Kael's blade sliced through the air again and again, striking the mana-infused dummy with sharp precision. The sound of metal clashing echoed faintly through the training room.
To the casual observer, it might have looked like simple drills but Jin Eldraven knew better.
Standing across the room, arms folded and leaning against the wall, his sharp blue eyes locked onto Kael with quiet intensity. His mind ran through everything he remembered about the story every character, every family, every hidden figure.
"He's not in the main story. I know every high-ranking student by name, by power. But him… Kael Vernier? That name never came up. Where did he come from?"
Jin's eyes narrowed further.
Is he a deviation… or a threat?
Unaware or rather, uncaring of the attention, Kael smiled slightly to himself.
Inside his mind, a blue screen flickered.
---
System Notification
> Skill Copied!
The Elarquist Debuff (Lv. 1)
– Passive skill
– Slightly lowers physical resistance and stamina of those within close proximity.
– Proficiency capped at 50% due to incomplete bloodline compatibility.
---
Kael exhaled calmly. It had worked.
His passive Copy Skill had once again come through, and this time he'd managed to grab something useful. Cynthia's family's hereditary debuff ability wasn't easy to replicate especially not with her high bloodline purity but even half power was still an advantage.
"More tools for the future, he thought, gripping the hilt of his blade once more."
After another few rounds of drills, Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, dismissed the training dummy with a wave, and walked out of the room. The sky above the academy was starting to dim, the artificial dome casting a warm orange hue over the castle-like structures.
The halls were quiet, most students already in their dorms. The first week was meant to help students acclimate, so there were no lectures or assignments yet. Just time to observe… and prepare.
Kael arrived at his dorm, the luxurious S-rank quarters still stunning even after a day. He tossed his training jacket on the armrest, let out a breath, and flopped down onto the plush couch.
He stared at the ornate ceiling.
" So far, so good."
He closed his eyes briefly, letting the exhaustion settle in.
" I've copied a valuable ability… kept Vanta hidden… and most importantly…"
He smirked.
" I've got Jin Eldraven's attention."
Because in this world this rewritten version of his father's massive world-building novel Kael knew exactly what kind of role Jin played.
And to change the story, to shift the balance, there was only one thing he had to do:
Stand in the way of the protagonist.