Chapter 6: The Principal's Office
As Elias approached the principal's office, the system chimed in with a nonchalant tone.
"Oh, by the way, before you embarrass yourself, let's cover the basics about Card Ranks. You've barely scratched the surface with that pathetic Card you've earned."
The ranks scrolled through his vision, neatly categorized:
Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic.
Advanced Ranks: Legendary, Void, Galactic, Universal, Origin, Paragon, and Supreme.
"Your common card barely counts as progress. Try not to get a big head, trash."
Elias rolled his eyes as he neared the towering, rune-inscribed door. He took a deep breath before stepping into the room.
---
The office was grander than Elias had imagined. A glowing dome ceiling projected constellations that shifted with an otherworldly rhythm, while the air was thick with residual mana. The shelves were filled with ancient tomes and relics, whispering secrets of ages past.
At the far end of the room, behind an imposing desk, sat the principal, exuding authority. Her sharp amber eyes locked onto Elias the moment he stepped in.
Arrayed around her were six professors, each more intimidating than the last. Elias could feel their auras pressing down on him, a silent declaration of their strength and superiority.
The crimson-robed man on the left looked at him with disdain, while the broad-shouldered bald man on the right had a mocking grin. The woman in green robes, holding a staff adorned with an iridescent gem, gave him a cold glance.
Elias felt like prey surrounded by predators.
---
Before he could assess their power levels, the system snickered.
"Oh, you're thinking about checking their ranks? Let me save you the embarrassment. These people can crush you with a sneeze. Stop dreaming, little Tier 2 Summoner."
Elias ignored the jab and stood tall, despite the weight of the gazes on him.
The principal broke the silence. "Elias Deveraux. Do you know why you're here?"
---
Elias was caught off guard. "I… I'm not entirely sure, Principal."
The crimson-robed professor sneered. "You've been accused of abusing your authority, harassing students, and bringing disrepute to this academy."
Elias felt a chill run through him. The accusations were absurd. "That's not true!" he said firmly, though his voice wavered slightly.
The bald professor leaned forward, his grin widening. "So you're saying the students are lying? Bold claim for someone so new."
Elias clenched his fists. Before he could retort, the system chimed in.
[Mission Issued!]
1. Don't Embarrass Yourself.
Reward: Special Trait: [Insightful Maverick].
Failure: Public humiliation.
2. Flatter the Principal.
Reward: Professional Card: Summoner Teacher (Rare).
Failure: Earn her ire.
3. Survive.
Reward: Random Profession, Character Card: [Ardent Sentinel], smooth evolution to Tier 2.
Failure: Death.
---
Elias took a deep breath. He couldn't afford to mess this up. "Principal, I assure you, these accusations are false. I've done nothing to harm the students or the academy's reputation."
The principal's gaze didn't waver. "Then why would students come forward with such claims?"
Elias glanced at the professors, catching fleeting expressions that hinted at something deeper—malice, perhaps guilt. He wasn't sure.
"Principal," he said, turning his attention back to her, "I believe this is a misunderstanding, or worse, a deliberate attempt to discredit me."
Her eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Elias decided to take a gamble. "Your recent breakthrough to a higher realm is truly inspiring. It's no wonder that others may feel threatened by your leadership—and perhaps by the trust you placed in me because of my father."
The room grew silent.
The principal leaned back, a faint smile appearing on her face. "Flattery will get you nowhere… but I appreciate the effort."
Ding! Mission Complete: Flatter the Principal. Reward: Professional Card: Summoner Teacher (Rare).
---
The principal's tone turned icy. "Elias, you're not out of danger yet. If these accusations prove true, you'll face consequences far beyond dismissal."
One of the professors smirked. "He'll be lucky to leave alive."
The principal ignored the comment, her focus remaining on Elias. "You'll be placed under observation. For now, consider yourself warned."
Elias exhaled as a flood of notifications lit up his vision.
Ding! Mission Complete: Don't Embarrass Yourself. Reward: Special Trait: [Insightful Maverick].
Memories of his reckless past resurfaced, sharpening his instincts. He could sense emotions, catch surface thoughts with effort, and faintly predict movements.
[Trait: Insightful Maverick Activated.]
He looked around, noticing subtle changes in the professors' expressions—something indiscernible, but telling.
"Very well," the principal said. "You may leave. But remember, Elias: your next mistake will be your last."
---
As Elias left the office, everything seemed fine, but unease lingered. The scene felt eerily familiar, though he was sure nothing was wrong. He dismissed it as paranoia from his traumatic experiences.
"I just need to chill and explore this world, there's no rush," he muttered.
As the thought crossed his mind, a sudden chill ran down his spine, and his system flickered.
Ding! ????? Trait Triggering…
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he found himself transported into a strange, vivid scene. He stood tall, older, and fully matured, his features chiseled and refined. Clad in an extravagant black armor that shimmered with golden runes, his aura radiated dominance. In one hand, he gripped a glowing halberd crackling with arcs of lightning, and in the other, he held an immaculate white card that radiated a divine brilliance.
Before him loomed an enormous dragon, its scales as black as midnight, yet gleaming with a metallic sheen. Its eyes burned with malevolent intelligence, and its roar shook the heavens. The battlefield was chaos incarnate—rivers of fire, shattered mountains, and the eerie glow of otherworldly energy rending the sky.
The older Elias swiped the card across the air, initiating a dazzling fusion. Light erupted around him as the card dissolved, empowering his weapon and his body with celestial force. His voice echoed through the battlefield, filled with frustration and regret.
"I should have started leveling when I had the chance! Damn it! My pathetic power is holding my cards back!"
The dragon lunged, its claws tearing through space. Elias barely evaded, his movements nimble but strained, his breaths ragged. The scene shifted, showing him surrounded by an army of grotesque creatures—each more horrifying than the last—while his allies lay defeated.
Another vision surfaced: Elias trapped in a collapsing void, fighting to keep the crushing darkness at bay as an ethereal figure loomed in the distance, laughing coldly.
The battlefield stretched out before Elias, a wasteland torn asunder by violence. The ground was scorched, craters and jagged rocks scattered across the landscape. The sky above swirled with dark clouds, illuminated only by the occasional burst of lightning. The world felt on the brink of collapse, teetering between the realms of the living and something far darker.
At the center of this destruction stood Elias—his future self. He was a towering figure, clad in armor that seemed forged from the very essence of the earth itself. The armor was sleek and dark, with veins of golden energy running through it, pulsing like a heartbeat. His face, now marked by years of struggle and conflict, bore the weight of countless battles. Scars lined his features, each one telling a story of survival, and his eyes—those eyes—had the intensity of a warrior who had seen too much.
Though his body was riddled with wounds, spears and blades impaling him from every direction, he stood tall, unwavering in the face of his enemies. The weapons embedded in his form seemed almost inconsequential as he gripped a massive weapon—a spear of unimaginable craftsmanship, its edges glowing with an ethereal energy that crackled in the air.
Surrounding him, monstrous creatures roamed the battlefield, their bodies larger than life, each one more terrifying than the last. They circled him, their movements slow but deliberate, waiting for the moment to strike. Far above, in the distance, cloaked figures chanted in an ancient language, their presence a dark omen. And beyond them, a shadowy figure hovered—its form almost impossible to define, cloaked in shifting mists that swallowed light itself.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Elias remained calm, his breaths steady, though his body ached from the constant barrage of attacks. His expression was a mixture of defiance and resignation, as if he knew the battle was far from over but refused to submit.
The spear in his hand began to hum, glowing brighter with each passing moment. The energy it emitted was almost tangible, the air itself trembling in response. Elias swung the weapon in a wide arc, sending a pulse of force rippling through the battlefield. The ground cracked under the sheer power of the blow, sending shockwaves that knocked the creatures back.
Yet even as they faltered, the enemies kept coming. The beasts lunged toward him with brutal force, and the chanting of the figures grew louder, more intense. The eldritch figure above seemed to stir, its presence growing more threatening.
But then, time itself seemed to stop. The battlefield, once a chaotic frenzy of destruction, became still. The creatures froze in mid-motion, the robed figures halted in their chants, and even the eldritch figure in the sky seemed to pause in its movement.
Elias, however, remained unfazed. His gaze remained steady, his focus sharp. He slowly lowered the spear and began to pull the weapons from his body one by one. With each sword removed, the blood flowed freely, pooling at his feet. His expression didn't change—he simply watched as the weapons fell to the ground with loud clatters.
Once the last weapon was removed, Elias lifted his head, his eyes glowing with an intense, almost supernatural light. They were no longer ordinary eyes. They were filled with the deep knowledge of countless lifetimes, each flicker of light within them hinting at something far more powerful than he had been before. There was a sense of inevitability about them—something ancient, something that had been waiting for this moment.
The world around him shuddered, and in the quiet, his voice rang out, cold and emotionless.
"And so it begins."
The sound of his words echoed through the stillness, resonating in the air. The battlefield began to dissolve, the fragments of the scene crumbling into nothingness. The eldritch figure above recoiled as though sensing something far more dangerous was on the horizon. Elias stood alone in the void, his glowing eyes the only light in the darkness, the last remnants of the vision fading away.
In the silence that followed, the sense of mystery lingered, like a storm waiting to break.
Elias staggered, finding himself back in the hallway outside the principal's office. His heart pounded as sweat dripped down his face.
Ding! ????? Trait Sealed.
The silence that followed was deafening. He felt the weight of what he had just witnessed pressing down on him. His hands trembled as he whispered, "What the hell was that?"
Unable to shake his unease, Elias hurried to his room, his thoughts a mess. When he finally lay on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, praying that tomorrow would bring some clarity—or at least less insanity.
Just as he drifted into an uneasy sleep, he felt something. His summoned companion—the mysterious woman—stood silently at the corner of the room, her gaze locked on him. Her eyes were unsettling, blank yet harboring a depth that made him shiver.
For a moment, he wondered if she was watching over him… or judging him.