"What is an Artifact?" Egan asked, a little curious.
"Artifacts are objects created by Heaven. Each one has a different power, though some are similar. There are Artifacts that can only heat up coffee, and there are others that can destroy the world."
"Then, what do you mean by Supreme Artifact?"
"As the name suggests, it's an Artifact of the highest rank. Supreme Artifacts usually possess extraordinary powers capable of changing the world."
"There's no way I could obtain a Supreme Artifact."
"No, you can."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Your ancestor once possessed a Supreme Artifact. You're his descendant—you carry his bloodline—so you have the same potential. The academy believes that."
"So that's why I was placed in Class S?"
"Yes, exactly," Aria replied with a smile.
But Egan looked away. "Nonsense. My ancestor is my ancestor, and I am me. We're not the same person. If your logic made sense, my father should also have a Supreme Artifact."
But the truth was, his father didn't.
Egan's logic was sound.
And Aria couldn't refute it.
"Come on now, let's go to the next room. That's where you'll summon your Artifact. The process is very simple," Aria tried to persuade him.
"No. Please transfer me to another class."
Aria's shoulders dropped at his refusal. She started thinking hard. "How about this—if you fail to summon a Supreme Artifact, I'll help you transfer to another class."
"Okay. But I have one condition."
"What is it? Tell me."
"I want to summon the Artifact alone."
He didn't want to hide his power like some overpowered MC.
However, if he summoned his Artifact in front of people who had already summoned high-level Artifacts, and his turned out to be something low-tier, he would become a laughingstock.
He didn't want that to happen.
It hurts to be laughed at.
Egan had experienced that before.
"All right," Aria agreed with a sigh. "Then please wait in the restroom or the infirmary. Once the others are done, I'll come get you."
"I'll wait in the restroom."
If he went to the infirmary, he'd have to talk to the nurse.
Egan didn't want to do that.
Egan waited patiently in the restroom.
He wasn't uncomfortable—he was used to it. In his past life, the restroom had always been his place to be alone.
After waiting for about thirty minutes, Aria finally called him from outside. "Egan, come out. The others are gone. It's the perfect time to summon your Artifact."
Egan stepped out of the restroom and followed Aria to the designated room. As they walked, he asked questions to satisfy his curiosity about this world.
"Miss Lovetein, does everyone have an Artifact?"
"Everyone has the potential to receive an Artifact, but not everyone is able to summon one. So no, not everyone ends up having an Artifact," Aria replied like a teacher.
"Why does everyone have the potential to receive one?"
"Because Heaven is fair."
"Heaven? What is Heaven?"
On Earth, heaven was known as the final resting place for good people. Egan knew that. But in this world, was it the same? He wanted to know.
"I don't know. Some say Heaven is a being. Some say it's a place. Others say it's a system. Heaven is full of mysteries. No one has seen it directly."
"I see. Then what is Magic?"
"I'll explain that later when we assess your talents," Aria said while opening the door. "We're here. It's time to summon your Artifact."
"Okay."
The room was brightly lit, thanks to the blue glow of crystal lamps on the ceiling. Four tall, thick pillars stretched from floor to ceiling. The floor was made of polished white marble.
At the center of the room was a circular design filled with strange symbols that Egan didn't understand. But he knew—it must be the summoning circle for an Artifact from Heaven.
"Stand in the center of that circle," Aria instructed.
"Okay," he said as he walked forward.
Once Egan stood in the center, Aria raised her hand. A magic circle appeared in front of her palm. Then, the circle beneath Egan's feet began to glow.
Egan suddenly felt a vibration under his feet.
The shaking intensified.
As if an earthquake had struck, the entire academy trembled violently.
People screamed and panicked.
Including Egan, who was now visibly anxious.
"Miss, what's happening?" he asked with a trembling voice.
But Aria just smiled brightly, as if she didn't see a disaster at all.
"Heaven has created many Artifacts. Usually, when someone summons one, Heaven simply grants an existing Artifact. But sometimes—there are exceptions.
Heaven can create a brand-new Artifact for a specific individual. The tremors and quakes you feel now are signs that Heaven is crafting a new Artifact."
"What does that mean?"
All existing Artifacts were made for people native to this world.
But Egan was different.
He was a reincarnator, someone from another world.
There was no Artifact suitable for him yet.
"Egan, you're special in Heaven's eyes. Heaven is willing to craft a new Artifact just for you," Aria said cheerfully. "Not everyone receives such a privilege."
Hearing that, Egan smiled too.
Anyone would be happy to be treated as someone special.
And Egan was no exception.
Especially since, in his entire life, he'd rarely been treated that way. Even his own parents saw him as a stranger.
After a while, the tremors stopped, and Egan's body began to glow gold—signaling that the Artifact had entered him. In his mind, new knowledge about the Artifact flooded his memory.
The golden light slowly faded after a minute.
He looked dazed—processing all the new information.
The knowledge included the name of his Artifact, how to use it, and everything it could do.
Aria shook Egan's shoulders, snapping him back to his senses. "Egan, what is your Artifact?" Aria asked eagerly.
"It's nothing special," he said honestly, but with a smile.
From the start, he hadn't expected to receive an extraordinary Artifact, so he wasn't disappointed. But he was happy, because Heaven had treated him as someone special.
"My Artifact is Metaxis. A Supreme-ranked Artifact. Metaxis has the power of limitless storage," Egan said as he extended his hand, palm facing upward.
Above his hand appeared a gate-shaped Artifact.
Metaxis looked like it was made of stone and radiated an ancient aura. Its pillars were white, and the double doors were gray. The left door bore carvings of demons, while the right depicted angels.
"I can make this Artifact grow in size."
Metaxis fell to the ground and began to expand—large enough for two adults to walk through side by side.
Then, the gate opened with just Egan's will. A creaking sound echoed through the air, followed by a rumble. Finally, what lay behind the gate was revealed—an overwhelming darkness.
"May I go inside?" Aria asked.
"Go ahead," said Egan.
Egan and Aria stepped through the gate and entered the dimension of Metaxis—a space as vast as the universe itself, limitless. But inside, it was empty and pitch-black.
"Isn't this amazing? You can store anything here."
"That's true, but it's not as amazing as you think."
"Why would you say that? Don't sell yourself short."
"The hero who saves the world wields a sword, not the one who carries the baggage," Egan said with self-awareness.
Yes, Metaxis was extraordinary.
But it was only extraordinary in the ordinary category.
Not extraordinary in the extraordinary category.
"But still, this is a Supreme Artifact. Only the chosen few ever receive one," Aria said, still optimistic.
And Aria was right. In the end, Metaxis was a Supreme Artifact. It wasn't just some glorified storage bag. Heaven wouldn't create a Supreme Artifact just for holding stuff.
"All right, now let's go check your magical talent."
They exited Metaxis. Outside, Egan returned the Artifact to his soul with just a thought. Then they walked back to the previous room.
The shards from the crystal Lucas had destroyed had been cleaned up and replaced with a new blue crystal.
Before checking his talent, Egan asked Aria another question. "Miss, what is Magic?"
"Magic is the science of creating phenomena using mana. There are four main types of Magic:
Miracle, which is the most powerful;
Elemental, which is versatile;
Alchemy, which is complex; and
Sorcery, which anyone can use."
"What is Miracle?"
Egan was particularly interested in that.
Earlier, whenever a student was revealed to possess Miracle, everyone reacted with amazement. Ironically, he was the only one who didn't understand why.
"Miracle is just like an Artifact—it's created by Heaven. The difference is, while Artifacts must be summoned, Miracles are innate, something you're born with. Also, Miracles require mana, unlike Artifacts."
"What is mana?"
Faced with yet another basic question, Aria tilted her head. "Why are you asking about such general knowledge? You're supposed to know all this."
"Didn't I already tell you? I'm dumb. I don't belong in Class S." He said with a shrug.
"Save your questions. When classes begin, you'll learn all the fundamentals of Magic. For now, let's check your talent."
Egan reached out to touch the crystal.
He wished he had Miracle too.
From Aria's brief explanation, he already knew that Miracle was the most exceptional form of Magic.
'I hope I have a Miracle... so I can change my fate in this world... from a background character into a protagonist.'