Night fell quietly over the academy.
But Arthur Frederick did not sleep.
He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, eyes half-closed.
The events of the day replayed in fragments.
The crystal.
The silence.
The word—
ERROR.
"…So that's how it is."
A faint flicker appeared in his vision again.
This time… it didn't fade.
Arthur didn't resist it.
Darkness swallowed the room.
He stood somewhere else.
A void.
Endless. Silent.
Then—
A presence.
Vast.
Overwhelming.
Unavoidable.
"So… you're the anomaly."
The voice wasn't heard.
It was felt.
Like reality itself pressing down on him.
Arthur's eyes sharpened slightly.
The God.
The one who reshaped Alora.
The one who created the System.
Alam Maxwell.
"…You're observing me."
Arthur's voice remained calm.
A pause.
Then—
"Curious."
Not anger.
Not judgment.
Curiosity.
"You exist outside my System."
Arthur said nothing.
He already knew.
Then—
Another presence stirred.
Cold.
Heavy.
Familiar.
A whisper from the Abyss.
"He is mine."
Arthur's gaze darkened slightly.
…Dark EMPEROR.
The void trembled.
"I revived him," the voice continued, deeper now, edged with something dangerous. "He is beyond your control."
The God's presence did not waver.
"All things in this world fall under my System."
A clash.
Not of force…
But of authority.
Invisible.
Yet absolute.
Arthur stood between them.
Silent.
Unmoved.
So I'm just… something to fight over.
The Dark EMPEROR's voice sharpened.
"You dare touch my new toy?"
The void cracked.
Power surged—order and chaos colliding.
Then—
Something else emerged.
Gentler.
Yet older.
The world itself.
"The conflict disrupts the flow."
The voice was calm.
Final.
Both presences stilled.
"The anomaly will be given form."
Arthur felt it.
Something taking shape.
Not control.
Not ownership.
Definition.
A system began to form before him—unstable, incomplete… yet undeniably his.
Words appeared.
[System Initialized]
[Designation: Irregular Entity]
A pause.
Then—
[Title Granted: Misfit]
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly.
More words formed.
[Condition Applied]
Growth Rate Reduced
Effort Requirement: x2
The interface flickered.
As if something resisted… then adjusted.
New lines appeared.
[Compensation Granted]
+1 Strength per Level
+1 Speed per Level
Mana Capacity: 50% of Standard
Silence.
Arthur stared at the screen.
"…So that's the balance."
Twice the effort.
Half the mana.
But…
Stronger body.
Faster movement.
A slow breath escaped him.
Not bad.
His fingers curled slightly.
He could feel it already.
Subtle… but real.
His body felt lighter.
Sharper.
More responsive.
Not overwhelming power.
Not yet.
But something refined.
Something dangerous.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Fair enough."
If others relied on mana…
He would surpass them without it.
If they cast spells…
He would reach them before they finished.
If they overwhelmed with power…
He would break them with precision.
Twice the effort?
His eyes darkened.
"Then I'll just make sure I'm worth twice the result."
The void began to fade.
The God withdrew.
Silent.
Still watching.
The Dark EMPEROR's presence lingered a moment longer.
"…Don't disappoint me."
Then he too vanished into the Abyss.
The world spirit faded last.
Leaving balance behind.
Arthur opened his eyes.
Back in his room.
The night was still.
But something had changed.
A faint interface hovered before him.
Stable.
Real.
Different.
He looked at it once.
Then away.
"It doesn't matter."
God.
Darkness.
System.
None of them would decide his path.
Arthur lay back slowly, eyes closing.
"The Misfit…"
A faint smile formed.
"Let's see how far that goes