2026-06-15 22:37:57Jaxon Cross's booming threat back in the Main Hall left absolutely no impression on Austin's mind. For him, the only real problem with the duel challenge was figuring out how to get through it with the absolute bare minimum amount of effort. Standing in an arena, incanting spells, or swinging weapons in front of thousands of loudly cheering spectators sounded like an incredibly exhausting form of physical torture.
"If I have to train hard for seven days straight just to punch that blonde guy, I'd rather just fake another faint," Austin muttered as he pushed himself up from the park bench outside the hall.
However, he knew Jaxon wouldn't just let him off the hook. If Austin didn't prepare, his days of sleeping peacefully at this academy would be ruined forever by constant harassment from the 'Pantheon Guild' faction. Fortunately, Austin possessed his own unique method of "training" one that didn't require a single drop of sweat.
Instead of returning to his dormitory, which was starting to be heavily patrolled by Jaxon's lackeys, Austin made his way toward the Academy's Grand Library. The structure was massive, spanning five floors with rows of gigantic, centuries-old bookshelves that towered all the way to the ceiling. Because most of the new students were currently busy in the outdoor training arenas preparing for the upcoming evaluation, the library was incredibly serene and vacant this afternoon. The distinct scent of old paper and book-protection magic filled the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere that instantly triggered Austin's drowsiness.
Austin walked down the deep aisles of bookshelves, heading toward the highest floor. In the innermost corner of the fifth floor, hidden away behind rows of dusty, rarely touched tomes of tower history, he found the perfect hideout: a plush, worn leather sofa tucked neatly behind the shadow of a massive shelf.
"Perfect," Austin whispered.
He set his bamboo broom down beside the sofa, loosened the collar of his grey uniform, and threw himself down without wasting a single second. The moment his head hit the soft cushion of the sofa, the tension in his body completely melted away. His eyelids closed slowly, and his consciousness rapidly drifted into the darkness of the dream realm.
[Ding! 'Sleep Mode' session activated instantly.]
[Reward accumulation efficiency: 100%.]
[Opening full access to the Cosmic AFK System interface within the mental landscape.]
Within his mind, Austin no longer saw darkness. His consciousness now floated in a void of cosmic blackness, speckled with twinkling miniature stars. In front of him, a semi-transparent, neon-blue status panel glowed brightly, displaying the valuable numbers his Shadow Avatar had managed to hoard while he slept through the night and during his time in the Mist Forest yesterday.
[System Inventory & Wallet]
[Current Gold: 3,250 Gold]
[Current Exp: 120/100 (Level Up Available)]
[Current Shadow Avatar: Tier 1 (Base Level)]
"System, level up my physical body first," Austin commanded mentally in his sleep.
[Ding! Processing the consumption of 100 Exp... Advancement to Realm: Mortal (Level 2) is successful.]
[Host's physical stats have increased passively: Strength +5, Agility +5, Endurance +7.]
[Storage capacity for Void Energy within the body's cells has expanded.]
Austin felt a wave of incredibly comfortable warmth course along his spine in the real world. His body, snoring softly on the library sofa, underwent a subtle yet massive structural shift; his muscle density tightened, and his blood circulation became vastly more efficient.
However, Austin wasn't satisfied with just that. The master key to winning the duel against Jaxon without having to lift a finger in the real world lay within his primary tool: the Shadow Avatar.
"Open the Shadow Avatar upgrade menu," Austin commanded again.
A new panel unfolded, displaying a pitch-black silhouette that perfectly resembled him, yet was coated in a blazing, violet-black cosmic flame. Beneath the silhouette was a large button that read: [Upgrade Avatar to Tier 2 - Cost: 2,000 Gold].
"Two thousand gold... the harvest from slaughtering hundreds of wolves and goblins yesterday finally comes in handy," Austin murmured. "System, upgrade the Shadow Avatar to Tier 2 right now."
[Ding! Processing the deduction of 2,000 Gold. Initiating the power evolution of the Shadow Avatar...]
Instantly, the black silhouette inside the panel began to vibrate violently. The cosmic flames surrounding it flared exponentially, transforming the previously lean and vague shadow into a far denser form, complete with a pair of glowing, vertical-slit violet eyes that radiated an incredibly frigid aura of oppression.
The evolution process took several minutes inside Austin's mental landscape. Meanwhile, in the real world, the air in the corner of the fifth-floor library gradually became exceptionally thick, as if the space surrounding the sofa Austin slept on was constantly stretching and warping.
[Evolution Complete!]
[Congratulations! Your Shadow Avatar has successfully advanced to Tier 2.]
[Avatar Attribute Bonus: Automatic farming efficiency in the Mirror Dimension increased by 50%. Physical materialization time in the real world unlocked (Duration: 5 Minutes).]
Seeing the "Physical Materialization" option, Austin smirked within his sleep. That meant if a dire situation arose in the arena next week, he could actually summon this shadow out to fight in his place while his real body pretended to faint or sleep in a corner of the arena.
However, the surprises from the system weren't over yet. A row of golden text suddenly materialized at the very bottom of the panel, blinking with an incredibly dazzling light.
[Ding! Since this is the first Tier upgrade performed by the Host, the system grants a special achievement reward.]
[Extracting one random ability from the Divine Vault... Success!]
[Unlock Auto-Skill: Phantom Step (Divine Grade) - Passive Type.]
[Skill Description: A high-level conceptual movement technique of divine grade. While the Host is in sleep mode or moving passively, the body's instincts will absolutely manipulate space within a 3-meter radius. The Host can automatically evade, shift, or deflect any physical or magical attack without consuming a single drop of mana.]
Austin, deep in his peaceful slumber on that old library sofa, took a deep breath, an incredibly satisfied smile playing upon his lips. With this passive ability of 'Divine' grade, Jaxon Cross and his entire proudly flaunted solar fire magic were nothing more than a fly trying to smash through a thick pane of glass.
He didn't need to train, he didn't need to chant, and he didn't even need to wake up. Winning a duel while fast asleep was no longer just a figure of speech, it was an absolute reality now resting within his grasp.
In the quiet sanctuary of the fifth floor, Austin rolled over to a more comfortable position, hugging the old sofa cushion tightly as he continued his sleep with absolute peace of mind, entirely unaware that a pair of hawk-like, deeply suspicious eyes was watching him through a gap in the bookshelves not far away.
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Chapter 59: Cosmic Pebble Throw
"Do you think lower-caste crumbs like you have the right to keep a talisman this good?!" Julian barked, pressing his blade deeper into Toby's neck. A drop of fresh blood trickled slowly down the skin of Toby's neck, freezing instantly upon contact with the bitter night cold of the 6th Floor. Though fear churned his stomach, Toby clung tightly to the cloth pouch filled with Thermal Talismans against his chest. The items in his arms were no ordinary heating devices. They were the sole factor standing between life and death for over a dozen of his companions in Barracks E who were freezing to death. "These belong to all the students of the support faction!" Toby shouted, his voice trembling yet firm with resolve. "I won't give them to an arrogant person like you!" Julian's face, pale from the biting cold, instantly flushed with surging rage. For a noble scion of the combat faction, being defied so bluntly by a lower-caste student was an intolerab
Chapter 58: Cold Remedy in the Black Market
"Don't scream if you still want your breath to stay warm," whispered a heavy voice from beneath the pitch-black hood. Toby and Mia jumped in surprise. Their bodies bumped against an ancient stone pillar encrusted with ice in the dimmest corner of the Dark Logistics Market. The two low-caste teenagers reflexively pressed close together, trembling violently as they stared at the mysterious figure who had just silently emerged from the shadows. Before their fear could turn into screams, the dark-hooded figure—the Ghost Merchant—casually flicked his hand. Thud! A giant iron pot with a tightly fitted lid landed smoothly on the snowdrift before them. The moment the pot's lid lifted slightly, a rich, savory aroma of spices burst into the night air. Thick hot steam billowed high, carrying a wave of warmth that instantly melted the icy crust around Toby and Mia's feet. "W-What is this...?" Toby stammered with wide eyes, inhaling the scent of
Chapter 57: The Birth of the "Ghost Merchant"
"If we're monsters, then what do you call Raymond Sterling and his military officers?" Austin-02 folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the old wooden crate. "We're just laborers trying to survive the madness of your leadership," the clone continued in a deeply sarcastic tone. Selena wiped her forehead, which was still damp with melted snow, staring at the stack of Thermal Talismans on the table with a blend of awe and horror. "But these things... their efficiency makes absolutely no sense," Selena whispered, touching the edge of the silver cloth talisman engraved with golden ink. "Even the thousand-gold-piece Thermal Armor belonging to the elite faction doesn't hold a candle to these scraps of cloth." Austin-02 broke into a cruel smirk. "Indeed," he replied, a shrewd glint flashing in his eyes. "And that's precisely why we have a golden opportunity to bleed the elite faction dry until they have nothing left."
Chapter 56: Secret Meeting in Barracks E
"Hold your breath, I've brought help!" Crash! Selena Vance burst through the remains of the doorframe of Barracks E, which had been smashed open by the military. Her breath hitched heavily, leaving thick plumes of icy steam in the 6th Floor's night air. The thirty-kilogram tactical backpack filled with stolen heating crystals hung heavy on her slender shoulders. She had prepared herself for the most horrific sight imaginable: low-caste students lying frozen and stiff, screams of despair, or icy groans from bodies teetering on the edge of death. Yet the moment both her feet stepped over the threshold, Selena came to a dead halt. There was no stinging gale of blizzard wind inside this ancient shack. No mana-freezing chill stabbing down to the bone marrow. Instead, a wave of wonderfully gentle heat greeted Selena's face, sweeping away the layer of ice crystals clinging to her eyelashes in an instant. The temperature inside the decrepit
Chapter 55: Selena Defies the Council
"Two hundred tons of ice blocks for a dozen low-caste kids in a single day is a death sentence in disguise, General!" Selena Vance's voice echoed sharply throughout Vanguard's Main Command Tent. Before her, Grand Commander Raymond Sterling sat casually in a luxurious leather chair, sipping warm spiced tea that wafted a sweet aroma. The command tent was warm and comfortable, thanks to five high-grade mana heating stoves burning in every corner—a horrific contrast to the fate of the support faction, discarded in a rotting shack in the middle of a blizzard. Selena slammed the logistics report sheets from Officer Bruno right onto Raymond's mahogany desk. "Your men kicked down their shack, broke their door, and arbitrarily doubled their quota," Selena spat, her eyes flashing with fury. "The outside temperature is minus thirty degrees Celsius! That isn't a work assignment, that's premeditated murder!" Raymond lowered his silver cup slowly,
Chapter 54: The Military Garrison Raid
"Open the door or we break it down!" Crash! Before anyone could take a step to unlatch it, the thick wooden door of Barracks E shattered into pieces under the force of a steel-booted kick. Splinters scattered into the room, followed by the heavy tread of six fully armed military garrison guards. At the front stood a burly, thickset officer named Officer Bruno. His right hand gripped a sharp sword ignited with fire magic, while his eyes narrowed with deep suspicion. They marched inside, mana surging in anticipation of a fight. In Bruno's mind, he had expected a pathetic scene: a dozen frozen corpses of low-caste brats, or a stash of illegal mana crystals stolen from the military depot. However, the moment they crossed the threshold, a wave of hot air blasted them violently in the face. Whoosh! The indoor temperature of twenty-four degrees Celsius stung skin that was accusto
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