Morning arrived quietly over Belgrave University.
Sunlight slowly spread across the campus, illuminating the stone buildings and long pathways where students were already beginning their day. From the outside, everything looked completely normal.
Students rushing to class.Groups chatting near the cafeteria.Professors walking between lecture halls.
But Lucas knew that beneath the calm routine of The Order, something far more dangerous existed.
He had less than a day before midnight.
And according to the system, that midnight meeting with Alyssa Drake would involve a trial.
Lucas sat at his desk inside the dorm room, staring at the system information in his mind.
Name: Lucas HaleLevel: 3Class: None
Strength: 7Agility: 8Intelligence: 14Vitality: 9
Mana: 40
His stats were still too low.
Even if the Order only tested magical ability, Lucas couldn't rely on Mana Bolt alone.
He needed better control.
"Mana Flow Control," he muttered quietly.
The moment he activated the skill, he felt the faint magical energy inside his body begin moving more smoothly. Instead of chaotic currents, the mana flowed like a controlled stream.
Lucas stood up.
"Let's see how well this works."
He raised his hand slowly.
Mana gathered around his palm.
Unlike yesterday, the energy formed more easily this time.
A small glowing sphere appeared above his hand.
Mana Bolt.
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly and focused.
The sphere compressed slightly as he guided the mana with his new skill.
Then he released it.
The bolt shot forward and struck the wall near the window with a soft impact before dissolving into sparks.
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Much better."
Yesterday it had taken him several seconds just to gather enough mana for a single attack.
Now he could form the spell almost instantly.
Just as he was about to try again—
Ding! Skill Proficiency Increased — Mana Bolt Lv.2.
Lucas smiled slightly.
"So skills level up through practice."
That meant the fastest way to grow stronger was simple.
Train repeatedly.
He spent the next hour practicing basic mana control inside the dorm room. Gathering energy, compressing it, releasing it, then repeating the process again and again.
By the time he stopped, the mana inside his body was noticeably easier to control.
And the system responded accordingly.
Ding! Mana Flow Control Lv.2.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
But something else caught his attention.
Mana Sense.
While training, he had unconsciously kept the skill active.
And now he could clearly feel several strong magical signatures somewhere on campus.
Much stronger than ordinary students.
Lucas walked toward the window and looked outside.
"They're probably members of the Order."
Students like Alyssa Drake and the other advanced magic users were already far ahead of him.
But that didn't discourage Lucas.
If anything, it motivated him more.
Because he had something they didn't.
The system.
Lucas grabbed his jacket.
"Time for the next step."
The campus training field behind the gym was almost empty during the afternoon.
A few students were exercising on the track, while others practiced basic sports nearby.
Lucas chose a quiet corner near the trees.
Here, he could train without drawing too much attention.
He activated Mana Flow Control again.
Mana began circulating smoothly through his body.
Lucas raised his hand.
Mana Bolt formed instantly.
But instead of releasing it immediately, he tried something different.
He compressed the mana further.
The sphere became smaller.
Denser.
More unstable.
Lucas frowned slightly as the energy trembled in his palm.
"Still hard to control."
The compressed bolt suddenly exploded into harmless sparks before he could release it.
Lucas sighed.
"That needs work."
Still, he had learned something.
The more he compressed the mana, the stronger the attack would become.
Just as he prepared to try again, a familiar voice interrupted him.
"Practicing magic alone?"
Lucas turned around.
Standing a few meters away was Jack Morton.
Lucas blinked once.
"I could ask you the same thing."
Jack scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well… I wasn't exactly practicing magic."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
Jack looked around briefly before lowering his voice.
"Listen… about last night."
Lucas remained calm.
"What about it?"
Jack hesitated.
"That whole magic thing Alyssa showed us… you weren't surprised at all."
Lucas shrugged slightly.
"I'm open-minded."
Jack studied him carefully.
Then he said something unexpected.
"You're coming tonight too, aren't you?"
Lucas didn't answer immediately.
Jack chuckled.
"I figured."
Lucas finally spoke.
"And you?"
Jack smiled faintly.
"Honestly? I have no idea what I'm getting into."
Lucas couldn't help but laugh quietly.
"That makes two of us."
The two of them stood there for a moment.
Then Jack turned and began walking back toward the campus buildings.
"See you tonight," he said.
Lucas watched him leave.
The system spoke again.
Ding! Skill Acquired — Mana Compression.
Lucas blinked.
"That's new."
The skill he had accidentally discovered while training had now become official.
Mana Compression allowed him to condense magical energy into stronger attacks.
Lucas slowly smiled.
"Perfect timing."
The sun was already beginning to set again.
Midnight was getting closer.
And whatever the Order had planned for tonight's trial…
Lucas intended to be ready.