The projection of Lord Zilton shimmered in the center of the room, his face a landscape of calculated displeasure. He didn't scream; he didn't even raise his voice. Instead, he spoke with the terrifying calmness of a man who held the keys to Ren's cage.
"You have a penchant for wandering into places where you don't belong, Dragon Slayer," Zilton said, his fingers steepled. "The Magic Creation lab is the heart of this Academy's progress. To have a... guest... nearly dismantle a B-Rank specimen is an expensive inconvenience."
Ren stood by the window, his expression unreadable. "It was an accident. I was touring the facility."
"An accident that cost the Academy forty thousand Yen in shattered equipment," Zilton countered. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied Ren's posture. "However, the King is enamored with your 'Batch Two' story. He believes you are a diamond in the rough. I, however, believe you are a liability who lacks the fundamental knowledge of the world he now inhabits."
Zilton waved a hand. "I have assigned a butler to your suite. He will escort you to the Royal Library. You are to remain there for the next forty-eight hours. You will study. You will learn the history of the nations, the mechanics of the classes, and the hierarchy of the heroes you are expected to stand beside. If you are to represent Syrius, you will not do so as an ignorant savage."
The projection vanished. A moment later, a sharp knock sounded. A man in crisp livery stood there, bowing perfectly. "Master Ren. I am Sebastian. If you would follow me, the archives await."
The Royal Library of Syrius was a cathedral of knowledge. Spiraling shelves of enchanted oak reached toward a ceiling painted with the constellations of the System.
For two days, Ren did not sleep.
He didn't have a "super-brain," but he had the discipline of someone who had spent years counting every calorie and every step to stay alive. He read through the night, his eyes burning under the dim mana-lamps. His Intelligence of 142 didn't make him read faster, but it gave him a massive mana pool that allowed him to keep his Appraisal active for hours on end, letting him see through the magical seals on restricted documents that would have been invisible to anyone else.
He memorized the borders of the Azure Empire of Qin, the Shogunate of Yamato, and the Khanate of Jochai. But his focus soon shifted to a dusty, leather-bound registry he found in the restricted section: The Pillars of the Crown.
As he flipped through the pages, Ren realized the King had been playing a double game. He had publicly announced six heroes to the world. The internal records, however, listed eight.
Ren leaned back, rubbing his tired eyes. He looked at the list of the people he was now forced to call "comrades."
No. 1: Kentaro
Class: Summoner (S-Rank) | Level: 10
Notes: An Otherworlder with the highest potential in the kingdom. His class allows him to pull entities from higher planes.
Weakness: Extreme mana consumption. If the summon is killed, the backlash can be fatal.
No. 2: Suzume
Class: Skybound Fist (A-Rank) | Level: 35
Notes: The physical powerhouse. She uses no weapons and no magic. Her body is a living artifact.
Weakness: Lacks range.
No. 3: Lira
Class: Overflowing Saint Elementalist (A-Rank) | Level: 28
Description: A mage born with an abnormally overflowing mana core, blessed by healing mana so dense that it continuously restores the body and soul. She wields the four elements as extensions of her will.
Strengths: Her mana pool is so vast that ordinary spell limits do not apply. Healing spells activate faster, consume less mana, and can be layered simultaneously.
Weakness: Frail Vessel. Her physical defense is near zero. Close-range engagements or anti-magic effects lead to instant defeat.
No. 4: Valerius
Class: Holy Dragoon (B-Rank) | Level: 40
Notes: The Prince. High mobility and burst damage using light-elemental spears.
Weakness: Arrogance and reliance on "Aura Pressure."
No. 5: Reina
Class: Sovereign Tongue (B-Rank) | Level: 30
Notes: A native of Syrius. Her class is a newly discovered anomaly under the "Sovereign's Command" lineage. She commands reality through spoken words.
Weakness: Silence and noise interference. Overuse causes her throat to bleed.
No. 6: Marcus Hale
Class: Blade Emperor (B-Rank) | Level: 28
Notes: Ren's former classmate. The star basketball player from the old world. He was always the leader, the "cool guy" everyone followed. Now, he wields the authority of an Emperor's blade.
Weakness: Low Stamina. Built for "One-Hit Kills."
No. 7: Ren
Class: Assassin (Masked as B-Rank) | Level: 10
Notes: The Dragon Slayer. High Speed and Intelligence.
Weakness: Unknown.
No. 8: Eren-kun
Class: Gaze Tyrant (C-Rank) | Level: 40
Notes: A native with a system. Specialist in mental domination and perception.
Weakness: Physical combat. If eye contact is broken, he is defenseless.
Ren closed the book. The King had hidden Reina and Eren because they were natives, not "Otherworlders." They were the kingdom's secret insurance policies—the "Secret Police" meant to keep the foreign heroes in check.
He also found a section on the Sovereign's Command class family. It was a rare, ancient lineage that didn't rely on mana pools, but on the user's Willpower and Authority. Reina's "Sovereign Tongue" was the most dangerous variation, but it carried a "Karmic Backlash"—the more powerful the command, the more the user's own body was destroyed.
"So that's why her throat was bleeding," Ren muttered.
He closed the final book as the second day came to an end. He was no longer the "ignorant savage" Zilton wanted him to be. He knew the strengths and the "Frail Vessels" of his teammates. He knew the legends he would face in the Chaotic Lands.
But more importantly, he looked at his own stats.
[Name: Ren]
[Level: 10]
[Strength: 106]
[Speed: 89]
[Intelligence: 142]
[Yen: 75,000]
He was a Level 10 "Hero" with the stats of a Level 50 Boss. He had the knowledge of every hero's weakness. And he had a key that was screaming to be used.
The training arc was over. The game of shadows was about to begin.
Ren stood up, stretching his stiff limbs, when Sebastian entered the room with a stiff, formal bow.
"Master Ren," the butler said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The forty-eight hours are up. Lord Zilton has requested your presence immediately. He wishes to see the Dragon Scales you kept."
[End of Chapter 36]