As soon as Professor Claire finished her explanation, the students did not hesitate any longer and began following her instructions. One after another, they started injecting their mana into the bracelets, each person focusing carefully as they allowed their energy to flow into the strange device resting on their wrists. The process felt unfamiliar to many of them, yet at the same time, there was something strangely natural about it, as if the bracelet was responding eagerly to their presence.

Almost instantly, all students felt a strange linking with the device.

Shadow on the other hand stopped injecting since a sound rang in his mind.

Ding~

The system voice, clear and emotionless as always.

[A familiar function is trying to link connection with the host system]

[Does the user want to accept it] 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Shadow froze for a brief moment as the words repeated inside his head. The meaning behind those words only raised more questions within him instead of giving him reassurance.

’Familiar...?’ he thought, narrowing his eyes slightly.

That single word caused an uncomfortable feeling to stir deep within his mind, as if something was being hinted at, something he should have known but could not remember.

’System, is this dangerous to me in any possible way?’ Shadow asked internally, his tone calm but cautious.

The system responded almost immediately, its voice as steady and mechanical as always.

[This function appears to be part of the host’s system. However, I cannot find any records explaining why it has been missing until now. The host can rest assured, as the system currently has complete control over it.]

Shadow remained silent for a moment after hearing that response, but his thoughts were far from calm.

’This is driving me insane... I cannot remember the last time I felt this lost... probably not since I was back in the Stormgard family,’ he thought, clicking his tongue in quiet frustration.

The feeling of things moving outside of his control was something he deeply disliked, especially when it involved his own abilities and the mysterious system that built himself and was now part of him. Even so, the reassurance that the system had complete control over this function gave him enough confidence to proceed.

After a short pause, he made his decision.

’Accept it.’

Ding~

[Congratulations. The host has successfully registered as the owner of the virtual reality system.]

For a brief moment, Shadow’s expression remained completely still, but inside his mind, a storm of thoughts erupted.

’If people ever find out that the invention which no one could control is actually being controlled by a kid who is not even seventeen years old yet... they would lose their minds,’ he thought, a faint sense of disbelief mixing with quiet satisfaction.

Before he could dive deeper into those thoughts, Professor Claire’s voice suddenly cut through his focus, pulling him back to reality.

"Now, I need two volunteers to come forward into the arena," she said clearly.

The atmosphere shifted instantly as the students exchanged uncertain glances with one another. Despite their earlier excitement, none of them seemed eager to step forward first, because no one truly knew what kind of demonstration was about to take place.

Silence lingered for a moment.

Then, without any hesitation, Jaden suddenly dashed forward, his movement so quick that it caught many off guard.

’This is my chance to assert dominance,’ he thought, his eyes filled with determination as he stepped into the arena.

Not long after, another student stood up from her seat and began walking toward the arena at a much slower and more composed pace. She was a beautiful girl with soft pink hair that flowed gently behind her, and her calm demeanor stood in clear contrast to Jaden’s aggressive confidence. When she reached the arena, she simply stood across from him, her expression relaxed as if she was not facing any pressure at all.

Seeing both students in position, Professor Claire nodded slightly before giving her next instruction.

"I want both of you to give the command in your minds to be transformed inside the arena," she said.

Jaden frowned slightly as he looked around.

"Aren’t we already inside the arena?" he asked, clearly confused.

However, before Professor Claire could respond, the answer revealed itself through the actions of the pink-haired girl. A faint light began to glow around her body, wrapping her in a soft aura that made her appearance seem slightly unreal.

Professor Claire gestured toward her.

"That light surrounding your body indicates that your physical form has now been transferred into the protected arena state," she explained. "While you are in this state, your body cannot be harmed in any real way. Once you exit the arena, your body will return to normal as if nothing happened."

Jaden did not waste any more time asking questions. He quickly followed the instructions, focusing his mind as he gave the command internally. Moments later, a similar faint glow appeared around his body, confirming that he had successfully activated the function.

Seeing both of them ready, Professor Claire continued.

"Now, I want both of you to use your most lethal attacks against each other in order to demonstrate the device’s capabilities."

Jaden hesitated for a brief moment before speaking in a lower voice, attempting to keep his concern private.

"Are we completely sure that there is no chance of error or malfunction?" he asked.

Unfortunately for him, his voice was still heard by others nearby.

"His only problem is high ping," Talia said casually.

The surrounding students turned to look at her, their expressions filled with confusion.

"What is a ping?" Lucian asked, clearly not understanding her comment.

Talia, however, did not bother to explain, simply crossing her arms as if it was not worth the effort.

Shadow, standing nearby, shook his head slightly. Knowing Talia’s odd behavior, he chose not to involve himself in that exchange.

Back inside the arena, Professor Claire responded calmly.

"Do not worry. Everything is completely safe," she assured him.

Hearing that, Jaden finally pushed aside his doubts and began preparing his strongest attack. Electricity started gathering around his hands, crackling and twisting as he focused his mana into a powerful spell. The energy grew rapidly, forming a dangerous aura that made it clear he was not holding back.

However, before he could even finish forming his attack, the pink-haired girl suddenly smirked.

In one instant, she was standing right in front of him.

In the very next instant, she was gone.

Jaden’s eyes widened slightly as he tried to react, but his body could not keep up with what had just happened. Before he could even process her movement, his entire perspective suddenly shifted.

The world flipped upside down.

For a brief second, confusion filled his mind as he struggled to understand what was happening, but that confusion quickly faded as darkness began to take over his vision.

His head had already been separated from his body.

It fell to the ground and rolled across the arena floor, while his body remained standing for a split second before collapsing. Behind him, the pink-haired girl reappeared, her dagger still in her hand, its blade stained with fresh blood.

The entire arena fell into complete silence.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Even though they had been told that everything was safe, witnessing such a clean and effortless execution left a deep impression on everyone present.

And in that moment, the true meaning of the arena’s power became painfully clear.