone.
Haruto headed into the bathroom, which Asobi had already prepared. The tub was filled with Mineral-Rich Mana Water at exactly 40°C. As he soaked, he could feel the water working its magic; it wasn't just washing away dirt, it was polishing his skin until it had a faint, healthy glow. When he stepped out and returned to the bedroom, he didn't even have to reach for his clothes.
"Allow me," Asobi whispered.
With a flick of her fingers, the uniform pieces glided onto Haruto's body, buttoning themselves with mathematical precision. His hair, usually a bit messy, was swept into a perfectly "tip-top" style by a gentle gust of enchanted air. When he looked in the mirror, he looked sharper than he ever had in his life—his skin looked flawless, and his eyes carried a new, focused intensity.
"You look like a King hiding in a student's skin," Asobi remarked, sounding genuinely impressed.
Haruto sat down, but instead of digging in, he looked at Asobi seriously.
"Listen, Asobi," Haruto said, his voice calm but firm. "I know you want to help me, and I appreciate the 'Premium Service.' But tell me one thing... If you do everything for me, what am I supposed to do? If you automate my whole life, I'm going to get bored out of my mind. Plus, I'll get lazy, and a lazy player is a dead player."
looking her in the eye."Today is fine because it's your first day. But from tomorrow? I'm doing things myself. I need to keep my 'Manual Controls' sharp. I don't want to become an NPC in my own house."
Asobi paused, her pipe hovering near her lips. She hadn't expected a Master to refuse luxury. "You wish to maintain your own 'Latency', Boss? I understand. A King who forgets how to sharpen his own blade is easily dethroned. I will respect your 'Manual Mode' starting tomorrow."
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Exactly. If I let her button my shirt every day, I'll lose my edge. I came to this world to play the game, not to have the game play me. Besides, 'Boredom' is the only thing that can actually delete me.
As Haruto walked downstairs, the "Mana Relief" of the house made him feel like he was walking on air. In the dining hall, a massive breakfast was already spread across the mahogany table: golden-brown toast, exotic fruits, and steaming tea that smelled like success.
The three Goddesses were already there, looking refreshed but still slightly annoyed by the house's rules. Asobi stood by Haruto's chair, her hands folded gracefully in front of her, ready to serve him while ignoring everyone else.
Haruto sat at the head of the mahogany table, taking a bite of the golden-brown toast. As he chewed, a subtle golden ripple flowed through his vision.
[ STATUS: FULLY RESTORED ]
[ TEMPORARY BUFF: +10 CHARISMA ]
"This isn't just food," Ivory remarked, her silver eyes glowing as she analyzed the steam rising from her tea.
"I can feel the 'mana' being rewritten in my veins. These are high-tier buffs, Haruto."
"Yeah, I can see that." Haruto replied, his movements feeling more deliberate and sharp.
"I guess Asobi's cooking is as 'Premium' as the mansion itself."
Ivory looked at Asobi, who was standing at attention beside Haruto's chair, ignoring everyone else with ghostly elegance.
"It's more than that. This meal wasn't prepared by a normal person; it was crafted by a High-Rank Spirit. Spirits are a nearly extinct, rare species in this world. They are literal manifestations of magic—their life force is essentially Infinite Mana."
Lustra and Bellona stopped eating, their expressions becoming serious.
"Haruto," Ivory continued, leaning forward. "Since Asobi's soul is now bound to yours, there's a high probability that your mana-circuit is now connected to her infinite source. If that's true... you technically have Unlimited Mana now. You could connect your mana to thousands of people at once, boosting their levels beyond the world's limits without ever running dry."
Haruto paused, his teacup halfway to his lips. He checked his Black HUD.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Infinite Mana? That's basically a God-Mode cheat. If I have unlimited energy, why didn't I level up to 99 instantly? Why am I still just Level 3?
As if reading his thoughts, Ivory gave a small, knowing nod.
"Don't wonder why your level didn't skyrocket, Haruto. Your core... it belongs to the God of Creation himself. It's a core that cannot be altered. Messing with your core or trying to force a level-up on you is something even a Level 99 entity couldn't achieve. You grow only when you decide to overwrite your limits."
Haruto smirked, placing the cup back on its saucer with a satisfying clink.
"So, I have an infinite battery," Haruto mused.
"Yhea, I prefer it that way. I'd rather earn my levels by 'Playing' than by having a system-glitch do it for me."
Ivory, Lustra, and Bellona finished their meals, looking significantly more energized than they had in days. Despite the friction from the night before, they looked at Asobi, who was still standing at attention beside Haruto.
"The food was... acceptable. Thank you,"Ivory said.
"It was amazing! Thank you, Asobi!"Lustra chirped, giving a small wave.
Bellona simply nodded with a grunt of respect. "Good fuel."
Asobi bowed her head, her porcelain skin shimmering in the morning light. This time, there was no mockery in her voice.
"You are welcome, Goddesses. As long as you serve your boss, you shall be fed well."
She then checked a floating pocket watch made of translucent mana.
"It is time. Your academy awaits."
As they walked toward the exit, Haruto noticed the change. The thick, eerie fog that had choked the manor for centuries was gone. The sky was piercing, crystal blue. The garden, which had looked like a graveyard the day before, was now a vibrant masterpiece of royal hedges and glowing flora.
Haruto stopped for a second at the front gate, looking back at the towering manor. A small, satisfied smirk played on his lips. For the first time, he didn't feel like a player stuck in a boring grind—he felt like the Boss.
When they arrived at the Academy, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
As usual, everyone's eyes went straight to the three Goddesses. Their beauty was legendary, but today, something else was pulling the students' attention. It was Haruto.
The +10 Charisma buff wasn't just a number; it was a physical presence. He walked with a calm, effortless confidence that made him stand out like a high-resolution character in a low-poly world. His skin glowed, his uniform was flawless, and the "boring" aura he used to carry had been replaced by a chillingly elegant intensity.
"Is that... Haruto?" a group of girls whispered, their faces flushing red as he walked past. "He looks so... different."
Every girl in the hallway was stealing glances at him, their hearts racing. However, they didn't get to look for long.
Ivory narrowed her eyes, her mind-reading skill picking up every stray thought. Lustra began humming a low, charming chant that felt like a warning bell, and Bellona cracked her knuckles, her warrior aura flaring. The three of them moved closer to Haruto, surrounding him like a royal guard.
Their eyes sent a very clear message to every girl in the hall: Look no longer, and you'll be the next "one we kill.
Haruto stepped into the classroom, the usual morning chatter filling the air. As he walked toward his seat, the atmosphere shifted. The "Class Elite" was gathered in one corner, and at the center was a guy named Toya.
Toya was already a legend among the first-years. He was a late admission who had joined just a day after the orientation, but his impact was instantaneous. He wasn't just handsome; he made Kenjin look like a rough draft. While Kenjin was Level 4 and loud about it, Toya was already Level 5—a massive gap in power for a fresh student. He was a late admission student who had joined just a day late, but his handsome face and caring personality had already made every girl in the class crazy for him.
But unlike Kaelen's arrogant aura, Toya radiated a calm, warm energy. He looked kind, almost too perfect. Interestingly, his HUD was closed, keeping his detailed stats hidden from casual observers.
As Haruto walked by, Toya looked up. Instead of mocking Haruto or ignoring him like the rest of the elites, he stood up. With a genuine, welcoming smile, he walked straight toward Haruto and extended his hand for a handshake, extending his hand for a friendship.
"Hey, Haruto, right?" Toya said, "I am Toya."
His voice is kind and sincere.
"I heard some people were giving you a hard time because of your Level 1 status. Don't worry about it. I've got your back. From now on, I'll protect you."
The girls in the room swooned. To them, Toya was the perfect hero. But Haruto stood there, his eyes dull and bored, looking at the extended hand like it was a 'Friend Request' from a player he didn't know.
『 Ivory, 』 Haruto called out via telepathy, his gaze fixed on Toya. 『 Scan this guy. Give me a deep-packet inspection of his current level and his intent. Is this a script, or is he for real? 』
Ivory's voice echoed in his mind, sharp and focused. 『 Scanning..., it's incredible. His heart is pure. There is no greed, no hidden malice, and no ego. His Level 5 status —it's the literal definition of pure talent and back-breaking hard work. He genuinely wants to be your friend because he thinks you're a 'vulnerable' person. 』
Haruto looked at Toya's hand. He knew the world saw him as a weak Level 1, and he hadn't told anyone that he had already glitched his way to Level 3. He didn't need protection, but he saw that Toya was genuinely a good guy.
"Thanks, Toya. I appreciate it," Haruto said, his hand briefly meeting Toya's in a firm handshake. He accepted the friendship with a dry, calm nod, though internally, he was already categorizing Toya as a 'High-Tier Ally.'
Just then, the heavy oak doors creaked open. Professor Elara swept into the room, her presence instantly silencing the morning chatter. She moved with the sharp efficiency of a veteran mage, her eyes scanning the students before she stopped at the center of the podium.
"Listen up," Elara announced, her voice echoing.
"Before we begin today's lecture on Mana Welding, I have an important introduction."
She gestured toward Toya with a rare, approving smile. "As most of you have noticed, we have a late admission. This is Toya. Not only is he already Level 5, but he represents the pinnacle of what we call the 'Master Batch'—the elite group that will define the strength of this first-year class. He is, without a doubt, one of the most excellent students we've seen in years. I expect all of you to learn from his discipline. Make sure you extend your friendship to him; he is the standard you should all strive for."
Toya's ears turned a slight shade of pink. He looked down at his desk, clearly embarrassed by the overwhelming praise. He wasn't the type to thrive on public worship; he just wanted to do his job.
"Also," Elara announced.
She opened a small, velvet-lined case. Inside were intricate pins that glowed with a faint, steady mana.
"These are the proof of your first-year status. Wear them on your chests with pride. But a word of warning—do not lose them. Each one of these badges costs as much as an entire year's tuition to replace. They are soul-bound artifacts, and losing one is a financial disaster."
The students gasped. Even the rich kids straightened their collars, suddenly nervous about the tiny pieces of metal.
"Starting today's class."
"Today we are learning Mana Welding. But before we start, you must understand the three types of basic Aura and what their colors represent."
She began to draw on the board:
Blue: Represents mages and those with high magical capacity.Green: Represents healers, nature-binders, or manipulators.Red: Represents warriors and those with high physical destructive power.
The class listened intently, but Haruto, leaning back in his chair, suddenly raised his hand.
"Ma'am," Haruto's voice cut through the silence. "What does a Black Aura represent?"
For a second, there was a dead silence. Then, the entire class erupted into laughter.
"Black aura? Is he dreaming?" one student mocked. "Maybe he's asking about the color of his own future—dark!" another snickered.
Professor Elara gave a small, condescending smile.
"Haruto, black aura doesn't exist. It's not part of the system's spectrum."
One student from the back leaned forward, shaking his head.
"I've heard of a White Aura—the rarest 'Holy' frequency that only legendary heroes possess. But Black? Is he crazy?
Professor Elara paused, then added with a smirk,
"But tell you what—if anyone can actually show me a black aura during today's welding test, I'll give you the answer you're looking for."
Haruto didn't join in the laughter. He just looked out the window, a small, knowing smirk on his face.
She gestured for everyone to attach their Master Batch pins.
"Wear your badges now. They will act as the 'Interface' between you and the blades. This test is the proof of your first-year standing. Do not fail to manifest your light."
One by one, the students pinned the expensive metal to their chests. As they did, the badges let out a faint chiming sound, syncing with their heartbeats.
"Form a line!" Elara commanded, her voice projecting across the silent field.
"Today's test will reveal your true caliber."
Professor Elara led the students to the training grounds in a disciplined line. The sight was breathtaking—hundreds of swords were plunged deep into the earth, each hilt embedded with a glowing Mana Stone.
"These are no ordinary weapons," Elara announced, her voice projecting across the silent field.
"These blades will only leave the ground when your mana and your spirit are worthy of their weight. This is a test of your true essence."
One by one, the students stepped forward to face the blades. As they gripped the hilts, the field erupted in a symphony of colors. Ivory drew her sword with a sharp, calm Blue aura; Lustra's glow was a shimmering, vibrant Green; and Bellona ripped her blade from the earth with a violent, burning Red aura that seemed to heat the very air. It was exactly the display of power everyone expected from the three of them.
The classroom was a chaotic spectrum of colors. Kenjin, eager to prove his dominance, let out a grunt as a violent, jagged Red Aura. It was like a small bonfire of aggressive mana, heat radiating off him as he looked around with a smirk. To the average student, he looked like a formidable warrior.
But then, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Seraphine stepped forward. While others were struggling to push their mana out, she remained perfectly calm, her breathing steady. She didn't release a massive explosion of light. Instead, she focused her mana into a single, sharp point.
With a movement so fluid it looked like a glitch in the frame-rate, she manifested a Mana Blade—a thin, translucent rapier that shimmered with a cold, crystalline blue light. There was no wasted energy, no overflowing aura. Just pure, concentrated lethality.
Professor Elara's eyes widened. She stepped off the podium and walked toward Seraphine, her expression one of genuine awe.
"Incredible," Elara whispered, her voice carrying across the silent room.
"No flashy outbursts, no unstable leaking of power. This is pure Mana Condensation. Seraphine, to manifest a physical weapon without a visible aura-cloud... that is a technique usually reserved for Level 15 knights. Your control is beyond your years. Truly excellent."
As the students flared their mana, the intricate pins on their chests—the Master Batch badges—were pulsing with a rhythmic, rhythmic glow.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Wait a minute... the badges are just glowing. Every time Kenjin grunts or Seraphine condenses her mana, those pins are vibrating at the same frequency. They aren't just badges—they are Mana Scanners. Are they absorbing a tiny fraction of everyone's output and recording them?
Kenjin's face turned almost as red as his aura. His 'Big Fire' looked like a messy candle next to Seraphine's 'Precision Laser.'
Toya, standing beside Haruto, gave a small, respectful nod. "She's on a different level. That's not just talent; that's thousands of hours of manual practice."
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)A 'Low-Aura' manifest? She's literally optimizing her mana-usage to 99%. While Kenjin is wasting 'Bandwidth' with his big red light, Seraphine is running a high-speed 'Command' through a single line of code. She's dangerous because she doesn't show her hand until the strike is already finished.
However, the real shock came when Toya stepped up. As he closed his hand around the hilt, a rare and brilliant White Aura burst forth. Professor Elara's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"A White Aura?! That means Toya carries a dual-type affinity—a perfect combination of War and Intelligence! He is a true prodigy!"
The classroom held its breath. One by one, the "Master Batch" had shown their colors—Kenjin's raging Red, Seraphine's surgical Blue, and Toya's divine White-Blue. Now, only one student remained.
Haruto.
Toya and Seraphine both stepped back from his desk, giving him a final, supportive nod.
"Just breathe, Haruto," Toya whispered, his hand resting briefly on Haruto's shoulder.
"The level on your HUD doesn't define the depth of your soul. Just let it flow."
Seraphine didn't say a word, but her crystalline blue eyes lingered on him, searching for that strange 'glitch' she had sensed before. As they moved to the sidelines, every single eye in the room—jealous, mocking, and curious—locked onto Haruto.
Haruto sat there, staring at the cold metal of the badge. Internally, his Black HUD was flashing with warning sub-routines.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)This is the problem with 'Manual Controls.' If I let my guard down even for a microsecond, the 'Black Void' is going to swallow the light in this room. If I get annoyed by Kenjin's smirking face or overwhelmed by Toya's kindness, the system might trigger a 'Full Release'. I need to stay bored. I need to stay... neutral.
He closed his eyes, visualizing the [Aura Control] slider in his mind. He grabbed the digital bar and forced it down to the absolute minimum—the "Low-Power / Compatibility Mode."
Haruto reached out toward the hilt, but just as his fingers were about to touch the cold metal, a loud, mocking voice cut through the silence from the back of the crowd:
"Look at him! The Level 1 loser! Did he forget to drink his mother's milk this morning? He only crawled into this academy because of his father's money and influence. Does a pathetic coward like him even have the strength to lift a butter knife, let alone a mana sword?"
The crowd erupted into cruel laughter. Haruto froze, his hand hovering inches from the blade. He didn't remember his parents well; their faces were blurred memories in his mind. But hearing them insulted so cheaply triggered something deep within his core that had stayed dormant for years. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel bored. He felt a surge of Pure, Cold Rage.
The air around him began to tremble, and the "system" within him started to glitch under the weight of his darkening emotions.
The insult cut through Haruto like a jagged blade. The air grew heavy, thick with a suffocating pressure that made the ground groan. The three Goddesses—Ivory, Lustra, and Bellona—felt a primal chill run down their spines. They weren't just worried; they were absolutely terrified.
They knew better than anyone what Haruto was capable of. They remembered how he had defeated them even when they were in their Full Goddess Forms while he was only at 10% of emotional resonance. Back then, he hadn't used raw power; he had used terrifyingly precise reflexes and cold, mechanical calculations to dismantle them. But this was different. This wasn't a calculated move; it was Pure, Unadulterated Rage.
Ivory quickly activated her Stealth Skill to scan his status, and the data she saw made her breath hitch. Haruto's emotions weren't flickering with excitement—they were locked in a dark, abyssal anger.
His Level began to skyrocket, glitching through the numbers like a broken machine: 6... 8... 12... 15... 20... The climb finally stopped at Level 25.
The three Goddesses exchanged looks of pure dread. If Haruto could humiliate three Level 99 deities at Level 10 using just his brain, what would a Level 25 Haruto do if he went on a rampage? They knew that if he lost control now, he wouldn't just delete that student—he could potentially consume the entire city.
"That idiot..."Bellona hissed, her hand trembling as she felt Haruto's killing intent.
"Why did he have to say that? He awakened a monster that doesn't know how to hold back."
Haruto's shadow began to stretch and darken, crawling across the grass like living ink. He hadn't even touched the sword yet, but the sheer density of his presence was starting to make the surrounding space warp. The student who had mocked him had no idea that he had just committed a fatal system error.
The atmosphere turned so thick and heavy that it felt like the air itself was turning into lead. The students who were laughing just moments ago suddenly found themselves gasping for breath, their lungs burning as if the oxygen had been deleted from the room.
No one could believe their eyes. A Pitch-Black Aura, dark as the deepest abyss, began to leak from every seam and corner of Haruto's uniform. It wasn't smoke; it was pure, concentrated "corruption" that seemed to eat the very light around him. The ground beneath his feet didn't just crack—it began to slide and dissolve.
BOOM.
Haruto didn't just pull the sword from the earth. With a single, effortless motion, he ripped out a massive chunk of the terrain along with it. His left eye ignited, leaking wisps of that same black aura like a flame from a dark sun.
But Haruto didn't let the rage consume him. Instead of falling into a mindless rampage, he activated his Aura Control with surgical precision. As his fingers gripped the hilt, the powerful Mana Crystal embedded in the sword couldn't withstand his density. The crystal shattered and the metal of the sword vaporized instantly, turning into a fine mist of grey ash.
He began to walk.
The sight was terrifying—a Level 25 monster was walking among them. To the other students, the power gap felt like a literal mountain crushing them. Their souls trembled as they realized they were looking at someone who had bypassed the rules of their world.
As the remains of the training sword drifted away as dust, Haruto suddenly raised his hand. The leaking black aura didn't dissipate; it began to swirl and condense, spinning faster and faster until it solidified into a physical form.
VOOM.
With a sound like the world's fabric tearing, the Void Reaper manifested in his grip. It was the same legendary blade of darkness he had used to humble Bellona. He stood there, the Reaper of the Glitch, holding a weapon made of pure void that looked ready to delete anyone who stood in his way.
The atmosphere was no longer just heavy; it was toxic.
Kenjin The "Red Warrior" who was so proud of his bonfire-like aura was now crawling on the dirt. His Red Aura hadn't just faded; it had been absorbed by Haruto's darkness. He was gasping for air, his face pale, clutching his chest as his "Master Batch" badge let out a high-pitched, broken scream before cracking in half. The "Elite" was now nothing more than a terrified NPC facing a Deletion Command.
Seraphine couldn't maintain her composure. Her Blue Mana Blade had shattered the moment the Void Reaper appeared. She was down on one knee, her hands trembling as she tried to use her sword to prop herself up. For the first time, her eyes weren't cold—they were wide with a primal, existential fear. She realized that everything she had learned about "Mana Welding" was a joke compared to this.
The Other Students Most had already collapsed. They were "suffocating" in the literal sense—the density of Haruto's mana was so high that it had displaced the oxygen in the immediate area. They were squirming on the ground, their souls trembling under the weight of a King they had dared to mock.
The three Goddesses stood frozen, the scene hauntingly familiar. They had felt this suffocating darkness before, but this time, it was different—it was 2.5 times more powerful than the day he had defeated them. The sheer density of the mana was suffocating.
In this world, creating a physical weapon out of pure Aura was a feat reserved only for legendary Grand Wizards, yet here was Haruto, holding a blade of solid shadows.
He walked directly toward the boy who had insulted his family. Every step Haruto took seemed to crack the very air. The boy's soul was already screaming in terror, his legs shaking so violently he could barely stand. Haruto stopped right in front of him, his expression eerily calm, and spoke in a low, freezing voice.
"If you have the courage," Haruto said, holding out the Void Reaper,
"touch this blade. If you can handle its weight, I will be your slave for the rest of my life."
The boy, fueled by a mix of delusion and desperation, let out a shaky, nervous laugh. He's lost his mind in rage, the boy thought. It's just mana. If I touch it, I win a powerful slave. He slowly raised his trembling hand toward the obsidian hilt.
But the moment his fingers moved, Haruto's aura didn't just leak—it condensed.
BOOM.
The gravity in the area tripled. The pressure became so immense that the entire class, and even Professor Elara, were slammed into the dirt. They fell to their knees, then their chests, gasping for air as the weight of a mountain crushed their bones. The students began to scream, a chorus of agony as they felt like they were being deleted from existence.
"I... I can't breathe!" someone shrieked, while others simply clawed at the ground, their vision turning black.
Only Toya and the Three Goddesses remained standing, spared by Haruto's surgical Aura Control. They watched in horror as the rest of the school suffered under the weight of a King's wrath. To the others, it felt like the end of the world.
As the boy's fingertips were about to graze the dark edge of the Void Reaper, Haruto's eyes suddenly cleared. The red haze of anger cooled into the sharp, icy blue of his calculation. He looked at the gasping students and the terrified teacher, realizing that killing them would be a "glitch" in his own plan.
Dead NPCs don't make for a fun game, he thought. And blood is too messy for a boreless life.
Suddenly, the suffocating pressure vanished. The gravity returned to normal so fast it left everyone's ears popping. Haruto's face shifted from a vengeful king back to a polite, unassuming student. He looked at the boy—who was now shivering in a pool of his own cold sweat—and bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry," Haruto said, his voice flat and calm. "I think I let my emotions get the better of me. That was a bit much, wasn't it?"
He let go of the Void Reaper. Instead of falling, the blade plunged into the ground, creating a localized black vortex that swallowed the weapon before disappearing entirely. The ground sealed itself back up as if nothing had happened. His eyes returned to their normal state, and the black aura retracted completely.
"Oh," Haruto said, his voice cold but slightly impressed. "Toya, you are still standing."
Toya, who had just stood at the center of a hellish nightmare, didn't run away. Instead, he rushed toward Haruto. He reached out and tapped Haruto's chest, scanning Haruto's current status.
At that exact moment, Haruto's power hadn't fully hidden itself yet. As Toya's hand made contact, a Pure black HUD flickered into existence right in front of Toya's eyes.
[User: Haruto]
[Title: Star Child]
[Level: 25]
[Active Skill: Emotion (Triggered)]
[Passive Skill: Aura Control]
Toya gasped, his heart nearly stopping. He saw it clearly—the Level 25 and that mysterious Star Child title—before the numbers suddenly glitched and dropped back down to Level 3. The sheer impact of what he saw made Toya's knees go weak, and he nearly stumbled back.
"Haruto..." Toya stammered, his voice trembling.
"That window... that level... you're not Level 1. You're—"
"You're tired, Toya," Haruto interrupted, his voice flat and devoid of any emotion. He stepped closer, his obsidian eyes locking onto Toya's with a hypnotic intensity.
"The pressure in this training field was high. Kenjin's aura, Seraphine's blade... it probably caused a mana-induced hallucination. You saw a glitch in your own vision."
"No, I touched you! I saw the stats!"
Toya protested, looking around at the unconscious students and the cracked earth.
Haruto gave a small, cold shrug. "Did you?"
He gestured to his chest, where the "Master Batch" badge was now glowing with that same, weak, Pale Grey light from before.
"I'm just a Level 1 commoner."
Haruto said, his voice dropping to a low, commanding whisper.
"Forget what you think you saw. It was just a dream—a nightmare."
Toya blinked, his mind spinning. The conviction in Haruto's voice was so strong it felt like a [Command] was being rewritten in his brain. For a split second, he actually doubted himself.
The rest of the class was still hyperventilating, too traumatized to look at the screen, but Toya had seen the truth.
Lustra walked up, her eyes glowing with a manipulative green light. "Haruto," she whispered,
"This is a mess. The 'environment' is corrupted. Should I manipulate their minds and delete this memory?"
Haruto looked at the broken, crying student and the trembling teacher.
"Oh you can do it, Yeah. Delete it. It's a bad dream."
But as Lustra raised her hand, Toya stood his ground. He looked at Haruto with a mix of fear and deep respect.
"Haruto... you're my friend, right? If we're truly friends, I'm asking you... please. Don't let her play with my mind. Don't mess with my memories. I want to remember this."
Haruto looked at Toya. In a world of predictable NPCs, Toya was the only one who had the courage to look the "glitch" in the eye.
"Fine," Haruto nodded. "Lustra, spare Toya. He keeps his memories."
Lustra smiled—a beautiful, dangerous expression. "As you wish."
Lustra snapped her fingers. A shimmering green wave of mana swept across the whole academy. Professor Elara and every other student froze, their eyes turning glassy as the memory of the black aura and the Void Reaper was erased.
As she raised her hand, a pulse of soft green light began to ripple outward from her fingertips. It didn't feel heavy like Haruto's power; it felt like a warm, numbing fog that settled over the students' brains.
"Sleep," Lustra commanded, her voice vibrating with magic.
"The black sun you saw was a shadow. The fear you felt was a flicker. When you wake, you will only remember a minor mana-leak from the training blades. Haruto is just Level 1. Toya is your hero. Everything else... is good."
One by one, the students' eyes glazed over. Kenjin stopped crying and slumped into a deep sleep. Seraphine's hands stopped trembling as her gaze went blank. Even Professor Elara sat down on the grass, her eyes closing as the green mist rewrote her report of the day.
Only Toya stands still, his "White-Blue" aura fighting the green one.
When they "woke up," they were standing in line, looking slightly confused but calm. The boy who had insulted Haruto was rubbing his neck, feeling a strange, hollow sense of dread but unable to recall
After Lustra's memory was wiped, the students and Professor Elara returned to the classroom as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. To them, the "Mana Welding" lesson was just a blur of average results. The boy who had insulted Haruto sat at his desk, feeling a strange, phantom ache in his chest, but he couldn't remember why.
However, Toya was a different story. He walked back to the classroom with stiff, heavy steps, his face pale. Every time he looked at Haruto, his mind replayed that Level 25 glitch and the terrifying black aura. He finally understood why Haruto had asked about the "Black Aura"—it wasn't a curious question; it was the king asking about his own throne.
As soon as they sat down, the bell rang for the break. Instantly, a crowd of students swarmed around Ivory, Lustra, and Bellona, desperate to befriend the three beauties.
"Hey, Ivory! Can you help me with my magic theory?"
"Lustra, you're so pretty!"
"Hey, Bellona wanna have lunch with us?"
Haruto, sitting in the middle of the chaos, felt a slight headache from the residual mana drain of the Void Reaper. He leaned back in his chair and spoke with a calm, commanding tone that cut through the noise.
"Hey, you three. Come here," Haruto said, not even looking at the crowd.
"My head is killing me. Can you, please."
The entire class went silent. The boys looked at Haruto with pure disgust. Who does this Level 1 loser think he is, talking to the Goddesses like that? was the collective thought running through the "Elite" circle. They waited for the explosion. They expected Ivory to draw her blade, Lustra to vanish in a huff, or Bellona to crush his desk.
But instead, the three Goddesses didn't hesitate for a second. They pushed through the crowd, completely ignoring everyone else. Ivory stood behind Haruto and began gently massaging his temples; Lustra took his right hand, kneading the palm with her soft, mana-infused touch; and Bellona knelt down, applying firm pressure to his shoulders.
The classroom was in a state of absolute shock. The "Star Beauties" were serving Haruto like he was an Emperor.
Kenjin's face was a shade of purple that didn't even exist in the mana-spectrum. He was gripping his desk so hard the wood began to splinter. To him, this was the ultimate insult. A "Trash Level 1" was being pampered by the girls he couldn't even get a "Hello" from. He was seething, his Red Aura flickering with impotent rage.
Seraphine didn't join the mocking crowd. She just stood there, watching the scene with a frustrated "Ugh" escaping her lips. She looked away, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear, clearly annoyed by the blatant display of "Power" Haruto was wielding over these high-level girls. 『 What is wrong with these three? 』 she thought. 『 Do they really not see how he's playing them? 』
The Other Students's whispers were venomous. "Look at him... not a single credit to his name, Level 1 stats, and he's acting like he owns the Academy," one student hissed. "He's got the ego of a King but the power of a commoner. It's disgusting. He's just showing off because he knows he can't win a real fight."
Before anyone could even process this, Toya walked toward Haruto. Ignoring the most popular girls in school who were trying to catch his eye, Toya stopped in front of Haruto and bowed his head deeply in a gesture of total submission.
"Haruto," Toya's voice was steady but filled with a deep, newfound respect.
"I've come from a very far place to study here. I don't have many friends, and I don't care about the 'Elite' groups. Please... let me join your team. I want to be by your side."
The class's brain practically exploded. The Level 5 "Prince" of the school, the handsome star student whom every girl was proposing to, was literally begging for a spot on Haruto's team.
Haruto looked up, his eyes half-closed as the three Goddesses continued their massage. He looked at the bowing Toya and gave a small, lazy smirk.
"What's the matter, brother?" Haruto asked, his voice relaxed.
"You're already the star of this class. Why do you want to join a 'level 3' like me?"
The moment the words "Level 3" left Haruto's mouth, the classroom erupted into a wave of mocking laughter and whispers.
"Level 3? Is he insane?" one student sneered.
"Yesterday he was a pathetic Level 1, and now he's claiming to be Level 3? What a cheap liar!"
Another laughed,
"Maybe he thinks if he says it loud enough, the system will glitch and believe him!"
Kenjin, who was already on the verge of a breakdown, let out a dry, hacking laugh.
"See? I told you! He's not just a weakling; he's a delusional trash-file. He's so desperate for attention that he's inventing levels now."
Haruto didn't flinch. He just blinked slowly, as if he had just realized he typed the wrong command in a chat box. He gave a small, nonchalant wave of his hand.
"Ah... Oops," Haruto said, his voice dripping with bored sarcasm
Haruto didn't look at the crowd. He kept his eyes on Toya, who was still standing there with his head bowed, refusing to move. Haruto felt a slight flicker of annoyance. He hated being the center of such "low-resolution" drama.
Haruto's Inner Thoughts: Tch. I need to be more careful with the 'Public.' If I keep leaking my real stats, even Lustra won't be able to patch the rumors. But then again, watching them laugh at the 'Truth' is much more entertaining than them believing a 'Lie.'
"Ehh… my hand slipped, " Haruto grumbled, his voice dropping an octave.
He suddenly tapped his chest, and for a brief, flickering moment, he forced his system to project his HUD (Heads-Up Display) into the air for everyone to see.
[Name: Haruto]
[Title: Star Child]
[Level: 3]
[Active Skill: Emotion resonance]
[Passive Skill: Aura Control]
[PASSIVE SKILL: FLASH/AURA CONTROL]
The holographic window glowed brightly for exactly two seconds before Haruto swiped it away with a bored flick of his wrist.
The classroom went from riotous laughter to a silence so deep you could hear a pin drop. The students' faces turned pale, their eyes bulging. To a normal person, jumping from Level 1 to Level 2 takes six to seven months of grueling training. To go from Level 2 to Level 3 usually takes years of combat and meditation.
Kenjin's jaw was literally hanging open. The arrogance that usually defined his face was replaced by a look of pure, stuttering disbelief. His brain was trying to find a "Cheat Code" or a "Fake" tag, but the mana-signature of a system HUD was impossible to forge. His hands started to shake; he realized that the "Trash" he had been bullying was now statistically superior to half the class.
Seraphine sat frozen, her cold blue eyes widening as she stared at the spot where the HUD had just been. She felt a strange, prickly sensation—a "shiver"—running down her spine. She wasn't just surprised; she was Disturbed.『 Emotion Resonance what's that? And Flash? 』 she thought, her breath hitching. 『 Those aren't starter skills. He's not normal. No human can rewrite their own base-code that fast. He's either a God... or a monster disguised as a teenager. 』
For Haruto to jump two levels in a single night was mathematically impossible. It was a total system anomaly.
"He... he really is Level 3," a girl whispered, her voice trembling.
"How is that even possible?"
Even with the shockwave hitting the room, Toya didn't lift his head. He remained in his deep bow, waiting for an answer. The sight of the class "Prince" bowing to a Level 3 while three Goddesses massaged his shoulders was a scene straight out of a fever dream.
Haruto felt a bit embarrassed by the intense stare of the entire room. He sighed, leaning his head back into Ivory's hands.
"Look, Toya... you're making a scene," Haruto said, closing his eyes.
"I'll give you my answer after school ends. For now, just sit down."
Toya finally looked up, a small, hopeful glint in his eyes.
"I understand. I will wait for your decision,"