Chương 106: CHAPTER 104: THE STREET PRAWN REPOSE

The heavy iron door of the subterranean anatomical lab clicked shut, muffling the tense scrape of metal forceps against synthetic flesh. Inside the basement hall, twenty students remained locked into their forty-minute practical examination. Each student sat behind a synthetic rubber-flesh slab, tasked with isolating and suturing microscopic mana channels without tearing the fragile simulated membranes.

Valerius remained on his knees for several seconds before scrambling back to his bench, his hands shaking so violently he dropped his curved suture needle twice. The haughty pride of the House of Ignis had vanished completely, replaced by an obsessive, terrified focus. Shin walked up the central spiral staircase with slow, unhurried steps. Underneath his dark scholar robe, his boots made no sound against the white marble walkways of the upper academy.

The bright afternoon sunlight poured through the high vaulted glass arches, washing away the damp chill of the basement dissection pit. Sitting on his left shoulder, completely invisible to the passing battle mages, the glowing chibi system sprite swung its tiny legs idly.

[System Task: Cohort Precision Monitoring Active] [Target: 20 Students / Synthetic Suture Matrix] [Failure Rate Projection: 65% for Noble Cohort, 15% for Scholarship Cohort] [Time Remaining: 32 minutes] Shin stepped out into the central courtyard of the Royal Magic and Research Academy. The courtyard was a wide circular plaza paved with polished gray stone, surrounded by towering spires of white limestone and blooming purple mana-lilies.

Hundreds of third- and fourth-year students gathered in small clusters near the central fountain. Noble students wore flowing silk robes trimmed with gold thread, their familiars—miniature fire foxes and wind falcons—perched proudly on their arms. Commoner students sat on the outer stone ledges, sharing worn textbooks and comparing notes in hushed voices. Rudra watched the scene with mild detachment. Abe yaar, college politics is the same everywhere, whether it is AIIMS or a fantasy magic academy.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. His stomach gave a faint, hollow rumble. Shin turned away from the crowded fountain and walked toward a line of small stone merchant stalls tucked beneath the eastern courtyard arches. The academy allowed licensed outer vendors to sell hot street snacks to apprentice mages between long practical rotations. The scent of sizzling oil, crushed garlic, and charred seafood drifted through the arcade.

Shin stopped in front of a small wooden cart fitted with a glowing charcoal fire pit. An elderly vendor with rolled-up sleeves and scarred hands flipped skewers of river prawns over the white-hot coals.

"Hot garlic prawns, Scholar," the old vendor said with a gruff smile, tapping the iron grill with his tongs.

"Caught fresh from the low canal this morning. Basted in spiced pepper oil."

"One skewer," Shin said calmly, tossing a copper coin onto the wooden counter. Clink. The vendor slid a long wooden skewer off the coals, dripping with fragrant red oil and blistered bits of golden minced garlic, handing it over wrapped in a dry brown leaf. Shin took the skewer and walked toward a secluded stone bench beneath a sprawling silver-leaf tree near the courtyard perimeter wall. He lifted the skewer and took a bite. Crunch. The charred prawn shell gave way with a crisp, savory snap.

The meat inside was juicy, sweet, and firm, instantly releasing a rich burst of coarse black pepper, pungent roasted garlic, and smoky chili oil. The intense heat coated his tongue, cutting through the lingering dry aftertaste of the mountain juniper berries he had been chewing during the dissection. Rudra leaned back against the cool stone bench, chewing in slow satisfaction. Swaad toh bohot badhiya hai, AIIMS ke canteen se sau guna behtar. (The taste is truly great, a hundred times better than the AIIMS canteen.) [Caloric Intake: 240 kcal] [System Analysis: Coarse black pepper oil contains trace mana-restorative enzymes] [Host Fatigue: Reduced by 1. 2%] Shin ignored the little glowing interface, taking a second bite of the blistered garlic prawn as he watched the distant courtyard students. The wind rustled through the silver leaves overhead, casting shifting lace-like shadows across the ground.

A group of high-ranking battle mages in crimson cloaks passed by the central promenade, their heavy swords clanking against their armored thighs as they laughed loudly about an upcoming dungeon raid. Shin chewed slowly, his gaze drifting downward toward the base of the outer perimeter wall bordering the courtyard. The perimeter was constructed from ancient, moss-covered basalt blocks meant to isolate the academy's central ley lines from outer city mana interference. Shin's analytical eyes narrowed slightly.

Beneath a thin layer of damp green moss near the base of the fifth stone block, a faint, metallic sheen caught the afternoon sun. It was not a natural vein of mineral or standard academy warding. Etched cleanly into the ancient stone, hidden beneath a temporary cloaking illusion, was a series of sharp, interlocking geometric runes shaped like a three-pronged iron spear. Rudra's focus snapped instantly. Ye academy ke warding runes nahi hain, ye Imperial Vanguard ke tracking marks hain.

(These are not academy warding runes, these are Imperial Vanguard tracking marks.) The runes were still faintly warm, their edges humming with fresh, suppressed mana. Someone had carved them into the academy wall less than an hour ago.