As Feyi walked through the academy corridor, a deep mechanical voice suddenly echoed through the entire compound.
"Attention. All aspirants are ordered to report immediately to the Central Assembly Hall. This is a mandatory gathering."
The announcement repeated twice.
Students immediately began leaving classrooms, dormitories, training fields, and cafeterias. Hundreds of aspirants flowed into the stone pathways of the academy.
Feyi paused.
He had only been admitted to the academy today.
He didn't know where the Central Assembly Hall was.
The academy was enormous—ancient towers, black marble halls, training arenas, and massive gates stretched in every direction. It looked more like a small city than a school.
Where am I supposed to go?
Just then, he noticed a large crowd of aspirants moving toward a massive structure in the distance.
Without asking questions, Feyi simply followed them.
The deeper he went into the academy grounds, the larger the crowd became.
Hundreds…
Then nearly a thousand aspirants.
Some looked confident. Some were excited. Others whispered nervously.
Eventually they reached an enormous circular building made of black stone.
Above the entrance were ancient words carved into the wall.
Central Assembly Hall
So this is it.
Feyi walked inside with the rest of the aspirants.
The moment he entered, his steps slowed.
The hall was gigantic.
Rows of black pillars stretched upward like a forest of stone. Dark banners hung from the walls bearing the academy's crest. At the center was a massive platform made of obsidian.
Thousands of aspirants filled the circular arena floor.
Feyi quietly moved toward the back of the crowd. He preferred observing rather than standing in front.
Then he noticed the man standing on the central platform.
A middle-aged man.
He looked around forty.
His long dark hair flowed behind him, tied loosely at the back. His uniform was completely black, but unlike the academy robes, it was decorated with silver patterns that resembled flowing shadows.
But what drew everyone's attention…
was the tattoo on his arm.
A massive black tattoo stretched from his wrist to his shoulder.
It showed a crescent moon surrounded by twisting shadows, and inside the moon was a serpent with glowing eyes.
The symbol was unmistakable.
The Shadow Clan.
The aura around the man was overwhelming.
It wasn't aggressive, but it was heavy—like standing near something extremely dangerous.
Even from far away, many aspirants felt a strange pressure in the air.
The murmurs began immediately.
A boy beside Feyi squinted toward the stage.
"…Wait."
Another aspirant leaned forward.
"No way…"
Someone behind them whispered.
"Is that…?"
Then a name spread through the crowd like a sudden storm.
"Kael Varynshade…"
More voices repeated it.
"Kael Varynshade?"
"The Varynshade?"
"What is he doing here?"
Feyi remained silent but listened carefully.
He had never heard the name before, but the reaction around him told him this man was not ordinary.
A tall aspirant nearby whispered in shock.
"That's the Shadow Clan's War Champion."
Another student nodded quickly.
"You mean the one who won nine wars for them?"
"Yes! That one!"
A girl folded her arms nervously.
"Are you serious? Why would someone like him come to an academy?"
Another boy spoke with excitement.
"Do you know what his title is?"
"What?"
"The Ninefold Victor."
Several aspirants looked confused.
"What does that mean?"
A senior aspirant explained quietly.
"It means he fought in nine major clan wars…"
"…and won every single one."
Someone gasped.
"Wait… he fought in all nine?"
"Yes."
"And survived?"
"He didn't just survive."
The boy pointed toward the stage.
"He led the final charge in five of them."
Another student added quickly.
"My older brother told me about the Nightfall War."
"What happened?"
"Three enemy clans surrounded the Shadow Clan forces."
"That sounds bad."
"It was."
"But Kael Varynshade broke the encirclement."
"How?"
The boy swallowed.
"He fought their commanders personally."
"Three commanders?"
"No."
"Five."
The nearby students stared at him.
"You're lying."
"I swear I'm not."
A different aspirant joined the conversation.
"My uncle fought in that war. He said Kael cut through the enemy ranks like a shadow storm."
Another voice added from the back.
"He earned his tattoo after that battle."
The group looked again at the mark on Kael's arm.
"That tattoo?"
"Yes."
"It's called the Serpent Moon Sigil."
"What does it mean?"
"It means he is a Champion of the Abyss Campaign."
Someone looked confused.
"What campaign?"
Another student lowered his voice.
"The war against the Void creatures."
Several people went silent.
"You mean those monsters beyond the rift?"
"Yes."
Another aspirant shook his head slowly.
"That's impossible… those things slaughter armies."
"Well…"
The boy gestured toward Kael.
"He slaughtered them back."
More gossip erupted.
"I heard he once fought a Void Titan."
"By himself?"
"Yes."
"That's insane."
Another aspirant laughed nervously.
"That's nothing. I heard he fought for three days without rest during the Eclipse War."
"Three days?"
"Yes."
"He kept fighting even after his armor broke."
A girl whispered quietly.
"Look at his aura…"
Everyone felt it.
Standing there silently, Kael Varynshade radiated power like a calm ocean hiding deadly depths.
Another student whispered nervously.
"Why is someone like that here?"
"Seriously…"
"People like him should be on battlefields, not academies."
Someone suggested a theory.
"Maybe he's here to inspect us."
Another person scoffed.
"Inspect us?"
"Why would a war champion care about students?"
Another voice answered quietly.
"Because this academy produces warriors."
That made several aspirants uneasy.
One boy whispered dramatically.
"What if he's here to select soldiers?"
"From us?"
"Yes."
Another girl shook her head.
"No way. We're just aspirants."
But someone else disagreed.
"You think the Shadow Clan wastes time?"
"They don't."
"If Kael Varynshade himself came here…"
"…then something important is happening."
The whispers grew louder.
Feyi listened carefully.
His expression remained calm.
But inside, he was curious.
This man clearly carried immense reputation.
And yet he stood here before thousands of students.
Another aspirant suddenly whispered something shocking.
"Do you know what else he's famous for?"
"What?"
"He's never lost a battlefield command."
"Never?"
"Not once."
Someone laughed nervously.
"That's impossible."
"Well, it's true."
Another student added quietly.
"The other clans call him The Walking Eclipse."
"Why?"
"Because wherever he appears…"
"…the battlefield turns dark."
The hall buzzed with nervous energy.
Some aspirants were excited.
Some were frightened.
Some stared at Kael with admiration.
Meanwhile, the man himself had not spoken a single word.
He simply stood there calmly.
Watching the crowd.
Observing.
Waiting.
Then suddenly…
Kael Varynshade took one step forward.
The movement was small.
But the effect was immediate.
The entire hall fell silent.
Thousands of aspirants stopped whispering at once.
Even the air felt heavier.
For the first time, Kael opened his mouth to speak.
And every single aspirant in the academy—including Feyi—
waited to hear what the Nine-Victory Champion of the Shadow Clan had come to say.