Deep within the quiet, dust-filled sanctuary of the ancient library, two students sat at their usual desk.
The wooden surface had been worn smooth by centuries of readers, tucked away in a dimly lit corner beneath towering shelves.
The lazy one finally trudged down the spiral staircase from the restricted upper archives, clutching a fresh, towering stack of leather-bound volumes against his chest.
With a weary groan, he dropped the armful onto the desk.
A small cloud of dust rose into the air.
Lazy Student:
“Hey, I’m back with some more chapters of the history we were reading.”
He wiped his brow and dragged his chair out.
The curious one looked up from their notes, eyebrows raised in genuine disbelief.
Curious Student:
“Really?
That fast?
For someone who holds the title of the laziest person in the entire school, you sure move like lightning when you actually put your mind to it.”
The lazy one collapsed into his seat, propping his chin in his hand as his eyes began to drift shut.
Lazy Student:
“Just shut up and start reading the next chapter already.”
The curious one smiled and opened the next book.
THE SECOND SEMESTER
Morning sunlight filtered through the high, arched windows of the lecture hall.
The second semester at the Academy had officially begun.
The preliminary studies and basic orientation of the first semester were now behind them.
This was where the real education began.
And the true reason so many students had fought to enter the Academy was finally about to be revealed.
The teacher stepped onto the raised podium at the front of the classroom.
He stood silently for a moment, allowing the rustle of parchment and the restless chatter to fade.
Once the room was completely quiet, he looked across the eager faces before him.
Teacher:
“Hello, students.
As you all know, our first semester has officially come to an end.”
His eyes moved across the classroom.
Teacher:
“And we all know who took first place in every single examination, so I don’t think I even need to mention their name.”
A student near the window leaned back in his seat with a wide grin.
Student:
“Yeah, you really don’t.
Who could possibly surpass Nihil?”
A light round of laughter spread throughout the classroom.
The teacher chuckled softly.
Teacher:
“Fair enough.”
He paused.
Teacher:
“But this semester consists of only two main objectives, and I think some of you might actually stand a chance to compete.”
He smiled faintly.
Teacher:
“Or at least try.”
One student immediately shook his head.
Student:
“In combat and knowledge?
No way.”
He sighed dramatically.
Student:
“No one in this room can beat Nihil.
The guy read through the entire Augustus Library and mastered Shinkai control when he was only eight years old, so…”
He suddenly stopped.
It was too late.
The entire classroom had gone silent.
A heavy pause settled over the room.
Then—
Student:
“Wait…
what?!”
A student in the middle row nearly knocked his chair over as he shot upright.
Student:
“The Augustus Library contains over ten million books in each category!”
He stared at Nihil in disbelief.
Student:
“And there are twenty-three categories!”
His voice grew louder.
Student:
“He read all of that when he was eight years old?!”
He stared at Nihil as though he were looking at something completely unnatural.
Student:
“What the hell is he?!”
Another classmate slowly turned around in his seat.
He dramatically clutched his chest as though he had just been struck by an arrow.
Student:
“Bro…”
Nihil looked at him.
Student:
“Why couldn’t you just enjoy your childhood instead of ruining our school days?”
He pointed accusingly toward Nihil.
Student:
“Now every girl in the Academy is obsessed with you!”
He placed a hand over his heart.
“And my dream of building a harem and becoming the ultimate school hero is completely dead!”
The classroom erupted in laughter.
Nihil simply tilted his head.
His expression remained polite, calm, and completely innocent.
Nihil:
“You can still make your dream come true.”
The student stared at him.
Nihil continued sincerely.
Nihil:
“The Augustus Library is only the second-largest library in the world.”
The student blinked.
Nihil:
“I haven’t had the chance to visit the Elven Domain yet.
Their library is even larger.”
He smiled.
Nihil:
“You just need to learn more than me before I eventually go there.”
The classmate’s dramatic posture immediately collapsed.
He stared at Nihil with dull, defeated eyes.
Student:
“Nah.
I’ll pass.”
He leaned back in his chair.
Student:
“There’s no point in competing with you.
I’d just lose eventually.”
Another wave of laughter spread across the classroom.
The teacher cleared his throat loudly.
The sharp sound immediately brought everyone’s attention back to the front.
THE TWO OBJECTIVES
Teacher:
“Moving on.”
His tone became serious.
Teacher:
“This semester, you are required to create two fundamental items.”
The classroom gradually became quiet.
Teacher:
“Once you successfully complete them, your studies at the Academy are finished.”
He paused.
Teacher:
“After that, you are free to leave and begin the next stage of your lives.”
The students listened carefully.
The teacher raised one finger.
Teacher:
“First: the Soul Grimoire.”
He continued.
Teacher:
“This book will hold your personal power, your accumulated knowledge, and your amount of LE.”
Several students began taking notes.
Teacher:
“It will also allow you to record and develop entirely new concepts and spells.”
He paused before adding another important function.
Teacher:
“Furthermore, it functions as a spatial storage unit specifically attuned to store your weapons.”
The students looked intrigued.
Then the teacher gave them one final rule.
Teacher:
“Remember this golden rule.”
Everyone looked toward him.
Teacher:
“The more beautiful the book, the more powerful it becomes.”
Anxious whispers immediately began spreading through the classroom.
The teacher raised a second finger.
Teacher:
“Second: the Soul Weapon.”
The classroom quieted again.
Teacher:
“In the realm of Elysara, every true warrior must craft a weapon linked directly to their own soul.”
He looked across the room.
Teacher:
“The exact same principle applies here.”
He paused.
Teacher:
“The more beautiful the weapon, the more power it grants you.”
The students exchanged nervous looks.
Pens stopped moving.
Some students stared at the blank pages of their notebooks as if they had suddenly become much more intimidating.
Finally, one student raised a trembling hand.
Student:
“But, teacher…”
The teacher looked at him.
Student:
“No one has ever taught us how to create either of those things.”
The teacher calmly leaned against the podium.
Teacher:
“That is the project.”
Teacher:
“You must channel your own LE, figure out the correct spell structures, and find the proper materials entirely on your own.”
He gestured toward the library.
Teacher:
“You will find every answer you need right here.”
The students looked toward the distant library wing.
For years, they had been taught how to use their power.
Now they were being asked to create something with it.
Something that belonged entirely to them.
NIHIL, SERAPHINA, AND MIMI
Sitting nearby, Seraphina leaned toward Nihil.
A faint, teasing smile appeared on her face.
Seraphina:
“Maybe this is going to be easy for you, considering you’ve already read every single book in that library.”
Nihil looked toward her.
Before he could answer, Mimi suddenly pouted.
She grabbed onto Nihil’s sleeve and tugged on it.
Mimi:
“That’s not fair!”
Nihil looked down at her.
Mimi’s eyes became dramatically teary.
Mimi:
“Master, help me!”
Before Nihil could even respond, Seraphina immediately shook her head.
Seraphina:
“No way.”
Mimi looked at her.
Seraphina:
“Do it by yourself, Mimi.”
She gently pulled Mimi back.
Seraphina:
“He has his own duties to focus on.”
Mimi looked toward Nihil again.
Nihil simply gave her a calm smile.
Mimi sighed.
There would be no easy way out.
She would have to discover how to create her own Soul Grimoire.
And eventually, her own Soul Weapon.
The second semester had begun.
And unlike the first semester, the Academy was no longer simply testing what its students knew.
Now, it was testing what they could create.
THE LIBRARY
Back in the quiet corner of the ancient library, the lazy student leaned back.
The old chair creaked beneath him.
He closed the thick historical tome with a soft thump and let out a thoughtful hum.
Lazy Student:
“Wait…”
The curious student looked up.
Lazy Student:
“That was actually a really nice chapter.”
He tapped his fingers against the leather cover.
Then his expression became confused.
Lazy Student:
“But I still don’t get something.”
Curious Student:
“What?”
The lazy student pointed toward the book.
Lazy Student:
“Why would ‘more beautiful’ automatically mean ‘more powerful’?”
The curious student paused.
They looked down at their notes for a moment before answering.
Curious Student:
“Maybe because the original historical texts were actually referring to perfection.”
The lazy student listened.
Curious Student:
“The more perfect the craft, the more powerful the vessel becomes.”
They thought for a moment.
Curious Student:
“Over hundreds of years, people might have mistaken ‘perfection’ for simple physical beauty.”
The lazy student raised an eyebrow.
Curious Student:
“They assumed that a prettier object automatically possessed greater power.”
The lazy student blinked.
He stared at the curious student in disbelief.
Lazy Student:
“Seriously?”
He shook his head.
Lazy Student:
“They misunderstood such a massive and obvious point for generations?”
The curious student smirked and dipped their quill back into the inkwell.
Curious Student:
“Like you’re one to talk.”
The lazy student went silent.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then the curious student turned the page.
The history continued.