Chapter 5: An Expensive Pet and a Banquet of Vipers
The Following Evening.
Valdorian's Dormitory.
The Academy was buzzing. The rumors of an "incident" in the Whispering Woods had been suppressed by the administration with terrifying efficiency. Officially, a "rogue beast" had attacked a student. Unofficially, the elite students whispered about a corpse found with its daggers sliced in half.
Valdorian didn't care about rumors. He had a bigger problem.
His bed was shaking.
Hummmmm.
The vibration was constant, low-frequency, and incredibly annoying. It was like trying to sleep on top of a giant, purring cat made of cold iron.
"Stop it," Valdorian groaned, burying his face in his pillow.
HUMMMMM.
"I said, stop. I'm trying to nap."
HUNGER.
The word didn't appear as text this time; it was a feeling, a deep, hollow craving that echoed in Valdorian's bones.
Valdorian sat up, hair messy, looking utterly defeated. He reached under the bed and dragged out the black sword, Nihility.
The rust had flaked off further near the hilt, revealing intricate, jagged engravings that looked like teeth. The blade was cold to the touch, yet it made the air around it shimmer like heat haze.
"You're a high-maintenance piece of metal, aren't you?" Valdorian muttered.
He looked at the small pile of resources on his desk—the monthly care package from his "merchant father." There were three Grade-2 Spirit Stones. These were blue crystals filled with pure mana, worth a small fortune. A normal student would use one to cultivate for a month.
Valdorian picked up a stone. "You want this?"
The sword didn't move, but the "Hunger" sensation sharpened.
Valdorian sighed. "Fine. But if you get a stomach ache, don't blame me."
He pressed the blue crystal against the black blade.
Crunch.
There was a sound like biting into an apple. The solid crystal didn't shatter; it dissolved. The black metal absorbed the blue light instantly. In seconds, the Grade-2 Spirit Stone—worth 500 Gold Coins—was gone. Dust.
The sword hummed happily.
Then it stopped humming.
MORE.
Valdorian's eye twitched. "You have got to be kidding me."
He fed it the second stone. Crunch.
He fed it the third stone. Crunch.
1,500 Gold Coins. Gone in ten seconds.
The sword finally settled down. The black metal seemed a little less rusty, a little sharper. A faint, grey mist drifted off the edge of the blade.
Valdorian lifted it. It was still heavy, but... lighter than before? No, not lighter. It felt more connected. When he swung it experimentally, the air didn't swoosh. The air died. A silent vacuum trailed behind the blade.
"Expensive," Valdorian judged, sliding it back into its leather sheath. "I need to find a way to make money. Or I need to find you cheaper food."
A knock came at the door.
"Valdorian," Liya's voice came through the wood. "Get dressed. The Post-Exam Banquet is starting. Attendance is mandatory."
Valdorian groaned, flopping back onto the mattress. "Tell them I have a contagious disease. Mana-deficiency syndrome."
"Open the door, Val, or I will freeze the lock."
The Grand Hall.
The banquet hall was a display of obscene wealth. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, floating trays of exotic delicacies drifted between guests, and a live orchestra played soft, magical melodies.
The students were dressed in formal robes. The atmosphere was tense. The exam results were out, and the hierarchy had shifted.
When Valdorian entered, the room went quiet for a moment.
He was wearing a simple black formal robe Liya had forced him to buy. It was unadorned, lacking the crests of noble houses, yet he wore it with a casual elegance that made the elaborate outfits of the nobles look gaudy. Liya walked beside him, stunning in a dress of shimmering silver silk, looking every bit the Ice Goddess.
"Stick close to the buffet," Valdorian whispered to Liya. "Strategy: eat fast, leave early."
"Behave," Liya murmured, her eyes scanning the room for threats. "Principal Thorne is watching you."
Valdorian glanced at the High Table. Indeed, the Principal—a bearded sage with eyes like hawk—was staring directly at him. Valdorian waved casually with a breadstick. The Principal blinked, looking confused.
"Well, look who crawled out of the trash heap."
The crowd parted. Varek stepped forward.
His arm was in a sling, and his face still had bruising from where he had kissed the arena wall. But his arrogance hadn't diminished; it had curdled into venom. Beside him stood a taller, older student wearing the badge of the Student Council Enforcers.
"Brother," Varek said, pointing a shaking finger at Valdorian. "That's him. The cheater."
The older student stepped forward. Garret Flame-Heart. A Core Formation (Early Stage) expert. He was one of the top ten fighters in the Academy.
Garret looked Valdorian up and down. "So, you're the cripple who used a hidden artifact to humiliate my brother?"
"I used a hand," Valdorian corrected, reaching for a tart on a floating tray. "Specifically, the back of it."
Garret slapped the tray away. The tart fell to the floor.
Valdorian looked at the ruined tart. His expression didn't change, but his eyes dimmed slightly.
"That was lemon custard," Valdorian said softly.
"I challenge you," Garret announced, his voice booming through the hall. "A duel. No referees. No rules. Just you and me. Unless you want to admit you cheated and crawl out of this hall on your knees."
Liya stepped forward, the air around her dropping below freezing. "Garret. You are a Senior. Challenging a First Year with no mana? Do the Flame-Hearts have no shame?"
"Stay out of this, Liya," Garret sneered. "Unless you want to share his beating."
The nobles snickered. They wanted blood. They wanted the natural order restored.
Valdorian sighed. He looked at Garret, then at Varek.
He felt the connection to the black sword in his dorm room. Even from this distance, he could feel Nihility vibrating. But not for food. It was vibrating in... anticipation?
No. He didn't need the sword for this.
"I decline," Valdorian said.
The room erupted in jeers. "Coward!" "Trash!"
"I decline," Valdorian continued, raising his voice slightly over the noise, "because I don't fight over ego. It's tiring."
He bent down and picked up the ruined lemon tart with a napkin.
"However," Valdorian stood up, his gaze locking onto Garret. "You wasted food. And you're ruining my dinner."
Garret laughed. "Is that a threat? You mana-less waste! I could crush you with one finger!"
Garret reached out to grab Valdorian's collar. His hand was wreathed in mana, moving fast.
Valdorian didn't dodge this time.
He moved forward.
Before Garret's hand could close, Valdorian stepped inside his guard. It was a movement that defied the rhythm of combat. It wasn't fast; it was just perfectly timed.
Valdorian's hand shot up and gripped Garret's thumb.
Just the thumb.
Snap.
"ARGH!" Garret screamed, his knees buckling instantly as a jolt of pure agony shot up his arm.
Valdorian didn't let go. He twisted the thumb, forcing the Core Formation expert to his knees in front of him.
"Posture," Valdorian lectured, sounding bored. "You rely too much on your aura. Your physical joints are weak."
Garret swung his other fist, roaring in pain.
Valdorian simply stepped to the side—a minimal movement of three inches—letting the fist sail past his ear. He kept holding the thumb.
"And your balance," Valdorian noted. "Terrible."
He kicked the back of Garret's knee.
Thud.
Garret, the Enforcer, the Senior, was now kneeling on both knees, head bowed, held in place by a "cripple" holding his thumb.
The banquet hall was dead silent. Even the orchestra stopped playing.
"Apologize," Valdorian said calmly.
"You... I'll kill you!" Garret sputtered.
Valdorian applied a fraction more pressure.
"AAAAHH! Okay! Okay! I apologize!"
"Not to me," Valdorian pointed to the floor. "To the tart."
Garret's eyes bulged. "What?!"
"The lemon tart," Valdorian clarified. "You knocked it over. Say sorry."
Humiliation burned Garret's face hotter than any fire magic. But the pain in his thumb was blinding. Every time he tried to channel mana, Valdorian seemed to press a nerve that disrupted the flow.
"I... I'm sorry... lemon tart," Garret whispered, his soul crushing.
Valdorian let go.
Garret scrambled back, cradling his hand, tears of pain and rage in his eyes.
Valdorian wiped his hands on the napkin. He looked around the room. Hundreds of students were staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.
"Does anyone else have an issue with my dining etiquette?" Valdorian asked pleasantly.
No one spoke.
"Good." Valdorian turned to a stunned Liya. "I believe there's a roast chicken on the main table. Shall we?"
As they walked away, Valdorian felt a strange sensation. It wasn't the System. It wasn't the Sword.
It was his body.
His blood was hot. His heart was beating slowly, powerfully. For a moment, the fog in his mind cleared just a fraction. He looked at his hands.
'I've done this before,' he thought, confusion flickering in his eyes. 'Not breaking fingers... but bringing kings to their knees. Why does it feel so... routine?'
From the High Table, Principal Thorne watched the entire exchange. He didn't intervene. He was stroking his beard, his eyes glowing with a spell of True Sight.
"No mana," Thorne whispered to himself. "Absolutely zero mana. He controlled Garret using pure leverage and anatomy. It's... unnatural."
Thorne turned to the Vice-Principal.
"Open the Vault of Archives. I want to know everything about the 'Cygnus' lineage. And... put Valdorian in the Special Class for the upcoming Tournament."
"The Special Class?" The Vice-Principal gasped. "But that's the 'Death Block'! They are sent to the Ruined Dungeons!"
"Exactly," Thorne smiled thinly. "Let's see if our little anomaly can survive true darkness. If he is a diamond, he will shine. If he is glass... he will break."
Later.
Valdorian sat on the balcony of the banquet hall, finally eating his chicken leg. The night air was cool.
Liya stood beside him, leaning on the railing.
"You made enemies of the Flame-Heart clan tonight," she said quietly. "Garret won't let this go. And Varek is insane."
"They were enemies the moment they decided I was beneath them," Valdorian said, taking a bite. "I just clarified the pecking order."
"You're changing, Val," Liya looked at him, searching his profile. "In the forest. In the arena. Tonight. You're not the lazy boy I grew up with."
Valdorian stopped chewing. He looked at the moon.
"Maybe I'm just waking up," he whispered, more to himself than her.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the city below.
A pillar of green fire erupted from the downtown district—the Merchant Quarter.
"That's..." Liya gasped. "That's the Alchemist Guild! Why is it burning?"
Valdorian stood up. He felt the vibration in his pocket. It wasn't a communication stone.
It was the black ring his father gave him. It was pulsing hot.
[System Alert (Suppressed):]
[Resonance Detected.]
[A Fragment of "Nihility" has been found nearby.]
Valdorian's eyes narrowed. A piece of his sword? In the city?
"Liya," Valdorian said, dropping the chicken bone. "I think we need to leave the party early."
"Where are you going?"
"To find dessert," Valdorian said, his eyes reflecting the green fire. "And maybe... to find out why my ring is trying to burn my finger off."