Aston was guided by Ichor to a terminal on the side.

The terminal flickered quietly before him, nestled at the edge of the exchange hall's outer ring. Its black crystal surface shimmered faintly, reflecting Aston's face—and then it shifted. Lines of pale silver text scrolled upward.

[Welcome, Initiate.] [Codename Required.] [This designation will be permanent within Shadow Operations.]

He paused.

Behind him, the vast hall of the Outer Ring pulsed softly. Ichor had already disappeared into a deeper hallway, her panther-like spirit beast leaped into the waterfall, fading into the waters..

Gray watched silently from beside his feet, and Mirage circled once overhead before landing softly on a high balustrade.

A codename. Not a nickname. Not a symbol of strength.

A name with weight, with secrecy.

Aston considered several—themes from myth, fragments of code he'd heard whispered during lectures. Then he remembered–-a mythical helmet that grants invisibility, even to the eyes of gods.

His fingers moved.

[Selected Codename: Kynee]

The terminal hummed.

[Codename Confirmed: KYNEE]

[Welcome, Operative Kynee.]

The silver-gold letters faded, and a new menu replaced them. It was lean, efficient—pages of mission types, priority rankings, and clearance tiers. But before he could scroll further, a secondary prompt appeared.

[Note: From this point on, assignments completed within Shadow Operations will not award Academy AP directly.]

[Instead, mission rewards will be converted into redeemable merit—transferred as AP via Shadow Ops-linked faculty or senior operatives.]

[All successful missions earn Shadow Coins (SC) based on evaluation metrics.]

Aston leaned closer.

Below the message, a list of rewards and categories unfolded: from foundational gear to rare elixirs and spirit beast resources. He tabbed over to the "Exchange Hall" listing.

The chamber he stood in now was empty, but its network was vast—linked to vaults beneath the Academy that most students didn't even know existed. The interface was smooth, reactive. Prices hovered beside each item in floating script.

[Spirit Refinement Salts – 3 SC] [Essence Stabilizer Array – 10 SC] [Umbral Cloak (Novice Grade) – 15 SC] [Shadow Ink Kit – 5 SC]

He kept scrolling.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

[Crimson Bloom Catalyst – 9 SC] [Glassflare Syringe – 13 SC]

Until he reached the elixir part.

[Nature Bloom Elixir – 5 SC]

[Potion of Wellness – 2 SC]

[Transcendence Elixir – 10 SC]

His hand froze.

[Crimson Genesis Elixir – 5 SC]

This was the elixir that 'changed' his life for the better. The one he 'drank' so that he can enter the academy and contract his beast. Only 5 SC, which is understandable. The elixir is essentially useless to an organization full of spirit professionals, unless they had a clear-cored descendant that needs elevation to red.

But, it was the item below it that caused his hand to freeze. A glint escaped from his eye.

[Raging Vulcan Elixir – 30 SC]

The elixir pulsed slightly on the screen, as if heat radiated from its very image. Its vial was swirled with deep amber and searing scarlet. Even through the crystal panel, Aston could feel its weight—its heat.

[Raging Vulcan Elixir]

[Type: Potential Modifier]

[Effect: Upon successful absorption, forcibly refines potential tier from Red to Orange. Warning: high volatility and mental effects. Requires tempered core and minimum resilience threshold.]

[Restricted to Tier 2 or higher initiates.]

Aston stared.

It was during the first lesson in the academy—FOU-100—that he learned that there are other elixirs that can boost ones potential. Above the Crimson Genesis Elixir is the Raging Vulcan Elixir which could boost a red-cored potential to an orange one. Although its side effects are elevated aggression and volatile emotions, its benefits outweigh the cons.

And here it was. Not locked behind politics or market bids. Just 30 SC.

He didn't even realize Mirage had glided closer until her talons clicked on the platform's edge. She peered at the screen with narrowed eyes, feathers slightly ruffled.

Gray made a small, curious chuff.

He looked further down.

[Radiant Sunshine Elixir – 600 SC]

Just like the value of yellow-cored potentials are far greater than the red- and the orange-cored individuals, the cost it takes to redeem it jumps from six times that of red-to-orange to twenty times.

Aston's eyes lingered on the digits. The cost wasn't just steep—it was deliberate. A silent reminder of how far one had to climb, and how few ever would. This wasn't charity. The Shadow Ops didn't hand out power—they measured who was worthy of reaching it. Every coin was a test, and every reward, a gate.

This meant the system here was real. Earn enough, and you could shape the future yourself. With the right missions, the right exchanges, the Shadow Ops strand could provide access to things the outside world would never allow.

Behind him, another door clicked open. A young operative in a dull-gray cloak passed through, not sparing him a glance. No words. No nods. Just a shift of the hallway mist and a silent footstep into another corridor.

Shadow Ops wasn't a club. It was a current—subtle, fast, and relentless.

Aston stepped away from the exchange screen, the memory of the Vulcan Elixir still fresh in his mind.

He turned, hands in his pockets, eyes calm.

In less than a year, his core would no longer be red. He needed another smokescreen when it happened. By then, he has to have at least 30 Shadow Coins to exchange for the elixir.

He had always intended to hide it—to let them believe the Crimson Genesis Elixir was responsible for his 'awakening'. That the red core was his origin, not a stepping stone. But now, standing in a place where power could be bought quietly, earned in shadows, and never questioned, the plan could evolve.

Let them see the change. Let the world whisper of a miraculous rise, of a red potential breaching orange through nothing more than effort and elixirs.

They would never suspect the truth hidden beneath it all.

He didn't need permission.

He needed belief—and just enough Shadow Coins to sell the lie.

Operative Kynee stepped back into the current, a shadow among shadows—with a lie to shape, and a future to build.

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