While Sam was navigating the political minefields of the Magus Academy, three hundred miles to the south lay the Iron Isle.
Unlike the ivory towers of the mages, the Military Academy was a jagged fortress of basalt and iron, constantly lashed by the salty spray of the Great Southern Sea. There were no libraries here—only gravity chambers, weapon pits, and the "Gauntlet," a sprawling forest filled with C-Rank monsters used for live combat training.
Elizabeth "Eli" Storm stood in the center of a muddy clearing, her red hair tied back in a messy ponytail, dripping with sweat and green ichor. Before her lay the carcass of a Spined Razorback, a beast the size of a small carriage.
"Thirty-two," Eli panted, wiping her brow with the back of a hand stained in monster blood.
"Impressive, Storm," a voice barked from the treeline.
Her instructor, a scarred veteran named Commander Grog, stepped out, checking a magical tablet. "That's the third Razorback today. Most students are back in the infirmary after one. Where do you get the stamina? Your [Ignition Blade] should have drained you dry an hour ago."
Eli didn't answer immediately. She looked at her own hands. She felt a strange sensation—one she couldn't quite explain. Since she arrived at the Isle, every time she fought, she felt a weird "echo." It was as if her body was pushing itself harder than it should be able to, knowing that someone, somewhere, was watching her progress.
'It's Sam,' she thought with a smirk. 'That nerd is probably sitting in a chair eating grapes while I do the heavy lifting. I can't let him catch up.'
What Eli didn't realize was that the [Exp Bind] worked both ways in terms of motivation. Every time she pushed her limits, the "mirrored" experience she generated felt more solid, more earned.
"I'm just faster than them, Commander," Eli said, sheathing her practice blade. "Is that the end of the drill?"
"Not quite," Grog's expression darkened. "We just got a report from the scouts. A Minor Rift opened on the eastern shore of the island. It's too small for the professional hunters to bother with, but perfect for a 'Live Fire' exercise. You and your squad are heading out. Real stakes, Storm. No safety nets."
The Tide of Shadows
The eastern shore was a jagged graveyard of shipwrecks and black sand. As Eli's squad arrived, the air was already warping—a purple tear in reality hovering just above the waterline.
"Look at the numbers!" one of her teammates, a nervous boy named Kai, shouted. "That's not a Minor Rift! Those are Shadow Lurkers! Dozens of them!"
Out of the purple tear, spindly, ink-black creatures began to crawl. They were Rank 1 monsters, but they moved with a terrifying, liquid grace.
"Form the line!" Eli commanded. Her voice had changed—it wasn't the voice of a 15-year-old girl anymore; it was the voice of a Vanguard. "Kai, get the shields up! I'll take point!"
She lunged forward, her blade igniting with a fierce, orange-red flame.
SHINK!
The first Lurker disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
[System Log (Internal to Sam)]:
Target Elizabeth Storm has slain [Shadow Lurker]. Exp +150.
Target Elizabeth Storm has slain [Shadow Lurker]. Exp +150.
Back at the Magus Academy, Sam was sitting in the Headmaster's office, sipping tea. He suddenly felt a warm tingle in his chest. His eyes glazed over for a second as he felt the surge.
'Eli... you're working hard today, aren't you?' he thought, a small, proud smile touching his lips.
Back on the beach, the battle was growing desperate. The Lurkers were endless. Eli was a whirlwind of fire, her [Ignition Blade] carving arcs of light through the dark, but the fatigue was starting to set in. Her muscles burned. Her mana was low.
"There's too many!" Kai yelled as a Lurker shattered his shield.
Eli saw a Lurker leaping toward Kai's throat. She was too far away. Her legs felt like lead.
"NO!"
In that moment of desperation, Eli felt a sudden, cool breeze wash over her mind—a sensation of "fullness." It was the mental image of Sam, sitting calmly, his mana pool a bottomless ocean.
'If he can stay calm, so can I!'
She didn't just swing her sword; she poured every ounce of her will into a new move. The flames on her blade didn't just burn; they exploded.
"NOVA BURST!"
A dome of white-hot fire erupted from Eli, incinerating every Lurker within ten meters. The sand beneath her feet turned to glass.
The rift flickered, stabilized for a moment, and then collapsed, unable to withstand the sudden surge of energy.
Eli stood in the center of the blackened beach, gasping for air. Her squad looked at her in awe. She had just performed a Tier 2 move as a Tier 1 student.
"We... we survived," Kai whispered.
Eli looked at her hands. They were shaking. She felt a massive surge of "completion."
The Monthly Tally
Thirty days had passed since the term started.
On the Iron Isle, Eli sat on her bunk, looking at her status. She was Level 9. She was the highest-rated freshman in the history of the Military Academy.
Meanwhile, at the Magus Academy, Sam was standing in the Vault of the First Rift with Headmaster Barnaby.
[Exp Bind] Monthly Report:
Target Elizabeth Storm has cleared a Minor Rift and survived a Boss encounter.
Exp Gained: 45,000.
Transferring to User...
Level UP! Level 8 -> Level 12.
[Tier 2 Attained]
Sam felt his body grow lighter, his senses sharpening. He had reached Tier 2 without swinging a sword once.
"Samuel?" Barnaby asked, noticing the golden aura momentarily flaring around the boy. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Headmaster," Sam said, looking at the ancient, glowing runes on the vault door. "I just realized... I have a very good partner. I should probably find a way to send her a gift."
He looked at his [MP Recovery]. It had evolved.
[MP Recovery Lv. 2]
Recover 2% MP every 10 seconds.
New Sub-Skill: [Mana Gift] - Can transfer stored MP to a Bound Target.
Sam grinned. 'Ten seconds, Eli. Just wait. Soon, you'll never have to worry about running out of fire again.'