The announcement came through a shimmering projection in the academy square:
> "Attention, students: The Faction Trials will begin in seven days. Form alliances, claim your positions, and prepare to prove your worth. Only the strong will thrive."
A storm of excitement swept the campus. To most students, the trials were a way to climb the academy hierarchy. But beneath the surface, they were also a war over access—to portals, to credits, to survival.
---
Elaris Academy's economy was brutal.
Everything cost credits—food, scrolls, gear, even basic training simulations. Students earned these through duels, hunting beasts, and claiming resources from portals. The strong thrived. The weak begged or fell.
To make things worse, most resources were locked behind faction gates. Without a team, you couldn't even enter many rifts.
---
Alexander listened from the sidelines as students rallied to powerful factions. His name wasn't called. His presence wasn't noticed. But he didn't mind.
Because he had something no one else did.
His System.
A self-contained, evolving interface only accessible by him. It let him absorb, modify, and reinforce skills, artifacts, and gear with experience points. But even more importantly—it connected him to a hidden feature of the world: the True Black Market.
Where others saw crude weapons and common supplies, his system highlighted potential.
> [Cracked Short Sword – Market Price: 5 Credits]
[System Enhancement Available – Cost: 20 XP]
Upgrade Path: Adaptive Blade – Evolves with Host.
While factions fought over beast drops, Alexander quietly used the market to stock up on cheap tools and slowly evolved them using his system. He didn't need fancy legacy weapons.
He'd make his own.
---
Back at Dorm D-17, his roommates were less concerned with fancy talk.
Jace groaned as he tossed his jacket on his bunk. "Everyone's grouping up. We'll be picked off one by one if we don't have a faction."
Milo adjusted his glasses. "We need access to a portal zone if we want to earn credits."
Zeke, sprawled across a chair, scowled. "We're broke, low-tier, and surrounded by freaks with elemental bloodlines. What's the plan?"
Alexander stood calmly near the window, eyes on the glowing towers outside.
"We form our own faction."
The room went silent.
"You serious?" Jace asked.
"I am. You want to survive or just watch?"
Zeke cracked his knuckles. "Hell, I'm in."
Milo smirked. "Better than sitting around waiting to be crushed."
---
Later that night, Alexander warped to his hidden base. With a single command, a holo-interface flared to life.
> [Base Link: Active]
[Black Market Connected]
[Available Crafting Modules: 3]
[Experience Points: 510]
[Potential Upgrades: Reinforced Gear, Stealth Field Lv.2, Item Conversion Node]
He sold a few beast parts gathered earlier and reinvested the credits into crafting.
His faction wouldn't have flashy names or noble bloodlines.
But it would have him.
And that was enough.