At dawn two figures faced each other beneath the pale glow of the moon. One stood frozen, speechless, clutching a sword that pulsed with an eerie, red light. The other watched calmly, their expression unreadable.

"B-Boss… what happened to this sword's name? And the stats—these numbers are insane…" Alaric muttered, a mix of awe and disbelief trembling in his voice. His eyes flicked back and forth between the blade and the Status window displaying its name, hoping—desperately—that it was all his imagination.

[Name your work]

Strength: 519

Dexterity: 599

Fire affinity increased

(A sword made by an unknown blacksmith. Although good for someone who's just started the crafter didn't even bother naming it.)

"Oh, that?" Nova said with a shrug. "I crafted over twenty items and didn't have time to name every single one."

He gave Alaric a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. No one but you will ever see the names anyway."

Alaric nodded faintly, his eyes still glued to the glowing blade. A quiet whisper escaped his lips. "But I still see this thing…"

"What was that?" Nova asked, one eyebrow arched in suspicion.

"Nothing, nothing," Alaric replied quickly, slipping the sword into his Inventory.

"Good. Change your armor—we're meeting Thomas and that Wesley guy."

With a brisk nod, Alaric replaced his old armor with the new set. Moments later, the two of them were walking together through the dark corridors of the complex.

Minutes passed before they stepped into a room. Even from outside, the sound of animated chatter spilled through the doorway. Inside, Thomas, Elric, Neve, and Jasmine were locked in a lively discussion. Off to the side, Wesley stood apart—disinterested at first glance, though his twitching ears betrayed that he was listening closely.

The door creaked open, drawing everyone's attention. Heads turned in unison as Nova stepped into the room, Alaric close behind.

The moment Thomas laid eyes on him, he shot to his feet and roared, "YOU DECEIVED ME!"

Nova's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Your fault for entering a tournament when you're a teacher."

"I'M NOT A TEACHER ANYMORE! AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN A STUDENT!"

The room fell silent. The outburst left everyone stunned. Thomas—usually calm and friendly was now shouting at the top of his lungs. It didn't make sense.

Unfazed Nova strolled over and took a seat. "Actually," he said coolly, "I am a student. Which means I'm more than qualified to participate."

Thomas stood speechless. For a moment, everything Neve and Elric had explained to him over the past few hours vanished from his mind. Then, something clicked.

"You're from Univara, not Quarath!" he snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Nova.

"Minor details," Nova said with a casual shrug. "Think of it as me giving back to the city I live in now."

His laid-back reply earned a soft laugh from Jasmine, clearly pleased with her boss. After all her mother's academy had taken first place thanks to him.

Meanwhile, Wesley remained silent off to the side, his eyes locked on Nova.

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Once the room finally settled, Nova reached into his Inventory and pulled out a set of weapons. Without ceremony, he tossed them to Elric, Neve, and Thomas.

"These are the gifts I mentioned earlier."

Thomas caught his weapon, eyes widening as he examined the blade making Nova smirk.

"I did consider charging you," he said, watching Thomas closely. "But then it wouldn't really be a gift, would it?"

Gasps echoed around the room as everyone glanced at the stats. That awe quickly shifted into groans and eye-rolls the moment they saw the items' names.

Curious, Jasmine leaned forward. "Can I inspect one of them?"

What followed was an instant, unanimous chorus: "No."

She blinked, stunned by the collective rejection.

After all, the less people knew about the items' names, the better. No one wanted to be caught wielding a sword labeled [Name your work].

"Boss… about the price…" Elric said, narrowing his eyes at Nova. "Since Neve got it for free shouldn't I get some money back? Where exactly did my tournament winnings go?"

With a calm nod, Nova reached into his Inventory and tossed a set of armor to him. "You're right. That's why I made armor—just for you. Is that good enough?"

Elric's eyes lit up the moment the armor hit his hands. Beaming, he nodded furiously. "Good enough. It's good enough!"

"I wonder what kind of armor he got to be that excited…" Thomas muttered under his breath—voicing the question everyone else in the room, except for Alaric, was silently thinking.

Not one to beat around the bush, Nova turned to Wesley—who had been silently observing from the side—and asked calmly, "I heard you wanted to meet me. Is there something you need?"

Wesley stood slowly, his gaze sweeping the room before he spoke. "Shouldn't we talk in private?"

Nova gave a short chuckle. "No need. You can say whatever you like right here."

After a brief pause, Wesley nodded and said evenly, "I want you to train me."

Silence fell like a stone.

Then Thomas burst out laughing.

"You want him to train you?" he said between laughs. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

At his words, everyone else's lips twitched—barely suppressing their own reactions. Even Nova cracked a small smile.

"If I remember correctly, I taught you too," Nova said with a smug smile.

The room instantly fell silent. Thomas's laughter died mid-breath.

Turning back to Wesley, Nova continued, "So tell me—why do you want me to train you? There are plenty of people who are qualified to do that."

Wesley drew a breath, steadying himself. "Because… I saw you fight in the tournament. And I want to learn from you."

Nova sighed and shook his head. "No can do. I'm too busy to dedicate myself to training a single person. I can answer a few questions here and there, but full-on teaching? Not happening. You'll be assigned to a general—they'll handle your training."

From the side, Jasmine listened carefully. She didn't know much either, but unlike Wesley, she wasn't nearly as picky about who taught her. From what she had heard none of the generals was weak so was there any difference between who taught her?

"How strong are these generals?" Wesley asked, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

This time, Nova glanced over at Alaric and raised a brow. "What exactly did you talk about with him?"

Alaric lowered his head slightly and awkwardly said "He didn't say much to me. Just asked to speak with you directly."

Nova let out a quiet sigh, then turned to Wesley. "You should've sparred with Alaric first—we could've skipped this whole conversation. Go out, have a match. If, after that, you still want to join, ask him anything you like. If not, you're free to walk away."

Wesley gave a slow, thoughtful nod before silently exiting the room with Alaric.

As the door closed behind them, Jasmine spoke up. "So… who's the general I'm assigned to?

Nova turned to her. "No one yet. The other generals are currently clearing out Blue portals. Alaric's the only one around right now, and he doesn't need neither a commander nor a captain. Once they're back, you'll be free to join whichever faction suits you."

"Factions?" Jasmine echoed, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Mhm," Nova hummed, waving a hand dismissively. "Each general leads a different faction, each with its own specialization. You'll learn more later."

He leaned back slightly, clearly uninterested in diving into a full explanation. After spending half the day at the forge, all he wanted now was a moment of peace.

Seeing her new boss so clearly checked out, Jasmine wisely decided to let the topic drop—for now.

Turning his gaze to Thomas, Nova asked, "How long do you plan on staying?"

After a moment's thought, Thomas replied, "I came here with plenty of time to spare… but I spent most of it waiting for you." He gave Nova a glare. "I probably should get going. Before the tournament, I told them I'd be back right after. They might start worrying."

"Alright," Nova said with a smile. "If you want, you can grab Alaric on your way out and bring him along. Next time, I'll know where to find you if I need something."

Thomas snorted, a brief smirk tugging at his lips. "That goes both ways—now that I know where you live."

He stood, offering Neve, Elric, and Jasmine a polite smile. Then, with a casual wave, he turned and left. "See you next time," he called over his shoulder.

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