Room 07 was underground. The walls were alive with glowing veins of silver mana. The air buzzed.
Azel stepped in.
At the center stood the Baptism Core. A floating crystal pulsing with unstable magic. It looked small. It felt infinite.
A voice echoed from the walls.
"Place your hand on the crystal. If your body fails, you die"
Azel did not hesitate.
His fingers touched the surface.
Pain exploded.
His veins lit up. Mana flooded in. Violent. Crude. Hungry.
> Baptism begun
Core incompatibility detected
Adjusting flow
Rebuilding mana root...
His vision went white.
His heart stopped.
His bones cracked. His skin burned. His soul screamed.
But he stayed standing.
Memories surged. His old life. The betrayal. The systems he created. The spells he banned. All rushing back.
The pain sharpened them.
> Mana root established
Path: Void Architect
Trait gained: Adaptive Casting
Skill gained: Null Script Tier 0
Stat boost applied
He dropped to one knee. Breathing hard.
Alive.
Changed.
A voice whispered inside his mind.
> You should not exist
Azel stood.
"I always exist where logic is ignored"
The crystal shattered.
The room dimmed.
He walked out.
Upstairs, the academy would soon release the next rankings.
He did not care.
He was not climbing a ladder.
He was building the throne.