The Path to Grandmaster

Zero sat in his dimly lit dorm room, his mind turning over the events of the past days. Reiner had just left after delivering his report, and now the room was silent—an eerie contrast to the storm of thoughts raging within him.

He was at the Ascendant Stage.

A feat that would leave most students in awe, as the majority here barely reached the Adept Stage—with many still at Foundation. Yet, it wasn't enough.

The fight with Sorin had proved one thing: he was strong, but not strong enough. The rulers of this continent saw him as a threat already, and they had Grandmasters—beings who could shift entire battlefields with a thought.

If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to win, he needed to break past the barrier keeping him from that next level.

Grandmaster Stage.

But how?

Power in this world was divided into three paths:

Martial Arts – Physical techniques honed to perfection.

Arcane Techniques – The manipulation of elements and esoteric forces.

Forbidden Knowledge – The path that twisted beyond natural laws.

Each path had risks, each had rewards. But there was one truth: to become a Grandmaster, he needed a guide—someone who had already crossed that threshold. Finding such a person in a kingdom that sought to erase his existence would not be easy.

For now, he would wait. Plan. And when the opportunity came, seize it.

The Next Day: Shadows and Stares

The moment he stepped out of his dorm, he felt it. The shift in the air.

Eyes.

Dozens of them, burning into his back with hatred and suspicion. It seemed his actions were drawing more attention than he expected. Whispers trailed behind him, yet he kept his fool's mask firmly in place, yawning and stretching as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"Ah, another day of learning! I hope we get snacks."

That only made some of the glares more intense.

The instructor stood before the class, detailing how different races evolved their abilities:

Draconics enhanced their bodies through bloodline tempering.

Elves drew from natural mana to refine their spells.

Beastkin gained strength through instinct and combat-driven growth.

Humans relied on systematic training and external resources.

But something was missing.

Zero lazily raised his hand. "Instructor, what about the Sageborn and the Duskwalkers?"

Silence.

The instructor's eyes darkened. "That knowledge is lost. The Purge erased any traces of their legacy. What remains is… nothing."

Zero leaned back, nodding as if he accepted that answer, but inside, he was boiling. Nothing?

They had stolen everything from his people and now dared to pretend they never existed.

Lunch

Zero had barely sat down when Lyra approached him. Unlike the others who avoided him or glared in secret, she stood before him openly, her golden eyes studying him with unnerving intensity.

"What are you?" she asked.

He blinked, feigning confusion. "Huh? I'm just me."

"No surname. No past. A fool who isn't a fool. I can see it. You're something else."

Zero smiled, tilting his head. "Maybe you're just imagining things."

She narrowed her eyes, then exhaled. "Maybe. But my eyes don't lie."

Her eyes…

He had a feeling they were more special than she let on.

The afternoon class focused on Arcane Techniques, a field of magic that manipulated the forces of the world. Unlike Martial Arts, which relied on body and discipline, Arcane Techniques drew from knowledge, control, and willpower.

Zero remained silent during the lesson, absorbing everything while pretending to struggle. He already had an advantage most of them didn't—his Omniscient Mind allowed him to analyze and comprehend techniques at an unnatural speed.

But understanding was one thing. Mastery was another.

Another gap he needed to bridge.

Back in his dorm, the shadows shifted.

Reiner appeared. "I have her patterns."

He handed Zero a neatly written list.

Elise Mortwain, the Watcher.

Habits: Reads reports late into the night. Visits the library often. Prefers silence.

Hobbies: Observing people from hidden vantage points. Studying the Academy's old records.

Frequent Locations: A private chamber near the faculty wing. The eastern observation tower.

Zero studied the notes, a smirk creeping onto his lips.

"So… the hunter has blind spots after all."

The pieces were falling into place. Now, it was his move.

Zero sat cross-legged in the center of his dorm room, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows against the walls. Tonight, he would push his limits. He stretched out his hands, closing his eyes as he focused on the energy within him. The foundation of all arcane arts lay in attunement—the ability to synchronize one's internal energy with the external forces of the world.

He started with the most common elements, the basics that every arcane practitioner explored. Fire was the first. He focused on the heat, the sensation of flickering embers, the raw destructive force. A faint spark ignited at his fingertips but immediately dissipated. Not his element. He moved on to water, picturing the smooth flow of rivers, the weightless sensation of droplets forming. A thin mist formed but held no real power. Air followed, the concept of the unseen force shifting and bending around him. A faint breeze stirred, but it lacked control. Earth was the last of the basics, its power tied to strength and stability. He reached out and felt the weight in his hands, but it, too, was unstable.

He exhaled sharply, frustrated. None of these elements felt natural to him. He had expected that. The blood of his kin did not align with the traditional elements, but it meant his path forward was uncharted.

Instead, he turned inward, reaching for something deeper—something beyond the basic elements. He thought of the shadows that always lingered at the edge of his perception, the ability to move unseen and unnoticed. Darkness. He reached out and felt an immediate pull, a resonance. A small wisp of black energy curled around his fingers, slithering like smoke. A grin spread across his face. This was his element.

Yet, it was not the only one.

As he focused further, another sensation pulsed within him—a force that felt intangible, immeasurable. Something neither light nor dark, neither fire nor water. It was…knowledge. The essence of understanding, the power to unravel the unknown. A rare affinity, one that very few had ever wielded. Forbidden Knowledge.

Zero's smirk widened. This…this was perfect.

Morning arrived with an odd sense of stillness. As Zero prepared for the day, his eyes landed on something that hadn't been there before—a folded note resting on his desk. Unlike the ones before, this one carried no warning, no cryptic threat. Instead, there was a name scrawled at the bottom.

Cecil Vance.

Zero's fingers tightened around the note. This was different. Whoever this was, they weren't trying to test him or scare him. They wanted to help.

But why?

He read through the contents carefully. The words hinted at deeper truths within the academy, at hidden knowledge buried beneath the surface. There were mentions of those who watched from the shadows, of a game that had been set into motion long before he arrived. And the final line stood out the most:

"If you truly seek power, you must learn that the greatest strength is not in your fists, but in the secrets you uncover."

Zero leaned back, processing the message. He had no idea who Cecil Vance was, but he intended to find out.

Instead of heading to class, Zero chose to disappear into the academy's corridors, slipping past instructors and students alike. The information Reiner had provided him the previous night still lingered in his mind. Elise Mortwain had patterns, places she frequently visited, people she spoke to. He intended to observe her firsthand.

As he roamed, his mind constantly drifted to the note. He asked around subtly, dropping the name "Cecil Vance" in casual conversation, but no one seemed to recognize it. A ghost? A pseudonym? Or someone who had long since vanished?

Time passed, and though he gathered tidbits of information on Elise—her preferences, her schedule, the individuals she seemed to favor—there was no sign of Cecil Vance.

That in itself was an answer.

Whoever this person was, they were deliberately avoiding being found.

As evening approached, Zero was making his way back to his dorm when a sudden voice boomed across the academy, amplified by some kind of magical announcement system.

"Attention, students. As of tomorrow, the academy's faction system will officially open. Those seeking to join or form factions should prepare accordingly. Choose wisely, for the path you take will shape your future."

A murmur spread through the academy grounds, excitement and tension rising in equal measure. Zero merely smiled to himself. The game was about to change.