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Here is Chapter 4 of The Path of the Black Sovereign
Chapter 4 – The Weight of Laughter
The laughter wasn’t loud.
That was what made it worse.
It was controlled. Whispered. Passed between desks like a secret only he wasn’t allowed to hear.
Devim stood at the back of the classroom, his uniform slightly worn, his expression blank. The teacher had just returned graded combat theory tests.
“Top score,” the teacher said calmly. “Again.”
A few students clapped politely.
Then someone muttered—
“Of course he did. That’s all he can do. Memorize.”
A quiet ripple of amusement spread.
Devim walked forward and collected the paper without expression.
100/100.
Perfect.
It didn’t matter.
Because in this academy, theory meant nothing without power.
And Devim had none.
At least… none that showed.
The hallway was crowded. Lockers slammed. Students with awakened abilities casually demonstrated small sparks of elemental energy.
A flame flickered in one palm.
A gust of wind spun around another student’s wrist.
Devim walked through them like a shadow.
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Then a hand blocked his path.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Uniform pristine.
Rafael Virex.
Ranked third in first-year combat.
“Hey, genius,” Rafael said with a faint smile. “You got full marks again?”
Devim said nothing.
Rafael leaned closer. “Tell me something. If a dungeon gate opened right now… would you survive with your books?”
Snickers.
Devim met his eyes calmly.
“I would adapt.”
The answer was simple. Flat.
That irritated Rafael more than anger would have.
“Adapt?” Rafael chuckled. “You can’t even awaken. You’re just dead weight.”
He shoved Devim lightly.
Not enough to draw teacher attention.
Enough to send a message.
Devim stumbled half a step—then stabilized instantly.
Perfect balance.
Rafael didn’t notice.
But someone else did.
From the stairwell above, a girl watched quietly.
Silver hair. Cold eyes.
Liora Kael.
She narrowed her gaze slightly.
That recovery…
Too precise.
Students gathered for practical assessment.
Power measurement crystal at the center.
One by one, students placed their hands against it.
Light flared.
Numbers appeared.
C-Rank.
C+.
B-.
Applause followed strong results.
Devim’s turn came.
Whispers started immediately.
“He hasn’t awakened yet, right?”
“Still zero?”
He stepped forward calmly.
Placed his hand on the crystal.
Nothing happened.
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
The instructor frowned.
“Unawakened. Record remains unchanged.”
A few quiet laughs.
Devim withdrew his hand.
But inside—
Something flickered.
A faint, nearly invisible black thread pulsed beneath his skin.
Gone in an instant.
No one saw it.
Except Liora.
Her eyes sharpened.
The sky was darker than usual.
Devim stood alone, looking over the city skyline.
Far beyond the buildings, faint distortions shimmered in the air.
Dungeon energy.
It had been increasing every week.
He closed his eyes.
Memories surfaced.
Not clear images.
Not yet.
But instincts.
Breathing patterns.
Footwork.
Combat awareness far beyond his years.
He moved slowly into stance.
Two centimeters adjustment.
Weight distribution corrected.
Spine aligned.
Perfect.
He exhaled.
Suddenly—
A faint blue window flickered before his eyes.
[System Synchronization: 3%]
It vanished instantly.
Devim’s expression didn’t change.
But his heartbeat did.
Once.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
He looked at his own hand.
Weak.
Human.
Limited.
“For now,” he murmured quietly.
Below, laughter from students echoed through the courtyard.
Tomorrow they would mock him again.
Tomorrow he would still appear weak.
But the path had already begun.
And no one understood—
The most dangerous things in this world did not awaken loudly.
They awakened silently.
Above the clouds…
Something vast stirred.
And for the first time in centuries—
It felt a familiar presence.
End of Chapter 4
