2025-06-16 08:17:56# **Chapter 6: The Cafeteria Showdown**
--- ### **A Hall of Whispers** The Moonlight Magic Academy's grand cafeteria was a spectacle of enchanted elegance—a vast, vaulted hall of white marble veined with gold, its ceiling enchanted to mirror the night sky regardless of the hour. Floating lanterns cast a warm glow over the long oak tables, where students clustered in their usual factions: - **First-years**, wide-eyed and nervous, huddled near the walls. - **Second-years**, more confident, laughing too loudly to prove themselves. - **Third-years and seniors**, lounging like royalty, their robes embroidered with family crests. The air hummed with chatter, clinking silverware, and the occasional burst of fire magic as someone showed off. Then **Ethan Gale walked in.** A ripple of silence spread outward from the entrance like a shockwave. First-years flinched. Second-years stopped mid-bite. Even a few seniors glanced up, eyebrows raised. *"It's him…"* *"The one who destroyed Rolan Veyne…"* *"They say he used ancient magic…"* Ethan ignored them all, moving toward the food line with deliberate calm. The serving witch—a plump woman who usually smiled—froze when she saw him. *"S-Stew today, dear,"* she stammered, her ladle shaking. *"Thank you,"* Ethan said, taking the bowl. Her eyes widened at his politeness. As he turned, the crowd **parted** like frightened sheep. A first-year girl actually yelped when he passed too close. Ethan exhaled through his nose and chose an empty table near the back. --- Three tables over, a group of third-years spoke just loud enough to carry: *"Liora von Eldric did it again,"* said a lanky boy with emerald-trimmed robes. *"Another flawless **Level 2 Mana Potion**."* *"Bullshit,"* scoffed a girl with silver-streaked hair. *"That's third-year curriculum!"* *"True story,"* rumbled a broad-shouldered senior. *"Professor Helix confirmed it. She's the youngest in a century to master it."* Ethan sipped his water, filing away the information. **Liora von Eldric. Alchemy prodigy. Possible threat.** A first-year nearby whispered, *"I heard she's being groomed for the Imperial Alchemist seat!"* His friend gasped. *"At seventeen?!"* Ethan's fingers tightened around his spoon. *"Interesting."* --- Then—**the cafeteria doors slammed open.** Every head turned. Every voice died. **Lirien Veyne stood in the doorway.** The whispers came instantly, frantic and hushed: *"Oh gods, it's her—"* *"Why is she here? She never eats with us—"* *"She's looking for *him*—"* Lirien's silver eyes swept the room like a blade scraping over stone. Students **flinched** under her gaze. Even the seniors straightened their postures. Then she moved—gliding between tables with lethal grace, her midnight-blue robes whispering against the floor. Straight toward **Ethan.** The cafeteria held its breath. --- Lirien stopped across from Ethan's table. Without asking, she took a seat, folding her hands atop the polished oak. *"Enjoying your meal?"* she asked, her voice like poisoned honey. Ethan didn't look up. *"It's stew."* *"Ah, but it's *lonely* stew,"* she mused. *"No friends? No admirers? After that *spectacular* display today?"* A muscle twitched in Ethan's jaw. *"What do you want, Lirien?"* A collective gasp rippled through the room. **No one used her first name so casually.** Lirien's smile sharpened. *"Straight to the point. I like that."* She u forward, her voice dropping to a whisper only he could hear. *"Tell me, Ethan Gale—was it worth it? Humiliating my brother? Making an enemy of House Veyne?"* Ethan finally met her gaze. *"Yes."* For a heartbeat, something **dark** flickered in Lirien's eyes. Then she laughed—a sound like shattering glass. *"Good. I'd hate to think you *regretted* it already."* She stood, her robes swirling. *"Sleep lightly tonight. Dreams can be so… *unpredictable*."* Then she was gone, leaving behind the scent of frost and something metallic—**blood or iron, maybe both.** --- The cafeteria remained **eerily silent** for a full minute after Lirien left. Then, like a dam breaking: *"Did he just—"* *"No one talks to *her* like that—"* *"He's *dead*—"* Ethan finished his stew, stood, and walked out—the crowd parting before him once more. As he passed the entrance, he caught a glimpse of a small first-year boy staring at him **not with fear, but with awe.** The boy quickly looked away when Ethan noticed. Ethan smirked. *"Interesting."* ---
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Chapter 21: Shadow Wolves Hunt
High in the sky, Ethan suddenly came to a stop, hovering silently. His sharp eyes scanned the vast stretch below.Beneath him lay an expansive grassland—wild and untamed. The grass here wasn’t ordinary. It rose as high as small trees, swaying gently in the breeze like green waves.And hiding within that sea of grass… were wolves.They were pitch black from head to tail, with gleaming emerald eyes that cut through the shadows. Their teeth were jagged, their claws like blades. From above, Ethan counted at least fifteen of them sprawled lazily, completely unaware of his presence.But one stood out.In the center of the pack rested a massive beast, easily twice the size of the others. Its muscles bulged, its fur darker than night, and a faint aura of dominance radiated from it.> That must be the Alpha.Suddenly, a glowing red rectangle appeared above each of their heads—translucent panels flickering like holograms.> “Huh? What’s this? Another function of the system?” Ethan muttered.He
Chapter 20: The Sky Above, the Shadows Below
Sophia stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the rapidly shrinking silhouette soaring through the sky.Ethan’s figure streaked across the horizon like a comet, leaving behind a faint shockwave in the air.> That speed… and he’s flying freely…Her brows furrowed in disbelief.> To fly without a mount, one must be at least a High Knight or an Archmage… But he’s far too young. There's no way...She shook her head, trying to make sense of what she’d just witnessed.> He must have used a spell. There’s no way a real Archmage would be this young. Not in the entire empire.In the Veylan Empire, Archmages were treated as national treasures—beings of immense power and reverence. None were under the age of forty. For someone Ethan’s age to have reached that level?Impossible.Sophia exhaled slowly, masking her unease, then turned to her party.“Let’s move. We’re already behind schedule.”---High Above the GroundEthan shot across the sky like a falcon unleashed, the wind rushing past his ears as he
Chapter 19: Shocking Sophia and her Group
Ethan walked steadily toward the East Gate of the city.There were four main gates in total—North, South, East, and West—and each served as a vital artery for the city's trade, travelers, and adventurers. The East Gate, closest to the nearby forests and wilderness, was especially busy.As Ethan approached, he found the area swarming with people. Merchants hauling carts, farmers delivering goods, adventurers departing on missions, and travelers streaming in and out. Guards stood on both sides of the gate, keeping order and checking documents.Just as Ethan reached the gate, one of the guards stepped forward.> “Kid, where are you going?” the guard asked, blocking his path.Ethan calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out the mission slip he had accepted from the Adventurer’s Guild, displaying the guild’s insignia.> “Sir, I’m heading out for a mission,” he said politely.The guard glanced at the paper and then at Ethan. Seeing the official seal and Ethan’s respectful demeanor, the m
Chapter 18: A Mission of Their Own
Back in the Adventurer’s Guild hall, silence lingered for a moment after Ethan’s departure. Loe, the red-haired boy, kept staring at the door for a beat longer before scoffing. > “Tch… Who does that guy think he is?” Zade, the black-haired youth leaning casually against the wall, chuckled without looking up. > “The guy who beat you up with one spell.” Loe’s face instantly turned bright red. > “Zade, I dare you to say that again!” > “What are you going to do? Cry to your brother?” Zade shot back, smirking. > “Y-You… How dare you!” Loe’s hand went to his hilt, drawing half his sword from its sheath as his eyes turned sharp and dangerous. But before things escalated further, a cold voice cut through the tension like ice. > “Enough. Both of you.” Sophia’s voice was calm, but the authority behind it made both boys freeze. She stepped toward the mission board without another word. Both Loe and Zade instinctively backed down, their earlier fire snuffed out like candles in the wi
Chapter 17: Go out to Complete the mission
The receptionist stared at the two mission slips in her trembling hands, then looked up at Ethan—this time as if seeing him in an entirely different light.> “These are both A-Rank missions,” she said, her voice low and urgent. “Normally, only elite adventurers or academy graduates take these… Are you sure?”Ethan nodded without hesitation. “Yes. Process them.”She paused, searching his eyes for even a sliver of doubt. Finding none, she gave a small nod.> “Very well. I’ll register them under your name.”As she turned to her ledger, the low hum of the Adventurer’s Guild began to shift. The murmurs grew louder. The clatter of mugs and boots slowed.> “Who is this arrogant kid? Does he think an A-Rank mission is that easy?”“He’s really taking both?”“Is he trying to get himself killed?”Ethan ignored the whispers. He was used to being underestimated.Just as he turned to walk away, a sharp voice rang out behind him.> “Wait.”He stopped.At the entrance stood a group of five young adve
Chapter 16: Two A rank Mission
Ethan stood silently in front of the guild’s towering mission board. The grand hall buzzed behind him, filled with voices and footsteps, but he was focused. The board was cluttered with quests of all kinds—low-rank courier jobs, beast hunts, escort duties, and territory explorations. Some parchment was fresh, others faded and yellowed. He calmly scanned through them. --- Guild Mission Board – Active Quests 1. Escort a merchant caravan to Willow Creek – D-Rank 2. Clear out a Thorn Snake nest in the southern marsh – C-Rank 3. Retrieve a missing heirloom from Silver Hollow Caverns – B-Rank 4. Harvest Moondew Herbs from Misty Ridge – D-Rank 5. Investigate livestock thefts near Hollowmere Village – C-Rank 6. Track a rogue pyromancer terrorizing travelers – B-Rank 7. Deliver enchanted scrolls to the eastern barracks – E-Rank 8. Eliminate the Flame Toads nesting near the outer farms – C-Rank 9. Defend an outpost from a mana beast raid – C-Rank 10. Exterminate Wind Fang scouts s
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