Max sat cross-legged in the abandoned storage chamber beneath the academy's western wing. The dim blue glow of the system screen lit his face, highlighting the sharp, focused glint in his eyes.
He'd skipped all his classes that day.
He didn't care anymore about lectures or grades. All that mattered now was getting stronger—faster than Julius Frost could move. Stronger than the questions threatening to close around his secret.
The system buzzed softly:
[Elemental Affinities: Full Access]
[Elemental Sync Level: 1]
[New Prompt Available: "Fusion Unlock – Attempt Multiple Affinity Cast"]
His breath caught.
"Fusion...?"
He recalled stories from ancient texts—tales of archmages and high-ranked warriors blending elemental forces to create new techniques. But no one in modern times could do it. Even elite Blue-rank talents couldn't synchronize two elements in real time without them canceling each other out.
But Max wasn't bound by normal logic.
He placed his hand forward and summoned wind.
A swirl of air danced over his palm, sharp and fast.
Then, slowly, he focused and summoned fire at the same point.
It felt like threading two different rivers into one bottle. His hand trembled. The air wavered. Sparks flickered.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The fusion snapped and exploded outward in a mini-blast, throwing Max across the room. He slammed against the wall and groaned, coughing smoke from his lungs.
The system pinged.
[Fusion Attempt Failed – Elemental Instability Detected]
[Advice: Improve Mana Control and Sync Speed]
Max gritted his teeth and sat up, hands bruised but eyes blazing.
"I can do it."
Elsewhere, Lena entered Julius's office with a sealed crystal scroll.
"It's confirmed," she said quietly. "The necklace matches Peter's artifact. It's a containment vessel for a pre-cataclysm relic—classified as Tier 11."
Julius remained still. "And Max?"
Lena hesitated. "We can't prove he knows. But if the artifact has started responding…"
"Then we can't wait," Julius muttered. "I want a covert team to monitor him full-time. If he tries to leave the grounds, intercept."
"What about interrogation?"
Julius's voice turned cold. "No. We do not confront a child bonded with a world-ending artifact. Not unless we're ready to end him."
Back underground, Max tried again.
Wind. Fire. Together.
His mana trembled, but this time he focused deeper. He visualized the elements not as enemies—but as partners. Flame that rode the wind. Wind that fed the flame.
This time, instead of resisting each other—
They merged.
A blazing spiral of fire shot from his hand, twisting like a dragon's breath. It tore through a stone pillar and scorched the wall behind it.
[Fusion Achieved: Fire + Wind = Inferno Stream (Lv. 1)]
[EXP +200 – Skill Unlocked!]
Max's heart pounded.
He laughed. Wild. Victorious.
He'd just stepped into a realm no student had ever touched.
But he didn't notice the shimmer of magic in the corner of the room. A faint, nearly invisible crystal orb—recording his every move.
And miles away, Julius Frost watched the footage with narrowing eyes.
"He's awakening," Julius whispered.
Then he crushed the viewing orb in his hand.