Emrys woke up early. He was used to waking up at four in the morning and preparing for the day ahead.
In just half an hour, he was done showering and getting dressed. He still had enough time before his first day at the institution, so he took out a new black cultivation stone.
He sat properly on his bed again, swallowed the cultivation stone, and quietly began cultivating.
He let out a breath, closed his eyes, and tried to immerse himself in intense concentration. He felt the cold aura surrounding him.
He forced himself to synchronize the calm in and out of his breath through his mouth and nose. Slowly, all the sounds around him faded away. He felt like he was floating in nothingness.
He was inside a Magic Palace.
This Magic Palace was the void that he was trying to fill with energy he obtained from the physical world.
He used his calm mind and intense concentration to become a conduit for energy between these two worlds.
As Emrys continuously channeled the natural energy from his world into his Magic Palace, it steadily grew and strengthened, filling with energy that reacted until it became his original power.
With each expansion of the Magic Palace due to the influx of natural energy, Emrys' physical and magical abilities, along with his level, gradually increased.
He cultivated for two hours.
He opened his eyes and immediately felt a significant difference compared to the previous two hours.
From his 1st Grade Dragon level, he had risen to the 2nd Grade Dragon Stage.
Surely, no one knew the true nature of his power now. The cultivation stone he used came from a demon.
He was no longer foolish enough to not understand the history of their clan's original strength. They were evil, abusive, and possessed incredibly dark energy that originated from the depths of the world.
It had long been forbidden, so revealing his black magic when he entered Desmond's test was a bad decision on Emrys' part. He was desperate at that moment and not thinking straight, but now that he had weighed everything properly, he needed to adjust his plans to hide his true strength.
And when he needed to unleash his true power, he would. When that happened, he would reshape this world in his own way, whether he was a demon or a savior adventurer in everyone's eyes. And he no longer cared about that.
With his first rank increase, he learned the ability to conceal his true level. A Deceiving Magic that was like an illusion that was not easily noticed by anyone. Unless they were a being comparable to a lord.
Besides hiding his true level, he also needed to choose another magic besides black magic.
And the power he chose to hone in the midst of that cultivation was the power of the wind.
A loud bell sound outside could be heard throughout the institution. It was a signal for the students to start their breakfast before the start of their studies.
"Hey, did you hear what happened to the new student?"
"The one who wasn't chosen by the four Guild Leaders?"
"Yeah."
"Well, maybe he went home. They said he was the first to leave the party last night. His eyes must be swollen from crying."
"If that happened to me, I wouldn't just cry. I'd probably just hang myself."
The students in the Dining Hall laughed together. As expected, the news about what happened to Emrys on the night the Guild Leaders chose their new members was spreading.
He wasn't one of the lucky ones chosen, so there was only one path he could take now.
As Emrys entered the Dining Hall, he could immediately feel people looking at him.
He was the only topic of their conversation. The lone loser with no protection from the institution's four Guilds. This wasn't a good start for the young man. That's what they said.
Emrys was in line when a hand pushed him back. "W-wait. You can't just push--"
"Why? Do you have a problem with that?" The three men looked at him with disdain.
Emrys didn't answer. He wasn't afraid, but he didn't need to argue with them either. So, he calmed down, smiled, and bowed. "I'm sorry."
They laughed at him. "There you go. You're easy to talk to, huh?" They pushed Emrys' forehead, causing him to stumble back.
Calm down, Emrys. They'll get theirs.
Emrys waited in line for almost half an hour. Even though there weren't many people left in line, he was constantly being cut off. He was sent back to the end of the line several times. Thankfully, he wasn't very hungry because he had just finished cultivating.
When he finally got his food, he looked for an empty table. But as he approached it, a large man bumped into him, hitting his shoulder.
All the food the young man was carrying spilled when he fell to the floor.
"What the hell. Watch where you're going. You're clumsy." He hit Emrys on the head before laughing and leaving him sitting on the floor.
Emrys let out a sigh.
He was now standing at the counter again, holding the spilled plate and food. The cook there seemed concerned and approached him. "I'll refill your plate for you."
Emrys snapped out of his daze and handed the cook the plate, smiling. "Oh, no, it's okay. To be honest, I'm still full. I'm sorry about the food."
Before the man could speak, Emrys left.
At the entrance of the Dining Hall, he met Sai, Loan, and Eris. But they didn't acknowledge him. Emrys looked straight ahead while the three of them averted their eyes as they walked.
Their first class.
Emrys found the room he needed to go to. He entered, and it seemed like no one else was there yet.
So, he happily chose a seat at the back near the window. Not long after, his classmates entered.
The room was filled with whispers and stares as they saw him.