Zane stared at the Infinite Seed in his palm. The fruit was warm to the touch, and up close, he could see tiny veins of gold running through its silver skin. It looked almost alive, pulsing gently with each breath he took.
He'd waited long enough. Seraphina had left, the mansion was quiet, and his door was locked. If there were side effects, at least he'd be alone to deal with them.
Zane took a deep breath and bit into the fruit.
The taste was incredible. Sweet but not overwhelming, with a hint of something he couldn't quite identify. It reminded him of honey and starlight, if starlight had a flavor. The flesh melted on his tongue, and warmth spread through his mouth.
He finished the fruit in three bites, not wanting to waste a single drop of juice. The moment he swallowed the last piece, something changed.
Heat exploded in his chest.
It wasn't painful, not exactly, but it was intense. The warmth spread from his core outward, flowing through his veins like liquid fire. His Aura channels, which had always felt sluggish and narrow, suddenly opened wide. At the same time, his Mana core began to expand, growing deeper and more stable.
[INFINITE SEED CONSUMED]
INITIATING BODY TRANSFORMATION
WARNING: Transformation process will take 6 hours. Host should not be disturbed.
Six hours? Zane barely had time to process the notification before his vision blurred. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the bed.
The warmth in his chest grew hotter, spreading to his limbs. He could feel his Aura pathways expanding, widening, becoming stronger. His Mana core pulsed with new energy, drawing in ambient Mana from the air around him. His muscles twitched and spasmed as they were rebuilt from the inside out.
It didn't hurt, but it was overwhelming. Every cell in his body was being remade, improved, enhanced. His bones felt like they were vibrating, his blood like it was boiling.
Zane gritted his teeth and endured. This was what he needed. This was what would give him a fighting chance.
Time lost meaning. He drifted in and out of consciousness, aware only of the constant heat and the sensation of change. At some point, he heard Martha knocking on his door, asking if he was alright. He managed to call out that he was resting and didn't want to be disturbed.
After that, silence.
The transformation continued. Zane could feel both his Aura channels and Mana core being completely restructured. His Aura, which had been a weak trickle before, now flowed through him like a raging river. His Mana, which had been a small pool, expanded into a vast reservoir.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the heat began to fade. The sensation of change slowed, then stopped. Zane's breathing steadied, and he opened his eyes.
The ceiling looked the same. The room looked the same. But he felt completely different.
[TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE]
CALCULATING NEW STATS...
Zane sat up slowly. His body felt light, responsive, powerful. He looked down at his hands and saw that they seemed slightly more defined, the muscles more pronounced.
The system notification expanded.
[STATUS WINDOW]
NAME: Zane Morgenstern
AGE: 16
LEVEL: 4 (650/800 EXP to next level)
TITLE: The Disowned, The Marked, One Who Defies Destiny, The One Who Steals Fate
TIER: Apprentice I (Aura) | Apprentice I (Mana)
ATTRIBUTES:
- Strength: 24 (+12)
- Agility: 26 (+12)
- Endurance: 22 (+12)
- Intelligence: 28 (+12)
- Willpower: 32 (+14)
- Charm: 14 (+6)
SKILLS:
- [Basic Swordsmanship - Lv 4]
- [Mana Manipulation - Lv 2]
- [Aura Sense - Lv 1]
- [Danger Sense - Lv 1]
PASSIVE EFFECT (INFINITE SEED):
- Growth Rate increased by 300%
- Aura and Mana recovery rate increased by 200%
- Training efficiency increased by 250%
NOTE: Passive effects are permanent
Zane stared at the numbers. His attributes had nearly doubled. And more importantly, he'd jumped from Novice III to Apprentice I in both Aura and Mana. That was a full tier increase in both energy systems.
But the real treasure was the passive effects. Three hundred percent increased growth rate meant he would get stronger three times faster than normal people. Every hour of training would be worth three hours. And the increased recovery rate meant he could train longer without exhaustion.
He stood up and walked to the mirror. His reflection showed subtle changes. His face was slightly sharper, his eyes brighter. The white hair seemed to shine more, and his silver eyes had gained an almost metallic quality.
He looked stronger. Healthier. More alive.
Zane clenched his fist and channeled Aura. The energy responded instantly, flooding through his body with ease. It was like comparing a stream to an ocean. Then he shifted focus and channeled Mana instead. It flowed just as smoothly, gathering in his palm as a faint blue glow.
He punched the air experimentally with Aura enhancement. The movement was faster, sharper, more controlled. Then he released a small burst of Mana, watching it dissipate in the air like mist.
A grin spread across his face. This was it. This was the power he needed.
He checked the time. It was evening now. He'd been unconscious for the entire afternoon. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten since breakfast.
Zane left his room and headed down to the kitchen. Martha was there, preparing a simple dinner. She looked up when he entered.
"Young Master! I was getting worried. You've been in your room all day."
"I'm fine, Martha. Just needed rest after the trip." He sat down at the small kitchen table. "Is there anything to eat?"
"Of course. I'll prepare something right away."
While Martha cooked, Zane thought about his next steps. He had just under two weeks until the academy term started. With his new growth rate, he could make enormous progress in that time.
He needed to train. Push his new limits. Get used to his enhanced body and expanded energy reserves before he faced the academy's challenges.
And more importantly, before he faced Liam.
Martha set a plate of food in front of him. Roasted chicken, bread, and vegetables. Simple but well-made. Zane ate quickly, his enhanced body demanding fuel.
"Martha," he said between bites. "I'll be training intensively for the next two weeks. I don't want to be disturbed during the day unless it's an emergency."
"Of course, Young Master. Should I bring meals to your room?"
"No, I'll come down when I need to eat. Thank you."
After dinner, Zane returned to his room and pulled up his status window again. He needed a training plan. Something that would maximize his growth in the limited time he had.
He needed to improve both his Aura and Mana abilities. In the novel, most students specialized in one or the other, but the truly powerful characters could use both effectively. That would be his advantage.
For Aura, he'd focus on enhancement techniques and physical combat. For Mana, he'd work on manipulation and basic elemental control. He remembered from the novel that first-year students learned foundational spells for all elements before specializing later.
Zane spent the rest of the evening planning his training schedule. Tomorrow morning, he'd start.
---
The next two weeks passed in a blur of constant training.
Every morning, Zane woke before dawn and went to the mansion's abandoned training yard. The space was overgrown and neglected, but it had everything he needed. Wooden practice dummies, a few rusted weapons, and plenty of room.
He started each session with sword forms, repeating them hundreds of times until his arms burned. With his enhanced growth rate, he could feel himself improving with each repetition. Movements that had been clumsy before became smooth. Strikes that had been slow became fast.
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Basic Swordsmanship - Lv 5]
After an hour of swordsmanship, he'd shift to Aura training. He practiced channeling Aura through his body to enhance his physical abilities. The goal was to maintain the enhancement for longer periods without burning out his channels.
At first, he could only hold it for a few seconds. But each day, he lasted longer. By the end of the first week, he could maintain full Aura enhancement for a solid minute.
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Aura Sense - Lv 2]
Then came Mana training. This was more complex than Aura work. While Aura was straightforward enhancement, Mana required precise control and understanding of elemental affinities.
Zane discovered he had an affinity for wind and darkness. Wind was common enough, but darkness was rare. In the novel, only a handful of characters had dark affinity, and most of them were antagonists.
Fitting, considering his role.
He practiced basic Mana manipulation by creating small spheres of energy and maintaining them. Then he worked on elemental exercises. For wind, he'd gather air currents and compress them. For darkness, he'd pull shadows together and shape them.
The darkness affinity felt natural to him, almost too natural. The shadows responded to his will eagerly, like they'd been waiting for him.
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Mana Manipulation - Lv 3]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: Wind Manipulation - Lv 1]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: Shadow Manipulation - Lv 1]
By the second week, Zane had developed a training routine. Mornings were for physical conditioning and sword work. Midday was for Aura training. Afternoons were for Mana practice. Evenings were for meditation to stabilize his energy cores.
Eliza sometimes watched him train from the mansion's windows. Once, she came out to bring him water.
"You're like a different person," she said, handing him the cup. "What happened to you in that forest?"
"I got what I went there for," Zane replied, drinking deeply. The water was cool and refreshing. "That's all that matters."
"The fruit you found," Eliza said. "It did this to you, didn't it?"
Zane didn't answer directly. "How's your recovery going?"
She flexed her arm. "Good as new. That potion you gave me worked wonders." She paused. "You know, when we first left for the Shadow Forest, I thought you were being reckless. But now I get it. You knew what you were doing."
"I had to take the risk," Zane said. "The academy won't be easy. I needed every advantage I could get."
"Well, you got it." Eliza grinned. "Your siblings are going to be very surprised."
That thought brought Zane some satisfaction. Damian and Celeste expected him to fail, to embarrass the family even further. They wouldn't be expecting this.
On the tenth day of training, Zane achieved a breakthrough. He was practicing combining Aura and Mana when something clicked. Instead of using them separately, he layered them together. Aura enhancement for his body, with Mana channeled through his weapon.
He struck one of the practice dummies with this combined technique, and the dummy exploded into splinters.
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Basic Swordsmanship - Lv 6]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: Aura Blade - Lv 1]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 5]
Zane stared at the destroyed dummy in satisfaction. This was it. This was the kind of technique that could compete with the academy's top students.
By the twelfth day, he'd pushed his Aura to the edge of Apprentice II. His Mana had grown more refined, and he could now create wind blades sharp enough to cut through wood. His shadow manipulation let him extend his own shadow to grab small objects.
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Wind Manipulation - Lv 2]
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Shadow Manipulation - Lv 2]
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Mana Manipulation - Lv 4]
On the thirteenth day, Seraphina visited again. She found him in the training yard, practicing his sword forms with Aura enhancement active.
She watched in silence for a moment, then spoke. "Zane? Is that really you?"
He stopped mid-swing and turned to face her. Sweat dripped down his face, and his training clothes were soaked through.
"Sera. I didn't hear you arrive."
She walked closer, her eyes wide. "You've... changed. I can feel it. Your Aura is so much stronger than before."
"I've been training," Zane said simply.
"This is more than just training." She circled him slowly, studying him like he was a puzzle to solve. "You're at Apprentice tier now, aren't you? Both Aura and Mana."
There was no point in hiding it. "Yes."
"That's impossible. Two weeks ago you were Novice III. No one improves that fast."
"I did."
She stopped in front of him, and for a moment, her expression was unreadable. Then she smiled. "Good. You'll need that strength at the academy. Especially with your siblings there."
"I'm not worried about them anymore," Zane said, and he meant it.
"No," Sera agreed. "I don't think you need to be." She reached up and brushed a strand of white hair from his face. "The academy term starts in two days. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Then I'll see you there." She turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Zane? Try not to attract too much attention on the first day. People don't like it when the underdog suddenly becomes strong."
With that cryptic warning, she left.
Zane stood alone in the training yard, thinking about her words. She was right. If he showed too much strength too quickly, people would start asking questions. Questions he couldn't answer without revealing that he'd stolen the Infinite Seed meant for the protagonist.
He'd have to be careful. Show enough strength to protect himself, but not so much that he became a target.
The academy would be a balancing act. And he'd have to navigate it perfectly.
---
On the final day before departure, Zane checked his status one last time.
[STATUS WINDOW]
NAME: Zane Morgenstern
AGE: 16
LEVEL: 5 (200/1000 EXP to next level)
TITLE: The Disowned, The Marked, One Who Defies Destiny, The One Who Steals Fate
TIER: Apprentice I (Aura) | Apprentice I (Mana)
ATTRIBUTES:
- Strength: 24
- Agility: 26
- Endurance: 22
- Intelligence: 28
- Willpower: 32
- Charm: 14
SKILLS:
- [Basic Swordsmanship - Lv 6]
- [Mana Manipulation - Lv 4]
- [Aura Sense - Lv 2]
- [Danger Sense - Lv 1]
- [Aura Blade - Lv 1]
- [Wind Manipulation - Lv 2]
- [Shadow Manipulation - Lv 2]
Two weeks of intensive training had transformed him completely. He was faster, stronger, and far more skilled than the original Zane had ever been.
Tomorrow, he would board the carriage to Argentum Academy. Tomorrow, the real story would begin.
And somewhere at that academy, Liam Ashford was waiting. The protagonist who would eventually fail to save the world.