The venue was still filled with lingering mana.
Even after the broken orb was removed, even after barriers were reinforced and the ceremony was officially declared over, the air itself refused to settle. It felt dense, oppressive—like something invisible had sunk its roots deep into the space and refused to leave.
Aurelian walked away from the platform with unhurried steps.
His posture was straight.
His expression was calm.
No one watching him would suspect anything unusual.
But inside, his mind was sharper than ever.
'That was… unexpected.'
He had anticipated resistance.
He had prepared himself for pain.
He had even considered the possibility of backlash from the artifact.
But a voice?
That was not something he had calculated for.
As he entered a quiet corridor reserved for the Blackthorne family—far from nobles, whispers, and curious gazes—the noise of the venue finally faded.
Silence settled.
Then—
A presence made itself known.
Not loud.
Not aggressive.
Clear.
Perfectly calm.
[ Hello, Host. ]
Aurelian stopped.
His body did not stiffen, but his awareness expanded instantly. His breathing slowed. His heartbeat remained steady, controlled.
'…A voice inside my head.'
He did not react outwardly.
Instead, he focused inward.
'Identify yourself.'
There was a pause.
Not confusion.
Calculation.
[ Designation: Omnicalamity System. ]
Aurelian's eyes narrowed slightly.
'System…'
He had encountered the concept in his previous life countless times—in novels, games, fantasies. A guiding interface. A growth assistant.
Yet now that it was real, the feeling was nothing like fiction.
'Why did you appear now?' he asked silently.
[ Because your potential was confirmed. ]
'Confirmed by the orb?'
[ Negative. ]
The system answered without delay.
[ The orb failed because it attempted to measure something without limits. ]
Aurelian frowned.
'Explain.'
For the first time, something appeared before his vision.
Not light.
Not mana.
But a simple symbol.
∞
An infinity sign—perfect, endless, and absolute.
[ Your potential value: ∞ ]
Aurelian stared at it in silence.
Not shock.
Not disbelief.
Just understanding.
'So it wasn't that the orb was weak,' he thought.
'It was that there was no number it could display.'
'Infinite potential,' he said inwardly. 'Does that mean unlimited power?'
[ No. ]
The answer was immediate.
[ Infinite potential does not mean infinite strength. ]
[ It means your growth has no predetermined ceiling. ]
That was simple.
Clear.
Dangerous.
'Then what about my affinities?' Aurelian asked. 'The orb only showed fire.'
[ Because the orb is limited to basic elemental recognition. ]
That explained it.
In Noctyrr, the orb was designed to identify common elements—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light and darkness.
Nothing more.
'Then what about advanced elements?' he asked.
[ Advanced elemental affinities cannot be displayed by standard ceremonial artifacts. ]
[ They exist beyond the orb's detection structure. ]
Aurelian understood immediately.
Advanced elements-such as space, time, void, or gravity-were almost mythical. Even among geniuses, awakening one advanced affinity was enough to shake an era.
No one in recorded history had ever possessed more than one.
Advanced elements were not just rare.
They were abnormal.
Aurelian paused for a moment
'List all elemental affinities.'
There was no hesitation this time.
[ Elemental Affinities Confirmed: ]
[ Fire — Supreme Compatibility ]
[ Void — Supreme Compatibility ]
[ Space — Supreme Compatibility ]
[ Time — Supreme Compatibility ]
[ Gravity — Supreme Compatibility ]
Aurelian stopped walking.
Not in disbelief.
In shock.
Four advanced affinities.
Each one supreme.
Aurelian absorbed the information calmly.
Fire represented destruction and dominance.
Void represented nothingness and erasure.
Space governed distance and control.
Time dictated cause and consequence.
Gravity bent existence itself.
'That's… excessive,' he admitted inwardly.
'Then what am I?' he asked. 'A prodigy? A genius?'
The system paused.
Then answered.
[ You are classified as a Calamity. ]
The word settled heavily.
'Define Calamity.'
[ A Calamity is an existence whose growth disrupts balance. ]
[ Not by intention. ]
[ But by nature. ]
Aurelian's steps resumed slowly as he walked deeper into the corridor.
'So I don't need to destroy the world,' he said.
[ Correct. ]
He exhaled quietly.
'Then why haven't you appeared earlier?'
[ Activation conditions were not met. ]
'And now they are?'
[ Yes. ]
'Because of the ceremony?'
[ Because the world acknowledged you. ]
Aurelian understood.
Once the world looked at him closely, concealment became impossible.
'What about places beyond this world?' he asked. 'Other realms. Other planets.'
The system's response changed.
[ Permission denied. ]
Aurelian raised an eyebrow.
'Denied?'
[ System authority is limited to Noctyrr. ]
[ External worlds fall outside current jurisdiction. ]
That was clear.
'So you can't give information beyond this world.'
[ Correct. ]
'Can you observe them?'
[ Restricted. ]
Aurelian almost smiled.
'You're useful, but not omnipotent.'
[ Acknowledged. ]
'One last thing,' he said. 'Will you make me stronger?'
[ Negative. ]
'Then what do you do?'
[ I prevent wasted growth. ]
[ I optimize paths. ]
[ I unlock what already exists. ]
Aurelian stopped near the corridor's end, sunlight spilling faintly ahead.
'So the strength is mine,' he thought.
'The responsibility too.'
'Very well,' he said calmly. 'Stay quiet unless necessary.'
[ Understood. ]
The presence faded—not gone, but dormant.
Aurelian stepped forward.
The ceremony was over.
The system had awakened.
And without knowing it—
The world had just given birth to something it was never meant to contain.