Max sat at the edge of the isolated combat field, his arms sore, his body covered in scratches, and a satisfied grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. The fight earlier had been exactly what he needed.
Two arrogant blue-talent students had challenged him, expecting an easy win. Instead, they were now recovering in the infirmary—bruised, humiliated, and confused how a "green-rank orphan" had landed critical hits without even showing a trace of mana.
He checked the screen flickering faintly before his eyes.
[LEVEL UP: CURRENT LEVEL – 8]
[Stat Points +5]
[New Passive Skill Unlocked – "Mana Veil (Lv. 1)"]
[Description: Automatically conceals mana and elemental fluctuations from weak to mid-tier detection skills.]
Perfect, Max thought. It was exactly the skill he needed to keep his power hidden. The less the academy knew, the longer he could move in silence.
He picked up his bag and turned to leave the field when he heard a calm voice behind him.
"You're not bad."
Max stopped. He didn't sense any hostility, but the speaker wasn't someone he recognized. He turned slowly.
Leaning against a post near the fence was a boy about his age, dressed in a slightly wrinkled academy uniform. His wild brown hair looked like it hadn't seen a comb in days, and he had a casual, bored look that didn't match the sharp glint in his eyes.
"Name's Leo," the boy said, standing up straight. "Leo Granger. Class 1C. Red talent. Wind and metal affinity."
Max raised an eyebrow. "So?"
Leo grinned. "So nothing. I just like to keep tabs on interesting people. And you, Max, are very interesting."
Max frowned. "You've been watching me?"
"Just a little," Leo said, walking toward him. "I saw how you fought those two earlier. Clean footwork. Calculated moves. No mana signature. But they hit the ground anyway."
Max kept his expression neutral. "Maybe I got lucky."
"Maybe," Leo replied, unconvinced. "But people don't 'luck' their way to clean knockouts and counter-timed leg sweeps. I think you're hiding something. And I respect that."
[SYSTEM PULSE: POTENTIAL ALLY DETECTED – LEO GRANGER]
[Compatibility Rating: 91%]
[Hidden Trait: "Strategic Adaptability" – Learns faster when under pressure.]
Leo stepped closer, his tone lowering. "I'm not here to blackmail you or play hero. I just wanted to say—I don't fit in either. Nobles run the school, the strong stomp the weak, and anyone trying to change that is crushed or used. But maybe… we can help each other."
Max narrowed his eyes. "You're saying you want to work together?"
"I'm saying I'm available," Leo said. "You'll need someone watching your back eventually. Not everyone here is as stupid as they act."
[QUEST TRIGGERED: "Recruit Your First Ally"]
[Objective: Evaluate Leo Granger's trustworthiness]
[Reward: Skill Upgrade + Relationship Bonding System Access]
Max didn't say yes or no.
But as Leo walked away, whistling like nothing had happened, Max knew one thing:
He wasn't alone anymore.
And that changed everything.
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