The reception hall was wide and beautifully designed, filled with students arriving from all over the continent.
Snow quietly joined the line and waited for his turn.
Eventually
"Snow…"
The receptionist looked up lazily, her dull eyes scanning him briefly before handing him a black card marked with the academy's sigil.
"Welcome to Eden Academy."
She stretched out her hand.
"This is your school ID and academy map. You'll use it for most daily activities here. Press it against your chest and it will synchronize with you."
Snow silently did as instructed.
The moment the card touched his chest
It dissolved into glowing particles beneath his clothing.
A strange warmth spread briefly across his body before the academy sigil formed over his chest and vanished instantly.
Then
A translucent screen appeared before him.
Name: Snow
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Element: ???
Beast: ???
Below the information were several options:
School Map
Library
Student Rankings
Friend List
Snow's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Quite the setup…"
Without another word, he left the reception hall.
"I still have time…"
"Might as well look around."
As Snow wandered through the academy grounds, loud cheers suddenly echoed from nearby.
Curious, he followed the noise.
Eventually, a massive building entered his sight.
HALL OF CLASHES
The moment Snow stepped inside, his eyes narrowed slightly.
The interior was impossibly massive, completely contradicting the size of the building outside.
Spatial manipulation…
Clearly the work of someone powerful.
But what truly caught his attention
Were the battles.
Students sparred across dozens of rings spread throughout the enormous hall.
Some fought with weapons.
Others used elemental abilities openly.
The atmosphere was chaotic yet strangely exciting.
"So this is why it's called the Hall of Clashes…"
Snow quietly observed the nearest ring.
One student possessed the traits of a boar, wielding earth-element abilities with monstrous physical strength.
His opponent had metallic silver skin and manipulated water with remarkable precision.
"You don't seem to enjoy crowds much, friend."
A voice suddenly spoke beside him.
Snow glanced sideways.
The speaker was a tall, lean boy with completely ordinary features.
So ordinary, in fact, that one could forget his face moments after looking away.
Only his jet-black eyes stood out.
Snow returned his gaze to the ring without replying.
The boy chuckled softly.
"I've been here for two years," he continued, "and these fights are still just as entertaining as the day I arrived."
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"These rings aren't only used for sparring either."
"There are political fights, family disputes, gambling… even killings happen here sometimes."
Snow's brows furrowed slightly.
Interesting…
"Most students hide their identities while fighting here," Snow replied calmly. "For you to know all that… you must come from a powerful family yourself."
The boy blinked.
"Oh? So you do speak."
He laughed lightly.
"Snow from the Iceveil clan"
The moment he said the name
Everything changed.
His eyes widened.
His heartbeat exploded like thunder inside his chest.
Blood suddenly trickled from his nose.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon him without warning.
The air itself became heavy.
"Who are you?"
Snow's voice was cold enough to freeze the atmosphere.
Barely managing to remain standing, the boy quickly raised his hands.
"M-Michael… my name is Michael."
"I'm not your enemy, so please calm down…"
The pressure eased slightly.
"How do you know about me?" Snow asked again.
Michael swallowed nervously.
"I just happen to be good at gathering information," he admitted. "That's all. I also know certain people who might have talked about you."
Snow tilted his head slightly.
Like a curious child.
But the pressure surrounding him remained terrifying.
"I just wanted to see what kind of person you were after hearing how special you are," Michael confessed honestly.
Snow stared at him for several silent seconds.
Then
"Scram."
His voice remained emotionless.
"And if you ever speak my family name to anyone…"
Snow's blue eyes glowed faintly.
"I'll find you."
Michael immediately backed away, fear obvious on his face.
Unknown to him
He had narrowly escaped death.
If not for Angelina's intervention
Snow might have erased him entirely.
Ever since receiving the title of Shadow, Angelina had evolved tremendously.
Her abilities had undergone a frightening transformation.
Her former movement skill, Shadow Flash, had evolved into
Shadow Possession
She could now move freely between shadows within a three-hundred-meter radius.
In some cases, she could even possess another person's shadow directly.
While hidden this way, even her scent and spiritual presence disappeared completely.
The moment Snow entered the academy
A hidden gate silently opened.
A shadow slipped through unnoticed.
And merged directly with Snow's own shadow.
Naturally
It was Angelina.
As Snow's shadow, she had only fixed duties:
Protect him.
Be his sword.
Observe for him.
Guide him.
Because despite Snow's terrifying talent
He was still just a child.
And moments ago…
That fact had been proven perfectly.
"Why did you stop me?" Snow asked mentally.
Inside his shadow, Angelina sighed softly.
"Master… there are too many eyes here."
"We don't know how deeply the academy monitors its students."
She glanced towards his chest where the academy crest had dissappeared moments ago.
"For all we know, that card may contain tracking functions or vitality monitoring."
Snow remained silent.
Angelina smiled faintly.
He really isn't all knowing…
"Besides," she continued, "that boy's ability seems useful."
"let me observe him for now master."
"Then later, you can decide how to deal with him."
After a moment, Snow nodded slightly.
"…Very well."
The killing intent surrounding him faded completely.
And Angelina silently disappeared from his shadow.
Watching Michael from the darkness
Angelina smiled softly.
The reason...
Known only to her.