The Villian Who Broke The Story

Kael woke up the next morning feeling unusually refreshed.

For the first time since entering the Academy, he didn’t feel like his body was about to collapse from excessive training, countless battles, or overusing Mana Emphasization.

A full week had passed since the conclusion of the First-Year Tournament.

Instead of throwing himself back into another grueling training session, Kael had made a decision that shocked even himself.

He rested.

Not because he had become lazy.

His body simply needed it.

Between his fight with Zion, his battle against Auriella, the mysterious possession, detention, and everything that had followed, both his mind and body deserved a short break.

Even his gift—

Infinite Adaptation—

worked more efficiently when his body wasn’t constantly pushed to destruction.

So, for an entire week...

Kael did almost nothing.

Well...

Almost.

He wandered around the Academy.

Visited the cafeteria more often than he probably should have.

Read a few books—though only halfway before losing interest.

Occasionally watched other students train.

And, perhaps most surprisingly...

He attempted to behave like a proper top-ranked student.

Unfortunately...

That experiment failed almost immediately.

By the third day, several teachers had already complained about him skipping voluntary study sessions.

By the fifth day, Lyra had nearly dragged him into an extra lecture after finding him sleeping during one of her lectures.

By the end of the week...

Kael simply accepted that pretending to be a model student wasn’t for him.

"Being responsible is exhausting."

He muttered as he stretched inside his dorm room.

After washing up and putting on his Academy uniform, he fastened the golden badge of the first-ranked student to his chest.

For a brief moment, he looked down at it.

The polished emblem gleamed under the morning light.

It still felt strange.

Just a month ago...

He had entered the Academy as an unknown first-year.

Now...

He was the student everyone recognized.

The realization made him sigh.

"Fame really is troublesome."

Leaving his room, Kael casually made his way toward Class 1-A.

Unlike most students rushing through the hallways with books tucked beneath their arms, Kael walked at a leisurely pace.

There wasn’t a single trace of urgency in his steps.

Several students greeted him as he passed.

Some bowed respectfully.

Others whispered among themselves after he walked by.

Kael ignored all of it.

He had already grown accustomed to the attention.

Eventually, he arrived outside Class 1-A.

Without knocking, he slid the classroom door open.

The room immediately became quiet.

Dozens of students turned toward him.

Kael blinked once.

"...Again?"

He slowly scanned the classroom.

Every single student had already arrived.

Even the teachers’ desk was occupied.

He let out a tired sigh.

"So..."

"I’m last again."

His gaze wandered across the room until it landed on someone he genuinely hadn’t expected to see seated before him.

Felix.

Kael immediately pointed at him.

"How do you guys do it..."

"Even you, Felix."

Kael said, pointing at Felix.

"How do you come to class early."

Felix looked around before pointing at himself.

"Me?"

"And what do you mean by that?"

Felix tried to argue.

Before the conversation could continue—

Lyra clapped her hands once.

"Alright."

"The both of you calm down."

She turned toward Kael.

"And Kael..."

"You are once again tardy for class."

Her voice carried the same mixture of disappointment and amusement it always seemed to whenever she addressed him.

Kael simply lowered his shoulders in defeat.

"...Yes, Miss Lyra."

Without another complaint, he began making his way toward the front row.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

He still wasn’t used to sitting there.

Back in Class D, he’d practically lived in the last row.

Now fate had sentenced him to the very front.

He pulled out his chair and sat beside Auriella.

She briefly turned her head toward him.

Their eyes met for only a second.

Then she slowly shook her head before facing the front once more.

She didn’t say a word.

Somehow...

That silent gesture hurt more than any lecture.

Kael sighed.

Even Auriella was disappointed in him now.

"Oh..."

"And Kael."

Lyra wasn’t finished.

"Please don’t try to sleep in my class again."

She said it with a noticeable frown.

Kael nodded obediently.

"I won’t."

At least...

That was the plan.

Satisfied, Lyra finally smiled at the rest of the classroom.

"I’m sure you all know that your exams are upcoming."

"Theory exams, in particular."

The room remained calm.

Everyone simply nodded.

Everyone...

Except one person.

Kael paused.

His head slowly rose.

"Theory exams..."

"How come we weren’t informed of this?"

Kael complained.

The classroom instantly fell silent.

Every student turned toward him.

Kael looked around.

Only then did he realize...

Everyone was staring.

Very slowly...

He lowered his raised hand.

"But..."

"We weren’t informed."

He still tried to defend himself.

Unfortunately...

That only made Lyra’s eye twitch.

"You idiot."

"You’ve been sleeping throughout the class, so how do you expect to get that information?"

The words landed like a direct critical hit.

Kael immediately turned toward Zion for support.

"But Big Brother..."

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

Zion didn’t even look at him.

"Like you ever asked."

"Don’t shift your negligence to me."

Zion coldly replied.

Kael clutched his chest dramatically.

It genuinely felt as though an invisible arrow had pierced straight through his heart.

"...Betrayed."

He whispered under his breath before slumping back into his chair.

Lyra rubbed her forehead.

Then she looked around at the rest of the class.

"Well..."

"Since we are all here..."

"Let’s start the class."

The classroom immediately became quiet.

The playful atmosphere from a few moments earlier disappeared as every student shifted their attention toward Lyra.

She picked up a piece of chalk and turned toward the large blackboard behind her.

With smooth strokes, she wrote ten names in a vertical line.

Then she stepped aside.

"I’m sure we all know the ten rankings."

She pointed toward the first one.

Initiate Rank (E-Rank)

"The beginning of every hunter’s journey."

"Individuals at this level have only just awakened their mana or are only beginning to understand the fundamentals of combat."

Her finger moved downward.

Disciple Rank (D-Rank)

"At this stage, hunters begin refining their chosen paths."

"They have enough control over their mana to be considered reliable in ordinary missions."

Next came—

Veteran Rank (C-Rank).

"A Veteran has accumulated enough experience to survive most encounters independently."

"The difference between a Disciple and a Veteran isn’t merely strength."

"It’s judgment."

"Many promising hunters never make it beyond this level because they fail to adapt."

She continued.

Elite Rank (B-Rank).

"Elite hunters have already surpassed ordinary combat standards."

"They possess refined techniques, stable mana control, and are often trusted with leading squads."

A few students unconsciously straightened their backs.

For many of them...

Elite Rank was already an ambitious lifelong goal.

Lyra’s chalk tapped the board again.

Ascendant Rank (A-Rank).

"This is the final stage before entering the realm of true masters."

"Every improvement beyond this point becomes dramatically more difficult."

She paused briefly before tapping the next title.

Saint Rank (S-Rank).

The atmosphere inside the classroom noticeably changed.

Several students leaned forward instinctively.

Even Kael stopped fidgeting.

Lyra smiled.

"I expected this reaction."

"The Saint Rank isn’t simply another level."

"It’s an entirely different realm."

She walked slowly between the rows of desks as she continued.

"Unlike the lower ranks, where growth is primarily measured through increasing mana, physical abilities, or combat experience..."

"The Saint Rank demands something completely different."

"It demands mastery."

She folded her arms.

"To become a Saint Rank hunter, you must possess perfect mastery over your chosen art."

"Only after reaching that level can one truly step into the realm of Saints."

She paused once more.

"Beyond the Saint Rank..."

She pointed toward the remaining titles.

Monarch Rank (SR-Rank).

Sovereign Rank (SS-Rank).

Mythic Rank (SSR-Rank).

"And finally..."

Her gaze settled on the final name.

Divine Rank (SSS-Rank).

Silence filled the classroom.

Lyra looked toward her students.

"Now..."

"There has been no recorded hunter at Divine Rank for an extremely long time."

"The strongest individual on the planet..."

"Xavier..."

"...currently stands at Mythic Rank."

A wave of murmurs spread across the classroom.

Even among first-year students, Xavier’s name carried tremendous weight.

He was a living legend.

A man whose achievements had become stories taught throughout the continent.

Lyra waited for the whispers to die down before continuing.

"Now, as you all know..."

"The moment you step into the realm of Saint Rank..."

"You must be able to possess perfect mastery over your art."

"That’s why people at Saint Rank and above are the only people capable of opening their domains."

Several students quickly began writing notes.

Others simply listened intently.

Kael rested his chin on one hand.

"So domains really are tied to mastery..."

He thought quietly.

Lyra continued explaining.

"Unlike the other ranks..."

"Saint Rank isn’t a realm you step into all at once."

"You enter it..."

"One stat at a time."

"You must first gain mastery over both your art and your individual attributes."

"So naturally..."

"The people who step into Saint Rank must already be masters of their individual fighting styles."

She let those words settle before adding another point.

"But..."

"There are exceptions."

She looked around the classroom.

"There are people who may still be below Saint Rank..."

"...yet are capable of opening minor domains."

"However..."

"Such cases are extremely rare."

"So rare..."

"That out of the entire first year..."

"...only one person is capable of it."

Without another word...

Lyra raised her hand.

Then pointed directly toward Auriella.

Auriella remained completely expressionless.

As though the conversation had nothing to do with her.

Around the classroom, several students couldn’t hide their admiration.

Others looked genuinely shocked.

Although everyone already knew Auriella was powerful...

Hearing a teacher confirm it carried a completely different weight.

Kael glanced sideways at her.

"...As expected."

He wasn’t particularly surprised.

After experiencing her Eyes of Ruin firsthand...

He already knew she was operating on a level few first-years could comprehend.

Across the aisle...

Zion slowly raised his hand.

"So..."

"Kael didn’t open a minor domain during the tournament?"

Zion asked.

Several students immediately looked toward Kael.

They had wondered the same thing ever since the finals ended.

Lyra shook her head.

"Nope."

"Not at all."

"He just fought like a mage."

She turned toward Kael before continuing.

"He has one of the four abstract elements..."

"Light."

"Darkness."

"Space."

"And Time although it’s very rare."

"All he was doing was utilization of the concept of his element."

"Which, for Darkness..."

"...is still confusing because it seems to possess many concepts simultaneously."

The classroom once again fell into thoughtful silence as everyone processed Lyra’s explanation.

The atmosphere in the classroom grew noticeably quieter after Lyra’s explanation.

Most of the students were deep in thought.

The idea that reaching S-Rank required more than simply increasing one’s mana or physical strength had shattered many of their assumptions.

Lyra slowly walked back toward the front of the classroom.

"So you guys need to diversify your training to train other stats more so than the one you’re mostly focused on, it’ll help in the long run," Lyra said with a solemn tone.

Several students immediately began whispering among themselves.

"I thought increasing mana was all that mattered."

"No wonder breaking into S-Rank is considered almost impossible."

Lyra tapped the board lightly.

"Exactly."

"You can become an excellent swordsman while remaining trapped beneath the gates of S-Rank."

"You can become a powerful mage and still never enter that realm."

"The difference between A-Rank and S-Rank isn’t simply power."

"It’s understanding."

"The moment you completely understand your own path..."

"...the world itself begins acknowledging your existence."

The classroom became completely silent.

Even Kael stopped pretending to look bored.

Lyra folded her arms.

"That concludes today’s lecture."

"You all have your theory examinations coming up, so spend less time fighting and more time reading."

Her eyes immediately landed on one particular student.

"Especially you, Kael."

The entire class turned toward him.

Kael pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"I have absolutely no confidence that you’ve opened a single textbook this past week."

Kael immediately defended himself.

"I have."

Lyra narrowed her eyes.

"Oh?"

"What Chapter did you read?"

Kael froze.

His expression remained perfectly calm.

Inside...

His mind had already begun panicking.

What Chapter were we even studying?

After nearly ten seconds of silence...

"I... skimmed through several Chapters."

Lyra sighed.

"I knew it."

The class burst into laughter.

Even Felix couldn’t help laughing this time.

Kael leaned back in his chair.

"This classroom is full of traitors..."

Charlotte’s voice echoed from the back.

"You deserve it."

Kael placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Even my former classmates have abandoned me."

"I’ve truly reached rock bottom."

More laughter spread across the room.

Even Zion’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Kael immediately pointed at him.

"There!"

"Big Brother smiled!"

"I saw it!"

"I knew you weren’t completely emotionless!"

"I didn’t."

Zion answered without even looking at him.

"You absolutely did."

"I didn’t."

"You did."

"I didn’t."

Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You two."

"If you have enough energy to argue..."

"...then you have enough energy to study."

Instantly...

Silence returned.

Lyra nodded in satisfaction.

"Good."

"Class dismissed."

The students slowly began packing their belongings.

Some discussed the upcoming examinations.

Others talked about today’s lecture.

Several students quietly approached Auriella, asking questions regarding domains.

She answered each one with her usual calm expression before leaving the classroom.

Zion also gathered his books.

Before leaving, he glanced at Kael.

"You should actually study."

"I don’t want to carry you through the written exams."

Kael waved dismissively.

"Relax."

"I’m naturally gifted."

Zion didn’t even bother replying.

He simply walked away.

Watching everyone leave...

Kael stretched lazily.

"I guess..."

"I should actually open a textbook today."

He paused for a second.

"Nah."

"I’ll start tomorrow."

Unknown to him...

Lyra, who was standing outside the classroom window...

Had heard every single word.

Her eye twitched.

"...This idiot really is hopeless."

She muttered under her breath before walking away, already wondering how the academy’s number one student intended to survive the upcoming theory examinations.