The smoke from the ventilation shaft had long since dissipated, carried away by the high-altitude winds of the Overlords Academy. The sun was rising on a new day, but the atmosphere on the floating island was heavy, charged with a tension that no amount of sunlight could dispel.

Alvian stood in the center of the Headmaster's office. It was a room of intimidating luxury, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea of clouds below. Books floating in mid-air were chained to shelves, and artifacts of immense power sat casually on desks like paperweights.

Behind the massive mahogany desk sat Headmaster Valerius. The old man looked weary. His beard, usually groomed to perfection, was frayed, and his eyes held the weight of a century of compromises.

"The Vice-Headmaster is in a stasis cell," Valerius said, his voice grave. "The evidence you and the Silent Watchers provided was… irrefutable. Bio-alchemy. Human experimentation. Treason against humanity."

Alvian stood with his arms crossed, his [Vestments of the Void Monarch] absorbing the morning light. He didn't look impressed. He looked bored.

"He was a symptom," Alvian stated flatly. "Not the disease. You cut off a limb, Headmaster. The infection is still in the blood."

Valerius sighed, rubbing his temples. "Perhaps. But thanks to you, the immediate threat of 'Subject Zero' is neutralized. You won the Tournament, Alvian. And you saved the Academy from a calamity that would have swallowed us whole."

The Headmaster stood up and walked over to a painting of the Academy's Founders. He waved his hand, and the painting dissolved, revealing a heavy, circular vault door made of star-metal.

"The prize for the Champion is access to the Genesis Forge and one item from my personal vault," Valerius said. "However, given your… extracurricular activities in the Undercroft, I believe you have already made use of the Forge's remote capabilities."

Alvian didn't flinch. "I used what was available to survive."

"Indeed," Valerius chuckled dryly. "You are an Anomaly, Alvian. Rogge saw it. Now I see it. The rules do not apply to you because you rewrite them as you walk."

The vault door groaned open. A golden light spilled out, accompanied by a rush of pure, condensed mana.

"Enter," Valerius gestured. "Take what you need. But be warned: The items inside are not mere tools. They have histories. Some have wills."

Alvian stepped inside.

The vault was a pocket dimension. It was endless rows of pedestals floating in a starry void. Weapons of war, grimoires of forbidden magic, and crystals containing the souls of ancient beasts.

Alvian walked past a sword that burned with eternal fire. He ignored a shield that generated its own gravity field.

[System Scan: Active.]

[Analyzing Loot Table…]

Most of these items were Legendary grade. Powerful, yes. But Alvian didn't need raw power. He had the [Lance of the Void Winter] for damage and the [Vestments] for defense. He had infinite mana.

He needed utility. He needed a key to unlock the next stage of his evolution.

His eyes landed on a small, unassuming pedestal in the back. On it sat a jagged piece of black metal. It didn't glow. It didn't hum. It seemed to suck the light out of the room, creating a small dead zone around it.

[Item Detected: Fragment of the World Shell]

[Grade: Unknown]

[Type: Material / Catalyst]

[Description: A shard from the barrier that separates the Game World from Reality. It contains the code of the Convergence itself.]

Alvian's heart skipped a beat. This was it. A piece of the wall between dimensions.

"You have a keen eye," Valerius said, appearing behind him. "That is a dangerous piece of rock. It drove the last mage who touched it insane. He claimed he could hear the universe screaming."

"I've heard worse," Alvian said.

He reached out.

"Warning," the System flashed in his mind. "High-Level Dimensional Interference."

Alvian grabbed the shard.

"ZZZT!"

A shock of black lightning shot up his arm. It wasn't pain; it was data. Raw, unfiltered information about the structure of the world flooded his brain. He saw the code of the sky, the mana density of the air, the timer ticking down to the apocalypse.

[Item Acquired: Fragment of the World Shell.]

Alvian placed it in his inventory. The shock faded, leaving his hand numb.

"I'll take this," Alvian said.

"Very well," Valerius nodded, though he looked concerned. "And the Forge access?"

"I have the key," Alvian said, tapping his pocket. "I intend to use the physical location. The remote interface is… inefficient."

"Go then," Valerius waved his hand, and they were transported back to the office. "But Alvian… the Syndicate knows who you are now. They won't send prototypes anymore. They will send their best."

Alvian walked to the door. He paused, his hand on the handle.

"Let them send their best," Alvian said, his voice cold. "I have empty inventory slots to fill."

He walked out.

Waiting for him in the hallway were Valeria and Seraphina. Valeria looked better, her arm in a sling but her color returned. Seraphina was spinning a dagger, looking anxious.

"Well?" Seraphina asked. "Did you get the good stuff?"

"I got what I needed," Alvian said. "We're going to the Forge."

"Now?" Valeria asked. "You just fought a Calamity Host yesterday."

"The Syndicate isn't taking a day off," Alvian said, walking past them. "Neither am I."

They followed him. They descended through the Academy, past the classrooms, past the dorms, down to the sealed heavy blast doors of Sub-Level 9.

Alvian inserted the [Key to the Genesis Forge +1].

"CLANK. HISS."

The doors opened.

This wasn't the remote rift Alvian had seen in the lab. This was the real thing.

The room was vast, dominated by a massive anvil in the center that seemed to be made of a dying star. Hammers floated in the air, controlled by unseen spirits. The heat was spiritual, warming the soul rather than the skin.

But it wasn't empty.

Sitting on the anvil, legs crossed, was a holographic projection.

It was Rogge.

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