The sky above Arcanum Nexus had changed.
Gone was the dome of simulated clouds and conjured weather. In its place stood a storm of pure light; golden fractals spinning in the firmaments like wheels of fate.
Magic surged through the air so thick it made skin crawl. The city's core awakened to bear witness to those who would enter its heart.
Below, in the central assembly ground, hundreds of Awakeners stood in tight formation. No more trials. No more scattered arenas.
This was the moment of reckoning.
The Nexus Academy's official selection ceremony.
~----~
[SYSTEM BROADCAST: ACADEMY CREST CEREMONY COMMENCING]
Top 20 Candidates selected from over 10,000 participants.
Evaluation based on: Combat Record, Team Cohesion, Strategic Contribution, and Unique Potential.
Candidates will be named and awarded publicly.
Once chosen, they shall be offered the right to step through the Academy Gate.
~----~
A hush fell across the arena.
Even the nobles stopped whispering.
The Grand Arch of Nexus shimmered; twin statues flanking its side, one holding a blade of stars, the other a scroll sealed with blood.
The first name was called.
"Elira Vonne of House Vonne. Flamebound Court. Crest of Emberlight".
Cheers erupted. The crowd roared as the prodigy stepped forward, flame wreathing her hands. Nobles bowed. A guild master nodded in satisfaction.
"Caelion Drywynn. Noble Flamebound Line. Crest of the Immortal Flame".
More cheers erupted.
"Selise Hartmoor. Skyreach Heir. Crest of the Wind Crown".
"Renvil Sorros. Disciple of Hollow Heir. Crest of the Judgement's Eye".
One after another, the elite were named. Each stepped forward to the center of the arena where a crest; a glowing sigil of light and lineage embedded itself into their body.
The energy surged. The academy marked its chosen.
The nineteenth name was called.
"Mara Thorn. Ironblood Vanguard. Crest of Iron Will".
She stepped forward with stoic pride, fists clenched.
Then…
Silence.
The system pulsed.
[Final Candidate: Kairo Vale]
Background: Slum-born. No noble house. No artifact sponsorship. Single Ability Awakened: Muscle Genesis.
Evaluation: Highest Raw Impact. Maximum Pain Threshold. Top 5 Survivability Index. Unclassified Growth Pattern.
[Crest Assigned: Crest of the Titan's Path]
Gasps erupted from the crowd, then silence again.
Not a single clap.
Even the crowd didn't know how to react.
But Kairo? He walked.
Every step heavy, measured. His bare feet echoed against the marble until he reached the center.
The crest flared; a spiral of bronze and red etched into his chest, pulsing with a heartbeat all its own.
[Crest of the Titan's Path – Passive: All physical training within Academy territory yields +30% growth efficiency. Grants access to the Titan Chambers.]
He exhaled slowly.
He'd done it, against all odds.
Not because of permission, not because of favor.
Because he'd endured more pain than they could imagine… and kept standing.
The colossal double doors of the Academy opened with a groan of ancient stone. Runes flared to life across their surface.
The walls whispered names of past champions. Spirits, or illusions of legendary graduates flickered along the courtyard edges as they passed, their forms larger than life.
Each of the Twenty stepped forward as the gates opened.
But for Kairo, something strange happened.
As he crossed the threshold… the world slowed.
The runes on the gate twisted, then a whisper floated to his mind.
"You should not exist".
His eyes widened.
"A single ability… muscle…?"
"You do not belong inside these halls".
"Unless… you intend to conquer them".
Kairo didn't understand what was happening, but hearing those whispers, he grinned through the pain.
He didn't answer the voice.
He just stepped forward into the Academy, head raised in defiance.
They passed through an atrium that stretched like a temple built for gods. Floating staircases, waterfalls that defied gravity, and dozens of guild crests embedded in crystal pillars. Each student was assigned a House.
Elira and Caelion to House Solstice. Selise to Galeweaver Spire. Mara to Bastion's Forge.
Kairo… was sent to a door with no sigil.
No guide, no escort.
A side corridor near the foundations.
He walked it alone.
At the end of the hall was a training room with no windows. Bare walls, chains, broken weights, and bloodstains that hadn't been cleaned.
The crest on his chest pulsed, unlocking the door.
[Welcome to Titan Chamber 001: Initiation Complete.]
Legacy Path: The Will of the Body.
This chamber is yours. No tutors will be assigned. All growth is self-directed. Survival is not guaranteed.
[Do you wish to activate your first training protocol?]
Kairo stared at the flickering system.
His fists clenched.
His arms still trembled from the last trial, but he smiled anyway.
"Activate it".
…
Elsewhere…
In a high chamber above the academy, five silhouettes observed the ceremony's end.
"He should not be here".
"Muscle Genesis is a dead path".
"Or… it was hidden".
A sixth voice; colder, female, replied.
"It doesn't matter. He will break. The Academy will see to that".
"But if he doesn't?" Another asked.
The woman smiled. "Then we'll bury him in something he can't punch".