“How did the guards let you into my office?” Varaxis stared at me with a stone-cold face. Her fists were clenched so hard I was sure they were about to bleed.

  “This matter is above petty disputes. Ivaldie vanished.” The dean didn’t seem surprised. “I asked everyone, checked her dorm, checked all the courses she attended. She vanished.”

  Varaxis grabbed a paper under her table and scribbled something. It took me a second to turn around the paper in my mind and for the translator to understand the letters. It was a list of names – Varaxis added another one.

  “When and where did that happen?”

  I clenched my teeth. “An hour and 32 minutes ago. We finished delving through the second floor of the Emerald Dungeon. She stepped through the portal, but didn’t come out on the other side.”

  Varaxis exhaled, and steam came out of her nostrils. “I received your report. Leave or I will make you.”

  “Ivaldie isn’t the only one, is she? 22 more people disappeared. Is that normal here?” I couldn’t hold back my starpower.

  “Show her, master!” And neither could my assistant.

  “You are not to meddle in the matters above your station, human. Leave. I am not asking.”

  Force pressed on the room like an additional layer of gravity. “Why aren’t you doing anything!?”

  Varaxis spread her own aura, and suddenly, my instinctual force form couldn’t grab on to anything. Her face didn’t change at all. That arrogant stare.

  “This is about the Betrayer… That’s why you aren’t involving me. I’m still a suspect in your eyes, isn’t that right? You’re failing to find it. Is Rame happy about this? Why aren’t you calling for backup? The guards and the checks haven’t done anything!”

  Starpower rolled in droves from her; she raised her hand.

  I took a deep breath. “Were you checked? Do you even have a clue what it’s doing, or are you just stumbling in the dark?”

  Her fingers curled. I blanked out.

  When I became aware, guards were escorting me out of her office.

  “That fucking bitch.” I slapped away the guard’s hand. “Do you know what’s happening? People are disappearing, and all you’re doing is just scuttling around the station.”

  The spear flying near her flew closer to her hand. “It’s your fault, human. If you didn’t come here, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “You’re dragons, how come a pathetically weak geist is making circles around you?”

  The guard groaned. “Be glad I don’t have the authority to issue administrative punishments, child.” She turned around and started walking away.

  “None of them know what they’re doing… None of them.” I gasped for air. My mind spun in circles.

  A determined voice appeared in my head. “Master! Snap out of it~”

  Right, I was a supreme wizard… I could do this; I could solve this. “Thank you.”

  My assistant hummed a yes.

  I went straight to Steel’s dorm. It was just like any other one. Holding my breath, I knocked at the door.

  No response.

  I knocked again, this time louder, and a visible crack was left on the door…

  Could the Betrayer have gotten her? I exhaled and slammed the door open.

  “Thank magic…” Steel was peacefully sleeping on her bed. A trail of drool dripped on the floor. I approached her and shook her. “Wake up!”

  “Wha? Magnus?” Her eyes opened. “I was… Kory…” She shook her head.

  “Ivaldie vanished. She wasn’t alone; at least 22 other students disappeared.”

  “Ivaldie vanished?!”

  “That’s what I said. Something is really, really wrong here.” I summoned a barrier around us and imbued it with the property of absorbing sounds.

  “I was talking to Kory in the dream. She said something similar… She said that the dreamscape is changing – it’s becoming more evil.”

  “Fuck.”

  I paced around the room, trying to think of anything. “What do we do?”

  Steel shrugged. “The professors can handle it; they are very strong.”

  “And what if they are compromised? What then?”

  She didn’t find a response to that one.

  “We are fucked if that’s the case… We need to grow stronger. Maybe we can stockpile food, learn some growing techniques, and hide in the dungeon.” My eyes opened wide. “I think I have a clue.”

  The dragon-girl scratched her head. “We can’t take Kory into the dungeon. Let’s not do that…”

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  I gulped. I thought I could expand the portal and transport the vat. “Maybe there is a way… Let’s make you a trait first. The stronger we are, the better chances of our survival.”

  “I’m not going without Kory.”

  “I was just throwing ideas. We’ll figure something out. Wash your face, and let’s move. You look like a mess.”

  Nothing changed around the station. Students walked just as usual, and guards patrolled every corner. All the normal conversations kept happening. And yet people disappeared. And I was the cause.

  We reached the requisition hall. “I request a baron rank core merge and 40 restoration panaceas.”

  The clerk widened her eyes, but didn’t question me.

  “I thought you had enough healing?”

  “I want to be extra certain.”

  I handed over my core pouch and waited with bated breath.

  “Why not feed the trait to me? It’s better for us to become stronger. Steel will only slow us~”

  “Allies are a form of power, trait.”

  “What are you mumbling about?”

  “Nothing just-” The clerk returned. In her hands was a giant core, nearly as big as the one used to make God’s Flesh.

  Actualized Potential (451 SE)

  Rank: Baron

  Affinity: Emerald

  Source: Combined Essences of the first floor and second floors of the Emerald dungeon.

  Description: Contains the refined essence of Emerald. The identity has been reduced to pure nature, making it susceptible to any modification. Cannot predict the possible loot.

  “This will be glorious~”

  “This will be glorious.”

  My assistant and I said in unison.

  The clerk placed two bottles of pills near it, too. “These are your requested items.”

  I disregarded the venomous glance. “Thank you.”

  “Fast, Steel. Time is short.” I shoved the core into the bag, gave Steel a bottle of pills for emergencies, and grabbed the other one myself.

  “Where do I store them?”

  “You can change your VITA! Make pockets.” I showed her.

  After she finished struggling with that, we ran to the biocrafting class.

  “Hello, Magnus. And Steel? What brings you here?” Simona said without looking away.

  “I’m making a trait for her.” I shivered. Could Simona also be under Betrayer’s control? Surely that’s not the case… I was getting paranoid.

  Steel nodded.

  “A trait? Isn’t it too early for you to make traits for someone? Each trait is a life-altering change – absorbing the wrong one can cripple someone’s potential. Have I told you about a pupil of mine who absorbed a 2 SE trait? She spent so much time trying to get it removed…”

  “I trust him.” Steel interrupted the talkative professor.

  “I actually need your help.” I took a deep breath. “Remember when you discussed the orcish ability to grow stronger from fighting to near-death?”

  She stopped manipulating the hologram and slithered to me. Simona’s eyes were narrowed. “This is a very dangerous trait you’re making… There is a reason orcs have the shortest lifespans.”

  “Steel has refined her regenerative abilities to the point where she can resist necrosis. It’s perfect for her build.”

  A glow appeared in Simona’s eyes. “Just like how that hungering assistant is perfect for you? Children, your lives are only starting; there is no need to risk them for power.”

  There was a need for power. There always was… But how could I explain without uncovering myself? Maybe it was time to tell the truth. I needed stronger allies. I conjured a sound-suppressing barrier around us.

  “Professor Simona.” I clenched my hands. If Simona was compromised, it would all be over anyway. “A terrible geist invasion will happen in fourteen years. We don’t have much time.”

  Steel nodded. “I need to get stronger for a friend.”

  Simona’s hands shook. Her tail wrapped around her. “I see…How do you know that, wait, no. I shouldn’t ask. The rumors are spreading here already.” She sighed. “I wish that the Galaxy wasn’t so cruel…”

  “Simona. What are the rumors? What is happening?”

  Steel just looked confused between us.

  “Elven seers are predicting a terrible war in the future. Don’t be swept up by them; seers are not reliable. You’re the second student who told me that exact timeline...”

  Second student. There was someone else who was sent by the Betrayer’s kind. I knew they would be somewhere; it was called the invasion system after all.

  “Who is she?”

  Simona shook her head. “She asked for her name to remain private, though seeing how your eyes lit up, you’ll know soon.”

  “Magnus. The trait.” Steel lightly patted my shoulder.

  “Right…” I looked down. More enemies were popping left and right. Was there ever a time I would rest without worrying? “Professor, I need an orc primer, preferably one that wasn’t streamlined.”

  “I will only give it to you if you promise to let me inspect the trait for curses.”

  I looked at Steel and then back to Simona. “Alright… Thank you, oh, and also, can you not tell anyone that I told you about the whole war thing?”

  “As you wish.” She nodded and poked a barrier. It dissolved into light. Swiftly, she slithered away into the storage room.

  “What’s an orc?” Steel asked, staring at the students who tirelessly crafted traits or designed genetic modifications.

  “Orcs are a human offshoot species. They were made specifically for war, but after fiends were defeated, they were exiled to the edges of the Outer Arm. They are the ones who are fighting off most null geists.”

  She scratched her head. “They sound strong. Why didn’t I hear about them?”

  “Because you haven’t read books… There is an astropolitics course that should be discussing that.”

  Simona charged back into the room. “Here it is, Magnus. I made sure to pick up the original primer, since you won’t be making a trait to sharpen your skills.”

  “Thank you again. Steel, let’s go. I’ll make you the second-best trait ever.”

  “Second best?”

  “Aww, master cares for me!”

  “I said what I said.”

  I marched to my workstation. I called it mine because no other student sat near it, and occasionally I would find some rather mean starpower graffiti. Even the biocrafting students stayed away from me.

  I spread open the neck of the core bag to ridiculous proportions and took out the giant gem. Gasps of surprise and murmurs of fear spread through the room.

  “Magnus! This desk is a training one… I don’t think it can handle a baron core.” Her eyes were wide open. “I know you’re excelling, but a baron core? You must’ve starved yourself, not absorbing any. Here!” She waved. “Use mine.”

  I gulped. Simona never let anyone else use her station. Was it a trap? Could she really be under Betrayer’s control? Or maybe she was just kind.

  “Okay, professor.” I grabbed the painfully large gem and got to her station.

  She sent a burst of starpower into the desk, and it turned around, becoming one used for trait crafting. The layout was similar to the training desk, but more detailed. Did the higher year students get access to these desks?

  “I thought you were going to make a high knight trait, not a baron one.” Simona chuckled. “It seems my warning was in vain.”

  “You’ve only seen me waste cores. I was searching for the limits of noosphere.”

  Steel coughed. “Make the trait. Remember – time.”

  I nodded. Simona stared at me with expectant eyes.

  I put the core in the center and slotted in the primer. It was going to be a hard trait.

  Orcs had a couple of biological abilities I wanted to concentrate on and enhance. The most important one was, of course, their rapid SE growth, but I was not going to hold back.

  “Master, were you thinking about adding the regeneration? Maybe we should absorb the trait after all? It would fix our weaknesses~”

  Not now, assistant. Just stay quiet for this and observe closely. I need you to remember this: you’ll be helping me make new traits after all.

  “I can’t forget, master. Neither can you!” The trait laughed like a jubilant gossip.

  I looked at the primer. The greenish flesh was resting inside the jar. I infused starpower through it and made a metaphysical stabilization form. The image of the noosphere in the hologram shook and stopped constantly quivering.

  It was time to make Steel overpowered.