Chapter 10 – Variables and Verdicts
The academy did not announce its judgments publicly.
It classified them.
Far above the slums—beyond smoke-stained rooftops and collapsing stone—the Obsidian Spires of Aurelion Academy pierced the sky like black blades. Within those towers, fate was not debated or voted on. It was calculated, archived, and enforced.
Kairo stood at the edge of the outer examination hall, barefoot on polished obsidian flooring that reflected his silhouette with unsettling clarity.
Not a slum child.
Not yet a student.
A candidate.
The hall was vast, circular, its walls engraved with glowing sigils that shifted constantly—measuring, analyzing, dissecting. Dozens of youths stood scattered across the space, each wearing a temporary crest embedded into their clothing. Some bore noble insignias. Others, like Kairo, wore nothing but a blank slate token.
Above them hovered translucent panels only candidates could see.
[ACADEMY PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT]
Phase: Blessing Classification
Status: Mandatory
Murmurs echoed through the hall.
"Did you feel that pressure?"
"They say the walls themselves judge you."
"I heard anyone below C-rank gets rejected immediately."
Kairo ignored them all.
CIEL was already active.
[Environmental enchantments detected.]
[Function: Multi-layered Blessing Analysis.]
[Accuracy: 99.7%.]
"So this is how they filter," Kairo thought.
Not by combat alone.
By definition.
A figure stepped forward—an elderly man clad in silver-lined robes, his eyes glowing with layered enchantments. His presence alone quieted the hall.
"Welcome, candidates," the examiner said calmly. "You stand within the outer judgment ring of Aurelion Academy."
He raised one hand.
"Today, you will be measured—not by reputation, not by bloodline, but by capacity."
The sigils along the walls flared brighter.
"Understand this clearly," the man continued. "Blessings define potential. Origin defines ceiling. Adaptability defines survival."
A panel materialized before everyone, displaying the Blessing Rank System.
---
Blessing & Power Classification – Aurelion Standard
Combat Rank:
F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS
Blessing Grade:
Minor – Common abilities, limited growth
High – Specialized traits, strong synergy
Royal – Bloodline-defining abilities
Ancestral – Rare, tied to race history
Origin – Conceptual, tied to laws or existence
Origin Tier (Hidden):
Low → Mid → High → Ancient → Prime
---
Gasps rippled through the candidates.
Kairo's gaze remained steady.
"This system is intentionally incomplete," he noted internally.
CIEL agreed.
[Observation correct.]
[Academy suppresses Origin Tier visibility.]
[Reason: Control.]
The examiner's eyes swept across the hall.
"Candidates will step forward one by one. Your blessings will be recorded. Your combat rank estimated."
A noble boy stepped forward first—golden hair, embroidered coat, confidence bordering arrogance.
"Name?" the examiner asked.
"Lord Sereth Valcain," the boy said proudly.
The sigils flared.
[Blessing Detected: Flame Authority – Royal Grade]
[Combat Rank Estimate: B+]
Applause followed.
Several nobles smirked.
Then came a Beastkin girl—ears twitching nervously.
[Blessing: Predator Instinct – High Grade]
[Combat Rank: C]
Accepted.
One by one, candidates stepped forward.
Some were rejected instantly—sigils dimming, tokens shattering into dust.
When Kairo's turn came, the hall felt colder.
He stepped into the circle.
The sigils hesitated.
Then—
They flickered.
The examiner frowned.
"Name?"
"Kairo."
"No family designation?"
"No."
The sigils surged.
For a moment, nothing appeared.
Then the panels glitched.
[Blessing Detected: —ERROR—]
[Secondary Blessing: —UNRESOLVED—]
A low murmur spread.
The examiner's eyes sharpened. "Run it again."
The sigils brightened violently.
Kairo felt pressure press against his mind—probing, dissecting, attempting to categorize what refused to be categorized.
CIEL intervened instantly.
[Partial concealment engaged.]
[Limiting visible output.]
The panels stabilized.
Barely.
[Blessing Detected: Adaptive Replication – High Grade]
[Secondary Blessing: Evolutionary Enhancement – High Grade]
[Combat Rank Estimate: C+]
The hall exploded into whispers.
High Grade blessings.
Two of them.
From a slum-born commoner.
The examiner did not look satisfied.
"Your readings are… unstable," he said slowly.
"Is that grounds for rejection?" Kairo asked calmly.
Silence fell.
The examiner studied him for a long moment.
"No," he said at last. "It is grounds for classification."
A new word appeared above Kairo's panel.
[STATUS: VARIABLE]
The nobles stiffened.
Even the examiner's tone shifted.
"A Variable is not measured by static metrics," he explained. "You will not be ranked traditionally."
Kairo inclined his head slightly.
"What does that mean?"
The examiner smiled thinly.
"It means you will be watched."
---
That night, Kairo stood alone on the academy's outer balcony, overlooking the city below.
The slums looked smaller from here.
More fragile.
CIEL spoke quietly.
[You have been flagged by seven internal observers.]
[Two noble factions.]
[One fraternity.]
[One external sponsor.]
"And the rest?" Kairo asked.
[Unknown.]
Footsteps approached.
Reth appeared beside him, newly issued academy cloak draped over his shoulders.
"You really did it," Reth said softly. "They marked you as a Variable."
Kairo's gaze remained distant. "Does that scare you?"
Reth hesitated. "Yes."
"Then stay close," Kairo replied calmly. "Or stay far away. Both are valid choices."
Reth swallowed.
Far above them, hidden chambers activated.
Names were written into sealed records.
And next to Kairo's, a single note was added:
> Potential exceeds classification. Do not provoke prematurely.
The academy had accepted him.
But acceptance was never safety.
It was an invitation to be tested—again and again—until something broke.
Kairo rested his hands on the railing.
His expression didn't change.
"CIEL," he said quietly.
[Yes?]
"Prepare simulations."
[Scope?]
"All registered academy candidates."
A pause.
[Understood.]
The game had begun.
And Kairo intended to finish it—on his terms.