Chapter 162: The First Day Is Always Filled With Trouble

It felt good to finally show my abilities and be praised. When I used to work in that resturant, nobody would even pay attention to me unless I messed up. Sometimes, they even put blame on me and I had no choice but to accept it.

So, all of this felt good to me.

"Thanks, Lord Victor," I replied, keeping my posture relaxed. "So... what’s the verdict on my class schedule?"

Lord Victor folded his hands behind his back, looking at the glowing diagnostic screens behind us. "The verdict is that our standard curriculum tracks, Mage, Warrior, Elementalist, or Tactical Enforcer, are completely unsuitable for you. Placing someone with Origin authority into a standard elemental theory class would be a complete waste of your potential."

He turned back to look at me, a thoughtful smile on his face. "It will take a bit of time for Chancellor Viviana, myself, and the senior academic council to construct a specialized curriculum specifically designed for your Reality Manipulation. We need to structure a program that helps you refine your conceptual focus without risking local space-time disruptions."

"A custom course?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "How long will that take to set up?"

"A few days at most," Lord Victor assured smoothly. "In the meantime, you are granted total academic freedom. You may review the academy’s master course catalog, select whichever elective lectures or practical workshops catch your interest, and attend them at your own pace. Consider it an opportunity to explore the campus and familiarize yourself with the student body."

He extended his hand toward me, his red eyes sparkling with keen anticipation. "I am looking forward to watching your progress here at Avalon, Seth Fernando," Lord Victor said warmly. "You are going to bring some truly fascinating changes to this academy."

I reached out and shook his hand with a firm, confident grip. "I’ll do my best not to disappoint."

...

Lord Victor led Val and me back through the side corridors of the Administration Department and into his private office. He stepped behind his heavy mahogany desk and tapped his palm against a silver wall safe.

The safe clicked open, and he retrieved a dark metallic card embossed with silver runic patterns, a folded package containing the official student uniforms, and a compact spatial storage pouch holding basic campus supplies.

"This is your official Avalon Identity Card," Lord Victor said, sliding the metallic card across the polished desk toward me. "It serves as your primary key, status token, and administrative record on this island. Everything you do, from entering the master archives and booking training grounds to accepting official missions and attending lectures, is tracked and authorized through this card."

I picked up the card. It felt cool and heavy in my hand, subtly pulsing as it synchronized with my registered soul frequency.

"Additionally," Lord Victor continued, resting his hands flat on the desk, "the Academy takes security breaches extremely seriously. Because you suffered a hostile ambush while en route to our territory, the Board of Directors has authorized a massive credit compensation package. Fifty million academic credits have already been wired directly into your ID account."

I raised an eyebrow, looking down at the card. "Fifty million?"

"Consider it an initial gesture of goodwill," Victor replied. "You can use credits to purchase rare materials, reserve private training facilities, or access high-grade restricted archives. Further compensation and personal artifacts will be delivered to your residence once the internal investigation concludes."

"I appreciate it, Lord Victor," I said, slipping the card and pouch into my pocket. "Thanks for taking care of it."

"It is my duty," Victor said with a courteous nod. "Enjoy your time on campus, Seth."

Val and I turned and walked out of his office, leaving the Administration Department through the grand front doors. The crisp morning air hit my face as we stepped back onto the wide marble plaza.

I glanced back at Val, who was walking half a step behind my shoulder in her dark suit, her eyes calmly scanning the surrounding avenues.

"So, Val," I asked, a dry smirk touching my lips. "Were you impressed with my performance in there?"

A soft, genuine smile broke across Val’s face. "Impressed is an understatement, Seth. To be frank, I was surprised by how rapidly your physical metrics and conceptual control have expanded in such a short timeframe."

I winked at her, putting on a casual, mysterious look. "Well, what can I say? I’ve been training in secret."

Val didn’t doubt my words for a second. She gave a firm, respectful nod. "Your dedication is commendable. Hard work paired with a soul like Origin yields extraordinary results."

I held back a laugh, mentally thanking Paige for helping me keep up the facade.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day, Seth?" Val asked, adjusting her cuffs.

I stroked my chin, looking down the broad stone avenue. "Honestly, I don’t really have a set schedule until Lord Victor finishes drafting my custom course. But since my reality manipulation relies heavily on my understanding of how things work, gathering knowledge is my top priority right now. Let’s head to the library."

Val nodded instantly. "A wise decision. Avalon’s central archives hold the largest collection of conceptual texts and magical theories in the world."

We set off down the central boulevard, heading toward the towering slate-roofed structure that housed the Grand Library.

As we walked, my thoughts briefly drifted to Yerin and Yoona. Yoona was probably buried under a mountain of Student Council paperwork in the main administrative spire, while Yerin was likely dealing with disciplinary forms or catching up on missed classes. They had both mentioned being busy today, but I couldn’t help wondering how their morning was going.

[Host, heads up,] Paige’s voice suddenly rang in my mind. [Trouble at twelve o’clock.]

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts just in time to stop.

Standing directly in the middle of the paved walkway, blocking our path, was a tall young man with sharp features, silver-blonde hair, and long pointed ears. He wore an ornate, high-collared green blazer decorated with golden leaf embroidery, radiating the distinct aura of an ancient High Elf bloodline. Behind him stood four other elven retainers, all dressed in matching martial uniforms.

I raised an eyebrow, staring at the guy in front of me. ’A classic young master encounter on day one? Seriously?’

The elven youth took a step forward, his golden eyes locking onto me with an arrogant, condescending glare. He raised his chin, his voice loud enough to echo across the entire plaza.

"You there!" the elf called out, pointing a gloved finger at my chest. "I can sense the dormant signature of a Sovereign Deck on your person. Are you a Sovereign as well?"

His loud voice immediately drew the attention of nearby students walking along the avenue. Dozens of teenagers, beastkin, and nobles stopped in their tracks, forming a wide circle around us to watch the commotion unfold.

I let out a low groan, talking to Paige in my head. ’And this is exactly why trying to play lowkey was never going to work.’

[Fufufu~ I told you, boss!] Paige giggled in my mind. [You attract drama like a lightning rod...wait, rod? Your rod....]

’Shut the fuck up.’

I crossed my arms, looking at the elf with a thoroughly unbothered expression. "And what does that have to do with you?’

The elf scoffed, smoothing down his gold-trimmed lapels as he puffed out his chest.

"I am Lysander, scion of the House of Sunstrider!" the elf declared proudly, looking down his nose at me. "And as a fellow Sovereign, I hereby challenge you to an official Sovereign Game!"

Whispers broke out among the surrounding crowd of students.

"A Sovereign Game challenge so early?"

"Isn’t Lysander a third-year noble from the High Elf delegation?"

"Who is that human guy?"

"Were you living under a rock?"

"Yes? I’m a dwarf, bitch."

"....fuck you!"

Lysander smirked, taking another arrogant step closer. "Of course, if you are terrified or haven’t even managed to bind a single cardholder to your pathetic deck yet, I will allow you to back out and yield right now. It would spare you the embarrassment of losing your standing in front of the entire academy."

The second those words left his mouth, the temperature behind me dropped below zero.

I didn’t even need to turn around to feel it. Val’s dark, suffocating Soulshade aura flared silently behind my right shoulder. Her violet eyes turned icy, radiating a terrifying, murderous intent that made the four elven retainers behind Lysander instinctively reach for their weapons. She was practically begging me to give her the green light so she could slaughter every single one of them on the spot.

I kept my posture relaxed, mentally checking in with my system.

’Hey, Paige, I asked dryly. ’If I let Val handle this, can she win alone?’

[PFTTTTHAHAHA!] Paige erupted into uncontrollable laughter in my mind. [Boss, is that even a real question?! Val would completely demolish his entire team in less than five seconds! The strongest member in his little deck is that middle-aged guard standing behind him, a personal bodyguard sent by his father, and Val’s base stats are still significantly higher than his.]

A slow, satisfied smile spread across my face.