For the first time since entering Aetherion Academy, the group actually looked like students.
The black Academy uniforms reacted naturally to their mana while glowing elemental patterns flowed faintly across the silver runes woven into the fabric.
Kael’s outfit occasionally released tiny arcs of lightning whenever he became excited, which happened approximately every thirty seconds.
Lyra’s uniform emitted a soft silver-blue glow mixed with traces of golden light, while emerald currents moved subtly across Faelyn’s sleeves like flowing wind.
Varkas’s infernal-red patterns distorted the air around him with faint heat, giving the demon an intimidating presence even while doing absolutely nothing.
And Noctis…
Dark abyssal lines spread across portions of his coat like living shadows beneath the fabric itself.
Naturally, this attracted attention immediately.
The moment the group entered the Academy grounds, conversations exploded around them.
Students moved aside almost instinctively while countless eyes followed the infamous team responsible for surviving the S Rank battle that had nearly destroyed the arena.
Some looked impressed.
Others looked terrified.
A few nobles looked deeply offended by their existence.
Kael enjoyed every second of it.
“I’m telling you right now,” he said proudly while walking through the Academy courtyard with his hands behind his head, “we’re basically celebrities.”
“You are enjoying this way too much,” Lyra muttered quietly beside him.
“That’s because I earned it.”
“You almost drowned in a fountain yesterday.”
“That information was supposed to stay private.”
Faelyn nearly choked laughing while Varkas simply shook his head with visible disappointment.
Meanwhile, Noctis silently observed the Academy around them.
Unlike the chaos of the entrance exam, the campus now felt alive in a different way.
Students moved between enormous magical buildings while flying constructs transported books and supplies through the air overhead.
Training arenas echoed with explosions of mana in the distance while merchants and Academy staff filled portions of the central plaza surrounding the educational district.
It genuinely resembled a small city more than a school.
Then Kael suddenly stopped walking.
“…Okay.”
The others looked toward him.
“Why does this classroom look richer than noble mansions?”
Honestly…
He had a point.
The Invocation Hall was enormous.
Massive silver pillars covered in spatial runes surrounded the circular chamber while countless magical formations glowed across the floor beneath their feet.
The ceiling itself resembled an artificial night sky filled with moving stars while dozens of floating portals slowly rotated high above the classroom.
Spatial mana saturated the air so densely that even breathing inside the room felt strange.
And standing at the center of it all—
Was the professor.
The woman looked young at first glance, though the overwhelming mana radiating from her presence instantly destroyed that illusion.
Long dark-purple hair flowed behind her while elegant black robes decorated with silver dimensional symbols rested perfectly against her figure.
Several miniature portals floated lazily around her body without conscious effort, opening and closing silently through the air itself.
Beautiful.
Refined.
Terrifying.
The entire classroom immediately fell silent.
Because everyone could feel it.
This woman was monstrously powerful.
Then she smiled softly.
“Welcome to Spirit Invocation.”
Her voice sounded calm and elegant, yet the pressure hidden beneath it made several students instinctively straighten their posture.
“I am Professor Seraphina Valeheart.
Rank S Spatial Mage and Head of Dimensional Studies.”
That immediately caused tension throughout the classroom.
Even among Academy professors…
An S Rank remained something extraordinary.
Seraphina slowly walked forward afterward while one of the floating portals beside her expanded briefly before collapsing again.
“Today, each of you will attempt to form your first Spirit Contract.”
Excitement instantly spread throughout the room.
Several nobles already looked overconfident.
That alone made the professor smile slightly wider.
“A Spirit Contract is not slavery.
It is not ownership.
It is a mutual pact between two beings.” Her eyes slowly moved across the classroom afterward.
“Your familiars possess intelligence, instincts, pride, and willpower.
Some may accept you.
Others may reject you.”
The floating portals surrounding her suddenly accelerated.
“And some,” she added calmly, “may attempt to kill you.”
The classroom became completely silent again.
Kael looked thrilled.
Lyra looked terrified.
Varkas looked interested.
Faelyn looked competitive.
Noctis simply observed the professor carefully.
Then Seraphina raised one hand.
Space itself distorted instantly.
The entire classroom shook slightly as more than ten dimensional portals materialized around her simultaneously.
Fire.
Ice.
Storms.
Mountains.
Oceans.
Forests.
Different worlds seemed visible beyond each gateway while powerful magical pressure flooded the room from every direction at once.
Gasps spread throughout the students.
Maintaining a single stable portal already required enormous mana.
She was controlling more than ten effortlessly.
“As future mages,” Seraphina continued calmly while dimensional energy illuminated the room around her, “you will learn something important very quickly.”
One of the portals suddenly expanded as the silhouette of a gigantic beast became visible within the distortion.
“Power alone means nothing.”
The creature immediately tried crossing the gateway aggressively.
Seraphina casually snapped her fingers.
Space folded.
The monster vanished instantly.
Several students went pale.
Meanwhile, the professor calmly continued speaking as though nothing had happened.
“You will choose the species of creature you wish to attempt a contract with.
I will open the dimensional pathway and bring the creature before you.” Her expression sharpened slightly afterward.
“After that… your success or failure depends entirely on you.”
Then her eyes slowly moved toward a group of arrogant nobles seated near the center of the room.
“And before some of you make catastrophic decisions…” she said calmly, “…let me remind you that choosing a creature beyond your level is an excellent way to embarrass yourselves publicly.”
Several students immediately looked away.
Kael grinned.
This class was already amazing.
Professor Seraphina Valeheart slowly raised one hand toward the center of the classroom while spatial mana gathered beneath her fingertips in elegant silver patterns.
Instantly, a gigantic magic circle illuminated across the floor, countless runes rotating slowly around one another like living machinery.
The entire room became silent.
“This,” Seraphina explained calmly, “is the foundation of Spirit Invocation.
The Contract Formula.”
Silver light expanded softly throughout the chamber afterward while smaller circles appeared beneath every student seat.
“A Spirit Contract is established through three elements,” she continued while tracing glowing symbols through the air itself.
“Mana compatibility.
Mutual recognition. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
And intent.”
One student slowly raised his hand.
“…Intent?”
The professor nodded once.
“If you seek a familiar purely for status or power, many creatures will reject you immediately.
Spiritual beings possess instinct far beyond human perception.” Her gaze slowly moved across the classroom afterward.
“Some can sense fear.
Some can sense arrogance.
Others can even perceive fragments of your true nature.”
That noticeably disturbed several nobles.
Good.
Seraphina continued calmly.
“Once a creature enters this world through the dimensional gateway, you will initiate the Contract Formula by circulating mana through the core pathways I am about to show you.”
The floating runes surrounding her suddenly shifted shape before a simplified mana circuit appeared in the air above the students.
“Your mana must remain stable during the process.
If your fear overwhelms you, the contract destabilizes.
If the creature refuses you, the formula collapses.
If your mana is too weak…” She smiled faintly afterward.
“…the creature may simply ignore you.”
Kael looked deeply offended by the concept.
“That’s rude.”
“It is survival,” Seraphina corrected calmly.
Then, with a simple movement of her fingers, she projected an entire invocation sequence into the air itself.
Mana flowed visibly through the runic pathways while the contract symbols connected together one after another in an elegant circular pattern.
“The spell itself is not difficult,” she explained.
“Maintaining control while standing before a magical creature capable of tearing your body apart is the more challenging aspect.”
A few students visibly paled at that.
Meanwhile, Noctis carefully observed the formula floating above the room.
The spell structure itself was surprisingly refined.
Rather than forcing domination, the contract established a bridge between two mana signatures, allowing energy circulation between master and familiar after the pact was completed.
Interesting.
A genuinely efficient system.
Seraphina continued her explanation while slowly walking through the center of the room.
“Once the contract is established, your mana growth becomes partially linked.
As you evolve, your familiar evolves alongside you.
Strong familiars accelerate your growth.
Likewise, a powerful mage allows the familiar to develop faster.”
Several students immediately looked excited after hearing that.
Naturally.
A powerful familiar could drastically increase combat potential.
“However,” the professor added calmly, “hierarchy does not change.”
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
“A common-ranked creature will remain common-ranked.
A divine-ranked creature will remain divine-ranked.
Growth improves strength, intelligence, skills, and magical capacity… but it does not alter the creature’s spiritual classification.”
That immediately caused tension among the noble students.
Because now the difference between ranks suddenly mattered much more.
Then Seraphina’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“And before some of you decide to act like complete idiots…” Spatial pressure briefly filled the room.
“…let me clarify something very important.”
The floating portals around her darkened instantly.
“If you attempt to contract a creature far beyond your capabilities, there is a high probability the familiar will reject you violently.”
As if responding to her words, one portal suddenly trembled before the gigantic eye of an enormous beast became visible inside the dimensional distortion.
The magical pressure flooding from the creature alone caused multiple students to freeze.
Then the portal closed.
Several nobles looked significantly less confident now.
“Good,” Seraphina said calmly.
“Fear is healthy.”
Kael looked more excited than ever.
Of course he did.
The professor sighed softly before continuing.
“Communication between master and familiar only becomes possible after the contract stabilizes completely.
Prior to that, creatures rely primarily on instinct, mana perception, and emotional interpretation.”
Then she slowly crossed her arms.
“Now then…” A faint smile appeared across her face afterward.
“Let us begin the humiliation phase of today’s lesson.”
The first student called forward was exactly the type Seraphina had clearly expected trouble from.
A blond noble wearing enough jewelry to finance a small kingdom immediately stepped toward the center platform with visible arrogance written across his face.
“I wish to contract a Royal Flame Basilisk.”
Several students reacted instantly.
Even Kael blinked.
“…Brother thinks he’s the main character.”
Seraphina didn’t even look surprised.
“Very well.”
The professor casually opened a portal.
Heat exploded throughout the classroom immediately afterward.
A gigantic reptilian creature slowly emerged from the dimensional gateway, crimson scales glowing like molten magma beneath the spatial light.
Smoke escaped from its jaws while burning golden eyes locked directly onto the noble student standing before it.
The pressure alone made several nearby students step backward.
The noble swallowed nervously.
Then immediately attempted the Contract Formula.
And failed.
The mana flow destabilized almost instantly.
The Basilisk stared at him for two seconds.
Then attacked.
The entire classroom erupted into panic as the massive creature lunged forward with terrifying speed, flames exploding from its jaws while the noble screamed in absolute terror.
Seraphina sighed.
Space folded instantly.
The Basilisk vanished mid-attack before reappearing back inside its original dimension.
Silence filled the classroom.
The noble remained collapsed on the floor shaking violently while portions of his uniform still burned slightly.
Then Seraphina calmly looked toward the rest of the students.
“Wonderful,” she said elegantly.
“An educational example.”
After the Basilisk incident, the atmosphere inside the classroom changed completely.
The arrogance displayed by several noble students earlier had vanished almost instantly, replaced instead by visible tension and nervous anticipation.
Nobody looked particularly eager to become the next “educational example.”
Meanwhile, Kael looked like he was having the time of his life.
“This class is incredible.”
“You almost sound disappointed the Basilisk didn’t eat him,” Lyra whispered quietly beside him.
“I’m disappointed he picked something way above his level instead of something cool.”
“That sentence somehow made the situation worse.”
Professor Seraphina allowed the classroom to calm down for a few moments before continuing the lesson.
One by one, students stepped forward toward the invocation platform at the center of the room.
Some succeeded.
Others failed spectacularly.
One student attempting to contract an Ice Fang Panther immediately fainted after the creature simply stared at him.
A noble girl tried summoning a high-ranked volcanic serpent only for the creature to reject her so violently that she was thrown across the room by the backlash of her own broken mana circuit.
Kael applauded enthusiastically.
“Okay that one was impressive.”
“You are enjoying this way too much,” Faelyn muttered.
“I learn through entertainment.”
Eventually, the atmosphere inside the classroom slowly shifted again as two familiar figures stood up almost simultaneously from opposite sides of the room.
Raizen Virel.
Magnus Solvar.
The reactions were immediate.
Even among the Academy’s elite students, the three S Ranks had already become walking legends after the entrance exam.
Conversations immediately quieted while dozens of students turned toward them instinctively.
Magnus noticed immediately and laughed.
“Relax.
I’m not blowing up the classroom.”
“That reassurance somehow makes me less confident,” Lyra whispered quietly.
Raizen ignored the reactions completely while calmly adjusting one glove.
Unlike Magnus, whose overwhelming presence resembled a constantly restrained explosion, Raizen radiated a colder pressure.
Controlled.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Professor Seraphina observed both of them silently for a moment before smiling faintly.
“Interesting.”
Even she looked curious now.
Because while ordinary students hoped for successful contracts…
Everyone wanted to see what kind of creatures monsters like these would choose.
Then the professor slowly gestured toward the center platform.
“Very well.”
Silver portals rotated slowly behind her while dimensional mana flooded the room once more.
“Who wishes to begin?”
Magnus Solvar moved first.
The large sun-user casually walked toward the center platform with both hands in his pockets while the students around him instinctively stepped aside.
Unlike Raizen’s cold composure or Noctis’s unnatural calm, Magnus radiated overwhelming confidence openly, almost aggressively.
He looked like someone who genuinely enjoyed being feared.
Professor Seraphina observed him carefully.
“What species are you attempting to contract?”
Magnus grinned immediately.
“A Solar War Lion.”
The classroom reacted instantly.
Even some students who knew nothing about magical creatures recognized the name.
War Lions were already rare.
Solar War Lions belonged to the mythical hierarchy.
Seraphina slowly nodded afterward before raising one hand.
A massive golden portal exploded open behind her.
Heat flooded the classroom instantly.
Several students shielded their eyes as solar mana illuminated the entire hall in blinding gold while flames erupted around the dimensional gateway itself.
Then something slowly emerged from inside the portal.
A gigantic lion stepped into the classroom.
Its golden mane resembled burning sunlight while molten patterns spread across its enormous body like cracks inside a living star.
Every movement radiated raw power.
The creature stared directly at Magnus.
Magnus stared back.
Then—
The lion growled.
And smiled.
The entire classroom froze.
“…Did the lion just smile?” one student whispered.
Magnus burst into laughter immediately.
“HAHA!
I LIKE THIS ONE.”
The Solar War Lion suddenly lunged forward.
Several students panicked instantly.
Then the gigantic beast stopped directly in front of Magnus before lowering its massive head slightly.
Recognition.
Acceptance.
Magnus immediately activated the Contract Formula while golden mana exploded throughout the classroom.
Solar patterns spread across the runes beneath his feet as the pact stabilized almost instantly.
The lion roared.
The classroom shook violently.
Then the contract completed.
A pulse of solar mana erupted outward while glowing golden marks briefly appeared across Magnus’s arm before fading beneath his skin.
The lion calmly moved beside him afterward like a king taking position beside another king.
Kael looked emotionally devastated.
“Why does everyone keep getting insanely cool familiars?”
“You haven’t even gone yet,” Lyra reminded him.
“That’s not the point.”
Meanwhile, Professor Seraphina’s attention shifted toward Raizen.
The plasma swordsman walked toward the center platform calmly while violet sparks occasionally flickered around portions of his uniform.
Unlike Magnus, he didn’t radiate explosive energy.
He radiated precision.
“What species?” Seraphina asked.
“A Plasma Sovereign Lynx.”
The professor raised one eyebrow slightly.
Then the portal opened.
Violet light exploded throughout the classroom while unstable plasma storms erupted from inside the dimensional gateway itself.
Several students instinctively backed away as the pressure flooding the room intensified dramatically.
Then the creature emerged.
A large feline formed almost entirely from condensed plasma stepped silently through the portal, its body constantly shifting between physical matter and unstable energy.
Violet lightning danced across its claws while glowing eyes locked immediately onto Raizen.
Silence filled the classroom.
The lynx slowly approached him.
Then stopped directly in front of the plasma swordsman.
For several seconds, neither moved.
The creature observed him carefully.
Raizen observed it the exact same way.
Then the lynx lowered its head slightly.
Acceptance.
The contract formed almost instantly afterward.
Violet mana surged through the room while plasma markings briefly spread across Raizen’s arm before fading beneath his skin.
The lynx calmly moved beside him afterward, remaining perfectly composed unlike Magnus’s lion currently staring at other students like prey.
Even Professor Seraphina looked impressed now.
Two mythical contracts.
Back to back.
The atmosphere inside the classroom had become completely unreal.
Students no longer looked excited anymore.
They looked intimidated.
Because the gap separating the S Ranks from ordinary geniuses was becoming painfully obvious.
Then
Professor Seraphina slowly looked toward the back of the classroom.
And smiled faintly.
“Kael Draven.”