Reality

Thud...

As soon as I closed the door of my dorm room, I collapsed onto the floor.

Reaching for my forehead, I felt beads of sweat forming on my skin.

To say that I was agitated would be an understatement.

Just a minute ago, I was sitting just a few inches away from one of the protagonists.

It should be granted that I was very nervous.

Especially since I am a Demon and a very weak one at that.

Although there is no way for Lily to know my true identity, I still felt a sense of unease being in such close proximity to her.

I'm not particularly afraid of her but rather of the thing known as plot armor.

Since Lily is one of the main characters, there is a small chance that somehow, god knows how, she could uncover my true nature.

Same goes for other main characters.

They are a scary bunch but what I am afraid of more than them is their plot armor. It is an unseen force that would bring even the strongest villain down.

Still... The conversation with Lily went surprisingly well.

I could even argue it was completely normal.

Overall, I escaped the confrontation unscratched. It was a shame that I had drawn attention from Lily, but at least it was minimal.

Disaster averted!

Ughh...

Scrambling to my feet, I stumbled toward the kitchen table and dropped myself into a chair.

Taking a deep breath, I looked toward a hologram screen hovering before me.

I needed to distract myself from the events that had just transpired.

~~~ Status ~~~

Name: Note Enderfrost

Rank: F-

Strength: F

Agility: F-

Stamina: F+

Intelligence: G+

Charm: F-

<-- Mastery -->

Swordsman [ Lv. 4 ]

The degree of understanding the user has of the sword.

<-- Weapon Art -->

Frostbite's Blade [ ✪✪ ] - Novice Proficiency

Frostbite's Blade is a weak-level technique that infuses the wielder's weapon with a subtle chill, causing a fleeting numbing sensation upon contact. 

[ First Movement { Chilly Sweep } ]

The user coats their weapon in a layer of ice, enhancing its cutting power and freezing potential.

<-- Skills -->

Demon's Veil { G }

A skill honed by demons to conceal their distinct racial traits, rendering them indiscernible from other beings. 

Burst { G }

A skill that allows its user to temporarily boost their speed and agility by a minor realm.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ah.

My stats hadn't changed much since the last time I checked.

It seems that my progress is already slowing down, due to my low potential.

"..."

Clenching my fists until they turned white, I closed my eyes.

It was genuinely disheartening to see my stagnating progress. Even though I was only at F- Rank, I could already feel the ceiling of my capabilities pressing down on me.

No matter how hard one trains, breaching one's inherent limitations is close to impossible.

Key words - almost impossible...

If there is a person that knows the secret of surpassing those limitations, it would be me, a transmigrator who has read the story of this world.

"Just a few more weeks..."

I grumbled to myself.

I needed to wait just a few more weeks until the auction of the Sky Palace, where I could acquire the item that would help me with this issue.

All I need to do now is to continue doing what I have been doing - training my swordsmanship and avoiding main characters.

***

'Weird...'

Lily's obsidian eyes gazed at the back of the retreating figure.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about that guy, Note, seemed off.

He was... too nonchalant, too composed for his age.

"He is like Luna."

Tilting her head to the side, Lily sighed. Both Luna and that Note guy had some weird aura surrounding them.

She couldn't quite understand why was that but it was definitely there.

The aura of ice, she liked to call it.

However, Lily didn't take much notice of it for now.

From the brief interaction they just had, Note seemed harmless. While they conversed, she checked his Mana and found out that he was only F- Rank.

It was quite surprising to find someone of such low rank in a place like the Sword Academy, where most students were at least F Rank or higher.

'...'

Staring at the disappearing figure, Lily sighed for the second time and stood up.

He was weird but as long as he didn't bother her or her friend group, she decided to let it go.

'I should mind my own business as well.'