The Vanguard Inquisitor stood in the center of the courtyard. The wind whipped his dark trench coat around his legs. In his hand, he held a smooth, glowing white crystal.
"This is a Soul-Measuring Stone," the Inquisitor announced, his voice magically amplified. "It is calibrated to detect any traces of ancient, S-Rank mana. Every student will step forward and place their hand on it."
A wave of panic rushed through the students.
"System," Zen thought, his heart beating fast. "My core is only High F-Rank, but if that stone touches me, it will pick up the S-Rank residue left behind by the Primordial Void Breathing. Plus, a suddenly healed core will blow my cover entirely."
[Warning: The artifact will expose your true mana signature. Probability of capture: 99%.]
"Can you hide it?" Zen asked.
[Affirmative. I can execute a Total Core Inversion to mask your signature. Warning: Forcing your healed core to invert will cause extreme physical agony.]
"Do it," Zen ordered.
