In a personal training room of the first-year dormitory, a boy swung his katana repeatedly.
His movements were fluid and precise, each swing slicing through the air.
His forehead dripped with sweat but his eyes never blinked.
He had been swinging for three hours straight, lost in a trance.
The mana in the air danced around him as if embracing him gently.
Still, he didn't stop.
He was on the verge of awakening something new.
His blade moved without pause.
Slowly, the air wasn't slashed anymore.
It parted before his sword could even touch it.
Shadow and light flowed through him—not in opposition but in harmony. As if they had always belonged together.
His swings grew sharper.
He was no longer fighting the elements.
He was becoming part of them.
The air started to vibrate as Alden opened his crimson eyes.
With a single thought, his blade moved.
A clean and quiet swing.
Something shot forward—no light, no flash, no sound.
A ripple distorted the air.
The reinforced training wall ahead split in half. No explosion. Just silence.
It had been four months since his duel with Zephyr and in that time, he had done nothing but train.
He challenged countless dungeons. He pushed his elemental mastery until the last drop of mana burned away.
He practiced his sword art until he collapsed.
And finally, his efforts paid off.
He unlocked the third step of his Sword Art.
The enlightenment came last week during a boss fight in a C-rank dungeon.
He slumped to the ground, exhausted.
A cold sensation spread through him.
His energy surged. His mana stabilized.
He immediately understood what had happened.
I've broken through a minor rank.
Time to check my status.
He hadn't checked it in a while—not since he broke into Intermediate Adept rank a month ago.
"Status," he muttered and the familiar blue system window appeared.
[TITLES— SLAYER OF RULER, VANQUISHER OF CHAOS, THE THIRD SUPREME, WALKER OF THE FRACTURED REALM, INHERITOR OF ▒▒▒▒▒ BLOODLINE]
[MANA CORE — Adept (Advanced)]
[POTENTIAL — LIMITLESS]
[MANA TOME — THE ECLIPSE CODEX (PRIMORDIAL)]
[BLOODLINE — ??? (SEALED)]
[WEAPON ART — SEVENFOLD RUIN (???)]
[SUPREME ABILITY — LIMITLESS ASCENSION]
[SOULBOUND WEAPON — SWORD OF CHAOS]
[SHADOW MANA] — 24000/24000
[LIGHT MANA] – 24000/24000
You may challenge the trial but each success increases the cooldown before the next attempt. Death in the trial means death in reality. Part of a series hosted by My Virtual Library Empire (MV&LEMP&YR).
[Next Trial — One week]
A smile tugged at his lips as he scanned the status window.
In four months, he had gone from Intermediate Apprentice to Advanced Adept.
The growth was unheard of. But this batch of students shattered every expectation.
He wasn't the only one in Adept rank.
Amyra, Nyx, Seles and Zephyr had all reached Intermediate Adept just this month.
Aziel had broken into Beginner Adept, with Cecilia and Aurelia close behind.
Even Lucien had started getting his head straight. For the past few months, Alden hadn't seen him simping over Seles.
If Alden had to guess, Lucien would probably break into Advanced Adept in a few days.
His eyes drifted back to the screen.
His stats had improved, as expected. Not that he cared too much about them.
But something else caught his eye.
So it's already time again.
At least tell me what I'll be facing.
As usual, there were no details. Just the timer.
He could only guess what kind of creature he'd be meeting next.
Alden sighed and moved on.
He had something more important to check.
It had been a while since he'd checked everything in detail.
Let's start with the sword art.
He willed it and a new panel appeared.
[Chaos Weapon Art – Sevenfold Ruin]
[Description – To cut is to destroy. To destroy is to cut. When precision and chaos become one, the world itself falls before the blade. There are seven steps to this art, but no successor has ever managed to go beyond the fourth step. More steps will be unlocked with increasing mastery.]
[First Step – Ruinous Severance]
[Second Step – Ruin Arc]
[Third Step — Eclipse Fang]
He recalled the knowledge he had unlocked with this step.
The third step was a divergence point.
From here on, the path would change for every user.
Alden had Light and Shadow. That's why he unlocked Eclipse Fang.
He checked his other steps first.
[First Step – Ruinous Severance – The Blade That Rejects Resistance]
[Description – A blade that ignores resistance and slices through all physical matter with ease. However, each strike carries an unstable force, shifting between precise cuts and chaotic destruction. The control can increase with mastery.]
A grin appeared across his face.
He had been stuck at 90% for over a month.
Today, the last ten percent filled up instantly.
He clenched his fist.
He wanted to test it out again but his body ached. The third step had drained more than he thought.
He opened the second step.
[Second Step – Ruin Arc – The Crescent That Denies Continuity]
[Description – A controlled arc of ruinous energy projected from the weapon, cleaving through space in a wide crescent. This arc channels the user's maximum destructive output at their current level, making it devastating but taxing.]
He made a mental note to train Ruin Arc more.
He could unleash it in seconds now but it still wasn't enough. His control over it was unstable.
Finally, he checked the third step.
[Third Step – Eclipse Fang – The Slash That Consumes Certainty]
[Description – A blade born from equilibrium of two contradicting elements. When released, the user executes a near-invisible slash of destructive energy that cannot be sensed.]
A blade that consumes certainty.
Just thinking about it made something inside him stir.
He wasn't sure what came next—but he would be ready.
After going over information one more time, he decided to check his Supreme Ability, to check if anything else had changed.
[Displaying Information of the Supreme Ability]
The Inter-Academy Arc is about to begin soon. Expect rival schools, fresh challenges and new characters ready to shake things up.
If you've got any suggestions—plot twists, character matchups, academy ideas or even specific scenarios you want to see—drop them in the comments.
I'm always open to ideas that can make the arc more exciting.