Rain continued to fall over Ravencrest University, turning the campus pathways into slick rivers of water and scattered leaves. The fractured sky above the city still glowed faintly with fading blue energy, like cracks in reality that refused to close.
Cassian Vale stood near the library window, staring down at the courtyard where the mutated dog prowled between overturned benches and abandoned backpacks.
Moments ago he had been a tired engineering student trying to finish a simulation model.
Now a system hovered in front of his eyes, he could feel invisible energy flowing through the world, and something monstrous was hunting people outside.
The transition had happened so quickly that part of his brain still refused to accept it.
But denial would get him killed.
Cassian raised his right hand slowly.
The new sense he had gained after selecting the Arcane Architect class allowed him to perceive the world differently. Threads of faint blue light drifted through the air around him. Some currents were stronger near the shattered sky, while others flowed like rivers along the ground and through buildings.
Mana.
The system had not lied.
Cassian focused on the energy gathering around his palm.
A faint warmth spread through his arm as the skill he had received activated almost instinctively.
[Mana Construct – Active]
[Allows the user to shape mana into temporary constructs.]
The notification appeared the moment he concentrated.
The air above his hand shimmered.
A small geometric shape slowly formed—thin glowing lines weaving together until a translucent cube hovered above his palm. It looked almost like a holographic blueprint floating in space.
Cassian stared at it with fascination.
"So this is a construct," he murmured.
The cube rotated slowly, its edges made of condensed mana threads. The structure felt stable, but he could also sense the effort required to maintain it.
The moment his focus wavered, the cube flickered and dissolved into particles of light.
Cassian exhaled.
"That's going to take practice."
Another notification appeared.
[Mana consumed: 6]
[Mana remaining: 44 / 50]
Cassian blinked.
"So I have fifty mana total."
That wasn't much.
Outside the courtyard had grown eerily quiet. The mutated dog no longer chased anyone.
Which meant one of two things.
Either everyone nearby had escaped…
Or they had already been caught.
Cassian pushed the thought aside and focused on the second ability listed in his class description.
Arcane Pulse.
He concentrated again.
[Mana Blueprint – Passive]
[Arcane structures may be analyzed and optimized.]
The passive skill triggered automatically as his mind focused on the idea of constructing something.
Lines and shapes appeared faintly in his vision like architectural diagrams.
Cassian's engineering instincts immediately recognized the pattern.
Mana constructs followed rules.
Angles stabilized energy flow. Symmetry increased durability. Density affected impact strength.
It was exactly like building a structure in the physical world—except the material was raw magic.
Cassian let out a low whistle.
"This class is insane."
Most people probably received abilities that simply produced an effect.
Fireballs.
Lightning bolts.
But his class allowed him to design the spell itself.
That meant the potential ceiling was far higher.
Of course, that also meant mistakes could probably backfire spectacularly.
A distant crash echoed from somewhere outside the library.
Cassian stepped closer to the window.
The mutated creature had returned to the center of the courtyard. It sniffed the ground, pacing slowly as rain rolled down its oversized frame.
The animal had grown even larger than before. Its shoulders now reached the height of a small table, and jagged bone protrusions pushed through patches of fur along its back.
Cassian frowned.
"If that thing comes inside…"
He looked toward the library door.
The heavy wooden entrance was designed to keep weather out, not monsters.
A notification flickered into existence.
[Observation Complete.]
[Target identified: Mutated Beast]
[Level: 3]
Cassian leaned closer to the glass.
"Level three already?"
That seemed fast.
Then again, if the creature had killed multiple people since the mana wave…
A second line appeared.
[Threat Assessment: High]
Cassian rubbed the back of his neck.
"That's comforting."
The beast suddenly stopped pacing.
Its head lifted slowly.
Those crimson eyes locked directly onto the library window.
Cassian's stomach tightened.
"No way…"
The creature growled.
Then it charged.
The mutated dog slammed into the glass doors of the library with terrifying force. The impact echoed through the building like a gunshot.
The doors shuddered violently.
But they held.
For now.
Cassian's pulse spiked.
"Well," he muttered, "that answers that question."
The beast stepped back and snarled, saliva dripping from its twisted jaws.
Then it rammed the doors again.
This time a loud crack spread across the glass.
Cassian stepped away from the window.
Running was an option.
But the moment he stepped outside, he would become the creature's next meal.
His mind began racing.
Think like an engineer.
Problems had solutions.
He looked down at his hands again.
Mana constructs.
If he could shape mana into a structure…
Then maybe he could weaponize it.
Cassian closed his eyes briefly and focused.
The passive skill Mana Blueprint activated again.
Geometric patterns appeared in his vision like blueprints hovering over reality. His mind instinctively began adjusting the design.
A simple cube was useless.
But a long narrow spike…
That had potential.
Cassian raised his hand and began forming the structure.
[Mana Construct Activated]
Threads of glowing energy twisted together, forming a sharp crystalline spike roughly the length of a dagger.
The structure trembled slightly as Cassian struggled to stabilize it.
Mana flowed from his core into the construct, reinforcing the shape.
[Mana Consumed: 10]
[Mana Remaining: 34 / 50]
The beast slammed into the door again.
Glass splintered.
Cassian's heart hammered as adrenaline flooded his system.
"Okay," he said quietly.
"Let's see if magic physics works the same as real physics."
He focused on his second skill.
[Arcane Pulse – Active]
[Release stored mana as a concussive force.]
Cassian inhaled slowly.
The spike hovered in front of his palm.
He aimed toward the cracked door.
Then he triggered the skill.
The mana spike launched forward like a bullet.
A burst of blue energy exploded outward as Arcane Pulse accelerated the construct across the room.
The spike punched through the damaged glass door and struck the charging beast directly in the shoulder.
The creature yelped in shock as the glowing spike embedded itself into its flesh.
For a moment the courtyard went silent.
Then the beast roared in fury.
Cassian stared through the broken doorway.
"Okay," he said.
"That definitely worked."
But the monster was still standing.
And now it was very, very angry.
The system chimed again.
[Damage inflicted.]
[Mutated Beast – HP reduced.]
[Battle initiated.]
Cassian felt a grim smile spread across his face.
"Well," he said quietly, raising his hand again as mana gathered around his fingers.
"Guess I just picked my first fight."