"Still no luck, huh?" Dilin let out a soft sigh as he sat on the bench in the Divine Child Academy.
With the Golden Chalice Butterfly hairpin’s aid, he could smoothly use Divine Analysis. He’d hoped this breakthrough might unlock other Divine Child skills too. Unlocking those skills was crucial—they’d make recruiting teammates possible. Though he’d decided to compete in the Freshman Crown Cup as Tilisha, he hadn’t abandoned the idea of gathering allies.
As a Divine Child, he had to consider every angle. Betting everything on Tilisha’s Divine Maiden Transformation bringing a miraculous turnaround was too risky. Dilin never staked his life on gambles unless absolutely desperate.
Reality proved his hopes naive. The Golden Chalice Butterfly’s effect was clear: it could only enhance *one* skill he already possessed. Divine Analysis had reached legendary tier, but his other Divine Child skills remained stubbornly locked.
A Divine Child’s role in any team boiled down to two things: command and intelligence. "Intelligence" didn’t mean pre-battle speculation or tactical debates—it meant using Divine Child skills to dissect the battlefield *in real-time*.
Divine Analysis was the Divine Child’s "eyes," a cheat-like skill for processing battlefield data. Easy to use, hard to master. Its floor was low, its ceiling sky-high. Anyone could activate it, but proficiency separated novices from legends—so vastly different they might as well be separate skills.
Most Divine Child skills were universal, relying purely on talent, mental fortitude, and practice—not family secrets. One such skill was [Divine Analysis Sharing]. Unlike basic Divine Analysis, it had strict activation requirements. Even gifted Divine Children often failed their first attempts. Only through repeated practice could they grasp its rhythm and wield it freely.
Just now, Dilin had tried—and failed—to activate Divine Analysis Sharing.
"Told ya," drawled the spiky-haired boy beside him, propping his head up as Dilin’s test subject. He yawned lazily.
"Did you see *anything*?" Dilin pressed, stubborn.
"Nah. Not a damn thing. Everything looks exactly the same." The spiky-haired boy waved a dismissive hand.
"Is that so?" Dilin shook his head, gazing at the dazzling array of data flooding his vision. "What a shame."
After upgrading Divine Analysis to legendary tier, this data-saturated world was what every Divine Child dreamed of seeing. If the game world was built on code, reality could be understood the same way. Top-tier Divine Analysis could deconstruct every leaf and blade of grass into raw code, floating before the user’s eyes.
"Shame? What’s so shameful?" The spiky-haired boy frowned.
"Nothing." Dilin released the Golden Chalice Butterfly hairpin. The characters and data vanished instantly.
His mental fortitude was likely insufficient. At first, the dense characters were manageable. But prolonged exposure made his eyes burn and ache, as if his retinas were on fire. A thousand needles seemed to pierce his skull. In that state, he could barely read the text, let alone extract useful information.
Since obtaining the Golden Chalice Butterfly, Dilin had realized his flaw: his legendary Divine Analysis was useless without the mental stamina to sustain it. He grew lightheaded after mere minutes.
*Need to boost my mental fortitude.*
*Wait—does the Golden Chalice Butterfly’s treasure trove hold alchemical potions for that?*
"Seriously, why try Divine Analysis Sharing all of a sudden?" The spiky-haired boy spoke up. "You can barely handle basic Divine Analysis. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Master the basics first."
"I know." The boy chattering beside him was John, one of the few people Dilin considered a friend at Coleman Academy.
They’d met on a sunny afternoon when John, also a smoker, followed the scent of tobacco to find Dilin hiding outside class. Shared habits forged their friendship. To this day, Dilin didn’t know John’s background—and didn’t ask. It wasn’t his business.
All he knew was that John, like him, was a Divine Child. His talent? Unclear. No team assignments or proper tests had happened yet. John must have his own squad, though. Dilin wondered what kind of Divine Maiden would follow this carefree, lazy guy who napped through lectures.
"Where were you yesterday?" John asked, sprawling lazily.
"Had things to handle." Dilin couldn’t exactly say, *I used a Divine Maiden one-day trial card.*
Yesterday’s glimpse into Divine Maiden life left a sour taste. Beyond the lessons, all he remembered were the icy glares and exclusion from the noble-born students. The Divine Child Academy was far more peaceful—quiet, at least. No one disturbed others here. Divine Children shared a thirst for knowledge and exploration. Even after class, they buried themselves in books, too busy to socialize.
That’s why teachers loved this classroom. Divine Children were studious and serene.
*Well,* Dilin thought, glancing at the slouching spiky-haired boy, *except this one.*
"‘Things’? Don’t think you can hide it from me!" John leaned closer, sniffing exaggeratedly. "Hmm! You sly dog—you found a new partner already?"
"What new partner? Don’t talk nonsense." Dilin didn’t look up from his book.
"Ha! Don’t play dumb. Think you can fool *my* eyes? Spill it—did you find a new Divine Maiden?" John slapped Dilin’s shoulder heartily.
"Keep your voice down. This is a classroom." Dilin shot him a glare. The Divine Child classroom was library-quiet; a pin drop would echo.
"After what happened, I worried you’d get expelled for lacking teammates. But you? You’ve got hidden cards up your sleeve, huh? Pulling off a comeback like this?"
"Whether I have ‘cards’ or not—how did you even know I found a new Divine Maiden?" Dilin closed his book slowly, eyes narrowing.
"Seriously? You reek of a woman’s scent. Must’ve been close to someone female. Definitely not a fellow Divine Child—so it’s gotta be a Divine Maiden, right?"
"Hmph." John dodged the question. Dilin let it slide.
He’d never known John’s true skill level in Divine Analysis—what details he could perceive. But if John didn’t want to share, Dilin wouldn’t pry.
