Morning came… but the academy felt wrong.
Students walking through the grounds slowed their steps. Conversations died mid-sentence. Even instructors looked uneasy, their gazes drifting toward the restricted training area.
Something was off.
Something had changed.
I stepped out of the courtyard.
The moment my foot touched the stone path—
Silence.
Nearby students froze.
Some turned pale.
Others instinctively stepped back.
I felt it then.
Their fear.
[Killing Intent Detected: Passive Emission.]
[Ruthless Mind Stabilizing.]
I frowned slightly.
"So that's it…"
My presence alone was different now.
At the central hall, instructors gathered hurriedly.
"That pressure last night—did you feel it?"
"It was real killing intent."
"From a student?"
Unthinkable.
An elder slammed his staff into the ground.
"Enough. Summon him."
I stood before them moments later.
Seven elders.
Same chamber.
But this time—
Their pressure felt lighter.
One elder narrowed his eyes.
"Arin. What happened last night?"
I met his gaze calmly.
"Training."
Silence followed.
The old man—my master—stepped forward from the shadows.
"I pushed him," he said.
"He survived."
The elders stiffened.
"You?" one whispered.
So they knew.
"From today," my master continued,
"this boy will no longer participate in standard classes."
Shock rippled through the chamber.
"He will train separately," he said,
"or he will outgrow your control."
That word hung heavy.
Outgrow.
The system pulsed softly.
[Status Shift Detected.]
[Host Classification Updated.]
Academy Asset → Unstable Variable
I smiled inwardly.
They were afraid.
Good.
Outside the chamber, news spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear?"
"Rank Seven isn't attending classes anymore."
"They say even the elders can't touch him."
Kael heard too.
From his room, fists clenched, eyes burning.
High above the academy, a sealed tower opened.
A woman with golden eyes looked down.
"So that's the child…" she murmured.
A slow smile formed.
"Interesting."
Back in the courtyard, my master spoke quietly.
"You've crossed a line," he said.
"There's no going back."
I nodded.
"I know."
The Endless Growth System pulsed once.
Firm.
Certain.