The early morning mist still clung to the academy grounds as Max made his way through the cobbled paths. After the events of the last few days—his level-up, the duel, and his quiet alliance with Leo—he felt the tide of his life shifting. He was no longer just surviving. He was planning, growing, preparing.
And yet, something gnawed at him.
The system had remained silent all night, but the pulsing ember-shaped icon on his interface didn't vanish. Instead, it had begun to glow brighter with each passing hour.
[SIDE QUEST: EMBER OF THE FORGOTTEN - READY TO TRIGGER]
Max had heard rumors about the Ember Cavern—a forgotten section beneath the academy, sealed off during the early years after mana was introduced to Earth. Most believed it was unstable or too dangerous to explore. But the system didn't give empty warnings.
He needed answers.
By midday, he stood at the back corner of the academy's grand library. Past rows of arcane tomes and forgotten scrolls, there was a sealed iron gate carved with ancient sigils. To most, it was just decoration. But Max could feel it—a subtle hum of power, almost like it was responding to his presence.
He reached for the old volcanic badge Thorn had tossed him two nights prior. Though Thorn didn't know about the system or Max's true abilities, he had hinted that deeper layers of the academy held dangerous secrets. Maybe too dangerous for even the top students.
As Max touched the gate with the badge, the sigils flickered, then hissed open with a low groan.
Darkness.
But Max stepped in without hesitation.
The Ember Cavern wasn't just old—it was alive. Mana flowed through its walls in wild, chaotic patterns. Vines of glowing red stone pulsed with heat, and fragments of elemental essence crackled in the air. Lightning flickered in one corridor. Ice misted in another. It was like walking through a dream of destruction.
The system buzzed.
[QUEST STARTED: EMBER OF THE FORGOTTEN]
[Objective: Discover the source of the elemental surge.]
[Warning: Area unstable. Proceed with caution.]
As Max explored deeper, his elemental affinity reacted strangely. Where others might have been burned or frozen, Max felt his body resonate with each area—absorbing hints of power.
Then he found it.
A massive rune-covered altar at the heart of the cavern. Elemental shards floated around it in a slow orbit, pulsing in a rainbow of energy. But what caught Max's eye was a broken pedestal at the center—clearly meant to hold something.
A fragment of a larger artifact.
Suddenly, a sharp growl echoed from the shadows. Max turned just in time to see a beast step into view—twisted, elemental, and clearly corrupted by the cavern's energy.
His eyes narrowed.
Perfect.
[NEW OBJECTIVE: Defeat the Ember-Warped Guardian]
[EXP REWARD: 2,500 | Rare Drop Chance: High]
Max readied himself, elemental energy gathering in his hands. If this cavern was connected to the artifact his father died protecting, then he had just scratched the surface of something much larger.
This was no longer about survival. It was about uncovering the truth—and making sure no one could ever use that power against the world again.