Ryo sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands resting on his knees, breathing slow and steady. He had woken up here twice now — once after the crushing pain of her magic, and again after his ribs had shattered like glass. Both times, the system had calmly dragged him back, as though nothing had happened.
The marble room felt more like a cage than a sanctuary now. Every time he looked at the letter on the table, his chest tightened. It was no longer just an invitation to Aurelius Academy — it was a death warrant.
[System Notice]Regression timer: Unlimited.Death count: 2.Progress: Incomplete.
Unlimited. That meant no matter how many times he failed, he would come back. That… was both a comfort and a curse. It meant he could try again. It also meant the system had no reason to protect him.
He flexed his hands, staring at his palms. The feeling of dying wasn't going away — the pain and fear lingered in his nerves like a bad scar.
"This time," he murmured, "I'm not walking up to her like an idiot."
He had no idea who the girl was. Student? Teacher? Assassin? Whatever she was, she was absurdly strong. And if she was waiting at the gates, there was no way she was just "passing by." It was deliberate.
He stood and went to the wardrobe again, pulling out a plain shirt and trousers. This time, he didn't bother with the boots — instead, he picked the lightest pair of shoes there, ones that would let him move quietly.
He tucked the invitation into his pocket and left the room without looking back.
The streets were just as alive as before — merchants shouting deals, clinking coins, the smell of roasted meat. But Ryo wasn't here to admire it.
He moved along the edges of the crowd, keeping his head low. The last two times, he'd walked straight to the gates like an easy target. This time, he'd watch first.
From a bakery stall's shadow, he spotted the golden gates in the distance. They glittered under the sun, but what caught his attention was the people.
Every so often, a small group would approach, show some kind of document, and be allowed in. Most were young — about his age — and wore fine clothes.
And there she was. Standing just inside the gates, her crimson eyes scanning every person who passed.
Ryo's skin prickled. She wasn't attacking everyone. Only certain people. He thought back — last time, he had walked right in. No hesitation. Maybe that had triggered her?
He needed to be sure.
He spent nearly an hour watching. In that time, she attacked twice — once a boy in blue robes, another time a girl with silver hair. Both went down in seconds.
But here was the strange thing: the guards didn't move. No one rushed to help. The students waiting behind just… looked away.
Like it was normal.
His stomach knotted. "This academy is insane."
Still, he had learned something — she wasn't striking everyone. And maybe, just maybe, there was a way to pass without drawing her attention.
Ryo slipped into the flow of students moving toward the gate. He kept his posture relaxed, face neutral, eyes slightly downcast.
The guards didn't even glance at him when he stepped up."Name?" one asked.
"…Ryo."
The guard marked something on a parchment and waved him through.
He took two steps inside before her gaze snapped to him.
Shit.
This time, he didn't freeze. The moment her hand twitched, he rolled sideways into the crowd. A bolt of crimson energy slammed into the cobblestone where he'd been standing, blasting stone shards into the air.
Gasps rippled through the nearby students, but no one stepped in.
Ryo scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the inner courtyard. His heart thundered in his chest, but the pounding of footsteps behind him told him she was following.
He cut right down a narrow path between two stone walls — but it was a dead end.
She stepped into the mouth of the alley, her shadow stretching toward him."You think you can run from me?"
Her voice was calm, almost bored, but it chilled his blood.
He forced himself to speak. "I don't even know you! Why are you doing this?!"
"Because you are not ready," she said simply.
Before he could ask what she meant, she was gone — and pain exploded in his back. The world spun, and darkness took him.
[System Notice]You have died.Death count: 3.Regression initializing…
Ryo woke gasping, fists clenched, staring at the marble ceiling.
Trial by Death
The next few hours blurred together into a cycle of attempts.
He tried sneaking in through the servants' entrance. She was there, waiting.
He tried hiding in a merchant's wagon. She dragged him out like he weighed nothing.
He tried pretending to be injured and limping past — she didn't even slow down.
Every death was fast. Efficient. Painful.
By the tenth attempt, he was shaking. By the fifteenth, he was starting to notice something…
She always said the same thing before killing him."You are not ready."
Ready for what?
On his twentieth attempt, he didn't try to run. He stood there, fists at his sides, and asked, "Then tell me how to be ready."
For the first time, she paused.
Those crimson eyes studied him like a puzzle piece she hadn't decided whether to keep or throw away."Come back tomorrow," she said, and walked away.
[System Notice]Progress updated: Survival condition unlocked.
Ryo blinked. "Wait… that's it?!"
But when he turned to follow her, the world tilted — and he woke in the marble room again.
Only this time, there was something new on the table beside the letter: a small, leather-bound book.
The book was small, its leather cover worn like it had passed through many hands. There was no title on the front, only a single, faintly glowing sigil pressed into the surface — a circle intersected by two curved lines, almost like an eclipse.
When Ryo touched it, the surface was warm.
The moment he opened the first page, faint golden letters shimmered into existence.
[System Tutorial — Basic Survival Parameters]
Welcome, Candidate. You have been recognized by the System and permitted access to the Aurelius Academy sequence.Due to your current lack of qualification, entry into the main grounds is denied until survival metrics are met.
Primary Directive:Survive the Gatekeeper's evaluation for three consecutive days.
Secondary Directive:Unlock your inherent skill set.
Warning:Death resets day count.
Ryo's eyes narrowed."Three days? I can't even survive three seconds against her."
But at least now he had a rule. This wasn't just random sadism — there was a test. The Gatekeeper wasn't killing him for fun; she was enforcing some kind of trial.
He turned the page.
Tips:
Observe before you engage.
Identify weaknesses in your environment.
Not all encounters must be met with force.
The Gatekeeper is bound by specific constraints. Learn them.
That last line snagged his attention."Constraints…"
So she wasn't invincible — she had rules. Maybe ones she couldn't break.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping the book's cover against his knee.If that was true, then every failed attempt so far had taught him something. He just hadn't been looking at the right details.
Attempt Twenty-One
The next morning, Ryo didn't go straight to the gate.
Instead, he moved through the city, making mental notes of side alleys, merchant stalls, and building ledges that might give him high ground. He noticed things he had ignored before — like how the cobblestones near the west wall were loose, or how a fruit seller's cart could be rolled into a narrow street to block passage.
He even bought a length of thin rope from a craftsman.
When he finally approached the academy, the Gatekeeper was in her usual spot. Crimson eyes locked on him instantly.
But this time, instead of running, he moved toward the western wall. She followed — fast — but when she leapt to strike, he ducked under an archway, yanking the rope taut between two iron rings embedded in the stone.
Her foot caught it mid-stride. For the first time, she stumbled.
Ryo didn't wait. He bolted into the crowd, weaving between startled students.
"Two more days," he whispered to himself, heart hammering. "I can do this—"
Something slammed into his back. His vision spun, and the ground rushed up to meet him.
[System Notice]Death count: 21.Day count reset.
When he woke in the marble room again, Ryo lay still for a long time. The rope trick had worked for a moment — but only a moment. She recovered too fast.
By the thirtieth attempt, Ryo had learned a few things:
The Gatekeeper never attacked anyone until they set foot past the gate.
She wouldn't pursue more than fifty meters into the academy. If he made it that far, she simply vanished.
She never attacked from behind first — she always made eye contact.
That last one was key.
So on attempt thirty-one, Ryo approached the gates in a group, keeping two taller students between himself and her line of sight. When the guards asked for his name, he whispered it low, never lifting his gaze.
For the first time, he stepped through without hearing the sound of her boots following.
He didn't celebrate. Instead, he kept walking, fast but steady, until he was deep in the inner courtyard.
The academy's heart was even more breathtaking than he'd imagined. Towering spires rose like marble spears into the sky, their white stone veined with faint gold. Crystal orbs floated near archways, casting soft light even in daylight.
Dozens of students crossed the square — some carrying books, others with weapons strapped to their backs.
Ryo wanted to stop and look. But the system's warning echoed in his mind: Three days. This was only day one.
He found a bench under the shadow of a tree and sat, scanning the courtyard. No sign of the Gatekeeper. No sign of anyone interested in him at all. For now.
[System Notice]Day one progress: 14%.
Ryo nearly laughed."Fourteen percent? That's it?!"
Still, it was something. He had lasted longer than ever before.
A shadow fell over him.
"You're new."
Ryo looked up into the face of a boy about his age, with dark brown hair tied back and a long training sword slung across his back. His uniform was neatly pressed — far neater than Ryo's plain shirt.
"I guess," Ryo said.
The boy grinned. "I'm Kael. You look like you just escaped the Gatekeeper."
Ryo stiffened. "You… know about her?"
Kael laughed. "Everyone does. She's the academy's way of filtering out the weak. If you can't survive her for three days, you're not worth the resources."
Ryo's stomach churned."And no one thinks that's insane?"
Kael shrugged. "It's tradition. Besides, most of us have some kind of training before we arrive." He glanced at Ryo's hands. "You don't. That's obvious."
Ryo didn't reply.
Before Kael could say more, a group of students passed nearby — their uniforms marked with a silver crest. They didn't even look at Ryo, but Kael's grin faded.
"Nobles," Kael muttered. "Watch yourself. Especially if you get too close to the princesses. Their guards don't like competition."
That made Ryo's ears perk. He didn't know any princesses, but something in Kael's tone suggested trouble ahead.
And Ryo already had enough trouble.
[System Notice]Warning: Survival condition at risk.
His gaze snapped toward the gate.
The Gatekeeper was gone.
But somehow… Ryo had the sinking feeling she wasn't finished with him yet.