[One Shot: Chapter 96 to 100]
— Rising Storms, Hidden Missions, and New Beginnings —
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Whitehorn Academy — After the Trial
The giant coliseum still roared with excitement.
Lucius stood at the center of the battleground, chest heaving, muscles tense, the last echoes of battle ringing in his ears. Around him, the scattered, unconscious bodies of students bore witness to the brutal free-for-all ranking trial.
Above, professors and mentors watched from their grand stands.
A small, old man wearing a golden robe floated down, his aura heavy enough to make the stone tiles crack.
Grandmaster Verrian — the Dean of Combat Training.
He looked at Lucius and the few standing students — Kael, Mira, Garen, and two others.
> "Congratulations," Verrian said, voice booming. "You are now the Top Six of the Freshman Year."
Gasps spread among the gathered students.
Lucius stood tall, wiping blood from his mouth, feeling Seventeen chuckling softly in his mind.
> Seventeen: "Hehe~ Little Master! You're one step closer to ruling everything!"
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The Reward Ceremony
Later that evening, the Top 100 students gathered at the Academy's Grand Pavilion.
Crystal chandeliers floated above, illuminating the vast hall.
Lucius wore the Academy's ceremonial dark uniform — embroidered with silver leaves, symbolizing potential and growth.
Professor Linaria Valen stood at the podium, her silver hair glowing under the light.
> "Today, the future pillars of humanity are rewarded."
One by one, students were called.
Top 10 got special privileges:
Access to the Hidden Library
First pick at the God Shop
Free Training Rooms for a year
And most importantly... Eligibility for Secret Missions.
When Lucius's name was called — "Lucius Nightveil, Rank 3" — the hall buzzed.
Some clapped enthusiastically.
Others glared in jealousy.
He didn't care.
Every step he took towards the stage was a promise:
I will not stop until I build a Kingdom.
One that will never fall.
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Secret Mission: Hidden Choice
After the ceremony, in a side corridor, an old instructor approached Lucius.
His robes were plain, his presence muted — like a shadow.
He slipped Lucius a black envelope.
> [Secret Mission: Investigate the Forgotten Dungeons of the Old World.]
Seventeen immediately reacted:
> Seventeen: "Kya baat hai, Little Master! Hidden Quest! High Rewards! Extreme Danger! Hehehe!"
Lucius smiled faintly.
Exactly what he needed.
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Friendship and Future Planning
That night, Lucius, Kael, Mira, and Garen sat in a hidden courtyard behind the Academy's east wing.
A bonfire crackled softly.
Kael tossed a stone into the flames. "Top 10, huh? We're monsters now."
Mira snorted. "More like targets."
Garen nodded grimly. "Enemies will come. Friends will betray. That's the Academy way."
Lucius sipped quietly from his cup.
He wasn't afraid.
He was prepared.
> "Then," Lucius said softly, "let's become monsters greater than anything they've ever imagined."
They touched fists together, a silent oath forming.
They wouldn't just survive.
They would dominate.
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Domain Expansion — Night of Transformation
Later that night, Lucius entered his hidden Domain.
The fog had thickened.
The Ghoulshade Tree had sprouted fully — tall, black, with shimmering leaves.
Small shadow-beasts roamed — Ghoulhounds, Nightstalkers, and Whisperbats.
> Seventeen: "Little Master! New trees are available to plant now that you've ranked up!"
Available Seeds:
Bloodthorn Vines — strangling plants.
Specter Lotus — creates spirit beasts.
Moonfang Willow — grants buffs to nearby undead.
Lucius grinned darkly.
He spent 400 points to buy all three.
The Domain rumbled as he planted them, the soil hungrily devouring the seeds.
Notifications bloomed:
> [Domain Specialization: Necromantic Forest — Initiated.]
[Passive Buff: +10% Summon Strength in Domain.]
[Passive Buff: Beast Night Vision Unlocked.]
His army was growing.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
Like an inevitable tide.
---
First Secret Mission — Journey to the Forgotten Dungeons
Two days later.
Lucius and his team received encrypted instructions.
They slipped out of the Academy under the cover of night, traveling through dense misty forests towards the Old World Ruins.
The ruins were ancient — older than any known history.
Crumbling spires, shattered statues, and cracked portals littered the landscape.
Their mission: Retrieve a core from an abandoned Dungeon Lord.
Simple?
Not even close.
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Dungeon Exploration
Inside the dungeon, horror awaited.
Mutated beasts.
Twisted undead.
Broken spirits.
Lucius led calmly — analyzing every room, setting traps, sending his summons ahead.
Kael guarded the rear, twin daggers flashing.
Mira and Garen blasted obstacles with magic and hammer.
They fought side by side — growing sharper with every battle.
In the deepest chamber, they found it:
A skeletal giant slumped atop a black throne.
> [Dungeon Lord: Fallen Prince of Ash]
It opened empty eye sockets, and the ground shook.
Lucius's summons charged first — wolves, vines, and shadow beasts.
The fight was brutal.
The Fallen Prince unleashed storms of black fire.
Kael was thrown across the room, Mira's shield shattered, Garen's hammer cracked.
Lucius stood firm.
With a cry, he unleashed his hidden trump card:
> Skill: Punarjanam!
[Corpse Revival initiated!]
The broken dead rose under his command, overwhelming the Dungeon Lord.
Finally — after an hour of relentless battle — the giant collapsed.
Mission Complete.
Lucius claimed the [Core of the Ashen Prince].
It pulsed darkly in his palm, whispering of forgotten powers.
> Seventeen: "Little Master… this core… is special. Very, very special…"
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Academy — Return and Silent Changes
They returned battered but victorious.
The instructors simply nodded, no praise, no awards.
Secret Missions were… secret.
But among the Top 10 students, silent acknowledgment passed.
Lucius Nightveil wasn't just a ranker.
He was now a true player in the Academy's hidden games.
---
Politics Stir
Behind the scenes, whispers began:
> "Lucius Nightveil… dangerous…"
"We must control him…"
"Or destroy him before he grows further."
Some wanted to recruit him.
Others wanted to eliminate him.
Lucius didn't care.
He was already planning his next move.
Let them come.
He would welcome them all.
---
Preparation for Year-End Tournament
The final arc of the first year was announced.
Intercontinental Academy Tournament — A massive competition between all human academies left on Earth.
Winners would be granted direct access to S-Rank Dimensional Gates.
The stakes were life-changing.
The enemies — deadly.
And Lucius would be ready.
He would climb higher.
Farther.
Faster.
No matter the cost.
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Final Scene
In his hidden Domain, Lucius stood before his growing army of undead, beasts, and night-creatures.
Above him, the sky cracked faintly — as if the world itself was beginning to notice his existence.
Seventeen floated near his shoulder, grinning.
> Seventeen: "Little Master… the real game begins now!"
Lucius smiled grimly.
And in the blood-colored fog, a single thought echoed:
"I will build a