The academy halls hummed with whispers. Not the usual idle chatter of students, but reverent murmurs.
"Did you hear? He solved Professor Tetsuo's unsolvable riddle."
"They say he did it while fighting off a third-year in sparring class!"
"No way… is Riku Aoyama even human?"
At the center of it all, Riku walked with calm poise, his blazer crisp, his eyes sharp, and a ghost of a smirk dancing on his lips. His mere presence commanded silence as if the very air adjusted itself to accommodate him.
Inside, he was grinning.
[System Log: 'Heroic Aura - Intermediate' activated.]
[Passive effect: +15% Charisma in public settings. Duration: Permanent while observed by five or more individuals.]
It had been three days since he returned from Verdant Hollow. His status in the academy had done more than just bounce back. It had skyrocketed.
