The school courtyard was alive with morning chatter—students gathering, laughing, complaining about tests. But Kai barely heard any of it.
His mind was elsewhere.
Last night, Ema had shown him the rapid development of the Inner Universe. The races were expanding at frightening speed. The political drama within the Supreme Council of Races was already growing intense.
And then… there was the rooftop incident.
Elren Vale
An elite scout for the Obsidian Order.
Kai had confronted him. Silently. Powerfully. The moment Kai's gaze locked with his, Elren had gone pale—then vanished without a trace.
Not because Kai attacked.
But because Kai's presence had made him flee.
Even that small sliver of leaking aura had sent warning signals through the underworld.
Kai clenched his fists as he approached the school gate.
"Yo, Kai—"
A classmate waved. He gave a distracted nod.
Just then—
"Kai."
The voice stopped him cold.
He turned—and met the piercing gaze of Sophie Silver.
Dressed in the crisp blazer of the academy, her hair flowing in a silver braid over her shoulder, she stood like a noble heiress descended from flame itself.
But today, there was something else in her eyes.
Suspicion.
And... fear?
"You weren't in class yesterday," she said, arms folded. "So I followed you."
Kai's expression didn't change, but inside his heart skipped a beat.
Sophie continued.
"I was going to confront you… until I saw him. That man in black. The moment he appeared, your energy changed. And then—" she leaned forward slightly, voice now just above a whisper, "—you vanished. Not ran. Not flew. You ceased to exist. Not even a trace of your aura was left."
Kai stared at her silently.
She saw everything.
Ema's voice echoed in his head.
> "The Silver Clan is not to be underestimated. Sophie's bloodline gives her senses above most Sovereigns. If she felt your disappearance… she might already suspect the truth."
Kai responded calmly. "Maybe you were just seeing things."
Sophie's lips pressed into a thin line.
"No. I'm not stupid, Kai. You awakened recently… but there's something wrong. You don't move like a normal awakened. You don't leak power. You don't even register half the time." She paused. "I asked around the Council channels. Some think you're just a lucky S-ranker with hidden strength."
Kai stiffened slightly.
> "They noticed the leak," Ema whispered. "Damn. I thought I suppressed everything. But even a fraction of your Origin-grade power must've been enough to trigger alarms. The Council… the Obsidian Order… they've sent watchers."
Kai's mind raced.
"Let me guess," he said to Sophie, his voice cold. "You're one of the watchers."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I was. My Clan received word through Council channels. A new awakener with an abnormal rank. I was asked to observe, nothing more."
She paused. And for a moment, her voice softened.
"But after what I saw last night… I don't think they know what you are. And I don't think you're the enemy."
Kai gave a short nod. "Good. Then stay out of my way."
Sophie's violet eyes locked with his for a long moment.
Then she stepped aside.
But as Kai walked past her toward the school building, he heard her whisper behind him.
"I don't know what you are, Kai. But I'm not the only one watching anymore."
The sun was dipping below the horizon as Kai stepped into his room, sliding the door shut behind him. The soft hum of mana in the air danced along his skin like static, familiar now—comforting. He dropped his bag beside the desk and sighed.
"It's not really easy, acting normal," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
From the air, a gentle warmth swirled, and a radiant figure appeared—Ema, his system, now fully manifest in her chosen form: a divine woman with glowing silver hair and eyes like galaxies.
"You're doing well," she said, her tone soft. "But the play has only just begun."
Kai sat on his bed, eyes unfocused.
"Let's rewind to yesterday."
---
Flashback – The Truth About Transcendents
"…So, what's the real deal with the Transcendent stage?" Kai had asked, standing before the glowing world-map projection of Earth Ema had shown him.
Ema had tilted her head slightly, and the entire illusion warped to reveal glowing silhouettes—beings of terrifying aura.
"Eternity Marked," she had said. "They are the peak of the Transcendent Stage. Their base stats sit at 5000, like yours, but unlike you—they've mastered multiple laws of reality."
She waved her hand. Images appeared:
One Eternity Marked stepping through frozen time.
Another weaving threads of fate and destiny into a tapestry of control.
Another casually slicing through space to create a pocket dimension with a flick of their fingers.
"They manipulate the deepest layers of existence. While their physical stats may not exceed yours, their composite power—the power gained from law synergy—can push them up to 20,000 in combat scale."
Kai had gone still.
"They could destroy a continent…?" he had asked, more to himself than her.
"If two of them fought without restraint, yes," Ema confirmed. "You are strong, Kai. But until you master your laws and your abilities, you must never confront a Transcendent."
A long silence had passed.
"…So what do we do?" Kai had finally asked.
Ema's lips curled upward. "We let them think you're just a talented SSS-rank. That means… we need a witness."
Kai smirked.
"Sophie Silver."
"She already suspects you. You give her a glimpse—just enough for the narrative to form. Then you infiltrate their world, gain intel from the inside."
Kai leaned back on his bed.
"Smart." He paused. "But between you and me… I'm kind of bored. This whole awakened world sounds like fun."
---
Present Day – Decision and War
"…Anyway," Kai said now, looking at Ema with a yawn, "It's about time."
"Time for what?" she asked with a knowing smile.
Kai's eyes lit up. "To end the Primordial War."
In his inner universe, thousands of years had passed since the first races were born. The Old Ones—Supreme Dragons, High Elves, and Prime Humans—had fought endlessly for dominance.
But now, with the new races—the Supreme Demons, Seraphim, Inspector race, and various beastkin—the balance of power had shifted. And from their efforts, the Supreme Council of all races had formed, teetering between unity and civil war.
Kai opened a portal into his inner world with a thought.
"Let's bring some order to the chaos."
Ema nodded.
"Just… be careful. They revere you as their Creator. Every decision you make shapes their destiny."
As Kai stepped through, his figure dissolved into light.
---
Back in the real world, Sophie Silver stood on the rooftop of the academy, her gaze sharp.
She had followed him—Kai. The "normal" kid who transferred a few weeks ago.
But yesterday, when she followed him toward the old district…
He vanished.
Not blinked.
Not cloaked.
He vanished like the air had folded around him.
And the one who had confronted him, Elren Vale, an Obsidian Order operative… had never returned.
She had been tracking Elren discreetly ever since the Council had started watching high-threat awakeners. When his tracker vanished—and Kai came back alone—her suspicions hardened.
SSS-rank?
Maybe.
Or maybe something more.
She clenched her fists, her heart racing. "Who are you really, Kai?"