Chapter 47
The expedition was over, but its effects lingered. Those who survived had grown stronger, their bodies hardened by battle, their spirits tempered by loss. The academy was abuzz with whispers—who had improved the most? Who had barely made it out alive? And most importantly… who would rise to the top?
Kaito stood in the middle of the training grounds, flexing his arms with a cocky grin.
"Behold!" he declared, stomping his foot. The ground trembled.
Lucas, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "...You learned how to shake the ground?"
Kaito scoffed. "No, you fool. I've reached the fourth stage of the Collection Phase! My earth essence is stronger than ever!" He clenched his fists, his body glowing faintly with brown energy.
To demonstrate, he punched the ground—and a five-meter-wide shockwave erupted, sending debris flying.
Blaze, who had just arrived, dodged the shockwave effortlessly and gave Kaito a blank stare. "Did you just start an earthquake for no reason?"
Kaito grinned. "I was proving a point."
The students just shook their heads kaito has been causing lot of unnecessary trouble but they can't fight him because of the School rules.
Meanwhile, Lucas was not giving up on his self-imposed mission: challenging Blaze to a duel every single day. Inorder to declare himself as the strongest between them.
"Blaze! Fight me!" Lucas called out for the fifth time that day.
Blaze, holding a book on advanced elemental fusion, didn't even glance up. "No."
Lucas crossed his arms. "Why not? You need to test your strength."
"I'd rather test my intelligence," Blaze muttered, turning a page.
He has been reading elemental fusion books but so far only one element has ever been created using elemental fusion which is"Wood" and it was done by a long gone legend "Arkanis Magnus"
Lucas groaned. "What's the point of getting stronger if you don't even fight?!"
Blaze finally looked up, deadpan. "What's the point of fighting if I can just create stronger magic?"
Lucas opened his mouth… then closed it. "Tch. Keep dreaming " He thought
It is well known that elemental fusion is almost impossible, only essence fusion is quite possible, but fusing two elements together to form another one is regarded as myth.
If Lucas was an annoying rival, Volt was an unbearable pest.
Blaze had barely stepped foot into the library to get another book when Volt appeared out of nowhere, draping an arm over his shoulder.
"Blaaaaze, my best buddy, my genius friend, my favorite —"
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to say!"
Blaze shot him a bored look. "You were going to drag me to train with you."
Volt gasped, mock offense written all over his face. "How dare you! That's not—" He hesitated. "Okay, fine, that was what I was going to say. But come on! All you do is read!"
"I'm researching."
"You're procrastinating!"
"I'm studying elemental fusion to create something new."
Volt paused. "...Okay, that actually sounds kinda cool. But! You should still train with me."
"Pass."
"Coward."
Blaze ignored him. Volt did not. He kept poking Blaze's cheek.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Blaze slammed his book shut. "If I make a new element, will you leave me alone?" he ask frustrated.
Volt's eyes sparkled. "Depends. If it's cool, then yes. If it sucks, then no."
Blaze sighed, rubbing his temples. "…Fine."
Meanwhile, Nephis had a goal.
She wanted to thank Aether for rescuing them during the expedition. Simple, right?
Wrong.
She finally found Aether in his usual black cloak standing alone in a quiet courtyard, leaning against a tree. His long, -white hair moved slightly in the wind, his expression cold and unreadable.
Nephis took a deep breath. Alright, just say thank you. Simple.
She stepped forward. "Aether—"
Aether's icy blue gaze snapped to her immediately.
Nephis froze.
It was like being caught in a blizzard. His stare wasn't hostile, but it was so unapproachable that Nephis nearly turned around and left.
She steeled herself. "I just wanted to say… thank you. For saving us."
Aether blinked once. His face remained expressionless.
Then, he turned back to staring at the tree.
"…That's it?" Nephis asked, a little annoyed.
Aether did not respond.
"Not even a 'you're welcome'?" she pressed.
Nothing.
Nephis sighed. I should've expected this. She turned to leave.
Then, just as she was walking away, Aether spoke— so quietly she almost didn't hear it.
"...It was nothing."
Nephis stopped. Her lips twitched upward.
She didn't push further.
It wasn't much, but for someone like Aether… that was enough.
He look at nephis disappearing figure. For the first time in a long while… he wasn't entirely sure if pushing people away was working anymore.
_ _ _ _
It had been four weeks since the expedition, and Blaze had done nothing but read, research, and experiment.
Every day, he buried himself in the academy's elemental fusion archives, consuming every book he could find. Yet, the results were the same.
Elemental fusion is the combination of two or more essences to create a powerful attack.
Elemental fusion can amplify the destructive potential of spells.
Elemental fusion can—
Blaze slammed the book shut. That's not what I need!
He wasn't looking for how to make stronger attacks—he wanted to create something new. A brand-new element born from the fusion of two others. But there was nothing in these books about that.
Frustrated, Blaze asked the system for guidance.
[You must first gain the knowledge before I can process it.]
Blaze gritted his teeth. "Oh, so now you're useless?"
The system stayed silent.
His frustration reached its peak when another failed experiment left parts of the forest in shambles. Smoke filled the air, scorch marks littered the ground, and Blaze himself… looked like he had barely survived a battlefield. His clothes were singed, his hair was fried, and there was a suspiciously large crater where he had stood moments ago.
Blaze screamed in frustration.
"I GIVE UP!"
Birds scattered. Leaves rustled. Somewhere in the distance, a squirrel fell out of a tree.
With a deep sigh, Blaze trudged back to the academy, his face covered in soot.
Back in his dorm, Blaze reached for his personal storage panel, ready to buy something. Then he froze.
[Insufficient Points.]
"…Huh?"
He checked again.
[Points: 0]
"…Wait, what?"
Then it hit him.
He had spent every last point on books.
Blaze stared at the empty balance, horrified.
"Oh no."
He couldn't even buy basic supplies. He needed more points—and fast. But how?
His first thought was going back into the portal to hunt for beast cores, but he quickly dismissed that idea. The portals were dangerous, and while he wasn't afraid of danger, he wasn't about to risk death just to buy supplies.
Later that evening, Blaze sat with Nephis, still thinking about ways to make quick points.
"You know," Nephis said, "you could just take a quest."
Blaze blinked. "A quest?"
She nodded. "Students can take on missions issued by the academy or nearby cities. In return, they receive points."
Blaze stared at her.
"…And you're just telling me this now?"
Nephis raised an eyebrow. "You never asked."
Blaze's eye twitched. "Are you telling me I could've been earning points instead of turning the forest into a warzone?"
A long silence followed.
Then Blaze sighed, Where is Lucas and Kaito? he ask ed
He learned that they have go on a mission together.
"Those two must have been getting along well" Blaze said smiling.
Meanwhile, in a city far from Central City, two figures were causing a scene.
Or rather, one figure was beating the other into the dirt.
Lucas stood over Kaito, fist raised, his expression dark. "YOU STUPID GAMBLING ADDICT!"
Kaito, face bruised and swollen, coughed. "Wait—ow—I can explain—"
Lucas punched him again.
The bystanders? They didn't care. They had watched this happen for days now.
Flashback –
It all started after a mission.
Lucas and Kaito had been tasked with taking down a notorious gangster, a man known as Black Fang. He had been extorting locals, terrorizing shops, and acting like he owned the city.
After a heated battle—where Lucas and Kaito finally managed to defeat black fang, finally completing the mission.
And when they searched Black Fang's base, they found some money.
Their first instinct? Enjoy a drink.
That's when Kaito saw a betting stand.
His eyes sparkled. "Oh-ho! Lucas, my dear friend, do you know what this is?"
Lucas sipped his drink. "A waste of time."
Kaito grinned, ignoring the warning. "No, no, no. This is the realm of opportunity! The land of fortune! The kingdom of wealth! I have been betting since I was a child! I am the Betting Lord!"
Lucas looked deeply unimpressed.
"Uh-huh. And?"
"And we should bet some money!"
Lucas immediately refused. "No."
Kaito was persistent. "Come on! Just a little! I promise we'll make more!"
Lucas sighed, already regretting his life choices. "...Fine. One bet."
Then the reality hit them,
First bet? Lost.
Second bet? Lost.
Third bet? Lost.
Lucas grabbed Kaito by the collar. "You idiot! We're wasting money!"
Kaito laughed nervously. "D-Don't worry! We'll win the next one!"
Lucas wanted to walk away, but before he could Kaito bet everything.
And lost.
The silence that followed was painful.
Lucas slowly turned to Kaito.
Kaito gulped. "U-Uh… friends don't hurt friends, right?"
Lucas cracked his knuckles. His red eyes become redder.
Back to the Present
"YOU SAID YOU WERE THE BETTING LORD!" Lucas roared, punching Kaito again.
"I LIED!" Kaito wailed.
The crowd? Still not interested.
Blaze then later learn that even Volt had gone on a mission.
"…Even Volt?" Blaze muttered. "That guy barely does anything."
With a sigh, Blaze finally made his choice. Time to make some points.
Little did he know, his first mission would be anything but simple.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.