The Anomaly's Path

”Grandpa?!”

The word slipped from my lips, a sharp whisper that was lost in the sudden shift in the room.

Down at the podium, Sylvia’s perfect noble mask didn’t just crack — it completely shattered. Her back went stiff, and her cold eyes went wide with real shock. She looked up toward the high balcony.

She had not been told. The whole Celestial family had been kept in the dark about this.

Then, the whispers started.

It began as a low murmur from the people, but within seconds, the voices spread through the rows of students like fire, growing into a wave of disbelief.

”The Lightning Sovereign...? Zephyr von Celestial?”

”Wait, the Zephyr? The monster who disappeared twelve years ago?!”

”Are you insane? He’s not just a powerhouse... he’s a Sovereign! A literal living legend who practically stepped into the demi-god domain! What is a man like that doing here?!”

”The hero of the Great Outbreak... the one who fought the demon prince twelve years ago and then vanished into thin air... He’s alive?”

The weight of that name alone was crushing.

A Sovereign wasn’t some random, high-ranking person or a standard family elder. They were the absolute peak of humanity’s strength, walking disasters capable of reshaping landscapes with a casual flick of their wrists.

For over a decade, the world had assumed Zephyr was either dead or in eternal seclusion, a myth from old history books. Yet here he was, standing in our school auditorium like it was a normal day.

My mind stopped listening to the voices around me. My thoughts were racing.

What the actual hell is going on? I thought, my hands clenching into fists inside my pockets.

This makes zero sense. In the game, Zephyr didn’t show up until the much later arcs, when the Abyss Generals launched their full-scale invasion. And his death... it was one of the biggest mysteries of the entire game.

Nobody knew how or where he died, just that humanity lost its strongest shield right when they needed him most.

I stared intently up at the balcony, a cold sweat forming at the back of my neck. Things are changing. The plot is drifting completely off course. If he’s here right now, does that mean his timeline has shifted too?

No. I can’t let him walk into whatever trap or fate took him down in the original game. I need him alive. Humanity needs monsters like him to survive the coming war. If my presence is butterfly-effecting the timeline, I’ll just have to make sure I grow strong enough to change his fate, too.

A sharp gasp from the front rows pulled me out of my thoughts. From the shadows of the high balcony, a figure stepped forward into the bright light of the windows.

The entire auditorium went dead silent.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop drastically, the air instantly filling with the faint, smell of lightning that made the hairs on my arms stand straight up. But it wasn’t just his sheer, overwhelming presence that made the students gasp — it was his face.

He didn’t look like an old, wrinkled man who had crawled out of a retirement home or spent centuries in a dusty cave.

Zephyr von Celestial stood tall, his posture carrying an easy but terrifying grace. He wore a fitted dark blue coat with silver trim on the shoulders, looking sharp and clean. His face looked like it was carved from stone — sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, and short, dark hair.

He bore a striking, almost mirror-like resemblance to my father, Noah Celestial.

He looked like a younger version of his own son, a man completely in his physical prime. But unlike Noah, Zephyr’s brilliant, ocean-blue eyes held a terrifying depth — a profound intelligence and a chilling calmness that felt as heavy as a mountain.

Zephyr walked slowly to the edge of the balcony and rested his hands on the marble railing as he looked down at the sea of new students.

His gaze swept over the crowd, lazy but absolute.

When those brilliant, warmth-less blue eyes finally drifted toward the middle section and locked directly onto me, I felt a sudden, chill run straight down my spine.

It was a bizarre, deeply uncomfortable sensation — as if those ocean-blue eyes were peeling back my clothes, my flesh, and my very soul, leaving me feeling completely naked in front of the old man.

My eye twitched.

Old monster, I cursed in my head, forcing myself to stay relaxed despite the sweat on my back. Stop looking at me like you’re trying to read my search history.

Zephyr raised a hand, and a small grin broke across his otherwise serious face, instantly cutting through the heavy pressure in the room.

”...At ease, little grasshoppers,” Zephyr’s voice echoed through the hall. It was not loud, and he did not use any magic, but the deep, smooth sound of his voice reached every corner of the room.

”I know, I know. You were all expecting an old man with a cane to come out and lecture you about the ’glory of the domain’ for hours. Sorry to disappoint. I do not do boring.”

A few hesitant, nervous chuckles rippled through the faculty, while the students just stared in absolute awe.

The legendary Sovereign was surprisingly... chill.

”Headmaster Vega over there likes his long speeches,” Zephyr continued, throwing a casual, playful glance toward Vega, whose eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

”But personally? I think if I speak any longer, half of you are going to pass out from hunger, and the other half are going to die of pure boredom. And frankly, I didn’t travel across the world just to put a batch of freshmen to sleep. I can see a few of you were already trying to catch some sleep anyway.”

Zephyr’s eyes moved toward my row. My lips twitched. He is definitely talking about me. The old man is aiming that right at me.

”So, let’s cut the boring crap and get to the part you actually care about,” Zephyr said, his tone turning slightly more serious, though the easygoing smirk remained.

”Your rewards. You survived the Sealed Valley. You proved you aren’t completely useless. Now, the academy is going to pay you for it. The rules here are simple: the higher your freshman rank, the more resources you get.”

He gestured broadly toward the completely blank, massive holographic screen hovering in the center of the hall.

”Every one of the top ten will get a special Elite Badge,” Zephyr said, pointing at the screen.

”This badge gives you access to the best dorms in the inner circle. You also get your own personal training room. The higher your rank, the better your room and training facilities. The top ten get to live in a separate building. Private rooms. No sharing. Only the elite of each year.”

Private rooms and personal training spaces. No roommates. That was the dream.

”On top of that, you get library access. Rank ten to four get silver badge access — second and third floors. Rank three to two get gold badge access — up to the fourth floor. And rank one gets platinum badge access — the whole library. Every floor. Every restricted section.”

More whispers. The library had floors that normal students could not even enter. Restricted sections filled with old techniques and knowledge.

...And the Primus could walk into all of them.

”Along with that, you’ll be loaded with Merit Points based strictly on your performance. You can use these points for everything in the Astra Academy City. Food, high-grade mana cores, paying your tuition fees, renting private training chambers, or buying high-tier skills, combat arts, and rare artifacts from the vault. If you have the points, you’re a king. If you don’t, you’re a beggar. Clear?”

The students around me leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with pure greed and ambition. Merit and Credit Points were the true lifeblood of this place.

”Now, let’s see who actually made the cut,” Zephyr said, snapping his fingers. ”When your rank is called, get up here on stage to claim your badge and your prize. Let’s start from the bottom of the top.”

The blank holographic screen flared, flashing the very first line of golden text.

_

”Rank 10: Caster Ironwell — 4,900 Exam Points.”

Down in the front rows, the half-dwarf genius visibly jumped in his seat. Caster’s face flushed a deep crimson, and his hands shook nervously as he looked around, looking entirely overwhelmed by the sudden spotlight. He scrambled out of his chair, practically stumbling over his own feet as he walked up the stage steps.

Zephyr handed him a polished silver Elite badge. ”Not bad, kid. You’ve got 4,900 Merit points. Go take your spot.” Caster nodded, clutching his badge like a lifeline, and stood to the side.

The screen flickered again, updating to the next rank.

”Rank 9: Nyra Silverfang — 6,100 Exam Points.”

Nyra stood up, walking onto the stage with a tense, quiet grace. Zephyr tossed her a silver badge, announcing her reward of 6,100 Credits, which drew appreciative nods from the crowd.

”Rank 8: Cordelia Valerion — 8,300 Exam Points.”

”Rank 7: Amelia Nightshade — 11,200 Exam Points.”

One by one, the names appeared, and one by one, the candidates walked up to the stage to receive their badges and their matching Merit amounts. The whispers in the crowd grew louder as the scores steadily climbed.

Then, the screen updated again, and the atmosphere shifted.

”Rank 6: Riven Ashford — 15,700 Exam Points.”

A sharp gasp came from the front rows.

Riven sat completely frozen for a split second, his eyes staring at the screen in utter horror. His face twisted into a mask of pure, ugly frustration, his teeth grinding together so hard I could practically hear them from here.

He stood up stiffly, his fists clenched as he marched up to the stage, grabbing his silver badge and his 15,700 Merit points with a face that looked ready to murder someone.

The crowd didn’t even have time to digest his anger before the next name flashed.

”Rank 5: Alice Scarlet — 15,800 Exam Points.”

Alice let out a heavy, relieved sigh, a small smile tugging at her lips. She had beaten Riven by exactly one hundred points. She stood up, smoothed her uniform, and walked up the steps to get her badge and her 15,800 points.

As she took her spot in line, she gave the frustrated Riven a smug, nasty look. Riven looked like he wanted to bite a hole through the stage floor.

Rank 4: Elisabeth von Noctis – 22,500 Exam Points

Elisabeth’s name appeared next, drawing a wave of respectful murmurs. Breaking past the twenty-thousand mark was huge. She walked up to claim her badge and 22,500 Credits with cold, unreadable efficiency.

Now, only the top three remained. The entire auditorium tightened, everyone holding their breath for the final heavy hitters.

”Rank 3: Arthur Vale — 35,100 Exam Points.”

The entire auditorium erupted into absolute chaos.

”What?! The Hero candidate is only Rank 3?!”

”Arthur Vale? The guy who literally slaughtered high-tier monsters in the valley? How the hell is he not Rank 1?!”

”35,100 points is insane, but who the hell could possibly beat that?!”

Arthur’s golden eyes widened in genuine shock, his breath hitching slightly as he stared at his name sitting firmly at number three. He didn’t look angry — just confused. He stood up slowly, his mind clearly racing as he walked up the steps, received his silver badge, and claimed his massive 35,100 points.

”Rank 2: Roan Sol-Valis — 38,200 Exam Points.”

Roan instantly burst out laughing, completely ignoring the stunned, disbelieving stares of the students around him. He shattered the remaining tension by slapping his knee and leaning back in his chair with a massive, triumphant grin.

”Haha! Sucked in, Arthur! I beat you by a hair! Look at that!”

His sister Lyssaria immediately covered her face and groaned beside him, completely embarrassed by his lack of dignity as Roan practically strolled up to the stage, beaming with pride as he claimed his badge and his 38,200 points.

But as Roan’s laughter finally died down on stage, a heavy, terrifying realization settled over the grand hall.

If Arthur Vale was Rank 3 with 35k, and Roan Sol-Valis was Rank 2 with 38k... then who on earth was the monster occupying Rank 1?

Suddenly, as if drawn by the same invisible pull, hundreds of heads slowly turned. Hundreds of eyes moved away from the stage, away from the front rows, and locked onto one single direction.

They all stared toward the middle section.

Toward me.

The white-haired guy who had arrived late, complained about the architecture, kicked his boots up, and treated the entire sacred ceremony like a massive joke.

The whispers turned into a terrified, shaking buzz.

Up on the balcony, Zephyr von Celestial looked down at me, a massive, amused grin spreading across his face. He raised his hand and pointed a single, gloved finger directly at my face.

”...And taking the absolute peak of the freshman batch,” Zephyr announced, his voice booming with an undeniable pride.

”Rank 1: Leo von Celestial — 87,450 Exam Points.”

The holographic screen flashed with a blinding gold light, and my name appeared at the very top of the board, showing a huge, ridiculous number of points that made every student’s jaw drop. Eighty-seven thousand four hundred and fifty points.

Almost three times more than Roan and Arthur combined.

I sat perfectly still in my chair, my boots slowly dropping off the seat in front of me as the entire auditorium erupted into a collective scream of pure, shock. Beside the podium, Sylvia didn’t say a single word, her lips pressed into a dangerously sharp line as she stared a hole right through my head.

In the next moment, I would have to walk down that long path, climb those steps, and claim a badge that was entirely different from the rest — the Primus badge.

...Well, fuck, I thought, the weight of the entire batch’s jealousy practically burning a hole through my back. There goes my quiet school life.

Of course, there was a huge grin on my face.

Hehe. This is going to be fun.