The morning practical lesson ended amid an unusual atmosphere. Normally, once Kael Grayford finished embarrassing himself, the class quickly forgot about him.
Today was different.
Students continued glancing in his direction as they left the training grounds.
"Did you see that?"
"I swear Victor wasn’t serious."
"It had to be luck."
"No way Kael suddenly improved overnight."
Victor himself looked as though he had swallowed something bitter. His pride had taken a greater hit than the light tap on his wrist.
Kael ignored the whispers.
One lucky exchange didn’t suddenly turn him into some hidden genius. He knew that better than anyone. If Victor had used his Hero Core enhancement, elemental abilities, or an actual combat technique instead of treating the match like another easy victory, Kael would have been on the ground within seconds.
That wasn’t false modesty. It was simply the truth. He had won because he stayed calm, read Victor’s movement, and waited for the right opening.
Nothing more.
’Don’t get carried away.’
Kael reminded himself as he left the training grounds.
’One practice match. That’s it.’
He had played enough games to know how dangerous it was to mistake an early advantage for actual strength. A character could get one lucky critical hit and suddenly start acting like the final boss. Then the next stage would introduce an enemy ten levels above them.
’Yeah. I’m not doing that.’
The thought almost made him laugh. Eclipse Hearts was full of characters who became arrogant after a little success. Most of them eventually paid for it. And unlike the game, he didn’t have a reload button.
’I still have a ridiculously long way to go.’
That was the only conclusion that mattered.
...
After lunch, the academy announced a free study period. Most students headed toward one of three places. The library, the combat arena, or the commercial district just outside the academy walls.
Kael chose none of them. Instead, he walked toward the eastern side of the campus. Unlike the bustling central district, the eastern grounds were almost deserted.
Ancient stone paths wound through towering trees whose branches blocked much of the sunlight. A quiet lake reflected the blue sky.
Few students came here because there were no classrooms or training facilities. Only an abandoned garden. Kael slowed down as he approached it.
’This should be it.’
He remembered the location clearly. In Eclipse Hearts, almost nobody visited this place.
A player could stumble across it only after choosing a relatively obscure optional exploration event. Hidden inside the overgrown garden was a broken stone monument. Kael pushed aside the vines and crouched beside it.
"Still here."
The inscription had almost completely disappeared beneath years of dirt and moss.
He brushed the dust away. There.’ A tiny crescent-shaped emblem appeared beneath his fingers.
Kael smiled.
’The developers really hid this thing in the middle of nowhere.’
He placed his palm against the center. Nothing happened. He waited. Still nothing.
Kael stared at the monument.
"...Right."
He quietly sighed.
"I almost forgot."
The mechanism required mana.
Of course.
Back when he played the game, activating it was automatic. Now he actually had to do it himself.
’Wonderful. No convenient game interface anymore.’
Kael slowly circulated his Hero Core energy into the emblem. The monument vibrated faintly. Then a clicking sound echoed from inside the stone.
A hidden compartment opened. Inside rested a tiny crystal no larger than his thumb. Its interior shimmered with pale silver light.
Kael’s eyes brightened.
Moon Essence Crystal.
It was only a low-grade treasure. On the game’s marketplace, it was practically pocket change. Most players sold it immediately because they needed money during the early stages.
That was understandable. It was also completely wrong. The crystal’s true value only became apparent much later. When consumed during Body Refinement, its effectiveness multiplied several times.
’This is one of those items that looks useless until someone actually knows what it does.’
Kael carefully wrapped the crystal inside a piece of cloth before placing it into his pocket.
"First the breathing technique, now this."
He looked down at his hand.
"Not bad."
His foundation was slowly coming together.
Not quickly or dramatically, but steadily. That was what mattered. Kael turned around. Then froze. Someone stood several meters away.
Long silver hair.
Blue eyes.
Elegant posture.
Seraphina Eversnow.
One of the game’s heroines.
His heartbeat skipped.
’Seriously?’
He stared at her for a moment.
’What are the odds?’
He immediately remembered the game’s route information. Seraphina occasionally visited peaceful locations when she wanted to escape the enormous expectations placed upon her.
Almost nobody knew about this habit. Only players who had explored her route carefully would discover it.
’So this really is her secret spot.’
For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Finally, Seraphina broke the silence.
"I often come here."
Her calm voice matched her expression.
"This garden is quiet."
Kael didn’t know how to respond for this sudden interaction.
"Ah, I see."
He managed a safe response. He didn’t want to sound like he knew her habits. That would be extremely suspicious.
Seraphina’s gaze shifted toward the opened monument.
"What did you find?"
There it was. Kael had expected the question. Fortunately, he already had an answer prepared.
"Just an old crystal."
He shrugged.
"I like checking places people don’t bother with."
Seraphina looked at him. Kael resisted the urge to fidget. Internally, he was praying.
’Please don’t investigate this too deeply.’
The old Kael had never been particularly interested in exploration. And now he was suddenly wandering into abandoned areas and discovering hidden treasures.
’I’m going to need a better excuse next time.’
Seraphina continued studying him. The silence stretched between them. Unlike some of the other heroines, Seraphina rarely started conversations. In the game, that was part of what made her route difficult. Players couldn’t simply throw themselves at her and expect the affection meter to rise.
If anything, forcing interactions usually had the opposite effect. But this wasn’t a game anymore. There was no affection meter. No dialogue options and route indicator. And, most importantly, Kael wasn’t interested in pursuing her romantically.
’She’s basically someone I watched grow through thousands of hours of gameplay.’
Calling that a normal relationship would be ridiculous. Whatever he felt toward her was closer to the strange protective attachment someone might have toward a character they had known for years.
Still, he had to be careful. He couldn’t afford for Seraphina to become suspicious of him.
"I watched your match."
Her sudden statement interrupted his thoughts.
"You fought differently today."
Kael inwardly sighed.
’Here we go.’
"I was just lucky."
"No."
Seraphina shook her head.
"Luck doesn’t change breathing."
Kael’s expression froze for half a second.
’...She noticed that?’
Seraphina continued.
"Your breathing remained steady. You conserved your stamina. Your movements were also more efficient."
She looked directly at him.
"Has someone taught you?"
Kael remained silent.
’She’s seriously sharp.’
No wonder Seraphina eventually became one of the Hero Alliance’s greatest commanders. She wasn’t just talented. She paid attention. And that was dangerous for someone like him.
"I’ve been studying." He paused. "Mostly by myself."
Seraphina looked unconvinced.
Kael mentally groaned.
’Great. That sounded suspicious.’
But fortunately, she didn’t press further. Instead, she turned toward the lake.
"The academy values talent."
Her voice was quiet.
"But talent isn’t everything."
She paused.
"There are people who improve because they refuse to stop."
Kael looked at her.
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Seraphina’s lips. It was barely noticeable. Yet it completely changed her normally distant expression.
"I hope you’re one of them."
With those words, she turned and walked away. Kael watched her disappear among the trees. Only after she was completely gone did he finally release the breath he had been holding.
"...Okay."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"That definitely wasn’t in the game."
Kael looked toward the path where Seraphina had disappeared.
’So the moment I started changing things, even minor events around me began changing.’
That was both exciting and terrifying. He had originally thought knowing the game’s story would give him an enormous advantage.
Now he wasn’t so sure.
’If the characters start behaving differently, then the original walkthrough isn’t going to be a perfect guide anymore.’
He sighed.
"Guess I can’t rely on the script forever."
That thought bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Because if the story could change this easily, then the future he remembered could change too.
...
Meanwhile...
Within the Hero Department headquarters, several instructors gathered around a circular conference table.
Professor Magnus stood before them.
"I observed something interesting today."
Another instructor looked up.
"Leon Valcrest or Victor Hale?"
Magnus shook his head.
"Kael Grayford."
The room went quiet for a moment.
"You mean that noble boy?"
Magnus nodded.
"You actually paid attention to him?"
Kael’s reputation was known throughout the academy.
He was the disappointing heir of the Grayson family, a noble student who possessed neither exceptional talent nor impressive combat ability.
Magnus folded his arms.
"That kid has improved."
"How much?"
"Not dramatically."
The other instructors immediately lost interest. One elderly professor adjusted his glasses.
"Perhaps he simply had a good day."
Magnus remained thoughtful.
"I’ve trained soldiers for forty years."
He leaned back slightly.
"I know what random luck looks like."
His eyes narrowed.
"What I saw today wasn’t just luck. His movement had discipline."
The room became quieter. Another instructor shrugged.
"So what? Even if he improves slightly, he’s still Rank F."
He waved dismissively.
"It won’t change the academy rankings."
Magnus didn’t argue. Perhaps they were right. Maybe he was overthinking it.
Still...
His instincts continued telling him something was different about that boy.
...
Elsewhere.
Within the Villain Department, laughter echoed through a luxurious student lounge.
Lilith Thorne lazily lay across an expensive sofa while reading a comic book upside down.
A tall girl with emerald hair entered the room.
"Nina," Lilith called without looking up.
"Did something interesting happen today?"
Nina sighed.
"The weakest noble in the Hero Department defeated Victor during weapon practice."
Lilith slowly lowered the comic.
"...Wait."
She blinked.
"Seriously?"
"Apparently."
Lilith stared at her for several seconds.
Then she burst into laughter.
"Now that’s actually interesting."
She tossed the comic onto the table and sat upright.
"I hate predictable people."
Her crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"If someone who’s supposed to be completely useless suddenly starts changing..."
She grinned.
"Things might finally get interesting."
Nina frowned.
"You’re not thinking about getting involved, are you?"
Lilith’s smile widened.
"Not yet."
She leaned back into the sofa.
"I’ll just keep an eye on him."
...
Night descended upon the academy.
Inside his dormitory, Kael placed the Moon Essence Crystal before him.
The ancient notebook lay open beside it.
According to Professor Aldren’s notes, nighttime was the safest period to use the crystal.
Kael sat cross-legged on the floor. He took a deep breath.
"Inhale."
He slowly drew air into his lungs.
"Hold."
He maintained the rhythm.
"Exhale."
The familiar warmth spread throughout his body.
Kael stared at the crystal.
"Here goes nothing."
He gently crushed it. The silver crystal shattered into countless tiny fragments.
Instead of falling onto the floor, the fragments dissolved into streams of pale light and entered his body through his hands. An intense heat erupted inside him.
"Ugh..."
Kael clenched his teeth.
"Okay."
The warmth quickly became something far more intense. It felt as though his entire body had been placed inside a furnace.
His muscles tightened and his bones ached. Sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Professor Aldren wasn’t kidding. Body Refinement was painful."
Far more painful than ordinary Hero Core training.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"This is definitely not something the game tutorial warned me about."
Time passed.
Minute after minute.
Then came hour.
The pain gradually became more manageable. Eventually, the burning sensation began to fade. Kael collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. His clothes were soaked with sweat.
The room smelled faintly of impurities expelled from his body. He remained on the floor for several minutes. Then slowly pushed himself upright.
"...I’m alive."
Kael looked at his hands. Something felt different. Not dramatically. He picked up the wooden practice sword.
Then swung it.
Whoosh.
The sound was sharper than before.
He swung again.
Whoosh.
Again.
His movements felt smoother. More stable. His muscles responded almost immediately to his thoughts. And his breathing remained surprisingly effortless.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"It worked."
The improvement wasn’t enormous. Maybe ten percent. Maybe fifteen. But Kael wasn’t disappointed.
"That’s actually pretty good for a first attempt."
More importantly, this wasn’t a temporary boost. Unlike Hero Core cultivation, which would eventually become increasingly difficult as his realm increased, Body Refinement could accumulate over time.
Every training session, every breath, and every movement, they accumulated Little by little.
Kael looked toward the moon hanging above Astral Dominion Academy.
"The Wilderness Survival Examination is only a few weeks away."
His expression became serious.
"That’s when things really start getting ugly."
He remembered the events that followed the examination.
The monsters.
The hidden ruins.
And the first major deaths.
The chain of events that would eventually pull the academy’s heroes and villains into a much larger conflict.
Kael clenched his fist.
"I need to be ready before that happens."
He couldn’t control every event. But at least he could stop himself from becoming another casualty.
"And if I can change a few things along the way..."
A faint smile appeared.
"Then why not?"
Meanwhile...
Deep beneath the academy, far below the peaceful dormitories and ancient foundations, something stirred within endless darkness.
A deep voice echoed through forgotten ruins.
"...The seal..."
A pause.
"...has begun to weaken."
No one on the surface heard the whisper. Not the professors, nor the students. Not even Kael.
But somewhere beneath Astral Dominion Academy, something that had been sleeping for centuries had finally begun to awaken.