The night sky over Sylvania Academy was calm, a stark contrast to the absolute chaos that had erupted in the northern practice facility just hours ago.
Standing by the window of the medical ward, Ed Rothtaylor watched the professors and academy staff running back and forth across the courtyard like agitated ants.
They were trying to make sense of the residual mana signatures—the scorched earth, the flash-frozen stone, and the shattered spatial coordinates.
None of them would figure it out.
The deviant magic of Realmheart left no traceable elemental signature that standard academy mages could comprehend.
Behind him, Janica was breathing softly, her exhaustion pulling her into a deep, healing sleep.
Ed turned away from the window and closed his eyes, focusing inward.
With his mana core now advanced to the Initial Stage, he could feel the volatile energy of the ‘Lightning’ attribute crackling deep within his center.
It was raw and dangerous, an excellent tactical asset.
Suddenly, the golden interface of the System expanded in his vision, its borders glowing with a distinct, iridescent platinum light.
[Hidden Milestone Achieved.]
[Arc 1 Complete: The Awakening of the Failed Swordsman.]
[Evaluating Overall Host Performance across all Arc 1 Scenarios: Outstanding.]
Ed raised an eyebrow.
An arc completion?
His assimilated memories as a Korean gamer reminded him that this entire world was originally the setting of a game.
Seeing the System quantify his survival into ‘Arcs’ was a stark validation of his reality.
[Calculating Special Arc Completion Reward…]
[Warning: Generating a reward beyond the assimilated template.]
[Unique Feature Unlocked: ‘Multiversal Chat Group’.]
[Host Privileges Assigned: Group Administrator.]
A new tab appeared in his mental interface.
Ed opened it, and a sleek, translucent window appeared before him.
It looked exactly like an instant messaging application from Earth, completely out of place in a magical fantasy academy.
[Welcome to the Multiversal Chat Group.]
[Current Members: 1] – Ed Rothtaylor (Administrator)
[System Note: As the Administrator, you have the authority to invite individuals from entirely different dimensions, realities, and universes.
You can trade knowledge, magic, technology, and resources across the void.]
[Current Invitation Tickets Available: 4]
Ed stared at the empty chat log.
Deep within his soul, the assimilated memories of his ‘Otaku’ past life flared to life.
He knew of countless other realities—dimensions filled with devils, espers, martial gods, and technology beyond human comprehension.
His knowledge wasn’t absolute; he didn’t know the secrets of every universe in existence, but he knew enough.
The King Grey persona rapidly processed the terrifying tactical potential of this tool.
If he invited the right people, he could build an interdimensional intelligence network that defied the laws of Sylvania entirely.
[Awaiting Administrator Command to initiate the multiversal scan…]
“Hold,” Ed commanded mentally, shutting the window. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Not yet.
I need to solidify my current position first.
Keep the tickets on standby; I will use them later.”
Just as he dismissed the System, the heavy wooden door of the medical ward clicked open.
Princess Penia stepped inside.
She had dismissed her royal guards, leaving them in the hallway.
The door clicked shut, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet room with the sleeping Janica.
Penia didn’t look like a terrified student anymore.
She carried the absolute, imposing authority of the royal family.
She walked up to Ed, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized his stoic expression.
“How is she?” Penia asked quietly, glancing at Janica.
“Stable,” Ed replied flatly.
“Mana exhaustion.
She needs rest.”
Penia nodded, but her gaze quickly snapped back to Ed.
“You played the fool, Rothtaylor.
The incompetent, arrogant noble who couldn’t even cast a basic spell.
But a mage who can single-handedly defeat a high-ranking dark spirit like Belopher doesn’t get expelled for a petty tantrum.”
Ed remained completely silent, meeting her gaze without flinching.
“You hid your strength,” Penia continued, stepping closer.
A faint, ethereal light began to glow within her pupils.
It was the innate royal gift of the ruling bloodline—an ability that allowed her to pierce through deceit and discern truth from falsehood.
“You did it on purpose.
You wanted to be excommunicated.
The Rothtaylor Duchy hides many shadows.
What do you know?
What dark secret did you discover that made you sever your own bloodline?”
Ed looked at her glowing eyes.
What do I know?
His assimilated Korean memories instantly provided the horrifying lore of the Sylvania game.
He knew exactly what the Rothtaylor Patriarch was doing behind closed doors.
The forbidden, grotesque dark magic experiments.
And worse—he remembered his eldest sister.
She was currently trapped deep within the Duchy’s mansion, being used as a living, breathing test subject by their own father to fuel his twisted ambitions.
A shard of absolute, freezing fury pierced through King Grey’s cold heart.
In his past life, he had been an orphan who cherished those close to him.
The idea of a father torturing his own daughter for power disgusted him on a primal level.
Today, he was merely a student.
He needed power first.
He knew the Princess was reading his physiological responses, searching for a lie.
So, he simply didn’t lie.
He evaded with absolute, pragmatic precision.
“My ties to the Rothtaylor family are permanently severed, Princess,” Ed stated coldly, his voice a perfectly calm monotone, masking the killing intent brewing in his soul.
“Whatever shadows the Duchy hides are no longer my concern.
My goals and my survival are my own business.”
Penia frowned.
Her gift registered no falsehood in his words, but she knew he was intentionally building a wall she couldn’t climb.
“If the Rothtaylor family’s secrets threaten the stability of my kingdom,” Penia countered, her voice hardening with royal authority, “then it absolutely becomes my business.
Do not think you can play games with the crown, Ed.”
Behind his dead, golden eyes, Ed analyzed the girl before him.
She was sharp, driven by duty, and held massive political power.
If the Rothtaylor Patriarch ever moved against him—or if Ed needed to launch a strike to free his sister—having the Princess of the kingdom as an ally, or a pawn, would be an impeccable tactical shield.
She is suspicious now, but her sense of justice can be utilized later, Ed thought, filing the information away.
A highly valuable piece for the mid-game.
“When my business becomes a threat to your kingdom, I’ll be sure to let you know,” Ed said, offering a slight, respectful nod that completely lacked any actual submission.
“Until then, goodnight, Princess.”
Penia stared at him for a long moment, realizing she wasn’t going to get anything else out of him.
She turned on her heel and walked to the door.
“I will be watching you, Rothtaylor.
Very closely.”
As the door closed behind her, Ed sat back down by Janica’s bed, looking out the window once more.
The real game was just beginning, and he had a multiverse of allies waiting to be summoned.
[Author’s Note] The First Arc is officially complete!
Ed has survived the initial hurdles, forged genuine bonds, awakened his core, and even gained the Princess’s wary attention.
Now, the board expands into the multiverse.
Though Ed is saving his tickets for now, I want YOU, the readers, to choose who he invites in the future chapters!
Who should get the first invitation tickets?
A devil from the High School DxD universe?
A Proxy or Agent from Zenless Zone Zero?
A military commander, a martial artist, someone from a manga or manhwa, or someone else entirely?
Drop your character suggestions and from which universe they belong in the comments!
The most interesting ones will be added to Ed’s chat group soon!