Registering In The Organisation As A New Student [2]: System Error

Asher took a step forward, his gaze swept across the grand hall, from top to bottom.

The room was adorned with towering pillars and golden wallpaper, with symbols lining the walls and an enormous stained-glass of Saint Liora.

A faceless woman with a sword in one hand and an iron fist in the other.

At the far end, beneath the glass, stood a formation of armored warriors.

At their center was Alden Graves.

Clad in white that covered the armor beneath, not the kind that clanked while moving, but a more advanced, magically enhanced type.

His cold blue eyes studied Asher with a scrutinizing gaze, filled with barely visible disdain.

Around him, other paladins shifted; some gripped the hilts of their weapons at the mere presence of a Necromancer in their ever-so-sacred hall.

Asher sighed inwardly. Typical.

Beside him, Sinnett yawned, lazily stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Yumiko stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Mister Graves, these are the new candidates, per the academy's agreement."

Alden barely spared her a glance before his focus returned to Asher. "A Necromancer," he muttered.

The word alone made them uncomfortable, not to mention the aura surrounding Asher.

Alden's expression remained blank. "State your name and purpose."

"Asher Morgan," he answered, voice calm. "My purpose? To register under a guild here."

One of the paladins scoffed, and another smirked in amusement.

Alden didn't react. "And what would you do with your strength if you happen to grow stronger?"

Asher already knew this question was meant to corner him. If he said the wrong thing, they'd use it as justification to brand him as a threat.

So, he kept his expression neutral and shrugged. "I want to protect my family and those I care about. Maybe give voluntary assistance to the city as well."

Alden observed him in silence before shifting his gaze to Sinnett. "And you?"

Sinnett raised his head, casting a brief glance at Alden, then at the paladins behind him, before exhaling.

"Sinnett Varrow. Arcane Invoker. I just wanna see how much fun I can have here. I was forced to come, after all."

A few paladins chuckled, less hostile toward him than Asher.

After all, Arcane magic wasn't condemned the way Necromancy was, and most of them wielded Arcane abilities, save for a few.

Alden finally moved, stepping down from the raised platform and walking toward Asher.

"Change your posture," he commanded.

But Asher scoffed in response.

"I don't know what's wrong here, and with all due respect, I won't. You don't expect me to kneel before you or bow for no reason."

Alden was taken aback by his boldness, but he let it slide and inhaled.

"We do not welcome your kind, Necromancer. But... as the academy allows it, we will tolerate you—on one condition."

Asher remained silent.

Alden raised a hand, and the paladins parted. From behind them, a figure stepped out.

She was not what Asher expected. Unlike the heavily armored paladins, she wore something far more... revealing.

Her white and gold attire clung tightly to her curves, the fabric cut low at the chest, with golden chains accenting her toned stomach.

A split skirt exposed her smooth legs, and silver anklets jingled softly as she walked.

Her long, flowing blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her piercing emerald eyes locked onto Asher with a smirk.

The way she moved—confident, almost predatory, but most importantly, with the aim of seduction—immediately set off alarms in Asher's head.

"This is Celestia Veyne," Alden gestured at her. "One of our strongest warriors. She will test your strength."

Celestia's lips curled into a smirk as she placed a hand on her hip. "A battle and a trial, hmm? I like the sound of that."

Sinnett gave Asher a nudge. "She's got that dangerous woman energy. You sure you can fight her?"

Asher ignored him, keeping his focus on Alden. "What are the terms?"

Alden's gaze was sharp. "Simple. If you last five minutes against Celestia, you pass. If you fall, you leave this hall in disgrace. And if she deems you weak in more ways than just combat..."

His lips turned into something between a smirk and a sneer, "...then we will conclude that your presence is a mistake."

Asher exhaled. 'So, they're testing more than just my fighting ability,' he thought and slowly slipped his hands out of his pockets.

Celestia took a slow step toward him, rolling her shoulders. "I hope you don't break too easily, Necromancer," she whispered as soon as she got close enough and leaned in.

"It would be a shame to have good looks and be weak."

"Tch.. I'd really appreciate it if you kept your distance. I wouldn't hesitate to hit you hard, female or not."

Celestia chuckled softly and turned on her heels. She walked back to her spot while the others backed away.

Alden raised a hand. "Begin."

Celestia moved from her spot, with speed like lightning. In an instant, she closed the distance, her bare foot barely making a sound as she moved.

A golden blade materialized in her hand, flowing with mana, and energy from within the blade itself, as she swung straight for his neck.

Asher's body reacted before his mind fully processed it.

He ducked beneath the slash, the moment he felt the heat of the blade pass over his head, his brows curved into a frown.

He countered with a quick sweep of his leg, aiming to trip her, but she flipped effortlessly and landed gracefully a few feet away.

Her smirk widened. "Good reflexes."

"When you train for a gymnastics contest for a few dollars, you can't possibly not be flexible," Asher stated with a smile as he straightened himself.

She dashed in again, this time feinting a downward strike before twisting her body, aiming a knee toward his ribs.

Asher caught her leg with his forearm, but the impact sent a sharp pain up his arm. However, he didn't stop there.

He grabbed her sword and delivered a heavy kick to her abdomen, sending her flying across the room.

"He's fast," Celestia mumbled to herself when she collided with the wall. "He doesn't have that much experience, so how?"

"You good?" Asher called out while running his hand over her sword, oblivious to the looks on the other paladins' faces.

With the lack of enhanced eyesight, Asher couldn't see the energy and aura changes of the sword, nor could he see his properly.

All he saw was a faint light around those he looked at, giving him a vague idea of what he was up against.

But they could see the energy from him, slowly moving into the sword, it got Celestia amused.

She chuckled. "So, You can use your ability?"

"My abil—" He didn't get to finish when she appeared before him with a smile. He watched her hand slowly reach for his face, but he showed no reaction.

Instead, in that split second, he raised her sword to the spot she was aiming for, causing her fist to collide with the blade.

The impact sent him flying into the wall, but her sword did not make it. It had already shattered into multiple pieces, save for the hilt that was still in Asher's hand.

'Tch. Annoying lady,' Asher thought as his body dropped to the ground. He forced himself to his feet, controlling his breath.

When he managed to stand to his full height, a red system screen suddenly appeared before him—similar to the one that had displayed his class back at the academy.

He frowned. "The hell is this?"

[Player has completed all that is required to level up.]

He scoffed. "With a near-death blow?"

[Player has agreed to the next task.]

"Wait, what?!" Asher yelled, alerting everyone in the room, even Celestia, who had been standing still, waiting for him.

Sinnett glanced at him from the corner of his eye, silently wondering what was going on, but he didn't move, he just watched.

Asher's eyes slowly widened when multiple red screens appeared before him. He expected the others to notice them as well.

But they just watched him like something was wrong. He couldn't blame them. He just sighed and lowered his gaze to the screens.

[ERROR… ERROR… Recalculating Awakening Process…]

"Hm?"

[Hidden Ability Detected—Reawakening Process Initiated.]

[Congratulations! You have awakened the SSS-Ranked Ability: Sovereign of the Dead (Status: Locked).]

[Secret Evolution Triggered—Job Upgraded: Lord of Draconic Souls (Status: Locked).]

[Sub-Class Detected: Advanced Necromancer.]

[Congratulations, Player. You have successfully evolved.]

"N... no way."