A character that looked down upon.

Liam slowly opened his eyes, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling above him. For a moment, he remained still, listening to the silence around him. The events of the previous day came back to him, arriving at the inn, the attention he drew, the noise he made. Everything remained clear in his mind.

He sat up without hesitation, sharp eyes scanning the room with practiced calm. He had no intention of assuming safety. Even in a place that appeared ordinary, complacency was a mistake. He stepped onto the wooden floor and immediately began inspecting the room in detail.

He checked every possible hiding place. The corners of the ceiling, the shadows beneath the bed, the space behind the curtains, inside the drawers and closet, no area was overlooked. His movements were efficient, careful, and silent.

When the first check revealed nothing, he repeated the process again. And again. By the fourth time, he was satisfied that there were no hidden traps, enchantments, or tricks placed in the room. It was, by all appearances, normal.

He released a quiet sigh and relaxed slightly. His guard remained present, but the tension in his shoulders eased for the first time since waking.

A moment later, his stomach growled in protest.

He glanced down briefly, then toward the door. He hadn't eaten. Although he had no desire to be seen by the other guests again, hunger wasn't something he could ignore. After some thought, he decided to go downstairs, order food, and bring it back to his room.

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, descending the stairs with a steady pace. His expression remained unreadable, his eyes alert but calm. Though he had no intention of causing another disturbance, he expected stares, if not more.

As he entered the inn's dining area, he immediately noticed the change in atmosphere.

The hall had been bustling. Guests were seated, eating their meals, talking quietly among themselves. But as soon as Liam appeared at the entrance, the mood shifted. Conversations stopped abruptly. The clatter of utensils ceased. Heads turned.

Everyone in the room recognized him.

No one spoke. No one moved. Those who had been speaking now focused entirely on their food. Others avoided looking up. Even those who had finished their meals remained in their seats, unwilling to stand while he was nearby. The fear in the room was palpable.

Liam observed the change without comment. His gaze passed across the tables, watching how each person instinctively avoided his eyes. It wasn't surprise. It was caution, genuine fear.

Did I push them too far yesterday? The question came and went, but he didn't dwell on it.

He walked forward, ignoring the silence around him, and made his way to the counter.

A figure stood behind the front desk. A girl with long, straight black hair, wearing a plain white shirt and tight black trousers. Her skin was pale, and beneath her scarlet-red eyes were faint dark circles. Her posture was quiet, and her expression unreadable, but something about her was unmistakable.

Liam recognized her immediately.

Even before she spoke, even before she moved, he knew.

He remembered the day her banner was released in the game. He'd spent nearly a quarter of his savings just to summon her. Despite the poor early reception to her abilities, he persisted, he unlocked her six-star form, her exclusive weapon, and developed her skills to their peak.

At first, she had been considered underwhelming. Her mechanics were awkward, her numbers unimpressive. Many players gave up early. But those who fully invested in her discovered what others hadn't: her true power was only revealed once she was completely built.

She became one of the strongest characters in the game. A rare example of a weak beginning hiding overwhelming potential. Her awakened SS-rank skill had made her legendary, despite the developers having to nerf her story and gameplay to maintain balance.

She was known as Ravyn Noctis, the Middle World Boss.

He hadn't expected to encounter her this early.

'Ravyn Noctis'.

As Liam's gaze rested on the girl behind the counter, her eyes met his. A brief moment passed between them, quiet, still.

She had noticed it the moment he stepped into the room. The dining hall, once filled with soft conversation and the clatter of plates, had gone silent. Every guest had turned to look, only to quickly avert their gaze. Their expressions shifted from curiosity to caution. Fear had settled into the room the instant he arrived.

And she noticed it all.

He looked... the same as her. The same blood-red eyes. The same unnatural presence.

But for some reason, they feared him very much.

She didn't ask why. She didn't even try. Talking to people had always been difficult for her. Even if she was curious, she lacked the ease to speak to others. Her quiet nature, shaped by years of solitude, made her an observer, not a participant.

Still, her instincts whispered that she should leave. She didn't want to draw attention. She had already checked in and paid for her room, Room 13. But now, standing so close to him, she wondered if staying was a mistake.

"What should I do?" Her thoughts raced. "Should I cancel my stay? But... I can't even ask. What if I offend him by mistake?"

While her thoughts spiraled, Liam had already finished ordering. He stepped closer, now standing beside her, his presence calm and composed.

He extended his hand toward her.

"I'm Liam Ashborn," he said. "Are you also heading to Aetherreach Grand Academy?"

The words pulled her back into the present.

Startled, she froze. Her body tensed, unsure how to respond. Should she shake his hand? Should she say something? What was the right way to answer? Panic crept in silently.

But Liam didn't react to the hesitation. He already understood what kind of person she was because he knew her story well.

In this world, Ravyn Noctis was an unknown commoner. Her skill had never been officially appraised like most commoners because she couldn't afford the fee required. In public records, she had no verified combat rank. To the society and the people around her, she was weak.

[Raven:SSS].

Her skill, on the surface, seemed unimpressive. She could summon crows—each possessing only one-tenth of her own current strength. In early levels, it amounted to little more than a nuisance. Weak summons, slow responses, and limited numbers that can do nothing but became cat food. Because of this, others viewed her as useless.

But they didn't understand the skill's nature and that is Liam did.

He knew that her ability was never meant for early combat. It was a growth-type skill that shines the brightest when developed.

Once all her stats reached level S, her summoned crows would be able to overwhelm entire battlefields. Each crow would still retain one-tenth of her full strength, but by then, her power would be monstrous on its own. And at that level, she could summon over one hundred thousand crows—each acting independently, each capable of executing combat maneuvers and reconnaissance.

With proper development, her skill was both tactical and destructive, perfect for siege warfare, information control, or overwhelming elite targets with sheer numbers.

A single crow at S-rank could defeat an A-rank opponent. A hundred thousand crows? An entire army wouldn't be enough.

And when all her stats reached Level SS, a hundred times stronger than Level S, each of her crows possessed the power of ten Level S powerhouses. At that point, she could summon a million crows, each carrying that terrifying strength.

At SS level, which she would eventually reach by the end, she was already recognized as a Middle World Boss, a force capable of bending entire battlefields to her will.

But if her level ever broke past the threshold…

If she ever reached Level SSS also known as demigod and currently only 'the Arbiter' has reach this level, Then she will be unstoppable.

Yet none of that potential was visible now. All anyone saw was a quiet, introverted orphan with a skill no one respected. And so, she was bullied. Ignored. Misunderstood.

But Liam saw her differently.

He had invested heavily in her character before, when her banner first dropped in the game. He'd built her from nothing, watched her outclass nearly every other support-type. He knew what she could become.

And now, in this world, he had no intention of letting that kind of power slip past him.

If trained correctly, Ravyn wouldn't just be a valuable ally, she would become one of his strongest lines of defense.

He would not let go of this thigh.

Finally, Ravyn forced herself to speak. Her voice was quiet, iso low that only Liam could hear it.

"Hi… I–I'm Ravyn. My full name is Ravyn Noctis… and y–yes, I'm also going to Aetherreach Grand Academy."

Then she fell silent again, uncertain how to continue. She wasn't used to conversation, especially not like this.

But for Liam, that simple answer was enough.

He smiled faintly, his thoughts already far ahead.