Crownshade Academy – Dorm C, Room Eleven
Morning.
Aeron stirred slowly.
No bell.
No knock.
No dreams.
Just…
breath.
And sunlight, bleeding gently through the half-parted curtains of his dorm balcony, warming the wood-paneled room in golden hues.
For a moment, he didn’t open his eyes.
There was no rush.
No class schedule.
No announcements echoing through the halls.
He had a week before all that.
But his heart—
It thudded with purpose.
I need to get strong, he reminded himself.
Of all the things he had learned over two lives, one truth stood above the rest.
Strength.
He needed it.
Not just to survive—but to rise.
To claim the summit.
To bring the Blackthorn name back to glory.
His family… now.
“You make us proud, son.”
Though the words had once been meant for someone else, he still felt the warmth behind them—as if they reached out to embrace him too.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
Bittersweet.
Honest.
He rose—not because he had to,
but because he chose to.
Because strength didn’t wait.
He sat up, the sheets sliding from his shoulders.
His body still bore the stiffness of yesterday’s trials—tension in the joints, tightness along his back.
But his muscles felt more alive than they had in years.
The System.
The Awakening.
The Void.
It wasn’t just power.
It was transformation.
Aeron stood and stretched—no chants, no magical flares.
Just the quiet discipline of movement earned through hardship.
He walked to the mirror near the closet and paused.
His reflection stared back—
Sharper jawline.
Steadier eyes.
Not the lost, magicless boy from Blackthorn.
But someone becoming more.
He studied himself for a long breath, as if reacquainting with a stranger he was slowly learning to trust.
After a quick bath and freshening up, he dressed:
A dark-blue training set—thin blazer and fitted trousers provided by the academy.
Marked with a silver-lined emblem on the chest.
Functional.
Light.
Breathable.
The cloth hugged his lean but toned form.
His fingers traced the emblem.
A new life.
A new stage.
As he reached for his boots—
[Ding!]
System Notification
> [Level Up Available]
You have exceeded your current EXP threshold.
Would you like to level up?
Aeron smirked faintly.
“Of course.”
> [Level Up Confirmed – Now Level 4]
[Status Updated]
[SYSTEM STATUS – USER: AERON BLACKTHORN]
Class: Unknown (System Class: VOIDBOUND)
Affiliation: Crownshade Academy – Dorm C
Element: [Void – Suppressed], [Fire]
Magic Circle: Second Circle
Combat Rank: C+
Level: 4
EXP: 420 / 2000
CORE ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 33 (+1)
Flexibility: 43 (+2)
Defense: 30 (+1)
Stamina: 47 (+2)
Mana Control: 49 (+2)
Mental Fortitude: 51 (+1)
> NEW UNLOCK – Stat Bonus Applied
You feel your body growing stronger.
Endurance and agility improved.
Aeron closed the screen with a flick of thought.
“Good,” he murmured, slipping into his boots.
“Now… let’s begin.”
He stepped out, heading toward the training grounds.
One step after another, his resolve walked with him.
Crownshade Academy – Training Grounds (Division C)
A soft breeze swept over him as he stepped into the open.
Fresh.
Pure.
He inhaled deeply—savoring the mana-rich air that lingered across the academy.
The campus bathed in morning light was serene, magical in its silence.
Stone paths flanked by vibrant gardens.
Trees in bloom.
Birdsong drifting in the distance.
Direction signs floated with soft blue glows.
Notices and rules gently swayed in magical suspension.
Even this early, the land breathed.
Crownshade’s training district stretched far—divided by division tiers:
Division A: Pristine marble arenas, rune-forged weapon racks, enchanted obstacle towers.
Division B: Structured dueling rings, elemental pressure chambers, reactive illusion simulations. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
Division C: Simple.
Practical.
Open dirt fields, training dummies, basic gear sheds, climbing walls, sandpits.
Honest tools for honest effort.
Division D: Similar in structure to Division C, only a little more compact.
But even the lowest tiers sprawled across several acres.
Aeron hadn’t explored them in person—only gauged glimpses with his enhanced perception.
Now wasn’t the time to compare.
It was time to begin.
He walked into Division C’s open grounds.
A slight mist curled above the grass.
Dummies stood silently like guardians.
Obstacle ropes hung with dew.
Training wheels, spell targets, balancing poles—all untouched yet full of promise.
He stood still.
Closed his eyes.
And breathed.
Then—frowned.
Why can’t I remember any martial stances?
Spell runes?
Even the chants from my past life…?
His memories stopped short.
Vague emotions.
Fleeting instincts.
But no concrete knowledge.
It was like looking into a locked vault.
He called out mentally.
“System… Why can’t I recall any of my techniques or spells from my previous life?”
A chime.
The voice answered.
> “Host, that knowledge was traded.”
“Traded?” Aeron frowned.
> “To allow the creation of a magical core in your current vessel, the knowledge of your previous magic and martial techniques was used as fuel.
This body was once without magic.
The sacrifice was necessary.”
Silence.
A flicker of anger passed through him.
Then—calm.
He exhaled deeply.
Slowly.
To gain something, something must be given.
He clenched and unclenched his fists.
The Void slept beneath the skin.
But it wasn’t enough.
He dropped to the ground.
Push-ups.
Deliberate.
Controlled.
Honest.
Laps around the perimeter.
Climbs.
Lunges.
Flexibility drills.
Every breath, a steady rhythm.
Every strain, a note in his symphony.
Until he dropped to the grass.
Chest heaving.
Vision swimming.
“Haaah… haaah…”
Then—
Eyes.
Watching.
He looked up.
At the edge of the field stood Lyra Dakes.
Towel in hand.
Dressed in her own Division C training gear.
Her gray hair was pulled back.
Wolf ears twitching.
The moment their eyes met—she flinched.
Looked away.
“You can come in,” Aeron said calmly.
She hesitated—then stepped forward slowly.
“T-this place is s-supposed to be f-for Division C… right?”
“It is,” he replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Which means it’s yours too.”
She blinked, then nodded shyly.
“T-thanks…”
They stood quietly.
No chatter.
Just understanding.
Not yet.
But a seed was planted.
The Everdawn Estate – Northern Towers
Far away, in the frost-wrapped towers of the north, Aira Everdawn sat at a window.
Her fingers drew circles on the fogged glass as she gazed at the overcast skies.
“When do classes begin again?” she asked softly.
“Six days, Lady Aira,” her chambermaid replied.
Aira exhaled and leaned back.
“Haah… I want to see him again…”
“The Blackthorn boy?” the maid asked, amused.
Aira didn’t answer immediately.
She remembered the duel.
His silence.
That graceful, devastating strike.
Curiosity.
Admiration.
Something softer.
“…Yes,” she whispered.
Her cheeks tinted rose.
Crownshade Academy – Days Later
Aeron trained.
Each morning.
Same rhythm.
Same breath.
Push-ups.
Endurance.
Flexibility.
Running.
He ate quietly in the modest Division C cafeteria.
Sometimes, Lyra joined.
At first, stiff and silent.
Then, slowly… naturally.
They didn’t talk about families.
Or scars.
Just simple things.
The food.
A tilted dummy.
Her favorite flower.
Their silence became comfortable.
And Lyra—trained hard.
Her earth-element spells were clean and precise.
Her control impressive.
Her balance, fluid.
A Class 1 mage, Aeron noted.
But her physical strength shocked him.
Endurance.
Flexibility.
Balance.
Beastfolk gifts—but enhanced.
Uncommon for a half-blood.
He was… impressed.
“Status,” he whispered.
> [SYSTEM STATUS – USER: AERON BLACKTHORN]
Level: 4
EXP: 820 / 2000 (+400 from training)
CORE ATTRIBUTES (Updated)
Strength: 42 (+9)
Flexibility: 50 (+7)
Defense: 35 (+4)
Stamina: 57 (+10)
Mana Control: 54 (+4)
Mental Fortitude: 53 (+2)
Aeron smiled faintly.
“They’re good.”
“Hey, you done or training more?” he asked, glancing sideways.
Lyra’s ears perked.
She stood quickly.
“C-coming!”
Tail swaying.
Smile blooming.
She joined him.
They walked toward Dorm C.
Aeron—calm, steady.
Lyra—timid, hopeful.
Next Morning – Dorm C, Room Eleven
Aeron sat on the edge of his bed.
Blisters hardened.
Posture straightened.
Breath deep.
Still.
This was the beginning.
He didn’t need memory to know who he was.
Just resolve… to become who he would be.
He closed his eyes.
RING!
The academy bell
rang at last.
He opened his eyes.
He was ready.