The goblin lunged. Its jagged dagger was already on its way down when Ms. Halden moved. She raised her hand, and ice surged forward instantly.
The temperature in the office dropped in a heartbeat as frost exploded outward, swallowing the goblin mid-leap. Ice climbed over its limbs, its torso, its open mouth, freezing it in place a split second before the blade could reach its target. The creature stopped, suspended in the air, completely encased.
Silence followed. The System Registrar stood frozen behind his desk, eyes wide, breath caught in his chest. Slowly, the shock loosened its grip. He inhaled shakily, reached up, and straightened his tie. He cleared his throat, the sound awkward and out of place.
"Y-Yes… uh… thank you," he said quietly.
For a moment, he stood there as if unsure how to continue. Then he gestured vaguely with one hand, trying to return to the matter at hand. "What I was saying…"
He motioned for Noen to open his system again. The system window appeared. The Registrar stared at it, his expression tightening. He leaned forward, then back, as if the numbers might change depending on the angle. Dust motes danced in the flickering light of the terminal, and the smell of ozone from the ice magic still lingered heavily in the cramped space.
"I have no idea," he said at last. He exhaled deeply and sank back into his chair. "Since the beginning of humanity, classifications have only ranged from the highest SSS++ to the lowest FFF. Even their stats go up to two hundred."
He rubbed his temples. "This… doesn't fit." Still breathing heavily, he waved one hand dismissively. "I-I'll take care of this. Thank you for coming. We'll contact you again."
Ms. Halden didn't reply. She walked past the desk and stopped in front of the frozen goblin. Without hesitation, she lifted her foot and brought it down hard. The ice shattered. The goblin broke apart with it, frozen flesh and splintered ice scattering across the floor.
The Registrar stared. —Ms. Halden, a B-Rank system,— he thought. —And an Elementalist…— Heat crept up his face. —She's so...—
"Alright then. Let's go," Ms. Halden said. She turned toward the door and gestured for Noen to follow. "T-Thank you," she added briefly.
They left the office. The System Registrar remained seated, eyes fixed on the doorway long after it had closed. Without another word, they stepped out of the town hall together. The heavy oak doors groaned as they swung shut, sealing away the sterile, cold atmosphere of the government building.
Noen broke the silence. "Ms. Halden," he asked, "why are you a teacher and not working for the government as a monster hunter?"
She raised an eyebrow slightly, amused.
"You have a B-Rank system," Noen continued. "Your stats go up to ten thousand, right?"
Ms. Halden smiled. "That's true," she said. "But I don't really like fighting." She adjusted the strap of her bag as they walked. "And besides, the government pays beast slayers the bare minimum. So no thanks. And since I only fight in emergencies, I don't really earn LP."
She let out a small sigh. "That's why my stats aren't even close to my maximum limit of ten thousand."
She stopped and turned toward him, placing both hands gently on his shoulders. "How about you go home for today, Noen? It's been a wild day."
Noen's face lit up instantly. "Oh. Yeah," he said, nodding quickly.
Ms. Halden smiled again. "And by the way," she added, already stepping back, "happy birthday."
She turned and headed back toward the school. Noen didn't hesitate. He ran in the opposite direction, toward home, disappearing into the crowd.
Ms. Halden slowed to a stop and pulled out her phone.
11:24
She sighed as she stepped onto the crosswalk, a worried thought crossing her mind. —With stats like that… he won't even be able to defend himself against a fly.—
Back inside the System Registry, the office was quiet again. Fluorescent lights hummed softly above, the air smelling faintly of metal and recycled ventilation, while distant footsteps echoed somewhere far beyond the sealed walls. The System Registrar remained seated for a long moment after they had left, staring at the door.
Then he moved. Quickly.
He stood up, straightened his suit, and adjusted his tie. His earlier hesitation was gone, replaced by urgency. He left his office and walked through a series of secured corridors, deeper into the building than most people were ever allowed to go. The walls here were lined with smooth, dark stone that seemed to absorb the sound of his hurried footsteps.
Past locked doors. Past offices without signs. He stopped in front of a heavy door marked only by a small system seal. He knocked.
"Come in."
The room beyond was larger than his own office, dimly lit by multiple screens lining the walls. Data flowed endlessly across them. Rankings. Logs. System readouts. A man sat behind a wide desk, posture relaxed, expression calm. As the Registrar stepped inside, the man's gaze flicked briefly to the nameplate sewn into his suit.
"Ah," he said mildly, "Mr. Kessler. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The Registrar swallowed. "I need to report an incident," he said. "A newly awakened system. The class designation does not match any known category. The stats are negative. The cap value is listed as zero. Even his Role is named 0."
The man leaned back slightly. "Zero?" he repeated. "And negative stats?"
"Yes, sir."
There was a brief pause. Then the man asked, almost casually, "Did you already enter his system into the database?"
The Registrar froze. His eyes widened. "I—" he started, then stopped. In the chaos, he:
"…I completely forgot," he admitted. "In the panic, I didn't register it at all." He hesitated, then added quickly, almost defensively, "A goblin invaded the building, you know."
For the first time, the man's expression changed. Slowly, he smiled.
"That's unfortunate," he said. He stood up. "Bring him back here," he continued calmly. "Let's test what he's capable of."
The Registrar straightened immediately. "Yes, sir."