The loop resets, and just a few minutes later, it resets again.

Then this repeats ten times in a row before we finally manage to stay in a loop for longer than a few minutes. Even then, even after we finally separate, we still expect another reset.

Only after a full day passes does everyone start to believe it will actually continue.

It’s around that time Sophie tells us one of the students she’s been teaching is missing. A human boy. She says he was fairly average, but she had been observing him because she thought he might be paying too much attention to her.

During careful probing, she does, everyone acts like that human boy never existed.

Sophie remembers him clearly, his face, his seat in the classroom, the way he always seemed to be watching just a little bit too closely, as if he knew something. She doesn’t know what exactly caught her attention, only that it was enough to make her keep an eye on him. But when she tries to speak to the others about it in a way that won’t draw suspicion, no one else recalls a thing.

His classmates don’t recognize the name. The staff says she must be mistaken. There are no records, no assignments bearing his name.

There are a few possibilities. One is that he was a “bug,” basically the same kind of thing Ari thinks we are, though in that case, he wouldn’t have shown interest in Sophie. The second option, which is more likely, is that he was a Candidate. Desperately hiding, doing his best to improve his abilities while searching for the other Candidates.

Now he’s dead. Possibly having been killed by Ari, one of the Examiners, or another Candidate.

Here in group 4, there’s more panic now, they’re voicing concerns about the Candidate dying, the possibility that we might fail the quest.

Then there’s something that’s been bothering me about that crazy thylarin girl. After thinking on it for the first day of this loop, I come to the conclusion Ari has been lying to me about certain things. I also think I know what she might be lying about.

So the plan changes. Tess and I are free to move around, while the rest of group 4 decides to stick together as much as possible, only doing the bare minimum to avoid getting kicked out of the Academy. Consequences be damned. The goal now is to lure out the Examiners or the Candidates.

In the end, Lily manages to get Tess’s permission to move on her own as well. I’m honestly surprised by that decision. Sure, Lily is a near-unkillable terminator, but I also know how protective Tess can be.

As for me, I get a new skill.

Congratulations, you have successfully combined [Mana Domain], [Perception], and [Ley Line]!

A new skill has been created.

You have acquired [Foundation]

[Foundation - Lvl 0 Foundation - Lvl 4]

So far, this seems to be the best one. Somehow, even compared to my very first combination. The low starting level confirms it - assuming that's how it works.

Now I create an orb and...

Oh, I haven't used [Mana Manipulation] in this combination.

Anyway, suck it, system.

I’ll have to get around to teaching Biscuit to say that at some point as well.

----------------------------------------

I spent the beginning of the loop north of the Academy, staying in a small village and moving from inn to inn, mapping the area as I go.

Now I find myself sitting in a cozy inn, sipping a nicely chilled drink and biting into small cubes of smoked and crispy cheese, fruit, meat, and who knows what else. This is already my second bowl, and I’ll be sure to get another once I’m done with these.

A big part of my mind is occupied with the torture of visualizing impossible shapes and trying to imagine my mana flowing through them.

One day, I’ll find the guy responsible for this training idea and maybe force him to do the same exercises as punishment.

The second part of my mind is focused on analyzing my new skill and growing more excited by the hour. It’s not purely combat-oriented, but it has the potential to be very, very useful. Especially when it comes to making longer-lasting webs, arrays, mental constructs, and ultra-durable projectiles. More interestingly, it seems to affect other skills too. [Mana Crown], [Eclipse], [Knitting], [Empyrean Lance], these four in particular.

With [Mana Crown], for instance, I have a feeling it’s more stable if I manifest it while the new skill is active. The difference is tiny, but the new skill is still low level, so I would expect bigger improvement later.

With [Eclipse], the connection is obvious. It’s a domain skill, and [Foundation] strengthens the base, making the domain more... present? Powerful? It is hard to put it into words. Even now, I think [Eclipse] is one of my top two or three most powerful skills. The fact that [Foundation] can affect it says enough about the skill´s potential.

I suspect more skills are being affected, too, but there’s a lot of testing to be done before I can be sure of that.

So far, this is my favorite. Even though [Ur Line] feels extremely powerful in its own right.

Lastly, the third part of my mind is carefully watching the strange duo sitting a few tables ahead of me. A selari man and a young human girl.

They sit alone, talking quietly while eating the same thing I’m eating. Actually, I asked the waitress to bring me whatever they were having. I have to say, Champions sure know how to enjoy life.

The ten-year-old prodigy of a girl sitting next to him seems calm. Far more than when I last met her. I know people say I have a punchable face and expression, but when she nearly attacked me on sight last time, it... it hurt a little. My face can’t really be that bad, right?

A few times, when she glances around the room like a nervous animal, she notices me, but shows no reaction this time.

It would be silly to take it as her failure to recognize me and take that as proof that she isn’t a Candidate, but considering everything, it seems more likely.

“Can I help you?” a quiet voice asks beside me.

I turn to my left. The Champion is sitting there. When I look forward again, I see him still at the table with the girl, continuing his conversation.

I glance back to my left, and he sits there.

I glance ahead, and he’s still there.

“He might be a spy, Master,” another voice says from my right. Turning, I see the ten-year-old girl.

I glance ahead, and she is there with the Champion.

I glance back to my right, and there she is, still sitting there.

She reaches into my bowl to take a cubical piece of airy and crispy cheese, but I react fast, grab it just before she can, and throw it into my mouth.

When I bite down, the airy cube crumbles with a satisfying crunch. The taste hits me again. Amazing.

At first, she doesn’t react. Then her mana rises quickly, and I see anger flash in her eyes.

The next second, it vanishes. Like someone had hit pause on a song. All gone without a trace.

“Kenah…” the selari man says in a gentle tone.

At that, the girl doesn’t say anything. She just looks down at her hands. More than anything, she doesn’t seem angry at him, honestly, she seems ashamed.

I glance forward and see the table with the two of them still sitting there. The second selari man and the little maniac continue their quiet conversation, sharing their food all the while. It doesn’t matter what I do, I still have no idea which ones are real. The ones next to me, or the ones sitting a few tables ahead.

“You’re Champion Dion, right? I’m a big fan! Sorry if I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” I say, turning to my left and forcing a smile.

“He is lying…” the girl whispers.

“Kenah, my stubborn ray of morning sun, the only child I know who thinks a compliment is a tactical weakness, I know. Can you tell me how you noticed it?” the Champion asks her, ignoring me completely.

“After I noticed him watching me, I made a wide-range scan and found traces of his mana in the air at the edge of the village. I scanned further and figured out that he probably flew in, only arriving here a few hours ago. The touch of his mana was by the other inns too, but they were very faint, like he didn’t stay in any of them for long. He probably only stayed in this one because he found us.”

“Very good. Now, a question. Do you think he noticed your wide-range scan?”

Kenah hesitates, looking at me and then back at the Champion. “Probably yes?”

"I noticed," I confirm.

"See, Kenah, he noticed. What does that mean?"

"T-that my scans aren’t as good as they could be?"

"That too, but the question is why would he stay here, knowing you’d noticed?"

"Maybe he gave up after we found out? It’s impossible to escape from you, Master, even if he had an hour or two for a head start."

"Kenah, my dear, my poor heart hurts from such a downplay of my abilities! I know my skills aren’t as sharp as they used to be during the war, but I should still be able to track him even with a whiff of his mana, anywhere on this planet, even weeks later."

"I’m sorry, Master." Kenah once again looks down at her hands and fumbles with her fingers.

"It’s okay, dear Kenah. Now, what else have you noticed about this man?" he asks her.

The entire time, neither bothers to try to include me in the conversation.

"I..." Kenah hesitates and looks at me. In her eyes, there is a hint of desperation as they flick around.

Out of the Champion’s view, I touch the cloth of my suit and shake it slightly, which catches Kenah’s attention, and she glances at it.

Her eyes light up. "He is wearing the Assistant Professor uniform from the Academy! He must be from there!"

"Very good. But must he be?"

"He... maybe isn’t?"

"Uniforms, clothes, suits, these can be stolen or imitated, even if the associated organizations make it difficult to replicate them. That kind of disinformation can be a very useful tool, Kenah. Imagine how easy it would be for someone to steal a uniform, commit terrible acts, and let the suspicion fall on an innocent organization, nation, or group."

"Ohhh, I see!"

"Yes. Anything else?"

In response, Kenah looks at me again. This time, she starts by looking at my face, her expression desperate, as if silently asking for help again. Likely without realizing, her mana flares up again, but as before, the Champion disperses it, probably without Kenah even noticing.

"Can I order more food?" I turn to my left and ask the Champion.

"Please."

I do as told, and when the server leaves, Kenah says excitedly, "He doesn’t seem nervous at all!"

"Really?"

“Yes, Master! They usually bow and look nervous, and then they start saying all these things about how powerful and amazing you are. You remember that uncle from last time? He soiled himself when you got even a bit angry!"

"Kenah, my dear, my brave little ember, the sun of my days, my newest disciple, my precious little flower who spent her childhood fighting instead of being a child, the man’s dignity should be preserved at least a little. Things like that should be forgotten and never mentioned out loud."

"But I didn’t lie. You told me not to lie."

Another bowl with crispy cheese, pieces of bread, and a mix of fruits and nuts arrives. I take a few cheese cubes into my mouth before picking up a bowl and offering it to Kenah, who absentmindedly takes a few while looking at her master.

Meanwhile, the selari Champion sighs. "Kenah, not saying it out loud isn’t lying. You must have noticed by now that my behavior tends to be very different when we’re around other people, and even more so when I address groups of people or those who match my rank. You are the light that warms my old bones, but damn if you aren’t socially inept. That’s why I think the Academy will help you."

"Just being with you is enough for me." The little girl sighs, looking down at her hands in silence.

"I won’t be here forever for you, Kenah, so you will have to find other people to stay with, okay? As for you, our dear little spy, you are terrible at your job. I’m thankful for your cooperation and for your patience."

He turns to me with a friendly smile and stands up with Kenah following him. Only for a moment does she glance back with the tiniest thankful nod.

After that, I’m left alone.

I know he is a Champion and that he’s probably used to people spying on him. Hell, even Lissandra had Ruby with her, a woman who was sent as a spy only to become her disciple.

Still, it’s frustrating and amusing at the same time how little he acknowledged me, without seeing me as a danger at all.