The Awakening Grounds were still shaking long after Kael stepped out of the circle.
The crackling arcs of blue-white energy had faded, but the burned marks on the stone floor remained—deep scars that would stay for decades. People stared at them as if looking at the remnants of a miracle.
Or a disaster.
Kael ignored the gasps, the murmurs, the fearful awe that followed him like a shadow. He walked to the far edge of the square and sat on one of the broken stone steps, pulling down his hood again.
His heartbeat was still too fast.
His skin tingled with leftover arcane sparks.
He needed a moment to breathe.
The registrar, pale and unsteady, approached with a tablet trembling in her hands.
"Kael… I've contacted the central system. An SSS-rank alert has already been broadcast. Heaven's Meridian Academy has responded."
Kael rubbed his temples. "That fast?"
"They… they don't wait for cases like this. They can't." She hesitated. "You're not the only one in danger."
He knew what she meant.
Power like his didn't just attract attention.
It provoked hunger.
Especially from the demons beyond the Border.
"How long until they arrive?" Kael asked quietly.
The registrar swallowed. "Twenty minutes."
Kael blinked.
"…They're that close?"
"No," she whispered. "They're that fast."
A stir ran through the crowd as villagers whispered to one another, trying to make sense of everything. Some looked at Kael with awe, some with envy… but more with fear.
A boy who awakened as a Miner earlier stepped forward timidly.
"H-Hey Kael… um… congratulations."
Kael lifted a brow. "Thanks."
The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Just… don't forget us when you're famous."
Kael didn't answer.
He wasn't sure he believed any of this himself.
Before he could think further, the air trembled again—this time not from Awakening power, but from something sharp, controlled, and lethal.
A streak of silver light descended from the sky.
It landed in the center of the village square with a metallic crack, dust exploding outward. Villagers stumbled back in fright.
Standing there, perfectly balanced as if she weighed nothing, was a woman dressed in a sleek black combat uniform lined with faint blue runes.
A badge on her chest glowed:
Heaven's Meridian Academy — Vanguard Unit
She couldn't have been older than twenty-five, yet her presence felt heavier than the air itself.
Straight black hair.
Stone-cold eyes.
A blade strapped across her back that hummed like a living thing.
The woman's gaze swept the crowd before settling on Kael.
"You're Kael Yun."
It wasn't a question.
Kael stood, adjusting his hood. "I am."
She stepped forward with controlled precision. "I am Instructor Rayna Vale, Elite Vanguard of Heaven's Meridian Academy. By direct order of the Academy and the National Defense Council, you are to be transported immediately."
Kael raised a brow. "Transported? Now?"
"SSS awakeners are priority threats," Rayna replied calmly. "You don't understand how many forces—human or otherwise—will move the moment your awakening was detected."
Kael frowned. "That fast?"
Rayna's expression didn't change.
"It already happened."
She held up a small crystal device. It projected a holographic map showing multiple red blips moving toward Blackridge from the north.
Kael felt a cold weight settle in his stomach.
"…Demons."
"High-tier scouts," Rayna confirmed. "Your Awakening pulse attracted them like insects to flame."
She looked him over carefully.
"You do not have the luxury of staying here."
Kael thought of the villagers—the fragile walls, the small farms, the tired faces. If demons entered Blackridge…
"It's fine," he said quietly. "I'll go."
Rayna nodded once and handed him a black metal band. "Put this on your wrist."
"What is it?"
"Identification. It syncs with your Awakening data. It also contains your academy pass, personal storage, and emergency signal."
Kael slipped it on. The band glowed and tightened perfectly around his wrist.
[Identity Sync Completed.]
[Kael Yun — Spellblade, SSS Rank — Heaven's Meridian Academy]
The villagers watched, wide-eyed, as if witnessing the coronation of a king.
Rayna gestured. "Follow me. Our transport is ready."
Before Kael could move, an elderly man—one of the village elders—stepped forward with a cane.
"Kael…"
When their eyes met, Kael saw something he hadn't seen before.
Pride.
Fear.
And understanding.
"You were never ordinary," the elder said. "We always knew you carried something heavy inside you. But this… this path is filled with blood and loneliness."
Kael lowered his gaze.
He knew it too.
"I'll manage," he whispered.
"I know." The elder patted his shoulder. "If anyone can walk that path alone, it's you."
Rayna cleared her throat softly. "We need to leave. Now."
Kael turned.
His eyes lingered on the village one last time—its broken walls, cracked roads, simple homes.
It wasn't much.
But it was all he'd known.
He followed Rayna to the center of the square.
A ripple in the air appeared—then tore open like a curtain being pulled aside, revealing a shimmering gate of pale blue energy.
Villagers gasped.
"A spatial gate?"
"That's academy technology…"
"Just for one student?!"
Rayna spoke calmly. "Step through. It's safe."
Kael hesitated only a moment.
Then he stepped into the gate.
The world blinked.
Kael emerged on a circular stone platform floating high above the clouds.
Wind roared past.
A massive structure loomed ahead—suspended towers of white stone and silver runes, connected by bridges glowing with light.
Heaven's Meridian Academy.
The strongest academy in the world.
Rayna stepped through behind him.
"Welcome," she said simply. "This will be your new home."
Kael stared in stunned silence.
The academy looked like a city in the sky—a fortress of scholars and warriors, protected by layers of glowing barriers.
Lightning arced across distant towers.
Students trained on floating arenas.
Spell formations spiraled across walls like living art.
This place was built for prodigies.
Monsters.
Future legends.
Kael suddenly felt the weight of his SSS rank.
"What now?" he asked softly.
Rayna pointed toward the towering hall in the center.
"You go to Registration Hall. They'll test your combat control, magic capacity, blade affinity, and stability. Then you'll receive your class assignment."
Kael nodded.
"Before you go," she added, lowering her voice, "be careful inside."
Kael frowned. "Why?"
Rayna's expression turned cold.
"Because your awakening made you the most valuable student in the academy—and also the biggest target."
Kael held her gaze. "Then I'll handle it."
She studied him for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"Good. You'll need that mindset."
Kael turned and walked toward the towering doors of the Registration Hall.
Students stared as he passed.
Some whispered.
Some scoffed.
But Kael kept walking.
This was just the beginning.
And he would face every challenge—alone.
Far on the horizon, in the corrupted red skies of the Demon Realm, the ancient demon who sensed his awakening opened its second eye.
A low rumble shook the barren land.
"Come, Spellblade… walk your path. Grow stronger. Make noise."
It smiled.
"So when the time comes… I can crush you myself."