The Anomaly's Path

Astra Prime was the capital of the Human Domain — a huge, glowing city where advanced tech mixed with high-level magic.

As the heart of the empire, it was the richest city in the human domain. Massive buildings made of steel and enchanted glass reached high into the sky, their surfaces covered in floating magical signs and protective runes.

Above the streets, smooth magic trains moved silently on raised tracks, while royal sky-cruisers flew between the towers. At the very top stood the imperial palaces, shining like symbols of power and control.

It was clean. It was rich. It was magnificent.

...And it was all built on a foundation of filth.

Below the bright plazas and clean streets lay another city — a huge underground maze of old tunnels, abandoned magic rails, and giant vaults called the Shadow Market.

The Shadow Market wasn’t just in Astra Prime. It was a wide underground network that spread into every major territory across all domains.

But its best part was right here under the capital. Anything could be bought or sold in these dark halls: stolen artifacts, forbidden magic books, unregistered weapons, and people bound by contracts.

The Astra Union, and even the noble houses — including House Celestial — knew about it.

In fact, they allowed it. The Shadow Market helped the elite. It controlled the flow of illegal goods, hid dangerous secrets before they could scare the public, and gave nobles a secret way to get things they couldn’t buy legally.

Even my own family had bought servants from the Shadow Market over the years, including Lyra, who was purchased from one of those auctions years ago.

The entire underworld was run by a cold, efficient group called the Hollow Syndicate. They were a ghost network of thieves, assassins, and information brokers who worked with the quiet permission of the Union.

At the very top sat a figure known only as the Archivist.

In the game, the Archivist was one of the most mysterious characters I had ever seen. No one knew their real name, their face, or even their race.

Some said they were an immortal wizard, others said they were a shadow with many minds. They knew every secret, every bribe, and every dirty deal in the Domain, selling information to the highest bidder without any loyalty.

And right now, I was heading straight into their domain.

"We’re almost at the line," Caster muttered, pulling at his collar as the magic train let out a soft hiss and slowed down.

We weren’t wearing our usual Academy uniforms. I made sure we changed our clothes before leaving the academy.

To leave the Academy grounds at night, a student usually had to fill out forms and wait days for approval. But I skipped all that. I asked Morgana for an emergency pass, using my recent work as her assistant to get it through.

She didn’t even look up from her desk before signing it.

The real problem was the fast-travel gate. Taking a direct portal from the Academy station to Astra Prime’s lower transit hub cost me 5,000 credit points per person. 20,000 credits gone in a flash. Even with all my money, paying that much just to skip a two-hour train ride still hurt.

Spending money always stung a little, no matter how rich you were.

We stepped off the train platform into the lower levels of the city. The bright lights of the upper plazas faded, replaced by dim, flickering yellow lamps.

I walked in front, my hands in my coat pockets. I scanned the dark arches ahead while my mind wandered.

The plan was simple. Get in, buy the boy, and get out.

The boy I was after was someone who, in the original game, was meant to become an nightmare. Left in the underworld, his spirit would break, and he would turn into a ruthless criminal who controlled black markets and destroyed noble houses for profit.

But if I reached him now, before he was completely broken, I could turn that genius into my own greatest weapon. While we were there, I also wanted to pick up a few extra things. I had promised Malva a high-grade sword art if I found one.

I didn’t want any trouble tonight. None at all.

The old me would have immediately plotted different ways to slaughter everyone in the room just to be safe. But lately... I felt different. My mind felt clearer. Steadier. It had started after I unlocked my Third Form — the form of Acceptance.

I had accepted myself, my flaws, my past, and the soul flames deep inside my heart.

The soul flames... My eyes narrowed slightly as I walked.

I hadn’t been born with those flames. They weren’t a bloodline trait passed down from House Celestial, nor were they a natural element awakened through training. They were a gift — and a curse, forced upon me by the Oldest Watcher, the Forgotten One.

Looking back now with a clear head, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

How much of my past anger had actually been my own? How much had my emotions been twisted and pushed by the influence of those dark flames? Every outburst, every impulse to tear my enemies apart... was I really in control, or was I just playing a role written by an ancient entity watching from the dark?

I even had a creeping suspicion that Nova — the strange system that had been hovering around my life, had been sent by the Watcher just to keep tabs on me.

I hated it. I hated the idea that someone, somewhere, was pulling my strings.

"Boss?" Caster’s voice broke my thoughts. "We’re at the drop point."

I blinked, snapping back to reality. "Right. Let’s move."

We left the public subway platform and entered a dark maintenance tunnel. At the end of the hall was an iron door guarded by two tall men in armor and unmarked helmets. Before walking up, I stopped and turned to my group.

"Put these on."

I reached into my void pocket and handed out four silver-and-black masks. I had asked Caster to build them earlier instead of buying cheap plastic ones from a market stall.

These weren’t just for hiding faces. Caster made them using special metal and small mana-blocking arrays. Once you put one on, it covered your whole head, changed your voice into a flat, fake tone, and hid your mana signature completely.

"Whoa," Caster muttered, putting his mask on. His voice turned into a deep, robotic hum. "This feels... weirdly professional."

Julia carefully placed her mask over her pink hair, looking around nervously through the eye holes. "It’s tight, but... it works."

Malva didn’t say anything. She smoothly pulled the mask over her face, her eyes calm and steady behind the dark visor. I put my own mask on. A small screen flickered to life inside, giving me a clear night view of the tunnel.

"Remember," my voice came out as a low, robotic rasp through the mask. "Keep quiet unless you have to. Let me do the talking."

We walked up to the iron door. One of the guards stepped forward, raising his hand. "Identification or access token."

I didn’t speak. I simply lifted my left wrist, tapping my sleek, black mana-link watch against the scanner on the wall.

My watch wasn’t just for calls or student ID. Inside it was a code linked to House Celestial’s bank network. It was my VIP pass. When my mother sent me millions of gold, she also unlocked my house’s top-level access.

The scanner beeped. A gold light flashed, showing a high-rank symbol. The two guards instantly stiffened. The man who had raised his hand pulled it back as if he’d touched hot iron, bowing his head sharply.

"Forgive the delay, honored guest," the guard said, his tone now respectful. "Welcome to the Grand Shadow Auction. Please follow the beacon."

The door hissed open, revealing a wide carpeted tunnel lit by soft glowing crystals. We walked through, leaving the subway smell behind as we went deeper underground. The tunnel opened into a huge arena that looked more like a fancy opera house than a criminal hideout.

Thousands of seats circled a bright stone stage at the center. The lower levels were packed with masked people in robes, leather, and suits.

But my VIP status let us skip the floor.

An attendant dressed in a clean black suit met us at the end of the hall, bowing deeply. "Right this way to your private box, sir."

We went up a private staircase to the highest level. He opened a wooden door, showing a huge VIP booth.

It was luxurious.

A soft leather couch sat in the middle, with a glass table full of fruit, wine, and food. There was a small lounge area with a bed and a bar. The front had a big one-way glass window looking down over the whole auction floor.

People below couldn’t see in, but from the couch, the stage was perfectly visible.

"Your private booth, guest 7-A," the man said, handing me a thin glass tablet. "You can bid through this screen. Set your display name, auto-bid limits, or request private viewing during the break."

I took the tablet. "How long until it starts?"

"The grand auction begins in ten minutes, sir. It will run for three hours, followed by a short break," the attendant explained politely. "If you require anything else, simply press the summon rune on the table."

He bowed again and quietly withdrew, closing the doors behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Caster threw his hands up in the air. "Holy crap! Look at this place! Is this real?!"

"Quiet down, idiot," Malva said flatly through her mask, though her eyes were scanning the magic wards on the ceiling.

"Hey, I’m just saying! I’ve seen royal dwarf lounges worse than this!" Caster laughed, bouncing on the couch before sitting up straight.

Julia walked to the window and looked down. "There are so many people... and I can sense strong mana everywhere. At least five powerful mages are guarding the stage."

I sat down on the central couch, resting my elbows on my knees as I tapped the tablet screen.

I didn’t bother using my real name or House Celestial’s title on the public board. I typed in a simple, random alias: [Loki].

Down below, the chatter of thousands of masked bidders began to quiet down as the dim lighting in the arena faded, leaving only a bright spotlight shining on the center stage.

A tall man in a white suit and silver fox mask stepped up to the podium. He raised his hands, and his voice echoed through the hall with magic.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Hollow Syndicate’s Grand Auction," the auctioneer announced, his tone smooth and magnetic. "Tonight, we offer the rare, the forbidden, and the priceless. No questions asked. No names recorded."

He smiled behind his mask, gesturing toward the side of the stage.

"Let us begin with our first item of the evening!"

Two guards pushed an iron cage onto the stage, covered in black velvet.

Up in the VIP booth, I stared down at the stage through the glass, a small grin hidden behind my mask.

Let the game begin...