2025-02-11 13:41:05Luna 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 fire flickered dangerously. “Tricks? Whatever you say.” The tension in the air was so visible as Luna summoned a gust of wind toward Miko, trying to knock him off balance. But Miko was quick. He raised his hand, and a wall of fire appeared, blocking the wind with ease. “You’re going to have to do better than that,” Miko said coolly. Jace didn’t wait for Luna to regroup. He charged forward, sword drawn, his eyes burning with determination. “I won’t let you get away with this.” Miko’s eyes hardened. “You want to fight?” He stood still, watching Jace approach. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With a sudden movement, Miko threw a fireball straight at Jace. Jace managed to dodge, but just barely, as the fireball exploded in the air behind him. Miko smirked. “Not fast enough.” Luna, regaining her composure, shot another blast of wind toward Miko, but this time, he was ready. He moved with lightning speed, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow, dodging the gust and sending another wave of fire toward her. “Is that all you’ve got?” Miko taunted, his voice sharp. “I thought you were supposed to be the top students of Clan Solace.” Luna’s expression darkened. “You’re getting cocky for someone who’s about to lose.” But Miko didn’t flinch. “We’ll see about that.” Somewhere Else in the Arena, Akiya was quick, her movements fluid as she dashed the trees, headed toward Clan Solace’s base. The tension of the ongoing battles was in the air, but she had a different goal in mind. She reached the entrance to Clan Solace’s area, where two guards stood watch. They eyed her warily as she approached. “Halt,” one of them called, stepping forward. “This area is off-limits to anyone not part of Clan Solace,” one said. The other guard giggled, “Are we in some historical novel or something?” Akiya didn’t even blink. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to take your flag.” The guard’s eyes narrowed. “you’re not here to get in trouble, but you’re looking for our flag?” Akiya didn’t answer immediately. She took a step forward, her presence unwavering. “Do you really want to stop me?” The guards hesitated. Akiya’s gaze was unyielding, her posture calm but assertive. The pressure around her seemed to shift, and for a moment, the guards faltered. “Step aside,” Akiya said simply. Without waiting for a reply, she raised a hand and sent a small, controlled fire ball toward the guards. It wasn’t enough to harm them—just enough to push them back, making them reconsider. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” she said, her voice low but firm. The guards exchanged uneasy glances, Back at the Arena, Miko was fully immersed in the fight now. He dodged Luna’s next gust of wind with ease, but he didn’t let his guard down. Jace wasn’t holding back anymore, and neither was Luna. It was clear they were both starting to take him seriously now. But Miko wasn’t going to give them an inch. He threw another fireball at Jace, who barely managed to deflect it with his sword. The explosion rocked the air, and the crowd’s excitement grew with every move. But Miko didn’t stop there. He wasn’t about to show mercy. Luna tried again, summoning a powerful wind to knock him off his feet. Miko gritted his teeth. It was getting harder to keep up. But he wasn’t done. Not yet. With a flick of his wrist, Miko sent a torrent of flame toward Luna, forcing her to leap out of the way. She gasped, surprised at the intensity of the fire. “Impressive,” Luna said through gritted teeth, wiping the sweat from her brow. “But you’ll have to do better than that.” “I plan to,” Miko said, a cold smile tugging at his lips. But just as the fight was heating up, Miko’s concentration was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned, his eyes narrowing. Coming toward him were Zack, the representative from Clan Aegis, and his assistant. Zack’s expression was calm but full of arrogance. “Well, well,” Zack said as he approached, his voice smooth but mocking. “Looks like the little show-off has caught everyone’s attention.” Miko didn’t flinch. “Look who the cat dragged in.” Zack smirked. “I’m just here to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself too much. We both know you didn’t get this far on your own.” Miko raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t get this far?” He scoffed. “That’s an interesting theory.” Zack’s smirk widened. “You think you can keep up with me? With all your tricks?” His eyes glinted. “You must be using some artifact or some other cheap trick to pull this off. No one can just suddenly control two elements.” Miko’s gaze hardened. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.” Zack chuckled, stepping forward. “You’re just a freak who got lucky. I’m the real deal here, not some lucky boy with tricks. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.” Miko’s fists clenched. “You want to test me? Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Zack waved his hand dismissively. “You’re just wasting my time. Stand down. We all know you won’t last long.” For a moment, Miko said nothing. His gaze was steady. “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating me,” Miko said, his voice cold. “I won’t be your stepping stone.” The crowd grew silent as Zack and Miko stared each other down.
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The arena fell silent as Ian stepped forward, his footsteps echoing across the battlefield where Elena had just fallen."Well, well," Ian's voice dripped with disdain. "The ash user who thinks he can play with double elements."Miko wiped the sweat from his brow, trying to catch his breath from his fight with Elena. "What do you want, Ian?""Want?" Ian's laugh was sharp. "I want to know how someone like you suddenly has this power. Do you know how many of us have trained for years trying to get where we are? How many nights have we spent perfecting our techniques?"In the stands, a professor leaned toward his colleague. "This should be interesting. Ian's never lost his composure like this before.""He's jealous," another professor whispered back. "Can you blame him? He's spent years trying to gain a second element.""Let's make this simple," Ian called out, raising his hands. "Show everyone what a fraud you are!"The ground erupted beneath Miko's feet, but he was already moving, slidi
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For a moment, all that could be heard was heavy breathing and the tension in the air. The silence stretched until—Clap... Clap... Clap...A lone figure stood in the upper stands, their slow applause echoing through the arena."Did you see that?" a voice called out. "Did you all see what he just did?"Another person stood, joining the applause. "He beat Ian! He actually beat him!"The applause spread like wildfire, until the entire stadium was on their feet."Miko! Miko! Miko!""The ash user did it!""This is incredible!"A student leaned over the railing, shouting, "Hey, Ian! How's it feel to have your perfect technique read like a children's book?"Ian pushed himself to his feet, his voice tight. "You... you planned this from the start?""No," Miko replied, keeping his voice level. "I just learned to watch. Something you never had to do."The Principal rose from his seat, raising his hands. The crowd gradually fell silent."Well," he said, his voice carrying across the arena, "it
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Anna stared at the letter in her hands, the heavy cream paper embossed with the Church's gold seal. She read it a third time, still not quite believing what it said."This has to be a mistake," she muttered, running her finger over the ornate calligraphy.The common room door swung open as Akiya walked in, a mug of coffee in one hand. "What's got you looking so confused this early?"Anna held up the letter. "I just got a formal invitation from the Church. They want me to visit their healing facilities and 'exchange methodologies.'"Akiya nearly choked on her coffee. "The Church? Since when do they invite AAU personnel for friendly visits?""That's what I was wondering." Anna handed over the letter.Akiya scanned it quickly, her eyes narrowing. "This is weird timing. Right after Miko gets back from the church ? Not a coincidence.""I thought the same thing," Anna admitted. "But it's also an opportunity.""An opportunity to get yourself into trouble," Akiya said, tossing the letter back
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"Move!" Larok grabbed Miko's arm, yanking him backward with surprising strength. "Now!"The blue water in the pool churned violently, splashing over the edges. What had been peaceful moments ago now pulsed with chaotic energy, sending waves of force through the cave."What's happening?" Miko stumbled as Larok dragged him toward the entrance."It's activating," Larok said through gritted teeth. "And we are definitely not prepared for what comes next."The walls of the cave—those strange organic-looking surfaces—began to ripple like muscle tissue. The symbols etched into them glowed with the same blue light as the pool, pulsing in rhythmic patterns that made Miko's head spin."Look!" Miko pointed at the pool as the pool boiled hot."I see it," Larok hissed. "That's why we're leaving."They scrambled through the narrow passage, the rock walls scraping against their shoulders. Behind them, a low, rumbling sound grew in intensity—half mechanical drone, half living growl."What is that thin
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Miko's body ached from the battle. He had a few cuts and bruises, nothing serious, but the memory of how easily Larok had dispatched the creature kept replaying in his mind."Something on your mind?" Larok asked, glancing sideways at him."Yeah." Miko stepped over a fallen log. "A lot of things, actually.""Such as?"Miko hesitated, then decided to just ask directly. "How many Awakened Wraiths have you fought?"Larok laughed, the sound echoing through the trees. "That's what you're wondering about?""Among other things," Miko admitted. "I've barely survived encounters with them, and yet you seem... unbothered by the whole situation."Larok was quiet for a moment, like he was deciding something. Then he stopped walking and turned to face Miko."Let me tell you a secret," he said, his usual amused expression turning serious. "The president and I already know about the rankings of the strongest Awakened Wraiths."Miko stared at him. "Rankings? Like the knights have? Or you mean the 5 top
Chapter 91
"Come on then," Miko said, settling into the stance Kiera had taught him at the Knight Academy.The bear charged with surprising speed for its size. Instead of dodging, Miko stepped to meet it, his blade tracing a dark arc through the air.Metal met corrupted flesh with a sound like thunder. The beast howled as the shadow-infused blade cut a shallow wound across its shoulder."Good!" Larok called from his resting spot. "The integration works. Physical damage enhanced by elemental energy."The beast backed away, blood oozing from the wound. It circled Miko warily, those purple eyes tracking his every movement."It's learning," Miko called back, keeping his sword pointed at the creature. "Adapting to my attacks.""Most higher corruptions do," Larok replied casually. "Makes them so much more interesting than standard monsters."The bear-wolf lunged again, this time feinting to one side before snapping at Miko's sword arm. Miko barely twisted away in time, the beast's jaws closing on empt
Chapter 90
Larok glanced back over his shoulder. "You handled yourself well in there. Not many could have adapted to that guardian's tactics so quickly.""Your techniques worked better than I expected." Miko checked the scanner again, making sure the data was secure. "But that obelisk—a communication relay? That can't be good.""It's not." Larok's face hardened. "It means they're building infrastructure. Planning something big."They reached a small clearing about half a kilometer from the portal. The forest here looked normal—tall trees swaying gently in the breeze, sunlight filtering through the leaves. No sign of corruption.Larok stopped and turned to Miko. "Let me see the scan data."Miko handed over the scanner. "The symbols on the obelisk matched what I saw in the Church archives. Same style, at least."A deafening crash interrupted him as trees splintered at the edge of the clearing. Birds scattered in panic, their wings flapping frantically above the canopy."Get down!" Larok shoved Mik
Chapter 89
Crossing through the portal felt nothing like the portals Miko had used before. Instead of feeling squeezed and disoriented, it was like walking through cool water that tingled against his skin.On the other side, Miko found a twisted version of the forest he'd just left. “What the hell,” Miko said as he turned around to observe his surroundings.Trees grew at impossible angles, plants showed colors that shouldn't exist, and the sky was deep purple with yellow veins running across it."This confirms it's a dungeon," Miko said into his communication device. "It's like a corrupted copy of the real forest.""Your scanner readings are coming through clearly," Larok's voice replied. "Be careful. These places usually get worse the deeper you go."Miko moved forward with his star-iron sword ready. The scanner showed him which way to go, pointing toward the energy at the center of this place. With each hundred meters, things got more twisted and wrong.After about five minutes, Miko saw his
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Miko moved carefully down the gentle slope, keeping to natural cover while approaching the archway from its eastern side. The scanner's readings grew stronger as he got closer, confirming highly structured energy patterns unlike standard Abyss manifestations.When he reached about ten meters from the archway, the scanner gave a soft alert tone showing it had detected previously unregistered energy signatures. Miko froze, scanning the area for the source.Nothing visible had changed, yet the scanner clearly showed additional energy patterns now active within its detection range. He adjusted the device's settings, trying to isolate the new signatures.The results were concerning—movement patterns consistent with intelligent entities, yet nothing visibly present in the physical environment around him."Possible guardian entities detected," he whispered into his communication device. "Can't see them but they're showing up on specific energy frequencies.""Pull back now," came Larok's ters
Chapter 87
"Shows you're thinking strategically. We've found no evidence they know about us specifically, though some probe patterns suggest they're gathering intelligence on human information networks generally.""Which is why this briefing happens in our most secure location," Larok added. "With minimal documentation and no digital transmission of operational details."The precautions made sense given the apparent intelligence capabilities of the entities they were discussing. Still, Miko had one fundamental question remaining."What exactly is a dungeon?" he asked, recalling the term from Larok's earlier mention.Jeremiah exchanged another glance with Larok before responding. "The term comes from historical classifications rather than AAU terminology. It refers to isolated Abyss manifestations that maintain permanent structure despite being disconnected from the main Abyss realm.""Like a fragment that breaks off but keeps working independently," Miko translated."Basically correct," Jeremiah
