CHAPTER 16: The Serpent and the Star
The gates of Eclipse Academy were not merely an entrance; they were a filter.
As Lucius stepped onto the obsidian grounds, he felt the weight of the Academy's Barrier—a massive, invisible dome of mana that scanned every soul entering the premises. It was designed to detect malice, but for Lucius, it felt like a cold finger tracing his spine.
Around him, the atmosphere was suffocating. Hundreds of new students were congregating in the Central Plaza. The air was a chaotic soup of competing auras.
In this world, nobles used their mana like a perfume, projecting just enough pressure to announce their status without starting a duel.
Lucius kept his mana tightly coiled, pulled inward until it was a silent grain of sand.
To the outside world, he looked like the same Unique Tier disappointment they had always known—the boy whose God Tier potential was a myth, and whose actual talent, Teleportation, was so flawed it took five seconds of standing still like a target to activate.
Young Master, Elara whispered, her eyes darting toward a group of students in green and gold tunics. That is the insignia of House Brett.
Lucius followed her gaze.
In the center of the plaza, a girl stood surrounded by a circle of admirers. She was strikingly beautiful, with sharp, fox-like features and hair the color of spun emeralds.
Beside her lounged a Silver-maned Shadow Wolf—a B-rank magical beast that radiated a low, predatory growl.
Arianna Brett.
The daughter of Marquis Brett. Her family was the reason Lucius's father, the Sword Demon, carried scars that would never heal.
Because of the Bretts' tactical cowardice during the Leviathan outbreak, the Venus family had begun its long, slow descent into the shadows.
As if sensing his gaze, Arianna turned. Her eyes, the color of toxic jade, locked onto Lucius. A slow, mocking smile spread across her face.
Well, well, she said, her voice carrying across the plaza. I thought I smelled the scent of rotting parchment.
I didn't realize the Academy was still accepting charity cases from the Venus County.
And I believe I told you not to come to the Academy...
The circle of students around her laughed. It was a cruel, melodic sound.
Lucius continued walking. He did not slow down. His boots clicked rhythmically against the marble, a steady beat that did not falter even as the Shadow Wolf stood up, its fur bristling.
Are you deaf as well as weak? Arianna asked, stepping forward. The wolf followed her, its yellow eyes fixed on Lucius's throat.
You should bow when a Marquis's daughter speaks to you, Lucius. Or has your father's title finally faded into a bedtime story?
Everyone knows your Unique Teleportation is a joke. By the time you finish your five-second cast, even a peasant could trip you.
Lucius stopped three paces away.
Arianna Brett, Lucius said.
His voice was calm. You talk a lot for someone whose family only survives because they know how to hide behind the backs of real warriors.
The laughter in the plaza died instantly.
Arianna's smile twitched. Her hand dropped to the collar of her wolf. Do you have any idea who you are talking to?
My father provides the very beasts that guard the borders your family can no longer protect. You are a Unique-tier nobody with a failing heart.
I am a Venus, Lucius replied, his eyes turning into cold shards of blue. And even a falling star still burns those who try to catch it.
Arianna's face flushed with rage. Fenris, heel, she hissed.
The Shadow Wolf lunged.
It was not a full attack—that would get her expelled—but it was a suppressed charge meant to pin Lucius to the ground and humiliate him.
Lucius did not draw his sword. He did not even move his feet.
Authority: Exodus.
The world did not change color, but for Arianna and her wolf, the universe suddenly felt very, very small.
Chapter 1: All Things Being Equal.
The Law snapped into place. Within a five-meter radius around Lucius, the hidden hierarchy of the world was forcibly rewritten.
The B-rank Shadow Wolf felt its muscles suddenly turn to lead.
Its mana and speed were dragged down, stripped away until they matched the current, base stats of Lucius van Venus.
The wolf whimpered mid-air. Its momentum died as if it had hit a wall of thick syrup.
It tumbled to the marble floor at Lucius's feet, sliding helplessly and coming to a stop against his boots.
The beast looked up at Lucius, its tail tucking between its legs. It was not just equalized; it was terrified.
What... what did you do to him? Arianna stammered.
She tried to command her mana, but she felt a crushing weight on her chest. Her Divine-rank Beast Taming talent was flickering, unable to latch onto the mind of her familiar.
The world is a very balanced place, Arianna, Lucius said, stepping over the shivering wolf. You just haven't been looking at it correctly.
He leaned in close.
Your father left mine to die in the Storm of Leviathan. If you ever point a beast at me again, I won't just equalize it. I'll erase it.
Arianna's knees buckled slightly, her balance faltering for a brief moment.
Lucius pulled back and continued walking toward the registration spires.
Elara followed him, her head held higher than it had been in years.
The Registration Hall was a cavernous room filled with floating crystals.
At the center sat the Eye of Truth—a massive diamond that measured a student's potential and assigned them to their classes.
Lucius stood in line. Usually, the crystal would glow with the color of one's Talent rank.
Rare would be blue. Unique would be purple. Legendary would be gold. Divine would be white. God Tier would be black.
Lucius closed his eyes. He did not want the God Tier light of his true Authorities to erupt.
System, he thought. Conceal the output. Show only the Unique Tier they expect.
Condition Met.
Applying Law of One: Internal Concealment.
Output restricted to: Unique Tier.
Lucius's heart skipped a beat. His eyes snapped open, a flash of genuine surprise crossing his face.
It answered?
For the first time since he had arrived in this world, the System had not just posted a notification—it had responded to his direct thought.
It was no longer just a display; it was an extension of his will. The realization sent a shiver of adrenaline through him.
The diamond hummed. It turned a deep, solid purple.
Rank: Unique, the administrator announced, sounding completely bored. Teleportation Talent, as expected. Proceed to the desk for your materials.
The surrounding students whispered, their voices filled with disdain. They saw the Unique rank and remembered the rumors of his flawed Teleportation. To them, he was still the weakest genius in the room.
Class 1-A, the administrator said, handing Lucius a silver token. Go to the West Dormitory. Orientation begins at sundown.
Lucius took the token. As he walked out of the hall, he looked at his
[Status window]
Name: Lucius van Venus
Title: Overlord of the Abyss
Level: 16
Talents: Law of One [God Tier]
Strength: 19
Agility: 20
Mana: 26
Sensitivity: 15
Endurance: 13
Available Stat Points: 0
Skills: Poison Immunity [max]
Authorities:
1. Exodus [??]
Chapter 1: All Things Being Equal
Chapter 2: White Void
Chapter 3: Sealed
Chapter 4: Sealed
Chapter 5: Sealed
Chapter 6: Sealed
Chapter 7: Sealed
Exodus: [Conceptual Sword Art]
[Nature]:A law-bound scripture. The user acts as both Author and Executor.
[Mechanics]:Techniques are created through pure imagination and intent.
2. Void Displacement [??]
→ A spatial Authority derived from Teleportation. → Allows instantaneous displacement without delay. → Ignores conventional activation time. → Limited to 3 uses per day due to strain on space stability.
Invisible to all but him. The Teleportation talent was gone, replaced by the question marks of his Authorities.
He was a blank slate to the world, but a god in the making.
Unique Tier, Lucius murmured to himself, a cold smile forming. Let them keep believing that.
He looked toward the West Dormitories—the place where the scions of the Seven Houses lived.
Let's see if the other Monsters are as disappointing as the Brett girl.
To be continued....