[Will you accept these changes? (Y/N)]

Shai hesitated.

There was an ominous aura exuding from the object of his own creation.

The question of, ‘Am I ready to wield something like this?’

It was at this moment that Shai truly felt like he was in an alternate reality. He felt the vulnerability of mortality, his perception had been stripped away from the rose-coloured view of being in his favourite game.

The threat of losing his humanity felt so real.

“Ah, I don’t care! Even if I turn into a monster, it won’t matter!”

Shai roared away his indecision.

“I accept!”

Then, the pain arrived.

His little pocket of hell could only be described as a searing pain that seeped deep into his soul. Energy — not just mana itself — poured into his body. The entire electromagnetic spectrum was erupting with a cancerous force, clawing at his cells, disintegrating his DNA structure. The touch of light itself was excruciating.

What more were the different types of mana that permeated the world? Filth and Purity went hand in hand, corroding his bones and eating up his flesh. Mana, in all its resplendent forms, was an existence even greater than the photons themselves.

Mana was the soul of the universe.

Thus, Shai could not even cry.

He could not even groan.

It was as if his body was repeatedly going through the process of destruction and reconstruction. Even his soul was being ground into fine powder, one pummelling at a time.

And it went on for hours.

Hours.

Then days.

Then months.

Then years.

Yet, when Shai returned to his senses… he realised that not a single second had passed.

He had suffered so much in the mere blink of an eye.

[Name: Shai, the One True Maker]

[Level: 1]

[Mana: 0/1 (Aberrant Circuit)]

Yet all he received from it was an empty mana circuit he had no idea how to use.

‘If it was an Eldritch Circuit, my life would’ve been simpler,’ Shai inwardly sighed as he sluggishly got out of bed.

***

The students of Myrlite Academy were all supplied a fixed amount of Credits depending on their performance in school. These Credits were a good measurement for how well you were doing in a manner different from your letter grades.

A student could earn credits through completing certain physical tests in the gym, answering a set amount of knowledge-based examinations, or even through publishing relevant academic research.

Basically, a student would be rewarded for any school-related advancements they could make.

The richer you are, the higher up you are on the academic ladder.

In this regard, Shai was still dead last.

Having to spend a few days sick in bed, Shai had basically missed the entire first week of school. A lot of the preliminary tests held in each subject were made to solidify the hierarchy and supply those who are capable with an initial amount of Credits to further their studies.

“Unfortunately, I have no place in the rankings,” Shai sighed, “This is going to be a difficult year.”

After all, using Credits allowed one to access a plethora of resources. Whether it be techniques, pills, nutritious meals, weapons, and the like.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Credits could buy anything and everything, as long as you were in Myrlite.

Shai couldn’t help but lament the costs of having the food delivered to his dorm, as well as the medicine he got to alleviate his suffering. His sickness had more than halved his initial allowance.

With a little under 250 Credits left, Shai only had enough to eat one meal per day for the rest of the month if he were to use any of the school’s facilities to hone his skills — because even unlocking portions of the library required Credits.

Poor and weak, Shai now had to execute the next stage of his plan:

Not getting kicked out for bankruptcy and consecutive absences.

He had to go to class without being implicated by the bullies who wanted to step on him for their own egos.

An impossible feat.

***

The moment Shai stepped into the hallways of Myrlite, people already had their eyes on him. A fist suddenly flew over out of nowhere, striking him in the gut.

“Ah!” Shai gasped, feeling the acid in his stomach rise.

Crumpling to the ground, there was nothing much he could do except clutch his body and shield his head.

"Down already, huh? You’re even weaker than the rumours say! Why the hell are you even here?”

A kick threatened to break Shai’s ribs, striking as if he was but a soccer ball on the ground.

Then came another kick.

And then another.

And another.

It was merciless, and Shai was barely clinging on to his consciousness.

‘Bastard,’ Shai cursed under his breath. Rage was filling him to the brim, yet he refused to act.

If he could not kill, then he would bide his time.

Shai glared at the student’s back as they walked away, amused. Long, blonde hair and somewhat of a graceful walk. He knew who his aggressor was.

“Synthia Ophseal,”

One of Myrlite’s small-time villains who Shai had encountered while playing. She was from a family of talents. Renown throughout her country. However she was dubbed the weakest of her generation, wounding her pride time and time again.

With quite the inferiority complex, she would find weaker targets to roughen up simply to ease her nerves.

With no rhyme nor reason, she would pummel people to submission.

Seeing people beg her for mercy delighted her in many ways.

And breaking people into a weeping mess was even more fun.

“Look, it’s Synthia’s latest victim.”

“Isn’t that the unawakened guy?”

“Ah, it’s no wonder he got wrecked so badly.”

“I’m surprised he’s still here. I thought he dropped out from embarrassment.”

Murmurs spread through hall. Many were amused by this setting, while quite a few were concerned.

The concerned ones were probably weaker than Synthia, hence their nervousness.

Those who were amused were either stronger or on par with her abilities.

There was always a bigger fish.

“Synthia Ophseal.”

In this moment, Shai would thus find that vengeance would be served.

“Bullying the weak again? How predictable.”

However, he wouldn’t want to see how that would happen. That tone of mockery… Shai knew it all too well.

‘I need to get out of here,’

It made cold sweat drip down his back.

A golden-haired teenager with a clown-like smile. Standing taller than many of the students in the area, just shy of six-foot-three. He had the Ophseal family’s natural grace. A gift given to each descendant of royalty.

However, he was a devious one.

‘Standing up for some kind of twisted justice…’ Shai slowly backed away, ‘Charles Ophseal, a character who couldn’t be more in the grey areas of opinion.’

And,

‘A sadistic guy whose interest in you would mean a very tumultuous life.’

***

After escaping the Ophseal family tradition of a one-sided brawl in the hallway, Shai found a moment of solace in his classroom. Thomas Veridias walked in, nodded upon seeing that his class was complete, and started the day’s lectures.

“Since you all are here, let’s begin.”

Shai was finally able to attend his regular classes.

Delighted, he quickly figured out where they were in the syllabus, and what he had to catch up on. He missed a lot of content, but not enough to make him despair.

All he needed to do was burrow into a cave of books and study until daylight forcibly returns.

Moreover, knowledge was the only advantage he had over the many students, and even teachers, in the school.

At the end of the day, Shai had a comprehensively-written notebook, filled with information that even went beyond the day’s lecture contents.

“This is good,” Shai was satisfied.

He just had to maintain this for an entire semester. Topping the entire batch would be a breeze by then.

***

After class, Shai had an early dinner before going back to his dorm room to study. By spending a few credits, he was able to download a few books from the library, saving them in his wristwatch.

“Alright,” Sitting in front of his computer, Shai pursed his lips and stretched his back, “Let’s catch up on the topics we missed, shall we?”

Shai spent the night with his face glued to the screen.

All else be damned.

***

Levinas Hades had a feeling that he was being watched. Sitting at a table in the upper levels of the cafeteria, he leisurely dined on his food, personally cooked by the school’s chefs, just for his constitution.

‘That unawakened guy is back in class,’ Levinas thought as he recalled the days events.

He was making sure his notes were perfect.

As he was at the top of the rankings, this week was uneventful for him. However from the rumours he had been hearing, there was a lot going on.

“…Also, did you know?”

A girl with green hair, Alissa Canya, was currently chattering to him nonstop. This was how Levinas got his daily dose of gossip.

“What?” Levinas said, his hand still moving across his tablet, jotting things down.

“They said that someone was attacked by a demon!”

Levinas couldn’t help but pause.

“A demon? Really?”

“Yeah!” Alissa exclaimed in a hushed whisper, “It was a student with F-Rank mana… Arthur something. If you want more details, I can go ask him about it.”

Levinas shook his head. “Don’t.”

Getting entangled with demons — even the mention of them — would usually end up badly. It was too much for students like Alissa to handle.

As someone who had actually gotten into a fight with one, Levinas knew just how bad it could get.

…That was why he couldn’t turn a blind eye to what had just happened.

“Where is that student now?” Levinas stood up, his food still unfinished.

“Ah! He should be in the training grounds! Are you going already?" Alissa scrambled to her feet, “But we’re not done eating!”

A deathly glint flashed within the depths of Levinas’ eyes. Perhaps Arthur would know the reason why he felt like he was being watched.

If it was a demon… He had to act fast.