2025-01-12 10:47:20“But why was one here?” Miko asked, his voice filled with frustration. “Why was there no guard? Why didn’t anyone help me?”
The principal let out a long sigh, then sat down. “That’s a question we don’t have an easy answer to. The Abyss—well, the wraiths—first appeared seventy years ago. Back then, the world was normal, peaceful. But one day, portals started opening. Mirrors, windows, random reflective surfaces. And with them, came the Eidolon wraiths.” Miko frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. “The wraiths?” “Yes,” the principal continued, nodding. “They’re not just monsters—they’re the result of a strange occurrence. The moment the Abyss started to leak mana into our world, it birthed elemental powers. Fire, water, air, earth, all of it became possible, but at a cost. The wraiths, these creatures you saw, are the products of that very leak. They are elemental beings, born from the Abyss’s influence.” “So... the wraiths are made from elemental magic?” Miko asked, piecing it together. “But why was there no one to stop me?” “We’ve never encountered a portal like the one you passed through,” Miss Rose answered, her voice laced with worry. “This is a new development. Mirrors—sometimes they act as conduits, opening the way between worlds but they only occur in places with high density of mana, not until now, we haven’t seen anything like it in decades because the density of mana in this school is far from high. We didn’t expect any of the students to accidentally walk into it.” Miko took a deep breath, still in disbelief that he was back in the real world. His head throbbed with questions, but he chose to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment. “There’s no need to tell them any info about the pendant,” he thought too himself. Instead, he glanced around the principal’s office, his eyes settling on Miss Rose and the other teacher standing quietly by the wall. “Well?” Miss Rose said, breaking the silence. “How did you survive in there?” Miko hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much. He could feel the weight of their gazes on him, but he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing everything. He had his own secrets. “There’s no need to explain everything,” Miko said, shrugging. “I just… I figured it out. Kept my head down, kept moving forward.” He could feel his hands itching Miko looked at the floor, his thoughts moving quickly. The pendant had something to do with it, but he wasn’t ready to mention that just yet. “Actually, there’s something else I need to show you,” Miko said, standing up. He wiped his hands on his pants, feeling the ash starting to coat his fingers once again. “Miss Rose, can you shoot a small magic blast at me,” He didn’t need to explain it fully. Miss Rose looked at him curiously, “I heard you’re having a hard time in classes and I wouldn’t really want to put you in any da—“ Before she could finish, Miko had already reached for a pencil sitting on the desk. Without another word, Miko closed his fingers around the pencil, and within moments, the ash wrapped around it, coating the entire object in a dark, smoky layer. “Teacher, I’m waiting for you,” Miko said as he looked at her. The air seemed to thicken with tension as Miko held the pencil up. “Miko, what exactly—?” Miss Rose started, but Miko didn’t give her the chance to finish. Miss Rose took a deep breath as she conjured, “Wind spike!” She blasted at him. He flung the pencil with a sharp motion toward the spoke. The moment the pencil collided with the wind ball, the pencil bounced off and flew away. “ Leaving Miko to dodge the spike. The room fell into stunned silence. The male teacher and the principal both stared, their mouths agape in disbelief. Miss Rose dusted her palm. “As expected, a mere pencil can’t cut a wind spike, I don’t know what you were trying to demonstrate,” Miss Rose said. “What in the world just happened?” The other teacher asked. “What in the world just happened?” the other teacher asked, his voice shaky. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes wide with disbelief. “What did you both see?” Miss Rose asked. The principal, however, didn’t speak immediately. He was staring at Miko, Finally, he broke the silence. “That wasn’t… normal. Miss Rose, didn’t you see it?” “See what?” she asked, folding her arms. “He threw a pencil, and it didn’t do anything. What else was there to see?” The principal stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he addressed her. “The moment his pencil made contact with your Wind Spike. Didn’t you notice the split in your magic?” Miss Rose frowned, replaying the moment in her mind. Slowly, her confidence began to waver. “What do you mean?” The male teacher interjected, his voice rising in pitch. “I saw it too! Right before the pencil bounced off, the tip of the Wind Spike… it split. It was like something sliced through it, but not completely.” “That’s not all, what type of pencil would survive a clash with a wind spike?” The principal said as he walked towards the pencil. He picked it up, revealing the good state of the pencil. “It should have been..” “Torn to shreds,” Miss Rose uttered as the realization struck her. Miss Rose’s eyes widened as she turned to Miko, who stood silently, his expression unreadable. “What did you do?” she demanded, her tone sharp. Miko hesitated, debating how much he should reveal. Finally, he sighed and held out his hand. The ash began to swirl around his fingers, faint at first but quickly thickening into a visible haze. “This,” he said simply. The principal took a step back, his eyes fixed on the ash that seemed to pulse with its own life. “What… what is that?” “It’s my element, ash,” Miko said, his voice calm. “In the face of life and death, I discovered that my ash had the ability to swallow mana like a void. So anything I coat with it becomes and anti-magic weapon” Miss Rose’s spine stiffened as a shiver ran through her. “That… that’s not normal magic. I’ve never seen anything like it.” The principal nodded slowly, his expression grave. “Such magic… This isn’t something we’ve encountered before when it comes to The Ash element. Miko.” Miko hesitated again, his thoughts racing. He couldn’t tell them about the pendant or the Abyss—not yet. Instead, he decided to keep his explanation vague. The male teacher stepped forward, his eyes filled with fascination. “And you can control it? Just like that? I mean you can turn on the anti-ash and turn it off? Choose. When you want to slice magic and when not to?” ”Well, it comes at a cost,” As Miko ended that sentence. Everyone in the room finally noticed the blood pouring out of his nose, eyes and mouth. “The cost is my life. If you look properly, you would notice my dark hair got lighter. The skill burns away my lifespan as it’s battery. So this is a skill that I don’t think I will ever use,” Miko said. Miss Rose shook her head, her expression filled with concern. “This doesn’t make sense. Magic has rules. Elements have rules. But this… this is something else entirely.” The principal cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Miko, we’re going to need to investigate this further. Your abilities… but like you said, it’s a good choice to stop using the anti-magic part of your ash.” “Ash Void,” Miko uttered. “You’re giving a name to a skill you’re not planning on using?” Miss Rose asked. The room fell silent again, the weight of the situation settling over them like a heavy blanket. Finally, Miss Rose spoke, her voice softer this time. “Miko… do you have any idea what you’ve been ‘birthed’ into?” Miko looked at her, his expression unreadable. The principal nodded, his expression serious. “For now, we’ll keep this between us. But Miko, be careful. Whatever this power is… it’s not something to take lightly. If it gets out of the school that you have such a power, you’ll be scouted into battle units or even the military. They will do their best to risk your life for a cause.” Miko nodded, his mind racing. The heavy silence in the room was cut by Miko’s voice. “I have another question,” he said, his tone was cautious yet firm. Miss Rose raised an eyebrow, her hands still crossed tightly over her chest. “What now, Miko?” Miko hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking between the three adults. “What are wraiths that can talk called?” As if rehearsed, the principal, Miss Rose, and the other teacher turned to face him at the same time, their expressions shifting from curiosity to alarm. The principal’s voice was low, almost a very low whisper. “What did you just say?” Miko scratched the back of his head, feeling the weight of their stares. “I said… What are wraiths that can talk called?” Miss Rose stepped closer, her face pale. “Why are you asking that, Miko? Did you—” She stopped herself, as if afraid of what she might hear. “I saw one,” Miko said bluntly, not waiting for her to finish. The male teacher adjusted his glasses and took a step forward. “You what?!” Miko sighed, already regretting his decision to bring it up. “I saw one in the Abyss,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos swirling in his head. “It… it wasn’t like the others. It talked to me.” The male teacher’s jaw dropped. “It spoke to you?” Miko nodded. “Yeah. It called me out.“ The principal leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “You’re sure about this? You’re not mistaken?” “I’m sure,” Miko said firmly. “It wasn’t just some random wraith. It was… different. Stronger.” Miss Rose exchanged a glance with the principal, her voice barely above a whisper. “An awakened wraith?” The principal nodded slowly, his face grim. “It sounds like it.” Miko frowned. “Awakened wraith? What does that mean?” The principal sighed deeply, “Wraiths that can talk are called awakened wraiths. They’re not like the regular ones you see swarming around the Abyss. They’re… smarter. Stronger. And far more dangerous.” Miss Rose shivered visibly. “They’re extremely rare, Miko. Most people never encounter one and live to tell the tale.” “Wait,” Miko said, his brows knitting together. “So you’re telling me that thing I saw… was one of the strongest types of wraiths?” The principal nodded solemnly. “Yes. And the fact that you survived…” He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s nothing short of a miracle.” The principal stood, signaling the end of the conversation. “For now, let’s keep this between us. No one else can know about your encounter with the awakened wraith. If word gets out…” He didn’t finish, but the gravity of his tone made it clear what he meant. Miko nodded, his mind already racing with questions. He didn’t trust them completely—not yet—but for now, he had no choice but to follow their lead.
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The cafeteria buzzed with the usual energy, filled with the clatter of trays and the chatter of students. Miko stepped inside, his return after weeks of being missing met with curious glances and murmurs. He ignored the whispers, keeping his head high as he scanned the room. His gaze landed on a table near the corner, where three students sat—Akiya Ren, Liam Draven, and Anna Elsin. He took a deep breath and walked toward them.As he approached, Akiya leaned back in her chair, her fiery red hair as vibrant as her sharp glare. "Look who finally decided to show up," she said, her tone cutting but not entirely hostile. “Thought you were gone for good, Miko.”Miko paused, unsure of how to respond. "I had... things to take care of," he said carefully, setting his tray down and taking a seat at the edge of the table.Liam, slouched in his chair with his arms crossed, smirked. "Yeah, 'things to take care of.’ Sounds like code for hiding from the clan games," he teased, his lazy demeanor faili
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“Whit whee whoe whoe whoe whit whee,” Miko whistled as he washed in the shower.“Hahh,” he exhaled softly as he washed his face, finally turning off the shower.He sat down on a bench, looking around at lockers before fixing his gaze on the large mirror before him.“After the encounter with the abyss,” he shivered. “Think I might have mirror-phobia,” he said as he giggled.**Soon after, he stepped out of the school bathroom.“Well, now that I’ve officially got no place to return to, I guess the school is now home,” he said as he looked around.“Hiyahh!““Hiyuh!”“Wind spike!!!”“Fire ball!”“Looks like the school is busy today, not everyone went back home,” Miko wandered through the quiet halls of the training arena late at night. As he approached the large doors of the practice room, faint sounds of combat echoed from within—fire crackling, wind slicing, and bright light beaming. He hesitated before pushing the door open slightly, peering inside. Akiya stood in the center of the
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 9
The sun blazed high above the academy’s arena, casting a golden hue over the expansive grounds. The stands were packed with parents, lecturers, and students, their excited chatter building an almost tangible energy in the air. The Transfer Trials had officially begun, and everyone was eager to see which clans would prove their worth—or disgrace themselves further. In the VIP section, Gerald Valon, dressed in a finely tailored suit, took his seat with an air of authority. His piercing gaze swept over the crowd before settling on the lecturers and parents who approached him with deference. “Lord Valon, it’s an honor,” A Professor greeted, his tone laced with respect as he shook Gerald’s hand firmly. “The honor is mine, Professor,” Gerald replied smoothly, his expression calm and unreadable. “I trust today’s games will be as enlightening as always?” Professor Ryn chuckled lightly. “Indeed. It’s always a spectacle to see the determination—or lack thereof—of the students.” Gerald
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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 e
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Luna stepped forward, her Wind magic spiraling around her as if she were a tempest in human form. Her eyes were filled with disdain, but there was an edge of curiosity too. “So, the so-called weakling has more up his sleeve than we thought,” she said, her voice smooth, almost mocking.Miko’s gaze remained steady. “You think this is surprising? You haven’t seen anything yet.”Jace, standing beside Luna, clenched his fists. He stared at Miko with disbelief. “How did you… how could you…” His words faltered. He was so sure Miko was just some Ash mage, barely able to do anything. But now?“You can’t just have fire,” Jace continued, his voice rising. “It doesn’t make sense. You’re supposed to be an Ash mage! This isn’t possible.”Miko smirked. “That’s your problem, Jace. You think things should make sense. But I never cared about what you thought. I just do what I want.”Luna stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. “So you think you can just show up and take us down with your tricks?”Miko’s f
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 12
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Chapter 119
The silence after the ash shockwave was absolute. Trees that had groaned under the weight of mist now stood eerily still, leaves unmoving, the air cold with a kind of supernatural stillness.Akiya was the first to move."That light—" she began, already pushing through the trees. "That was Miko. I know it.""How do you know?" Liam asked, falling in beside her."Because I felt it," she said, eyes locked forward. "That pulse. It was him. I don’t know how, but it was him."The others hesitated only a second before following.Branches snapped beneath their boots. The forest was slowly returning to normal, but the air still held a heaviness—as if mourning something invisible that had passed. The path twisted, trees now parted in ways they hadn’t been before, and the ground showed signs of disruption: scorched patches, cracked stone, and a strange black residue that clung to roots and bark like soot.Then they saw him.Miko stood at the edge of a collapsed ridge, where the forest met a steep
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As he prepared to find a way back to the surface, Miko couldn't help wondering about the facility's original purpose. Who had built it? Why create weapons of such destructive potential? And most puzzling of all, why design them specifically for users with his exact elemental affinity—a combination so rare it had apparently vanished from the world until his own emergence?The questions would have to wait. His priority now was finding a way out of this underground vault and reuniting with his team. With the fog entity still active above, they were likely facing their own challenges, possibly in danger.Miko located what appeared to be a maintenance shaft in one corner of the facility, its ladder leading upward toward the surface. Before climbing, he took one last look at the activated lantern, its potential both fascinating and terrifying."I'll be back for you," he promised the device. "Once this mission is over."**While Miko explored the ancient facility below, the other groups cont
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Miko returned to the central chamber of the underground facility, still puzzling over the crumbling lanterns. The place was vast, stretching further than he'd managed to explore so far, but one section had caught his attention—a room that appeared to be an office or study, its walls lined with what might generously be called books, though they were unlike any he'd seen before."If I'm going to figure this place out, might as well start with the records," he decided, entering the study.The "books" were actually thin metal plates bound together with some kind of flexible alloy, their surfaces covered with the same symbols he'd seen throughout the facility. Most were incomprehensible to him, but some contained diagrams he could interpret—schematics for equipment, illustrations of elemental energy flows, and most interestingly, drawings of the lanterns he'd found."So these were important," he murmured, carefully turning the delicate metal pages of one volume.The diagrams showed the lan
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Miko didn't have time to scream as the ground collapsed beneath him. One moment he was standing in the fog-shrouded forest, the next he was plummeting through darkness, his stomach lurching from the sudden drop. His Ash element swirled around him instinctively, trying to slow his descent but finding nothing solid to grip.The fall lasted only seconds before he crashed through some kind of membrane—a sensation like breaking through thin ice—and then hit solid ground with bone-jarring force. He rolled automatically, distributing the impact as he'd been taught in Academy training."Ugh," he groaned, lying on his back and taking inventory of his body. Nothing seemed broken, though he'd definitely have bruises tomorrow. If there was a tomorrow.After a moment to catch his breath, Miko sat up and summoned his Ash element to provide illumination. The shadows gathered around his hand, creating a dim glow that pushed back the absolute darkness."What the hell...?" he muttered, looking around.
Chapter 115
"There it is again," Akiya whispered, her flame briefly flaring brighter. "Did you see it?"Liam and Lyra followed her gaze into the swirling fog, where a faint ripple of movement had disturbed the otherwise uniform mist."Probably just air currents," Lyra replied, though her tone lacked conviction. She'd been saying similar things for the past hour as they wandered through the endless fog, but even her professional skepticism was wearing thin."No," Akiya insisted, taking a step closer to the disturbance. "It's reacting to us. Watch."She extended her free hand toward the fog, not quite touching it. The mist immediately withdrew from her approach, creating a small pocket of clear air around her fingers."See? It's avoiding direct contact. That's not how normal fog behaves."Liam moved beside her, cautiously extending his own hand. The fog retreated from him as well, though less dramatically."She's right," he said, looking back at Lyra. "This isn't just some corruption manifestation.
Chapter 114
Shadows swirled around Miko's fingers as he navigated through the impenetrable fog. Without his Ash element, he would have been completely blind in the shifting mists that erased all sense of direction."Come on," he muttered to himself, extending his awareness through the shadows. "Give me something to work with."His Ash element responded, spreading outward like tendrils searching for solid references in the chaotic environment.Most of what the shadows found was just more fog, but occasionally they detected something solid—massive tree trunks, root structures, the occasional corrupted vegetation. Not enough to create a map, but sufficient to avoid walking into obstacles."Akiya!" he called out, more from habit than expectation. "Liam! Anna!"His voice seemed to travel only a few meters before the fog swallowed it completely. The neural link remained silent except for occasional bursts of static that made him wince.Miko closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the void. If no
Chapter 113
"What is that?" Liam asked, pointing at the strange haze that had appeared on the horizon as they continued their journey through the massive forest.The fog wasn't like anything they'd seen before in the Abyss. it shimmered with an oily iridescence, neither solid nor gas, spreading across their path like a living curtain.Elena stepped forward, her expression grave as she studied the phenomenon. "It's an illusion barrier," she said. "A defense mechanism that typically appears near the core. The Church has documented these, but few who enter ever return to report what they experienced.""What exactly does it do?" Anna asked, moving closer to examine the strange fog from a safer distance."It distorts reality," Elena explained. "Makes you see things that aren't there, hide things that are. Some say it can even separate groups by making each person experience a different version of reality."Gregor snorted dismissively. "Church superstition. It's just another corruption manifestation."
Chapter 112
Twilight cast long shadows through the massive forest as Miko and Akiya sat on the edge of a giant leaf, dangling their legs over a drop that would have been fatal back in the normal world. The rest of their small group, Liam and the two remaining junior cadets—had fallen into an exhausted sleep after their narrow escape from the bee hive.Gregor's team hadn't yet caught up, leaving the younger members to recover while watching for signs of more corrupted creatures."You think they'll find a safer path forward?" Akiya asked, gesturing vaguely toward the direction Gregor and his team had disappeared an hour earlier."I think 'safer' is relative in the Abyss," Miko replied, rotating his shoulder to work out the stiffness from their earlier flight. "But maybe one with fewer giant insects."Akiya snorted, then grew quiet, her gaze fixed on the bizarre landscape stretching below them. Massive fruits glowed with bioluminescence as darkness gathered, creating constellation-like patterns thro
Chapter 111
They sprinted upward, Akiya taking point with her fire element creating a protective barrier ahead of them. As they neared the battle, Miko could see Gregor unleashing torrents of flame against the swarming insects while Damien created earth barriers to protect the less combat-oriented team members. Anna crouched behind one such barrier, her healing element active around Darin, who appeared to have taken a stinger hit to his shoulder."Incoming friendlies!" Miko shouted to prevent friendly fire as they approached. "Eastern ascent!"Gregor spared them a split-second glance before returning his attention to the swarm. "About time! We need to clear an exit path!"The combined teams formed a defensive circle, elements blazing as they fought to create an opening through the angry swarm. Liam's wind cut swathes through the air, disrupting the bees' flight patterns enough to make them vulnerable to Gregor and Akiya's coordinated fire attacks."The opening!" Elena pointed to a gap in the hive