The Mana core.
A faint film of white light coated the core's surface, rippling like frost over glass. It was the last breath of the Spirit Cauldron of Hope, the dying radiance that stabilized the core and prevented it from collapsing. Beneath that veil lay the sea itself, calm and greenish-blue with a faint copper glow.
Rank one.
Green copper spiritual essence.
Aria could feel it clearly, the condensed result of fifteen years of life turned into liquid energy. It wasn't much compared to what she once possessed, but it was real, and that was enough. The only disappointing part was the level of the water.
It didn't reach halfway.
It hovered around forty-four percent.
C-grade.
Aria opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. Her expression didn't change, but the truth was undeniable. The Spirit River had given her the same result as her previous life.
"Just like before," she murmured.
The Spirit Cauldron of Hope stopped entering her once the core stabilized. The invisible pressure ahead became a solid wall again, refusing to loosen no matter how she pushed. Aria tested it once more, then gave up without stubbornness.
There was no point.
She turned around and began walking back.
Across the river, the academy elder leaned forward, her voice sharper than before. "You can't go any further?"
Aria didn't answer. She simply stepped through the water and climbed onto the bank, her wet socks clinging to her feet. The cold seeped through the cloth, biting at her skin, but she didn't even blink.
The murmurs started instantly.
"Twenty-seven steps?"
"That's only C-grade…"
"How can she be C-grade? She's Aria Harthwyne, the greatest genius of our clan!"
Shock spread through the cavern like ripples through still water. Faces that once held admiration now twisted with disbelief. Some looked disappointed, some looked confused, and some couldn't even hide their relief.
Ryan stood among the crowd with wide eyes, frozen as if someone had struck him. He had believed the rumors as much as anyone. He had believed his sister was destined to shine brighter than everyone else.
Reality shattered that belief cleanly.
From above, the clan head's expression tightened. Her fingers curled slightly, and her voice came out low and bitter. "A C-grade…"
"What a waste."
The elders around her exchanged glances, frustration flickering in their eyes. Some leaned closer, whispering as if the river might hear them.
"Could the reading be wrong?"
"It never is."
"But her intelligence…"
"Intelligence doesn't matter without talent."
Their disappointment hung in the air like smoke.
Meanwhile, Aria walked through it all as if she couldn't hear anything. Her wet shoes made faint sounds against the stone floor, and the chill clung to her legs, but her posture stayed straight.
In her previous life, she had broken here.
Back then, she had slipped in the river, fallen into the water, and climbed out drenched and trembling while everyone stared. She had carried humiliation like a weight chained to her ribs, and her heart had been filled with panic.
This time, her heart was steady.
Let them be disappointed.
Their disappointment belonged to them, not her.
Aria's gaze flicked toward the moon orchids for a moment, remembering the story again. When Predicaments come, give your heart to Hope. That was the meaning of the legend, and now hope wasn't a metaphor.
It was literally inside her.
The academy elder cleared her throat, forcing her voice into neutrality again. "Next. Ryan Harthwyne."
Silence.
The elder frowned and raised her voice again. "Ryan Harthwyne!"
Ryan jerked like he had been struck by lightning. "I-I'm here!"
He stumbled forward too quickly, his feet catching on uneven stone. His body tilted, and before he could catch himself, he pitched headfirst into the river.
Water splashed loudly.
For half a second, the cavern was silent.
Then laughter erupted.
"Hahaha!"
"Look at him!"
"The twins really are the same kind of trash!"
Ryan flailed, coughing as water filled his mouth. His face turned red with panic, and his hands scraped uselessly against the slick stones. The pressure of the river didn't even need to crush him.
His own fear was enough.
The clan head clicked her tongue in irritation. "An embarrassment."
The laughter grew louder, sharper, more cruel.
Ryan tried to stand, slipped again, and fell back into the water. His eyes burned, his chest tightened, and humiliation crawled up his throat like bile. He wanted to disappear into the river and never come back out.
Then a firm hand hooked his collar.
Ryan was yanked upright.
He gasped, coughing hard, water spilling from his lips as he blinked wildly. Standing beside him was Aria, her robe still damp at the hem, her expression calm and unreadable.
"B-Big Sister…" Ryan choked out.
Aria didn't look at the crowd. She didn't look at the elders. She only looked at him, her gaze quiet and sharp.
"Go," she said.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the laughter. It wasn't comfort. It wasn't encouragement. It was a command that left no room for weakness.
Ryan's body stiffened.
He didn't know why, but the moment she spoke, his panic settled slightly. It was as if her calmness had forced his heart to stop trembling.
Aria's lips curved faintly, almost amused.
"The road ahead will be interesting," she said softly.
Then she released his collar and stepped back.
Ryan swallowed hard. His ears still rang with laughter, but he forced himself to move. He stepped forward into the moon orchids, his legs shaking but refusing to stop.
The pressure descended on him immediately.
Ryan's face tightened, and his breath hitched. It felt like an invisible wall pressing against his body, trying to shove him backward. His heart screamed at him to stop, but Aria's voice echoed in his head.
Go.
So he went.
Step by step, he pushed forward, his jaw clenched hard enough to hurt. The orchids around him released faint flickers of light, sinking into his skin just like they had for Aria.
Ten steps.
Twenty.
Ryan's breathing turned ragged, but something strange happened.
The pressure didn't crush him.
It eased.
The further he walked, the more the resistance loosened, as if the river itself was confused. Ryan didn't even realize how far he had gone until he looked up and saw the cavern's faces.
They weren't laughing anymore.
They were staring.
Ryan froze, his chest rising and falling violently. He looked down at his feet, then counted the distance behind him. His pupils shrank.
Forty-one steps.
Forty-two.
Forty-three.
The entire cavern had gone silent.
The academy elder's mouth fell open. Her eyes widened, and her voice cracked as she screamed, "A-grade talent! Forty-three steps! An A-grade genius!"
For a moment, it felt like the mountain itself shook.
Then chaos exploded.
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"Ryan is an A-grade?!"
"Did the river make a mistake?!"
Elders surged forward from the shadows like wolves smelling blood. Their calm masks shattered instantly, replaced by greed so naked it made the youths shiver.
Elder Caius stepped forward first, his voice booming. "Ryan carries the blood of our direct ancestors! He belongs to our family from today onward!"
Elder Philip slammed his palm on the stone. "Bullshit! If he goes to you, you'll ruin him! He should be raised by my branch!"
Other elders began shouting as well, their voices overlapping in ugly competition.
The clan head's face darkened.
"Enough!" he roared.
His voice echoed through the cavern, forcing silence like a hammer striking iron. He stepped forward, eyes blazing, and the other elders immediately shut their mouths.
"This child will be raised directly by this clan head," He declared coldly. "Anyone who disagrees opposes me."
No one dared speak again.
Ryan stood trembling among the moon orchids, still stunned, still unable to process what had happened. His wet hair dripped down his face, and his eyes were wide with disbelief.
He looked like someone who had fallen into a dream.
Across the riverbank, Aria watched quietly.
Her expression didn't change, but her eyes carried something faintly amused. She had already known this would happen. She had already watched it unfold once before.
The difference was that last time, it had destroyed her.
This time, it would become her shield.
The elders fought over Ryan like starving dogs, but Aria didn't care. She only cared about the storm that would follow, the chaos that would shake the village from its roots.
Her road had only just begun.
And truly…
It would be interesting.