Today was the day.
This was the singular, pivotal dawn that would determine whether the endless months of blood, sweat, and agony Will had forced his body through had actually borne fruit—or whether he remained a broken, forgotten anomaly in the eyes of the world.
And because of that unrelenting weight, sleep had been an absolute impossibility.
He had spent the entire night tossing and turning on his narrow cot, watching the moonlight slowly track across the wooden floorboards while his mind repeatedly circled the exact same, agonizing question: What did the Mage Tower decide?
He had spent months practicing until his lungs burned. Months buried beneath ancient library texts. Months experimenting with volatile somatic pathways. There had been countless failures along the way—shattered spell matrices, physical backfires, and agonizing exhaustion. But now, all of that desperation had finally reached its conclusion. Today, he would know whether it had all been worth it.
Eventually, Will gave up on the illusion of rest. By the time the morning light finally pierced the heavy curtains, his eyes were already wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"…Today's the day," he whispered to the quiet room.
The electric, nervous excitement he had been trying so hard to suppress for weeks immediately returned in a roaring tide. Stepping out of bed, he forced himself into his daily morning routine. Dynamic stretching. High-intensity bodyweight conditioning. Rhythmic breathing and internal mana cultivation. A scalding shower. A quiet, measured breakfast. On the surface, every single movement was identical to every other morning. Yet, beneath his calm exterior, everything felt wildly, electricly different.
After clearing his breakfast tray, Will changed into his crisp academy uniform, adjusted his collar, and left his room, heading toward the main grounds.
Just like the last few days, hardly anyone dared to step into Will's immediate path when he arrived. If anything, the student body seemed to be going out of their way to actively avoid him.
Especially the girls.
Whenever Will walked through the grand academy corridors, female students who noticed him coming would quietly, deliberately move out of his way. Some suddenly became intensely interested in their own hushed conversations, while others simply turned on their heels and took the long route around the courtyard fountains.
Will noticed. Of course he noticed—he wasn't blind. They're avoiding me like I'm some kind of contagious bug, he thought, bemused.
At first, when the strange behavior had begun, Elena had been thoroughly angry about it, glaring at anyone who avoided Will so obviously. But after a few days, her attitude had undergone a bizarre reversal; she had become remarkably, almost smugly happy about his complete social isolation. Will wasn't sure why, nor did he care to ask. Honestly, being left entirely alone was a luxury he welcomed.
Today, however, he couldn't care less about the student body's attention—or lack thereof. He wanted his results. As soon as physically possible.
Driven by that single focus, Will only sat through the bare minimum of mandatory morning lectures. The very second he was free, he exited the classroom and set a direct pace toward Professor Kael's private office. He had waited long enough. Today, he was going to hear the Mage Tower's final decision.
He had barely covered half the distance down the grand corridor when a familiar voice cut through the quiet.
"Will!"
He stopped and turned around. Elena was jogging toward him, her coat flying slightly behind her.
"Where are you rushing off to?" she asked, catching her breath.
"Professor Kael's office," Will answered directly.
Her expression immediately shifted, her eyes lighting up. "The results?"
"That's what I'm hoping."
Elena quickly caught up, walking alongside him. "I'll come with you."
Will glanced at her. "You don't have to drag yourself into faculty business, Elena."
"I know," she offered a bright, stubborn smile. "But I'm coming anyway."
Will let out a light, helpless sigh. "Fine. Let's go."
The two continued toward Professor Kael's office together, neither speaking much along the way. Even Elena, usually quick to break the silence, seemed wrapped in a heavy blanket of nervous tension.
Finally, they reached the heavy oak door. Will raised his hand and knocked firmly.
"Come in," a calm, heavy voice called out from within.
Will turned the handle and opened the door. Inside sat three people: Professor Kael behind his central desk, Professor Emma hovering near the bookshelves, and Professor Edward leaning back in an armchair with his arms crossed.
The moment Edward saw them step across the threshold, his sharp gaze locked onto Will. "I was waiting for you two."
Will paused, a cold jolt of adrenaline running through his veins. He hadn't expected that. So… they really had the results sitting on that desk.
Elena followed Will inside, her eyes darting between the three stoic faculty members. Kael gestured calmly toward the leather chairs in front of his desk. "Take a seat, both of you."
Will and Elena sat down. Kael looked directly into Will's eyes. "I assume I don't need to explain why you're here."
Will remained silent, offering a single, tight nod.
"And I have your official results," Kael continued.
Elena immediately leaned forward, her hands clutching her skirt. "Really?! Please, Professor, tell us!"
Kael looked between the two of them, his expression an unreadable mask. "Alright." He paused for a brief beat. "I must inform you that the report contains both good news and bad news. What do you want to hear first?"
Elena's radiant expression instantly collapsed into pure, anxious dread. "Don't tell me…" She stared at Kael, her voice rising with worry. "Did they reject Will's magic?!"
Emma quickly shook her head, stepping forward to reassure her. "It's not quite a flat rejection like that, Elena. You'll understand the nuance when you hear it."
Will took a long, slow breath, forcing his erratic pulse back down. He looked Kael dead in the eye. "Tell me the bad news first, Professor."
Kael nodded seriously. "Alright. Your individual spell applications for Flame Breath and Chidori were not recognized as new spells."
The room plummeted into a suffocating, icy quiet. Elena's expression immediately fell, her shoulders slumping backward into her chair. "So they really didn't approve them…" Her voice was filled with deep disappointment. "But why, though?! How could they reject them after what he demonstrated in the arena?!"
Kael calmly answered, "When the Mage Tower's archival division conducted their mandatory research on those specific spells, they matched them against existing, historical variants already registered in the central archives."
Will's brow furrowed into a sharp line, his voice dropping an octave, carrying a serious, dangerous edge. "But those registered variants strictly require the mediation of an external wand or staff to shape the mana matrix. Mine uses a completely different, somatic biological method."
Edward, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke up. "Yes."
Everyone turned their heads to look at the stern professor.
"The execution method is indeed different," Edward stated flatly. "However, the final elemental output, the density, and the structural impact bear an overwhelming similarity to ancient, existing spell matrices. Because the final result mimics known spells, they were rejected as unprecedented creations."
Elena immediately glared intensely at Professor Edward, the unspoken accusation written boldly across her face: You used your influence to fail him.
Edward caught her glare and let out a tired, quiet breath. "Miss Elena. I assure you, I do not possess the power to influence the independent decisions of the Mage Tower's archivists."
Emma immediately agreed, nodding fiercely. "Yes, that's right, Elena. He's telling the truth. The Tower archivists are notoriously rigid about spell classification." Her expression turned intensely serious as she cast a warning look at Edward. "Besides, if he had actually tried to pull something dirty like that behind our backs… I would never let it go."
Hearing the final verdict on his elemental spells, Will's expression darkened into sadness. Elena also looked deeply disappointed for his sake. For a long, painful moment, neither of them spoke a word.
Will slowly stood up from his chair, his movements heavy. He looked down at Elena. "Well… we have our answer. Let's go."
Elena offered a sad nod, grabbing her bag. They turned their backs on the desk, taking two steps toward the exit.
"Wait," Kael's deep voice cut through the quiet. "Don't you want to hear the good news?"
Both Will and Elena stopped dead in their tracks. They looked back over their shoulders at him.
What good news could possibly be left after hearing that? Neither of them could think of anything. They were about to turn the handle and leave again when Edward spoke up, a subtle twitch at the corner of his lips. "That's why you should have delivered the good news first, Kael. Young people are far too impatient."
Emma also smiled warmly, gesturing back to the seats. "You really should hear the good news, Will."
Exchanging a bewildered glance, the word good caught their attention. Slowly, cautiously, they returned to their seats.
Will looked at Kael. "Alright, Professor. What's the good news?"
Kael calmly answered, "Even though your Fire and Lightning spells weren't recognized as brand-new spells due to structural overlap…" He paused, letting the silence stretch. "…Your optical spell, Eclipse Eye, was officially approved and patented."
Will's eyes widened. Elena's expression immediately brightened, her hands flying to her mouth.
"And not only that," Kael continued, his voice taking on a heavy, historical weight. "You are officially recognized as the first person in recorded history to successfully complete and stabilize the lost hand-sign magic system."
Will stared at him, completely paralyzed. Elena looked genuinely, utterly stunned.
Kael read directly from the wax-sealed parchment. "The Tower has confirmed that the biological somatic method you developed qualifies under global law as a fully realized, completed magic system. And because you are its pioneer, the Tower has granted you the official right to give the hand-sign magic system a permanent name for the archives. There was no official name for this method before, because no one had ever been able to master it without destroying their mana pathways."
Will and Elena looked at each other, and the sheer, overwhelming excitement hit both of them at almost the exact same millisecond. Driven by pure, unadulterated joy, they both lunged forward, almost throwing their arms around each other in a breathless hug—
Almost.
At the very last second, reality crashed into their brains. They froze mid-air, inches apart. An agonizing, electric silence hung between their glowing faces before both violently yanked themselves backward into their chairs. Their faces slowly turned a brilliant, burning red as they immediately looked away from each other, coughing awkwardly.
Emma couldn't help but smile brightly at their reaction, while Edward simply watched them in deadpan silence. Kael, however, remained entirely composed, his voice taking on a crisp, official tone.
"Okay, Will. For successfully patenting a new spell and completing a broken magic system, your official prize money will be delivered directly into your academy account. You will also receive one high-tier elixir of your choice, and one piece of customized gear."
A huge smile broke across Will's face, the months of agonizing effort finally bursting into absolute validation. "Thank you, Professor Kael."
Kael and Emma both looked at him warmly. Emma shook her head, her eyes twinkling. "You don't need to thank us, Will. It was all your insane, dedicated hard work that became fruitful."
"However," Kael chimed in, holding up a finger. "The Tower's administrative protocol is rigid. You only have three days to formally submit your choices for the gear, the elixir, and the official name you wish to grant the system."
Elena immediately looked surprised, her brow furrowing. "Only three days?! That's way too little time to choose high-tier rewards!"
Emma let out an apologetic sigh. "Yes, we know. We tried to argue for an extension, but they won't change their minds. Sorry, Will."
Will shook his head calmly. "That's okay, Professor." He thought for a silent moment, looking at Kael. "Other than the elixir… I can give you my final answer for the other two right now."
Emma raised an eyebrow in utter shock, leaning forward. "Are you sure, Will? You won't be able to alter your choices afterward!"
Will gave a firm, unwavering nod. "That's okay. I'm sure."
Kael nodded, dipping his quill in ink. "Alright. Then tell us."
Will didn't hesitate for a single second. "For the gear… I want something that directly increases my physical movement speed and kinetic acceleration."
Edward, who had remained silent for most of the conversation, finally interjected. "Shouldn't something like passive mana recovery or core expansion gear be far better for a low-cultivation mage like you?"
Will considered the suggestion respectfully, then looked Edward dead in the eye. "Under normal circumstances, yes. But I am a close-range magic swordsman. Or more accurately, I use high-tier magic as a support system for my swordplay. So something that maximizes my speed will grant me the highest combat efficiency."
Edward studied his confident eyes for a second, then nodded slightly. He didn't argue further.
Kael noted the choice down on the parchment, then looked up expectantly. "And what of the system's official name?"
Will thought about the final decision, staring down at his calloused hands—hands that had performed tens of thousands of somatic signs, hands that had failed, bled, and ultimately created something this world had never seen before. He already knew the exact name he wanted.
He looked toward the three professors, his voice quiet, clear, and unyielding.
"Let's call it Ninjutsu."
Emma blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Ninjutsu?" She tasted the foreign word on her tongue. "That's a weird, unusual name."
Edward looked at Will with a serious, searching gaze. "Are you absolutely sure you want to name it Ninjutsu? Because once this wax seal is stamped, you will never be able to change it in the global archives."
Will nodded without a single shred of hesitation. "Yes. I am one hundred percent sure."
Edward offered a rare, approving nod. "Alright. We'll notify you the moment your rewards are prepared."
Will stood up, his posture straight and confident, and Elena immediately stood beside him. Will looked toward the three faculty members, offering a deep, respectful bow. "Goodbye, Professors."
Elena echoed his gesture with a bright smile. "Goodbye!"
The two stepped out of the office together, and the heavy oak door closed softly behind them, sealing the room.
For the first time that morning, as they walked side by side down the sunlit, echoing corridor, Will finally felt the suffocating tension in his soul completely vanish. The grueling months of doubt, blood, and secret torment were officially over.
His hard work had finally borne fruit.