Black Solstice-Chapter 22: Unique Talent [1]

Upon spending a few more hours in the library, reading through the Book of Internal Affairs, Constitutional Foundations of the Demon Realm, and the Basic Study of Arcanum, both Major and Minor series, I finally closed the last volume with a quiet exhale.

My mind felt pleasantly dense, layered with new information about demonic governance, arcane classifications, and the bizarre legal frameworks that held the three continents together.

It wasn’t everything I needed to know... but it was enough for today.

Even an ant had to started from somewhere.

Tucking the borrowed books under my arm, I stepped out of the library.

Looking above, it seemed to be around afternoon time. A good way to know the passage of time in the Demon Realm was to observe the color of the sky.

Unlike the human world, Nifleheim didn’t rely on the sun’s position because there was no sun here. Instead, the sky shifted through a gradient of eerie hues determined by the Will of the World.

Right now, the horizon glowed with a muted violet sheen, streaked faintly with the color of amber, which represented "Mid-cycle afternoon."

Hm. Seems I’ve got enough time left to make a stop at that place.

I straightened my posture, adjusted the strap on my uniform, and set off at a steady pace.

My next destination was clear.

I began making my way toward the administrative wing.

It was a large building designed with smooth lines and unique appearance, the the Student Service Center.

Proceeding to the second floor, and with the guidance of a staff, I registered all my courses of interest which were Computer Science, Mystical Engineering, Rune Architecture, Quantum Sorcery, along with the compulsory Applied Shadow Theory and Combat Arts.

Solstice Academy allowed students to freely choose their courses, much like any higher institution in the Human Domain. Everything depended on the future role a devil wished to pursue within society.

For example, if one intended to become a financial regulator or a high-ranking merchant lord in the field of Commerce and Business, then they would be required to study economic flow theory, demonic market psychology, contract law, and resource management.

Likewise, devils aspiring toward administrative positions needed to specialize in governance, historical policy and the constitution.

Those who sought technological fields entered the Department of Arcane Engineering. Healers and support-type devils attended the Department of Restoration Arts, while combat-oriented students trained in either Knight or Mage Division.

All students were permitted to enroll in up to eight courses.

After finishing the registration process, the staff instructed me to head to the third floor for attribute testing.

Holding the document they provided, I made my way up the staircase.

The hallway twisted more than I expected, but after several turns I finally located the Basic Attribute Testing Room.

The space inside was wide and meticulously organized, filled with an array of magical instruments designed for measurement and analysis. It reminded me more of a radiology lab than anything academic. The demon race possessed all kinds of peculiar technologies.

Combat Arts was one of the compulsory courses that every devil had to take. From the little I had read, the curriculum was split into two major branches known as the Mage Division and Knight Division.

It was a difference in path that shaped a devil’s combat style and philosophy.

Devil Sages used reishi to strike from afar. Devil Knights, in contrast, specialized in close-range combat.

Of course, everything depended on the Mystical Ability a devil awakened with. Some abilities were purely utility-based, yet they were valued just as highly, sometimes even more, because of their versatility. A flexible ability could secure a place anywhere.

I let out a faint, wry smile.

Too bad I am completely human. Theoretically, anything with a soul should be capable of wielding reishi and bending it with sheer will. But the system of devils wasn’t reishi but Arcanum. That was something humans were never born with.

Humans, on the other hand, forged contracts with the Gods of Machine to obtain power... but information on that subject was nearly nonexistent. Either it had never been made public, or the Vatican Church guarded those secrets so fiercely that nothing ever leaked.

...Actually, now that I thought about it, it would be dangerous if humans could freely wield those abilities without restriction.

Even so, being excluded entirely was its own form of discrimination.

I shook the thought away and looked around.

It might have already been late in the afternoon because the place was less crowded than I expected.

The teacher whose name tag read "Tyrus" lifted her gaze from the desk behind the office and quickly focused on me.

"Ah, another freshman. Please, come this way."

The blonde-haired teacher in charge of attribute testing carried a gentle presence. A kind, delighted smile rested on her face.

If you didn’t know better, you would never have guessed she was a devil.

When I approached the desk, she guided me to place my hand on the measuring device.

It was some kind of orb.

She must have noticed my skepticism because Tyrus began to explain.

"Do not be alarmed. This is simply an attribute tester. It measures the total amount of reishi drawn from your SP and gives it a numerical value."

Confused, I asked, "Sorry, what’s SP?"

"Spiritual pressure. It is the manifestation of your released reishi. You just need to release a little bit of your reishi."

"I see."

This was a problem, because I still didn’t know how to manipulate reishi.

Ms. Kat said I instinctively used reishi when my life was in danger. Humans and devils can both use it, so I should be able to wield it to some extent.

Besides, if I failed to use reishi here, it would definitely look suspicious.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the magic recorder and slipped into deep concentration, attempting to will my reishi to move.

A faint warmth stirred beneath my palm.

It flickered at first, like a spark struggling to catch fire. Then, slowly, something inside me began to uncoil.

The orb trembled.

Light seeped into it in thin, wavering strands, as if reluctant to acknowledge my existence. The glow was neither stable nor uniform, but it was there.

I clenched my jaw, keeping my focus steady.

The warmth rose from within my chest, pooled through my arm, and finally flowed into the orb in a muted pulse of pale color. It felt unnatural, like forcing a muscle I had never used before.

The orb vibrated once.

Then...

Crack–!

...Broke and split apart.

A sharp gasp escaped Tyrus before she could stop herself.

Shards of the orb clattered across the desk like fragments of crystal ice, scattering in every direction. A thin mist of residual reishi shimmered in the air and quickly faded away like dust.

I jerked my hand back instinctively.

"...W-What? Why did it break?"

Frowning, she said:

"This never happened before. These devices are reinforced specifically to withstand high-density readings. Could it have been faulty? Wait here, let me get another."

Tyrus hurried to the storage cabinet along the wall, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. I remained frozen beside the desk, staring at the shattered remnants of the first orb.

Moments later, she returned back to the desk. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

But.

’Hold on... what’s up with this numbers?’

I counted at least ten of them.

Tyrus lowered the stack of orbs onto the desk with both hands, exhaling as though she’d just carried something far heavier than glass.

Ten pristine attribute testers.

Her smile wavered.

"I... apologize for the delay," she said carefully. "Given what happened just now, I’d like to run multiple verifications. Think of this as a diagnostic trial."

Diagnostic trial.

A polite way of saying this shouldn’t be possible, so we’re about to test the anomaly until we get a real answer.

I swallowed once.

"...Alright. What do you need me to do?"

Tyrus gestured to the first orb in the row.

"Same procedure. Place your hand on it, release just a minimal amount of reishi. Do not push yourself. Even a small trace is enough."

The last time I barely managed a flicker, and the device exploded like a stress ball full of fireworks.

Still, I nodded.

The room seemed quieter than before.

Maybe it was my imagination.

I placed my palm on Orb #1.

The warmth rose again, and the measuring device hummed.

Crack!

A clean fracture sliced through its surface.

Tyrus flinched.

We both stared as the orb split neatly into two halves, as if cut by an invisible blade, the light inside extinguishing instantly.

"Alright..." she whispered.

Her fingers slid to the next orb.

"Again."

I obeyed.

Orb #2 lasted three seconds longer.

Crkk—!

Shards burst outward as though rejecting my reishi outright.

Tyrus blinked rapidly.

"Okay... again."

Orb #3 fractured on contact.

Orb #4 pulsed once... then imploded inward, collapsing into glittering dust.

Orb #5 evaporated in a dim shimmer before I even touched it.

Orb #6 rolled off the desk the moment I laid my fingers on it, as if fleeing for its life.

Orb #7 exploded so fast that Tyrus screamed and shielded her face with her sleeve.

Orb #8 cracked into a perfect spiral pattern, like a fractal blooming across its surface before it dissolved.

Orb #9 dimmed to pitch black.

Orb #10 didn’t glow at all. It screamed before bursting into an eerie smoke that smelled faintly of ozone and cold metal.

By the time the air cleared, the desk was covered in fragments and drifting dust, almost reminiscent of scattered confetti.

Tyrus stared at the destruction.

Her lips parted.

But no sound came out.

The gentle smile she’d worn earlier was gone. Up close, she looked completely bewildered. Given the situation, she couldn’t really be blamed.

I, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening.

From her expression alone, it was obvious this wasn’t normal. Not even close.

Hm. It seems my talent for causing an explosion is quite unique. Is my reishi really that potent?

A small, involuntary smile tugged at my mouth... then vanished immediately.

Wait. Does this mean I have to pay for the destruction of school property?

Surely, that wouldn’t be the case, right?