A Memorable First Day (or maybe not)

Lucian lay sprawled on his bed, exhaustion tugging at every fiber of his being.

But as his system interface blinked into existence before him, his fatigue melted away.

[Name: Lucian Eryndral]

[Mana Core: Early Adept]

[Gift: Living Conduit]

{new}

[Bloodline: Mana Ruler]

{new}

[Arts:

<1. Resonance Sword Art>

--Current Progression: 3 Star

<2. Phantom Step Art>

--Current Progression: 1 Star

{new} [Unique: Weapon Master]

[Current Floor: 1]

[Progress of Current Floor: Completed]

Seeing the updated details, Lucian couldn't help but grin.

But then his eyes lingered on a particular detail.

His bloodline—Mana Ruler—was supposed to grant him a single ability, something ingrained within the legacy of the Eryndral family.

Yet now, under his bloodline abilities, there were two listed: Mana Sensory Field and Mana Weaving.

He frowned. "I had only one ability before the final trial… so where did this new one come from?"

The system hadn't given him a direct answer, but a couple of possibilities came to mind.

"Maybe it's a reward for completing the trial… or perhaps it's tied to finishing the first floor entirely," he speculated aloud.

Still, he couldn't dwell on it for long.

Curiosity piqued, Lucian checked the description of his new ability.

[Mana Weaving: The rare and intricate ability to weave pure mana into tangible constructs. This power allows the user to manipulate mana as if it were a physical thread, shaping it into various forms with precision and control. The constructs can range from simple shapes to complex, multi-layered structures depending on the user's skill and imagination]

"Wow," Lucian muttered, his eyes widening.

The potential of Mana Weaving was undeniable.

"But it's not something I can fully utilize right now… this feels like an ability that burns through mana. Still, it'll be invaluable later."

He scrolled down to his passive abilities, his gaze landing on another new addition.

[Weapon Master: A unique gift that grants the user an instinctive understanding of any weapon they come into contact with. The moment they hold a weapon, they can wield it with the expertise of a seasoned master, regardless of its complexity or the lack of prior training. This mastery extends to all types of weapons: melee, ranged, or exotic, allowing the user to adapt seamlessly to different combat scenarios]

Lucian raised an eyebrow, recalling his sudden progress in the Resonance Sword Art.

"Well, that explains why my sword art went from one star to three so quickly." He smirked. "This will definitely come in handy."

'Now let's find out why can't I get access to second floor'

[Ascension Tower is inaccessible due to host's weak mental state]

[Suggestion: Train your mind]

Lucian's lips twitched in frustration, his eyebrows rising at the audacity of the message.

"First, it was my weak body. Now it's my weak mind. Are you mocking me?"

His thoughts drifted back to the grueling week leading up to Trial 5, where he'd done nothing but eat, train, and sleep in an endless cycle.

He'd endured it all to move forward, but this time… he had no clear path for strengthening his mind.

"I need a plan," he muttered, leaning back against the headboard.

He racked his brain, going over the possibilities.

Mental strength wasn't something you could improve by swinging a sword or circulating mana—it required strategy, focus, and discipline.

Finally, an idea struck him, though it was far from ideal. "Ugh, this is going to be annoying."

He let out a long sigh before muttering to himself, "Sorry, Oliver. You're going to hate me for this."

***

The morning sunbathed the academy grounds in a soft golden glow as students bustled about, making their way to their first classes of the day.

Conversations, laughter, and the occasional outburst of excitement filled the air, giving the campus an unmistakable liveliness.

Lucian strolled leisurely toward his classroom, hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze quietly observing the students around him.

Most of them were engaged in animated discussions, comparing notes or simply relishing the novelty of their new lives at the academy.

As he walked, a sudden tingling sensation crawled up his spine—his danger sense.

Instinctively, he turned around and caught a soft, slender hand that was reaching for him.

"Again?" he said with a raised eyebrow, looking at Elena.

"You really have eyes in the back of your head, don't you?" Elena huffed, clearly annoyed that her prank had failed for the third time this week.

"As I said before, I just have good instincts," Lucian replied nonchalantly, releasing her hand.

Elena puffed her cheeks in frustration before slapping his shoulder, harder than necessary. "Are you some kind of beast or something?"

"Ahh!" Lucian clutched his chest dramatically, pretending to be wounded. "You're ruthless, Elena. Absolutely ruthless!"

Elena narrowed her eyes but couldn't hold back her grin as she walked beside him.

Over the past ten days, their group of four—Lucian, Elena, Keal, and Zara, had grown closer.

Their shared status as members of great families made it easier for them to connect, despite their differences.

While most students kept a respectful distance or treated them with reverence, the four of them found comfort in each other's company.

Of course, there were still moments of awkwardness, especially with Keal's extroverted personality.

Lucian chuckled at the memory of girls fainting or running away the moment Keal casually asked them for directions.

'Too charming for his own good,' Lucian recalled the scene.

But for Lucian, this friendship was more than just camaraderie.

The others were key figures in the story. He knew that staying close to them allowed him to monitor any changes caused by his presence in this world—the butterfly effect.

He was especially wary of one major deviation: the Sky Shattering Event.

That anomaly alone was proof that the world wasn't following the original storyline.

Lost in thought, Lucian didn't notice someone coming his way until it was too late.

Thud!

He bumped into someone, and they both staggered slightly.

Looking at that person, Lucian froze for a moment as he recognized her.

'Lyra Mythera.'

The tenth-ranked student in the academy and the fiancée of Alex Solstic, stood before him.

Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the sunlight as she brushed a strand from her face, her violet eyes meeting his briefly before looking away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Lucian apologized immediately, stepping back.

Before Lyra could respond, Elena jumped in, her irritation evident. "Why are you apologizing? She's the one who ran into you!"

"yes, it was my fault," Lyra said softly, bowing slightly. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry."

Lucian waved it off quickly. "No, no, it's fine. Really."

"But sh—" Elena started, only for Lucian to cut her off by gently covering her mouth with his hand.

"It's fine, Elena. Let's go, or we'll be late for class," he said firmly, removing his hand.

Elena's cheeks turned bright red at the sudden contact, and she stammered, "O-okay."

Lyra, feeling awkward and clearly wanting to escape the situation, quickly bowed again and hurried off toward her class.

Lucian watched her retreating figure and sighed.

"Dodged a bullet there," he muttered under his breath. Lyra's fiancée, Alex Solstic was notoriously overprotective of her.

The last thing Lucian wanted was to attract Alex's bad attention in the academy.

While Lucian's thoughts were occupied with avoiding potential conflicts, Elena's mind was racing in a completely different direction.

'He—he touched me without permission! Just you wait, Lucian! I'll have my revenge for this!'

Despite her wild thoughts, Elena followed Lucian like a little puppy.

--------------------------------------

[Power Stone Goal Announcement]

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for supporting [Reincarnated as an Extra: I had an Ascension Tower].

Your encouragement and engagement mean the world to me!

To show my appreciation, I'm adding a little extra incentive:

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Here's the current schedule:

📅 1 or 2 chapters/day (1000 to 1500 words).

🚀 If we hit the goal, I'll release extra chapters that week!

This schedule might change again, depending on the novel's popularity, so stay tuned! Let's grow this story together!

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