Lucien didn't respond. His expression didn't even change, which seemed to annoy the crowd more than a retort ever could.
The assessment continued as more students followed, an elf warrior with wind resonance, a dwarf with defensive earth energy, a few humans with lower ranks. Each announcement came with flashes of light and rising tension.
Lucien watched quietly. Each glowing pulse reminded him of the uncertainty pressing in his chest. He wasn't sure what the crystal would show. The Soulbinder Interface wasn't normal. If it even registered, it might expose him.
"Lucien Valehart," the woman called suddenly, her clear voice cutting through the room.
For a moment, everything inside him went still.
He took a slow breath, then began walking toward the podium. Every step echoed across the marble floor. Whispers rose again, some curious, others mocking.
"That's the half-blood from Veyren, right?"
"He survived a Rift wave, they say."
"Maybe the crystal will explode."
Lucien continued forward, As the whispers grew even louder, a mix of curiosity and disdain that pressed against his ears. Every few feet, he caught snippets of laughter and mockery.
"Look, the half-blood finally gets his turn."
"Hope the crystal doesn't crack under all that failure."
"Maybe he'll get an F—fits his face."
He ignored them. It wasn't worth the effort. He knew that words only hurt if you cared who was speaking.
"Move faster," came a sharp voice. The female instructor standing beside the Resonance Crystal sounded impatient, her tone carrying a hint of irritation. She had short auburn hair, her uniform crisp and spotless, every movement precise.
Lucien met her gaze for a brief second before nodding. "Yes, ma'am."
Ardyn watched him silently from the side, his expression unreadable as he saw Lucien hesitate for half a second, before placing his palm on the crystal.
A chill ran up Lucien's arm as the world seemed to fade around him. It felt cool at first, then warm, as if it were alive and sensing him. He drew in a steady breath, closing his eyes to calm his nerves.
For a moment, nothing happened. And in that moment, everything went quiet.
But the moment didn't last so long, as a faint ripple of light spread through the crystal.
Instead of a bright flare like the others before him, a dull gray glow pulsed weakly within.
The crowd fell silent.
Then the laughter started.
A low chuckle from the back turned into a ripple of amused voices.
"That's it? Gray?"
"F rank? That's pathetic."
"And here I thought the gods had given him a miracle."
"Mixed bloods never change."
The sound filled the hall like buzzing flies. Lucien kept his hand still, watching the faint light fade from the crystal.
Inside, he felt something stir, a pulse from within his chest, faint but familiar. A flicker of silver and black light glimmered beneath his palm, unseen by others. A faint voice whispered in his mind.
▓▒░ [Assessment detected: F Rank – Summoner Path]
[Soul resonance incompatible. Hidden classification identified.]
[Proposed overwrite: SSS Rank – Soulbinder Protocol.]
[Proceed with overwrite? Y/N] ░▒▓
Lucien's eyes widened slightly. SSS rank?
His heart skipped. If he let that overwrite happen, the entire hall would see it. Every instructor. Every student. Word would spread like wildfire.
That even the researchers would be after him.
And for someone like him, a half-blood from a border town, it would mean attention he couldn't control.
He clenched his jaw. Not yet.
In his mind, he focused his will. Decline overwrite.
▓▒░ [Overwrite denied.] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Soulbinder protocol remains dormant. Adaptive concealment engaged.] ░▒▓
The faint glow vanished instantly, leaving only the dull gray that matched the recorded result.
But the System Interface flickered again acknowledging that he had finished his Second Quest.
▓▒░ [Soulbinder System: Quest Updated] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Chain Quest — Path of the Binder (2)
Main Quest: Division Assignment] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Objective:
• Pass the Division Assessment.
• Achieve placement in the Summoner's Division.] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Status: Complete] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Reward Unlocked: Summoning Conduit] ░▒▓
He blinked once. Remaining silent, with no reaction. that gave away the system Interface only he could see.
He withdrew his hand and stepped back quietly.
The instructor beside the crystal, unimpressed turned toward the other assessors, as she read out the result with little emotion.
"Lucien Valehart. Race: Mixed Blood. Rank: F. Class Path: Summoner. Division Five placement."
A short silence followed before she raised an eyebrow and asked, "You do know what that means, right?"
Lucien nodded once. "Division Five, ma'am."
"Correct." Her tone was clipped. "The lowest division. I hope you don't expect special treatment."
Lucien smiled faintly. "Wouldn't dream of it."
A few people nearby snickered. The instructor moved on without another word.
He turned and walked down from the podium. The crowd parted slightly as he passed, their stares heavy but predictable.
"Figures."
"Even with a second chance, trash stays trash."
"Better get used to the bottom, half-blood."
Lucien kept walking, not bothering to respond.
At the far end of the hall, he stopped by one of the pillars and let out a small breath. The air still hummed faintly with Aether. He flexed his fingers, feeling that strange hum within him again, the hidden energy that wasn't meant to exist.
A quiet chuckle escaped him. "F rank, huh?"
He looked up at the distant podium where the others still took their turns, light bursting in all colors and shades. His expression hardened slightly.
"Fine," he murmured. "Start from the bottom, then climb."
His eyes glinted, not with anger but resolve. He didn't need to prove anything to them. The system within him was proof enough that fate hadn't forgotten him, it had just been waiting.
Just then the Interface flickered again.
▓▒░ [Soulbinder System: New Quest Unlocked] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Quest — First Summon] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Description: With the Summoning Conduit now active, you may attempt your first binding.
Seek a suitable beast to perform a safe summon.] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Objective:
• Perform your first Summon.] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Reward:
• First Bound Familiar] ░▒▓
▓▒░ [Penalty:
• Conduit instability—temporary resonance backlash.] ░▒▓
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of something fierce beneath the calm.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let's see where this path leads."