Sam's eyes snapped open.
For a moment, he didn't move. His breath came unevenly as he stared at the familiar ceiling above him.
"…My room?"
He pushed himself upright, running a hand through his hair, still disoriented.
"What the hell just happened…? How am I back here? I was at the Chancellor's office…"
A calm, soft voice echoed inside his mind.
"I teleported and healed you, Boss."
Sam froze.
Slowly, he turned his head left, then right, searching for the source of the voice. His gaze stopped at a faint glow in the air.
A translucent screen floated before him, displaying nothing but a pulsing soundwave.
His eyes narrowed.
"…It's you. The system?"
"You may call me that, if you wish."
Sam noticed something strange—the soundwave reacted every time the voice spoke, confirming his suspicion.
"So… you're real," he muttered.
He leaned forward slightly, curiosity replacing confusion.
"Then tell me… what exactly are you?"
There was a brief pause.
"I do not know."
Sam blinked.
"…You don't know?"
"The only thing I am certain of,"
the voice continued calmly,
"is that I exist to assist you in any way possible."
Sam frowned, trying to process that.
"And how exactly are you going to do that?"
"I can heal you, provide defensive support, and guide you toward your desired goals. Additionally, I possess the ability to activate and modify systems—quest systems, growth systems, or a combination of both. I can also deactivate selected systems."
Sam stared at the screen, stunned.
"…That's insane," he whispered.
"That's basically a cheat ability."
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Alright then… I'll give you a name."
He rested his chin on his hand, thinking for a moment.
"…Noah."
The screen flickered.
The soundwave glitched for a split second—then stabilized.
Above it, a single word appeared:
NOAH
Sam leaned back, exhaling slowly.
Then his expression hardened.
"Noah… set my goal."
"Yes, Boss."
"I want answers… from Carl Zeiss."
"Understood."
DING!
[ Objective: Obtain answers from Carl Zeiss ]
[ Status: In Progress ]
"Boss," Noah's voice continued, "your current physical and magical capabilities are insufficient. I recommend initiating a development quest."
Sam let out a tired sigh.
"…Yeah. You're right."
DING!
[ Trial Quest – 01 ]
• Run 2 km (Incomplete)
• Push-ups ×10 (Incomplete)
• Squats ×40 (Incomplete)
Sam stared at the list.
His expression stiffened.
It had been four years since he had done anything remotely physical.
A faint unease crept into his chest.
"…This is going to hurt."
DING DONG! DING DONG!
The sudden sound of the doorbell made him flinch.
He frowned.
"That's… unusual."
It was rare for anyone to visit him.
Walking toward the door, a strange feeling settled in his chest.
Who could it be…?
He opened it.
And froze.
A young woman stood before him.
Her long black hair flowed like silk, framing a face so delicate it almost seemed unreal. Her eyes—clear and luminous—shone like crystal under the light.
For a brief moment, Sam forgot how to breathe.
Words failed him.
He had never seen someone like her before.
Not in real life.
Not even in his imagination.
"Hello."
Her voice was soft.
Sam's throat tightened.
"H–h… hello."
She watched him for a brief moment—calm, composed—before speaking again.
"My name is Aaira Desmon," she said. "Granddaughter of Ricardo Desmon, the Chancellor."
Sam blinked, trying to steady himself.
"Oh… you're the Chancellor's granddaughter?" he said quickly.
"Is he asking for me again? Do I have to come with you?"
Aaira shook her head gently.
"No."
The pressure in the air didn't fade—but it didn't increase either.
She raised her hand slightly, a polite gesture.
"May I come inside? There is something I would like to discuss."
Sam snapped out of his daze.
"Oh—right! Yes, of course. Sorry… I made you wait at the door."
He stepped aside hurriedly.
"And, uh… please don't mind the mess."
He rushed ahead.
Clothes were tossed aside, books stacked unevenly—he scrambled to fix everything at once.
"Just a second—please, sit…"
Aaira walked in without hesitation.
Her movements were slow, graceful.
She sat down neatly, knees folded beneath her beside the low table, as if she belonged there.
No hesitation.
No curiosity.
No caution.
That alone made Sam uneasy.
He quickly brought her a cold drink and placed it in front of her.
"H-here…"
"Thank you."
She picked it up and took a small sip.
Then she looked at him again.
"You may not realize this," she said calmly, "but this is not our first meeting."
Sam frowned.
"…What?"
"The first time," she continued, "I was in disguise—at the ground floor of the tower."
Sam's mind went blank.
He searched his memory—
Faces.
Crowds.
Strangers.
Nothing stood out.
"I… don't remember," he admitted.
Aaira smiled faintly.
"I was the one to show you to the orientation hall."
Sam surprised.
Noah's voice whispered in his mind.
"Boss… would you like to view her profile?"
Sam didn't move.
But inside his head, he answered.
…Yes.
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Flick.
Two… no, three translucent windows appeared in front of Aaira.
Floating silently in the air.
Only visible to him.
Sam's eyes widened slightly, but he forced his expression to remain steady.
The screens overlapped her figure—lines of data forming rapidly, as if something was analyzing her in real time.
Name.
Status.
Unknown variables.
Some parts… unreadable.
Aaira, however, showed no reaction.
She simply sat there, calm as ever, as if nothing had changed.
Which meant—
She couldn't see them.
Good… Sam thought.
[ TARGET PROFILE ]
Name: Aaira Desmon
Age: 23
Sex: Female
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 52 kg
Title(s):
• Heir of Desmon Bloodline
• Ice Queen
• Transcendent Genius
• ???
• ???
• ???
Level: 521
Race: Human
Condition: Stable
[ Attributes ]
Strength: ???
Agility: ???
Endurance: ???
Mana: ???
Intelligence: Prodigy
Luck: ???
[ ⚠ Attribute calculation denied — penalty detected on target attribute. ]
"Wait… a penalty?" Sam's thought.
[ Unique Traits ]
• Absolute Zero Affinity
Allows the user to manipulate temperature beyond natural limits, approaching absolute zero. All ice-based abilities gain exponential amplification.
• Dragon Eye
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
• Bloodline Authority (Dormant) – Not yet awakened
• ?????????
• ?????????
[ Skills ]
• Aura Control (Advanced)
• Perfect Disguise ( Expert)
• ???
• ???
[ System - Dr???????????]
[ Warning ]
⚠ Target cannot be fully analyzed.
⚠ Your level is too low to view certain target information.
⚠ Continued observation may alert target.
Noah's voice echoed sharply in Sam's mind.
"Boss… she is extremely dangerous. Your current level is zero. Please remain cautious around her."
Sam's throat went dry.
Level… zero…?
Before he could process that—
Aaira smiled.
A soft, knowing smile.
"Are you done?" she asked.
Sam froze.
"…What?"
Her eyes held his.
"Checking," she added calmly.
A chill ran down his spine.
His body reacted instantly—he took a slow step back.
Then another.
"How…?"
"How do you know?" he asked, unable to hide the tension in his voice.
Aaira tilted her head slightly.
"It's just a hunch."
Sam kept backing away, his guard fully raised now.
The distance between them grew—
But it didn't help.
Because that invisible pressure?
Aaira noticed.
Of course she did.
"Relax," she said gently.
"If I intended to hurt you… you wouldn't be standing right now."
Sam stopped.
Not because he trusted her—
But because he knew she wasn't exaggerating.
She took another small sip of her drink, completely at ease.
"Besides," she continued, "you've probably already realized something is… off about me."
Her eyes met his again.
Sharper this time.
"I tried to observe you earlier."
Sam's heart skipped.
"Tried?" he repeated.
Aaira nodded faintly.
"But I couldn't see much."
A brief pause.
"Just your name."
Aaira's faint smile returned—
Gentler this time.
"Just as expected," she said softly, "from the blood of a king."
Sam blinked.
Before he could ask more—
She shook her head lightly, as if setting the topic aside for now.
"Don't worry about that ," she added.
Then she looked at him again—this time, not as if judging him…
But understanding him.
"Sam," she said gently, "I know you're looking for answers… from Carl Zeiss."
Sam stiffened.
"How do you—"
She raised her hand slightly, stopping him.
"It's not as mysterious as you think," she said with a small smile.
"I was there too," Aaira said.
Sam frowned.
"…Where?"
She smiled faintly.
" Chancellor office"
Sam blinked.
Aaira's eyes curved slightly, a hint of amusement appearing.
"You were a little too focused to notice," she said gently.
Sam went still.
Then it hit him.
All the dots connected.
She had been in the office.
Watching.
"You won't be able to reach him like this," she continued. "Not yet."
The words were honest—
But not harsh.
"You need to grow stronger first."
Sam looked down for a moment.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
This time, it didn't feel like an insult.
It felt like… advice.
Aaira leaned forward slightly, resting her hands calmly on her knees.
"That's actually why I came here."
She met his eyes again—
Warm.
Steady.
"I want to invite you somewhere."
Sam looked up.
"…Where?"
Aaira smiled.
"The Shadow Academy."
The name sounded heavy.