The three rushed to Holdem, despite realizing that he might have actually sold them as slaves. But for one reason or another, they hurried to see what had happened to him.
Arsène smiled and commented inwardly, "Human nature... it's what makes him pity the man. Or maybe... he pities himself—because he doesn't want to end up like him."
They were shouting at Arsène, asking what he had done to him and what had happened, but he replied calmly, "I didn't do anything. He collapsed on his own and lost his composure. Take him to the infirmary—maybe they have a cure for delirium."
With a slightly sinister smile, he added, "I've seen a few similar cases. Most didn't make it... ended up spiraling into madness."
Frightened, the three quickly carried Holdem off to the infirmary to try and save what could still be saved.
"I was just defending myself. It's not like I did anything wrong. He was the one who tried to use his Singularity on me. What was it again? Ah—'Touch of Despair'..."
"A great Singularity as a skill, but unfortunately... it ended up in the wrong hands. It's still weak—he only uses it to crush the morale of his opponents. The problem is, it only works on one person at a time and requires direct contact with the target's head."
Arsène spoke as if addressing someone... and in fact, he was. Behind one of the walls, someone was leaning against it—a tall figure with long hair and a long brown wool coat.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you also used your Singularity on him and nearly killed him. Your ability requires touch too. There's not much difference between you two," the person replied.
With a light, mocking laugh, Arsène answered, "That was suicide on his part, not an attempted murder on mine. My Singularity activates automatically on contact.
He touched me first. And I even asked if I could hold him—he agreed. So this isn't my fault."
The man smiled as he realized he'd lost the battle of words with Arsène. "So that's how it is. A Grade 0, Info-Type Singularity."
"Arsène Vaille!"
Arsène replied, "In the flesh!"
"Well, I'm not supposed to interfere in matters between students unless the situation truly calls for it. That's the Protectors' job, not the professors'."
"I expect he'll recover after a few weeks. I'll forward a report to the Security Division about this incident. He won't trouble you again after what happened today—but let's treat all variables seriously."
"Even though you possess a Grade 0 Singularity, it's an Info-type, so it won't be of much use against opponents stronger than you. You need to think about how to strengthen yourself personally."
"A Singularity alone isn't everything. The path of magic and specializations is just as important."
"Well then, farewell, Arsène."
Footsteps echoed as they faded into the distance. Arsène hadn't even seen who it was—but that was fine. There would be plenty of chances to meet in the future. Still, he had to take what was said seriously.
A Singularity alone wouldn't be enough. He needed to develop his personal strength—even his knowledge. He still had time to grow in many areas. After all, this was only his first year at the Academy.
But he was two years behind. Arsène was currently eighteen, while most first-year students were sixteen—the typical age of entry. There were pre-Academy schools before this stage.
Or, one could follow self-education—if they belonged to a prestigious family. Some preferred inherited self-teaching over sending their children to the Academy.
But the Alliance's teachings and regulations were clear: anyone who met the qualifications had to be sent to the Academy for development and evaluation. There were exceptions, of course—but very few.
Once again, Arsene sat alone in the cafeteria, quietly enjoying his lunch. He found a strange comfort in these simple moments—
maybe because they reminded him of days long gone.
He had already explored every corner of the academy—
the training grounds, experiment chambers, lecture halls, the grand assembly hall, the gardens, the nearby forest, and even the tower that overlooked the vast city of Kals, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Kals was a thriving hub of trade and energy, its architecture a marvel in itself. The city's intricate design was a legacy of ancient craftsmen and guilds like the Freemasons.
Arsene was getting familiar with the place where he'd be spending at least the next five years. Better to know your surroundings now than get lost when classes start.
When he returned to his dorm room, he heard some noise coming from inside before opening the door.
There were three figures in the room—or rather, two people and a copy.
Arsene's eyes landed on one of them—someone who looked exactly like Sarl, but with such a dumb expression on his face it was almost comically absurd.
It was Sarl's Singularity: "Perfect Copy."
He could create a duplicate of himself that moved and spoke a little on its own—something Arsene found a bit odd.
"Every time I see it, it's just… weird," Arsene muttered. "Can I touch it?"
Sarl gave a casual nod.
Arsene reached out, grabbing the copy's cheeks—it felt like actual flesh. He started pulling at them gently, watching Sarl out of the corner of his eye.
"Does this hurt?" he asked.
Sarl shrugged. "Nah."
"Hmm. Strange," Arsene replied.
For some reason, his Singularity didn't activate when he touched the copy. But he quickly brushed it off and turned his gaze toward Clem.
"I know what you're about to ask," Arsene said casually. "Yeah, it's been a wild day. But seriously—did you guys really stay in the room the entire time?"
Clem scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, then laughed.
"I was gonna head out, but I ended up staying," he said, pointing at the copy. "Didn't want to leave this idiot alone with the dumbass blob."
He was talking about Sarl's clone.
Sarl spoke up quickly, "Ah! Arsene, someone came by looking for you. He seemed like he worked for the academy—said he had something to deliver to you."
He pulled a small velvet box from the closet, the kind used for rings, and handed it to Arsene. The latter took it and opened it. Inside was a silver ring.
Arsene instinctively understood its purpose. He infused it with mana, and its nature became clear to him. It was a storage ring. Not the most spacious, but still very useful.
Inside it were a key, a note, some money, and a pair of black gloves.
The moment he saw the key, Arsene understood everything. This was the root of the chaos with Holdem earlier. Holdem had been evicted from the apartment and had tried everything to reclaim it from whoever would be moving in—namely, Arsene.
The money was likely a welcome bonus, a reward for being a Singular. As for the black gloves—they must have believed his lie and had them made for him.
In truth, Arsene could control his Singularity. But letting people think he couldn't gave him a useful excuse—a fallback if things ever got out of hand.
Still, the fact that they had crafted gloves tailored to his Singularity in less than a week? The academy wasn't joking around. Their reputation was clearly well-earned.
He set the gloves aside and pulled out the letter to read its contents:
---
**"Congratulations, Arsene Vaille.
Regis Academy is fortunate to have individuals like you. Your Singularity holds potential that could greatly benefit the entire Alliance in the future. We hope you continue your efforts and grow to a level where you might one day stand among the few who lead our Alliance and carry the torch forward for the next generation.
Naturally, there are privileges to being a Singular in the academy. You've already received your Premium Access Card, which allows you to dine at the highest-quality cafeteria for free.
We apologize for the delay in preparing your apartment. Enclosed is the key, along with a modest amount of funding to help you settle in and cover your initial needs. These benefits—and more—will grow with your progress and Promotion.
At Regis Academy, those who give their best are respected. In return, we ensure they have the resources to thrive.
If you wish to keep what you've been given—prove you deserve it.
Note: You are expected to attend a meeting on day XX at Hall XX at 09:00 , don't forget to bring your ID card
From the Office of Regis Academy,
Dwayne Kruger."**
"The privileges of being singular, we are also singular, we have our own 'singularity' and skills, but we were not chosen, maybe because our singularity is not that valuable," Sarl said in a gloomy voice.
Arsene replied, "No, that's not really the case. Singularities are divided into categories. For example, Clem and I both belong to the Info-type."
"But they chose me as the primary singular because I possess a singularity that is more valuable and effective than Clem's."
"You're not competing with everyone, you're competing with others who have the same type and category of singularity as you, based on the effectiveness."
Arsene added to Sarl's misery by explaining, "So you're saying my copy is useless? Just look at it—"
"Uuuuh, well, it does seem useless, but that's a harsh way to put it. At least it looks cute..."
Clem smiled and laughed, but quickly asked Arsene, "I also got a message about a meeting and a gathering. Maybe they're holding meetings for those with the same category and type of singularity."
Arsene nodded and said, "We can go together. There's still two days until then. Maybe they want to see how we can help each other develop."
Sarl spoke up, "By the way, are we leaving tonight and going to your apartment?"
Arsene faked a smile and threw it at them, "No, I'm staying here now. It wouldn't be polite to leave. I'll sleep here tonight, and I'll leave tomorrow, as long as you return my bed to me tonight so I can sleep comfortably."
Sarl refused, "Nooooo, not the bed! You can go to your apartment now!"
Arsene and Clem laughed, and even Sarl's copy began to laugh in a silly way.