By the time lunch ended, Jay Arkwell was once again infamous.
He had "sneezed" a prodigy into unconsciousness. Earned a combat title. Gained stats without trying.
And now, the Student Council President herself—Alicia Renvale—was watching him like a lion eyeing a very suspicious sloth.
Vija Magical Academy – President’s Office
"Are you absolutely sure?" Alicia asked, fingers steepled over her desk.
"Yes, ma’am!" said her vice president, Ayra. "He blocked Rento’s full-speed Thunder Rush with a... casual hand flick. Not even a magic circle was seen!"
Alicia’s eyes narrowed. "Then he’s either hiding his true rank—or something more dangerous."
Ayra hesitated. "Should we detain him for questioning?"
"No. If he’s as strong as I suspect, force will only push him away." She stood. "It’s time we test Jay Arkwell... properly."
Later That Day – Special Classroom B-13
Jay scratched his head. "Why am I in a room labeled ’B-13: Experimental Combat Simulation Zone’?"
Beside him, a nervous Ayra smiled too hard. "No reason!"
> [System Alert: Danger Level Detected – ’Suspicious Setup.’ Probability of Incoming Plot: 93.2%]
[Would you like to engage ’Skip Trouble Protocol’?]
[YES] – Auto-play through scenario in sleep mode.
[NO] – Face it manually. Bonus XP potential.]
Jay stared at the options. His eyes drifted shut. "...Screw it."
> [You chose: NO. Good luck, sleepyhead.]
The Classroom Transforms
Suddenly, the lights dimmed.
Magic runes flared up on the walls. A golden projection appeared in the center of the room—Alicia herself.
Her voice echoed: "Jay Arkwell, this is a formal system compatibility test. You may leave at any time—if you can solve the challenge."
Jay groaned. "She hologrammed me into an escape room?"
The first wall shimmered with floating glyphs.
> Challenge 1: Solve the Runic Puzzle to Unlock the Door.
Jay squinted at the wall.
"Looks like the pattern in my cereal this morning..."
> [999x Intelligence Multiplier Activated.]
[Runes Decoded Instantly. Door Unlocked.]
The wall dissolved. Alarms chirped in confusion.
Challenge 2: The Elemental Arena
He stepped into the next room. Fire, wind, and lightning spiraled around a training dummy.
Voiceover Alicia spoke again. "Now dodge all elemental spells and disarm the trap crystal at the center."
Jay scratched his cheek. "Can I... not?"
> [Auto-Evasion Engaged.]
[Trap Crystal: Already Disarmed. Reason: Your shoe scuffed the floor in the exact glyph-breaking pattern.]
Jay blinked. "...Huh?"
Final Room – Alicia Herself
And this time, Alicia Renvale stood there in person. No projections. No illusions.
Just her. Arms crossed. Eyes sharp.
"You passed. All three tests," she said coolly. "With zero effort."
Jay scratched his neck. "You could’ve just asked if I was good at puzzles..."
Alicia took a step closer.
"No one’s that lucky, Jay."
He leaned on a wall. "I’m just cursed with weird coincidences."
Her eyes didn’t blink. "You dodged lightning spells while sleepwalking. You solved an ancient language system in seconds. You accidentally broke a trap with your foot."
"Clumsy foot," Jay mumbled.
She stared at him like she could burn through lies with her gaze.
Then... her expression softened—slightly.
"Whatever this is... it’s not normal. But I’ll allow it."
Jay raised a brow. "You’re not arresting me?"
"No. But I’m putting you under observation."
> [System Alert: "Targeted Surveillance" Triggered by Alicia Renvale.]
[Unique Title Earned: ’Princess’s Enigma’] f.r(e)e\webn.ovel.co\m
[New Passive Skill: Social Stealth Lv.1 – Blend Inconspicuously Under Suspicion.]
Jay sighed. "Great. More titles."
But Alicia wasn’t done.
"One last thing," she said.
She stepped forward—and pinned a shiny golden badge to his chest.
"Effective immediately, you’re ranked Elite Candidate of the Academy. Your every move will be watched."
Jay stared at the badge like it was made of radioactive stress.
"...That sounds exhausting."
"That’s the price for not being normal."
Back in Jay’s Dorm – 3 Minutes Later
He collapsed onto his bed.
> [Daily Quest Completed: ’Pretend to Try – Masterfully.’]
• Bonus Reward: "Alicia’s Favor +1"
• New Notification: "??? Is watching you too..."
Jay rolled over. "Huh? Who’s ’???’...?"
> [UNKNOWN ENTITY INTERCEPTING SYSTEM FLOW.]
And the screen flickered.
A new message—one he hadn’t seen before.