Chapter 9: The Web of Influence
Morning sunlight spilled over the academy towers, but I felt no warmth.
Students were buzzing, whispers following me like shadows.
[Fear Detected: 128 individuals]
+128 Sin Points
Not admiration. Not respect.
Fear and curiosity—perfect combination.
Darius Valecrest was glaring from across the courtyard.
The water affinity girl was watching cautiously.
Other students were forming small groups, whispering, comparing notes.
[Rival Observation Detected: Multiple Targets]
Perfect. Information is power.
I approached the courtyard calmly, letting shadows curl around my feet like living ink.
A young noble, eager and reckless, bumped into me.
In the novel, Lucien would crush him immediately.
I chose a different path.
"Watch where you walk," I said softly.
The boy froze, eyes wide. Fear and respect in equal measure.
"Good," I whispered internally.
[Psychological Manipulation Successful]
+23 Sin Points
He left, murmuring to his friends.
I had planted doubt. Curiosity. Hesitation. Perfect.
Caelum Ardent appeared at the far edge of the courtyard, golden light around him.
He watched silently.
I smirked faintly.
He was studying my moves, calculating my influence.
Dangerous. Smart. Predictable in some ways, unpredictable in others.
[Hero Analysis Updated: Strategic Influence Detected]
By midday, rumors had spread.
Students whispered about the shadow boy controlling minds without moving.
Some avoided me. Some tried to test me.
None succeeded.
[Fear Accumulation: High]
Reward: Minor Shadow Skill Upgrade
That evening, I received a second note.
This one simpler.
"Rooftop. Midnight. Your first real test awaits. –Obsidian Veil"
The Obsidian Veil was not a social club.
It was a network of power.
And tonight, I would begin their secret trial.
Midnight. The rooftop was silent.
The moonlight cast long, shifting shadows.
Seraphine appeared first.
Behind her, other members of the Obsidian Veil formed a semi-circle.
"This trial," she explained, "is not about raw power.
It is about strategy, manipulation, and control.
A real leader shapes events without being seen."
I nodded.
Exactly my style.
A golden glow appeared faintly on the opposite rooftop.
Caelum Ardent.
He wasn't stepping in yet.
Just observing.
Measuring.
[Hero Surveillance Detected: Covert Mode]
Interesting.
He thinks he can interfere.
But he has yet to understand the battlefield.
The trial began.
Shadows erupted from the rooftop, forming illusory duplicates of the Obsidian Veil members.
The goal: infiltrate the courtyard, extract intelligence, return unseen.
I stepped into the shadows.
Merged.
Became nothing and everything at once.
I moved silently among the sleeping students.
Eyes, whispers, even the wind obeyed me.
I gathered secrets, rival weaknesses, and positions.
[Shadow Merge Mastery: Level 2]
[Strategic Advantage Acquired]
The trial ended. I returned to the rooftop without being detected.
Seraphine nodded approvingly.
"You have potential… beyond any we have seen in a first-year."
[Hidden Faction Loyalty Increased]
As I looked over the academy grounds, I felt it again:
The ancient entity, silent, observing.
The world was pushing, watching, waiting.
Caelum Ardent stepped back into the shadows.
Not a confrontation.
Yet.
But I felt it clearly.
[Narrative Instability Rising: Hero Interaction Probability Increased]
The game had begun.
And now, everyone on the field—the Hero, the faction, the academy, the entity—was moving according to my strategy.