The room buzzed with murmurs and half-whispers as the exam results flashed on the large holographic display above the Adventurer Registration Hall. Candidates of all ranks and ages craned their necks to see the outcome. But it wasn't the typical chatter that caught attention today — it was the anomaly at the very top.
I stepped into the room, observing casually. Nothing about me screamed extraordinary — white hair, sky-blue streaks, simple adventurer garb, nothing flashy — yet every evaluator's eyes betrayed the shock they tried to suppress.
The system had already flagged me as beyond Abysmal rank, placing me in an undefined tier labeled simply: Prodigious Beyond Measurement. That in itself caused ripples throughout the crowd. Adventurers, guild representatives, and curious onlookers all exchanged uneasy glances. Some muttered words like "impossible" or "cheating", while others simply froze, staring at me like I had walked out of a myth.
From the far end of the room, guild representatives began moving forward. Men and women with an air of authority, their circuits visible as faint auras, approached one by one.
"You there, boy," one grizzled man said, his Gravity circuits slightly flaring. "Your potential is enormous. Our guild — The Iron Gauntlet — would welcome you immediately. I'm sure we can offer you resources to grow."
I smiled faintly and shook my head. "I appreciate the offer, but I work alone for now. Cooperation is not required when efficiency is enough."
Several others nodded in begrudging respect; one or two even scowled, unwilling to accept a rejection. Yet before further attempts could be made, the air shifted.
A presence unlike any other entered the hall. Calm, regal, and yet heavy with authority. Her steps barely made a sound, yet the room's energy subtly bent around her. Circuits flared in response, some strong enough to cause low-level tremors in nearby items.
She was tall, lean, and elegant, with silver hair cascading like a waterfall, streaks of violet catching the light, and eyes so sharp they seemed to cut straight through the chaos. Her aura wasn't explosive; it was precise, commanding, and layered with experience.
"Kaelen Veystrum," she said, her voice smooth and commanding. "I am Lady Seraphine Alrorias. You have potential unlike any I have seen. I ask you to be my student."
A hushed silence fell across the room. Some of the guild representatives stiffened, their circuits flaring defensively. Others simply stared, wide-eyed. Kaelen Veystrum? The same boy who had obliterated monsters beyond measurement? And now… being personally recruited by Seraphine?
I didn't hesitate. I inclined my head slightly. "I accept," I said evenly, eyes meeting hers with a quiet but unshakable confidence.
Arata's POV-
From my vantage, sitting at a quiet table near the back of the room, sipping tea as if I were observing nothing more than a simple morning market, I couldn't help but smirk.
"Well," I murmured to myself, "that's interesting."
Her aura, while commanding, carried something familiar to me — not a memory, not a direct link, but recognition. A lineage. A history. And finally, her actions revealed it. She had been hiding herself in plain sight, influencing events without the world knowing.
I tilted my head, the golden light of my presence faintly flickering around me, almost unnoticed by the room but perceptible to someone of her level. "So… you finally revealed yourself," I whispered softly, my voice a thread of amusement and acknowledgment. "Lady Seraphine, the Iron Queen of Arlorias."
Her eyes flicked toward me briefly, acknowledging the title — the one she held secretly, the one the world did not yet know. And for the briefest moment, a smile, subtle and knowing, passed between us.
The guild representatives froze, realizing that whatever was about to unfold would be beyond their understanding. Some of the strongest adventurers present felt their circuits spike with anticipation, recognizing that this was no ordinary mentor-student pairing — it was the alignment of two prodigies capable of reshaping the Era of Dungeons.
Meanwhile, Kaelen's expression remained calm, collected, but the spark in his eyes betrayed the thrill he felt. To be under someone like Seraphine, to hone his already unmatched dual-circuit potential — the path ahead was dangerous, yes, but infinitely rewarding.
I leaned back in my chair, finishing the last sip of tea. "Well then," I muttered under my breath, almost to no one in particular, "let the era unfold. And let the world witness what true potential looks like."
Outside, the dungeons continued to emerge. The Era of Dungeons was well underway, and from this day forward, Kaelen Veystrum's journey as a hero and a prodigy officially began — guided by Lady Seraphine and watched quietly by one who knew the future better than anyone else.