The next morning, Adrian stood in front of the towering gates of the Royal Arcane Academy.
Students in elegant uniforms moved in groups, chatting excitedly as carriages arrived one after another.
Some wore noble crests on their chests.
Others carried staffs, swords, or enchanted grimoires.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
This was where everything in the original story truly began.
And this was also where his death route started.
In the novel, Adrian would soon provoke the protagonist over a girl and begin the chain of events that led to his humiliating death.
That girl was here.
Adrian's gaze swept across the academy courtyard.
Then he saw her.
Silver hair.
Pale skin.
Eyes as cold and clear as winter moonlight.
She stood alone near a fountain, her expression indifferent as the surrounding students kept their distance.
Lyra Frostveil.
One of the main heroines of the original story.
A prodigy born with the rare Frostborn Bloodline and exceptional affinity for ice magic.
In the novel, she would eventually become one of Leon Draven's strongest allies.
Adrian stared at her for a moment.
Then—
[Ding!]
Target detected.
Name: Lyra FrostveilRace: HumanBloodline: FrostbornPrimary Affinity: IceTalent Rank: APotential: MythicBond Compatibility: 96%
Adrian's lips curled upward.
"Ninety-six percent?"
That was absurdly high.
Before he could react, a commotion broke out nearby.
A tall noble with flame-red hair blocked Lyra's path.
"Lady Lyra," he said with a smug smile. "You've rejected my invitation three times already. Don't you think that's a bit rude?"
Lyra's face remained calm.
"I was being polite."
A few students laughed.
The noble's expression darkened.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yes," Lyra said flatly. "That's why I said no."
The surrounding students tried to hold back their laughter.
The noble's face turned red with humiliation.
"You—!"
He raised his hand, flames flickering around his fingers.
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
In the original story, this scene never happened.
Which meant the story was already shifting.
Before the noble could act, Adrian stepped forward.
"That's enough."
The courtyard fell silent.
The noble turned. "Adrian Valemont?"
His face twisted into ridicule.
"Oh, look. The academy's favorite clown has decided to play hero."
Adrian ignored him and looked at Lyra.
Up close, her icy aura was even stronger.
The air around her felt colder.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
And most importantly—
Valuable.
He turned back to the noble. "Threatening a girl in the middle of the courtyard? Pathetic."
The noble sneered. "And what are you going to do about it?"
Adrian smiled.
"Nothing dramatic."
Then he stepped closer and whispered just loudly enough for those nearby to hear.
"But if you embarrass yourself any more, even your family name won't save you."
The noble's face stiffened.
Adrian knew exactly what kind of man he was: proud, insecure, desperate for attention.
The worst kind of opponent.
"You bastard!"
Flames burst around the noble's hand as he lunged forward.
Several students gasped.
Adrian moved instinctively.
He sidestepped, caught the noble's wrist, and twisted hard.
Crack.
The noble cried out and dropped to one knee.
The flames vanished instantly.
The courtyard went dead silent.
Adrian himself was slightly surprised.
So this body can move better than I thought.
He released the noble and said coldly, "Get lost."
The noble staggered backward, clutching his wrist, then glared at Adrian with hatred before hurrying away.
Whispers spread through the courtyard.
"Did Adrian Valemont just win a fight?"
"What happened to that useless noble?"
"Was he hiding his strength?"
Adrian ignored them.
A new notification appeared.
[Ding!]
Significant change in fate detected.
You have altered a key social event.
Reward: Bond Opportunity Increased
Lyra looked at him quietly.
"You didn't need to intervene."
Adrian shrugged. "Maybe not."
"Then why did you?"
He smiled faintly. "Because I dislike loud idiots."
For the first time, the corner of Lyra's lips moved.
Not quite a smile.
But close.
Interesting.
Then another notification appeared.
[Ding!]
Resonance Bond opportunity available.
Form temporary link with Lyra Frostveil?
Yes / No
Adrian chose Yes without hesitation.
The world around him seemed to pause.
A faint silver-blue thread appeared for a moment between him and Lyra, then vanished.
Lyra blinked, as if she had sensed something strange.
And then the system exploded with notifications.
[Ding!]
Resonance Bond established: Lyra Frostveil
Sharing target attributes...
Acquired: Ice Affinity (A)Acquired: Frostborn Bloodline (Partial)Acquired: Cold Mana Control (Advanced)
Applying amplification...
Amplification ×1000 successful.
Ice Affinity (A) → Absolute Glacial Dominion (Mythic)Frostborn Bloodline (Partial) → Sovereign Frostblood (Mythic)Cold Mana Control (Advanced) → Perfect Elemental Precision
A freezing surge of power rushed through Adrian's body.
His vision sharpened.
The temperature around him dropped.
Thin frost spread across the stone beneath his feet.
Several nearby students shivered.
Lyra's eyes widened slightly.
"You…"
Adrian exhaled slowly, forcing the power down before it attracted too much attention.
He smiled.
"Looks like today is going to be interesting."
Lyra studied him in silence.
For the first time in her life, she felt something impossible.
Someone nearby carried a colder, deeper, more absolute ice presence than her own.
And that person was Adrian Valemont.
The so-called talentless fool.
Adrian turned toward the academy gates.
The first heroine had appeared.
The first bond had been formed.
And the story had already started to break.
Behind him, Lyra watched his back with unreadable eyes.
For some reason…
She felt that the academy's future had just changed.
And so had hers.