I stand in front of my house, taking in the crisp morning air and mentally preparing for the day ahead. Today's agenda is clear: after school, I'm heading to Aurelior to meet the character from the web novel who can purify monster orbs.

I glance at the Demon Orb, securely encased in its glass box adorned with runes, ensuring its containment. Carefully, I place it into my bag, feeling its weight as a reminder of the day's important task.

"Dominic, where are you going?" Clark's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I turn to see his eyes, tinged with sadness, watching me intently. It tugs at my heart to see him like this, still adjusting to all the changes. I kneel to meet his gaze, offering him a reassuring smile.

"I'm just going to middle school, don't worry."

"Really?"

"Yeah, don't worry." I ruffle his hair affectionately. "Besides, my mother will be here with you."

"He's right, Clark," Celine says as she approaches us. "I can protect you if something goes wrong."

Hearing this, Clark's expression softens, and his initial worry fades slightly. "Okay, if you say so."

I stand up, reassured that he feels more at ease. "Bye, Clark and Mum."

"Bye-bye, Dominic!"

"Be careful on your way, Dominic."

With a final nod and a smile, I walk out of the house, ready to tackle the day, knowing Clark is in safe hands with Celine.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

As I walk toward the town center, the familiar faces of the townspeople greet me with warm smiles and applause.

"Congratulations on winning your duel!"

"You were awesome!"

"You rock!"

Their cheers make me smile, and I wave back, "Thank you."

It's a surprising turn of events. Despite being Manaless, the townspeople genuinely support me. It makes me wonder about Dominic, who lived here before my migration. What had he done to earn such respect and admiration?

In the web novel, Manaless individuals often face ostracism and bullying in Sylvestria. Yet, here I am, receiving a hero's welcome. Could it be because of André and Celine's influence?

I've been in this world for six days, and from what I understand about André, he's a respected Stargate Raider. His rank could be anywhere from [A] to [S], given his prowess at raiding a [A] ranked Stargate at the Emerald Coastline. He can't be a [SS] ranked magician. Magicians of that level are mighty, capable of feats like destroying entire planets. André also possesses a rare 'Dark' magic attribute, adding to his distinguished community status.

As for my mother, Celine, my knowledge is limited. As far as I know, she's a housewife, but in Sylvestria, appearances can be deceiving, and she might play a more significant role than I'm aware.

"Haa!" I sigh as I continue my walk.

Whatever the reasons for the warm treatment I receive in this town, I decided to be grateful for it. Accepting this positive attention makes my integration into this new life smoother and less complicated than it could have been. I'm just happy not to face the ostracism typical for Manaless in this world, making every day a little easier to navigate.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

I stride through the gates of my middle school, instantly aware of the murmurs and whispers that follow my path.

"Hey, it's him, the Manaless who won against an Everheart."

"He got lucky."

"Not just lucky, he also cheated!"

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I roll my eyes at their baseless accusations; they have no proof that I cheated, merely discontent and disbelief. I continue walking, determined to ignore the whispering.

"Well, well, if it isn't the cheater."

You've got to be kidding me. Turning around, I see Renard smirking, flanked by two goons. I sigh, feeling the weight of unnecessary drama.

"What do you want, Renard?"

He smirks wider. "I just want to tell you that your victory against Lumi was pure luck, and I will prove it!"

His declaration causes a stir among the nearby students, fueling a wave of murmurs and whispers around us.

"You have no proof that I cheated, Renard. If you have proof, then show it now," I challenge, growing tired of his groundless accusations.

"Well, I'm going to challenge you to a due—"

"Activate."

-Tick-tock!

I trigger my 'Chrono Pendant,' and everything around me slows dramatically. I do not want to drag out a pointless confrontation with Renard.

Moving through the slowed time, I walk up to Renard and deliver a swift punch to his liver, deciding that a quick reminder of reality is necessary. After striking, I turn and start walking away, leaving the scene behind me.

"Deactivate."

-Chime!

"OOF!"

Renard's pained grunt reaches my ears from behind, but I don't look back. Instead, I continue walking toward the school building, ready to focus on my day and leave behind the petty schoolyard challenges.

I don't want to make using the Chrono Pendant a habit, but sometimes, it's necessary to cut through the noise and keep moving forward.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

As I approach the entrance to my classroom, a familiar voice calls out.

"Doms!"

It's Arthur, who quickly closes the distance between us and slings his arm around my shoulder.

I greet him with a smile. "Oh, hey, Arthur."

"How's Clark doing?"

"He's doing great. We're giving him temporary shelter until we can find his parents."

"Woah? That's good to hear."

"Yeah," I say as we continue walking together.

Passing through the classroom door, we are immediately met with a wave of stares and whispers from our classmates. Their curious and sometimes envious gazes follow us as we approach our seats. I ignore the whispers and focus on settling in for the day.

We sit down and wait for Maurice to arrive for homeroom.

"Geez, they seriously can't accept that you won yesterday, huh?" Arthur breaks the silence, his voice a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

I sigh and nod in agreement. "Yeah, it seems they're as blind as a rhino."

"Heh, yeah," Arthur chuckles, then pulls out his Commlink and starts scrolling through something. "Doms, look at this!"

Displayed on the screen is a colorful graphic with the date "April 22, 2121" prominently featured. I’m confused, what is he trying to say? It’s a date but what exactly? Is it his birthday?

"All I see is the date. What of it?"

"It's the date of the entrance exam at Verdant Arcanum."

I'm surprised to realize this is new information; the web novel never mentioned the specific date of the entrance exam at Verdant Arcanum. It introduces us to Célestin and his experience passing the exam right in the first chapter.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah."

Just then, a cold voice interjects, "Greetings, Dominic."

I see Lumi approaching us; her expression is as impassive as ever. With the recent events and her determination, ignoring her is now impossible. I decide to engage, knowing that she's relentless once Lumi sets her sights on something. In this case, she seems intent on rechallenging me.

"Oh, hello."

"Hey, I'm also here, you know?!" Arthur interjects, feeling overlooked.

Lumi glances at him briefly. "Oh, my bad, I didn't see you there."

Arthur grumbles, "Why you!"

Ignoring Arthur's irritation, Lumi turns back to me. Her gaze briefly scans the room before settling on the empty seat next to me.

"Can I sit here?"

"Oh-uh, sure."

"Thank you," she replies and sits beside mine. I can feel the tension with Lumi on one side and Arthur on the other. Arthur occasionally glares in Lumi's direction while she focuses on the blackboard, indifferent to the brewing drama.

I find myself wondering, does Lumi genuinely want to befriend us—or rather, me? Shaking off the thought, Lumi, from what I know from the Webnovel, wouldn't typically seek close relationships at this stage.

Around us, the murmurs continue.

"She's sitting with him!"

"Man, I'm jealous!"

"Let's search on the Aethernet: How to be Dominic."

"Since she's sitting next to him, then does that mean Dominic cheating was not true?"

"That seems to be the case."

I sigh internally at their conclusions.

-POOF!

Suddenly, a puff of white smoke erupts at the front of the classroom. As it clears, Maurice appears, poised to start the class.

"All right, class, let's start our homeroom, shall we?" His voice cuts through the chatter, signaling the beginning of another school day.

Maurice scans the classroom discerningly, briefly focusing on me before shifting to Lumi. A knowing smirk then crosses his face as he turns back towards me, causing unease in my stomach.

What is that smirk about? It leaves me feeling slightly off-balance.

After a moment, he redirects his attention to the rest of the class.

"All right, I know the duel was a big topic yesterday, but let's move on," Maurice begins, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "In life, it's essential to know when to dwell on the past and when to let go. Holding on to every victory or defeat only weighs us down. Instead, learn from them, grow, and then set them aside. Life is about moving forward, not being anchored by what's behind us."

His words resonate through the room, echoing with wisdom that often comes unexpectedly but is always poignant. I can't help but think about Maurice, who is similar to André in moments like these. Both have a knack for dropping wise insights seemingly out of nowhere.

Yet, despite their wisdom, they bicker like old rivals whenever they meet, their exchanges often devolving into comical insults. It's a hilarious contrast to their usual sage-like demeanors, and it never fails to amuse me.