The stadium was in complete silence, the only sound the distant echo of the commentator’s voice still ringing in the air.
The crowd murmured in disbelief, their voices rising in volume, some in awe, others in confusion. The spectacle of a mage with two elements. They had always known Miko as the weakling with the Ash element, barely able to conjure a puff of smoke. Now, he had just summoned fire. Pure, blazing fire. “Wait… did he just… use fire?” someone whispered, their voice trembling in disbelief. “He’s an Ash mage… Ash, not fire!” another voice, filled with confusion, responded. The murmurs grew louder, echoing through the stands, bouncing off the stone walls of the arena. Even the respected Professor Ryn was taken aback, his eyes wide in astonishment. He exchanged a glance with another professor sitting nearby, both of them still processing what had just happened. “Impossible…” a voice from the back of the stands stuttered. “You need two separate affinities to use two elements… and… he was supposed to be—” “Miko’s a failure,” another voice interrupted, a hint of nervousness in it. “No one expected him to have... fire.” “It’s not possible,” someone else added, their voice shaking. “It can’t be—he was just Ash... just Ash...” In the VIP section, Gerald Valen sat with his posture as stiff as ever, but his eyes were no longer calm. He had always seen Miko as nothing more than the boy he had taken in to fulfill a debt. A weakling, someone who had never once been a threat. But this… This was different. He leaned forward slightly, his lips tightening into a thin line, his gaze narrowing as he took in the scene before him. Elena, sitting beside her team, had gone pale. She hadn’t expected this either. She had always seen Miko as a stain on her reputation, a weak link in a chain she had tried to break free from. And now... now, he was something else. Something far more dangerous. “I’ve heard of such things…” Professor Ryn murmured, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief. “But this is… extraordinary. A double element? Only geniuses in the capital can achieve that.” “That’s not possible,” Gerald’s voice was low, but laced with authority. He stood up, moving to the edge of the VIP section, his eyes still glued to the field. “He was nothing but a burden before. How… how could he—?” “Miko,” Elena whispered, the shock still evident in her voice. “How... how did he…?” “This boy,” Gerald muttered, his eyes still scanning the field, where Miko sat, completely unaffected by the astonished looks thrown his way. “I don’t know at all.” Meanwhile, back on the field, Luna and Jace from Clan Solace stood frozen, their eyes locked on Miko. The fire had been brief but powerful, and now the air felt thick with tension. Miko’s gaze remained steady, Luna was the first to snap out of her shock. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step forward. “What the hell was that?” she hissed, her wind magic swirling restlessly around her. “I— I don’t know!” Jace shouted, his voice strained as he clenched his fists in disbelief. He was one of the Academy’s top fighters, But this... Miko’s power was something he couldn’t understand. He refused to believe it. “No way,” Jace continued, his voice rising in anger. “You can’t have two elements! That’s… That’s impossible!” His fists clenched tighter, his nails digging into his palms. He refused to admit what was right in front of him. He would not be outshone by someone like Miko, someone who had always been nothing more than a joke. Miko didn’t even flinch. He simply tilted his head slightly, meeting Jace’s enraged stare with a calm gaze. There was no fear in Miko’s eyes. Only… quiet certainty. Luna stepped forward, her wind magic flickering. “You really think you can win this? With just that trick?” she scoffed. “We’re Clan Solace. We don’t lose.” Jace’s anger flared even more. “Enough talking,” he growled, his voice seething with frustration. He drew his sword, its blade gleaming in the sunlight. “Let’s finish this. Once and for all.” Miko remained where he was, his stance steady, his hands loose at his sides. His eyes never wavered as Jace charged toward him. The audience’s murmurs grew louder, the tension palpable. Jace’s blade swung down, aiming for Miko’s head. But Miko didn’t move. Instead, as the blade came down, he raised one hand, effortlessly swiping the air in front of him. And then, it happened. The fire from earlier surged back, crackling around Miko’s fingers, forming a wall of flame between him and Jace. Jace’s eyes widened, but he was already committed. He swung his sword at the barrier, the flames licking the steel, but they didn’t falter. The fire seemed to dance, swirling around as though it were alive, as if the flames themselves were responding to Miko’s control. “Impossible… I’m a second circle mage and you’re a worthless mage! That can’t even form a second circle.” Jace muttered under his breath, stepping back, his eyes darting between Miko’s composed face and the fire that surged with unnatural strength. Miko’s voice was calm, almost mocking. “You want to fight me? Fine. But I suggest you stop playing with fire.” Luna gritted her teeth and charged forward as well, her wind magic intensifying. She summoned a powerful gust to tear through the flames, trying to blow Miko off balance. But Miko remained unmoved. The flames swirled, encircling him, as though they were responding to his will. Jace lunged forward again, his sword aimed for Miko’s chest. But Miko was faster. With a sudden burst of fire, he rushed forward, the flames trailing behind him like a living creature. He slammed his fist into Jace’s chest, sending him flying back, crashing into the ground with a brutal impact. The crowd gasped. Even Luna stepped back, eyes wide with shock. Miko stood over Jace, And his cloak billowing around him like a shadow. “Thanks to Larok, I’m able to land unexpected attacks,” he thought to himself. He didn’t say a word, just stared down at the defeated fighter. And with one final, effortless wave of his hand, the fire around him dissipated, leaving nothing but silence. The commentator, struggling to regain his composure, finally found his voice. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, his voice cracking with awe, “I... I think we’ve just witnessed something incredible. A double element user… This... this changes everything!” The stadium remained in stunned silence.Latest Chapter
Chapter 293
Day twenty-eight.Larok woke them earlier than usual. Still dark outside. No stars visible."Final test today," he announced. "Pass, and we descend tomorrow. Fail, and we train another week."Nobody wanted another week.They gathered in the training grounds. Cold. Tired. But ready."Here's how this works," Larok said. "You fight me. All of you. Together. No holding back. Use everything I've taught you. Magic, weapons, tactics. Everything.""Just fight you?" Liam asked. "That's the test?""That's the test. You land three solid hits on me, you pass. Simple." Larok rolled his shoulders. "But I'm not holding back either. So don't expect easy."He took his stance. Axe-hammer in hand. Lightning already crackling around him."Begin."They moved as one.Three weeks of training together showed. Garcia called the strategy. Miko and Liam flanked left and right. Blaze straight down the middle. Akiya from behind. Anna stayed back, ready to heal.Larok met them head-on.His axe-hammer swept in a wi
Chapter 292
Three weeks.That's how long Larok made them fight without magic.On day twenty-two, everything changed.Miko woke to the usual cold water. Got dressed. Made it to the training grounds expecting the usual drills.But Larok was standing there with a different expression. Something almost like approval."No weapons today," he announced. "No blindfolds. No complications.""What then?" Blaze asked warily."Today you remember what you are." Larok gestured to the training ground. "Mages. Elementalists. People with power in their blood. Today, we bring that back."Relief washed over the group. They'd been aching to use their magic again. Three weeks of pure physical combat had been torture."But," Larok continued, "we do it my way. Not the way you learned at the Academy. Not the way you've always done it. My way."He pointed at Miko. "You. Show me your fire."Miko raised his hand. Fire burst to life in his palm. Hot. Bright. Strong."Good. Now make it subtle.""What?""Subtle. Quiet. A flame
Chapter 291
“Good," Larok said. He wasn't even winded. Never was. "You're all improving. Garcia, your footwork is solid now. Liam, those twin blades are finally working together. Blaze, nice job not telegraphing that last strike."He looked at Miko. "And you. You're starting to fight like someone who knows what they're doing.""High praise," Miko said dryly."From me? Yes." Larok grinned. "Water break. Then we work on something new."They gathered around the well in the courtyard. Drinking. Cooling down. The morning sun was warm but not hot. Perfect weather for torture, as Blaze liked to say."What's the new thing?" Akiya asked. Her voice was almost normal now. The throat damage had healed."You'll see." Larok disappeared into one of the buildings. Came back carrying a wooden box. Set it down and opened it.Inside were stones. Smooth. Black. They seemed to drink the light."What are those?" Garcia asked."Abyssal fragments. Small pieces of corruption given physical form." Larok picked one up. "Ha
Chapter 290
One week.That's how long it took for Miko to stop hating Larok and start understanding him.The training was relentless. Every morning started with cold water and running. Every afternoon was combat drills until they couldn't lift their weapons. Every evening was endurance training that left them barely able to crawl to dinner.But they were getting better.Miko could see it. The way Garcia moved now—smoother, more confident even with one arm still healing. The way Liam's twin blades worked together instead of fighting each other. The way Blaze had stopped telegraphing his spear strikes.The way Miko himself could hold a defensive stance for an hour without his legs shaking.Progress. Slow. Painful. But real.Anna had recovered enough to join training. Not full intensity, but enough. Larok had her working on something different—meditation, he called it. Learning to sense corruption before it manifested."The Abyss has a feeling," he'd explained. "A wrongness you can detect if you kno
Chapter 289
Miko woke to someone dumping cold water on his face.He gasped, sat up sputtering. Larok stood over him with an empty bucket."Good morning," the old man said cheerfully. "Training starts now.""It's still dark outside," Miko protested."So? The Abyss doesn't care about daylight." Larok tossed the bucket aside. "You've got five minutes to get to the training grounds. Anyone who's late runs laps until I'm satisfied."He left. Miko heard him moving to the next room. More water. Blaze's cursing.Miko pulled himself out of bed. Every muscle hurt. His hands were still torn up from yesterday's climb. His back felt like someone had beaten it with clubs.Five minutes.He dressed fast. Found his way to the courtyard. The others were already gathering, looking as miserable as he felt.Except Larok. He looked fresh. Energized. Like he'd slept twelve hours instead of maybe three."Everyone here?" He counted heads. "Good. Follow me."They followed him through an archway to a large open space behin
Chapter 288
Dawn came cold and gray.Miko woke to Larok shaking his shoulder. "Time to move. We've got ground to cover."The team gathered their minimal supplies—mostly just weapons and whatever food they'd scavenged. Not much. They'd need to hunt or forage along the way."Which direction?" Garcia asked. Her arm was still in its splint, but she'd slept better than any of them. Probably used to functioning on no rest."North," Larok said. He pointed across the hills toward distant mountains. "See that peak? The one with the split top?"Everyone looked. The mountain was far. Really far."That's where we're going?" Blaze asked. "That's got to be three days at least.""Four if you walk slow," Larok agreed. "Three if you don't complain." He started walking. "Let's go."They followed. What else could they do?The first hour was quiet. Everyone too tired to talk. Just putting one foot in front of the other. The terrain was rough—hills and valleys, streams to cross, rocks to navigate.Anna was struggling
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