Maelis was calling the students into the Catalyzation Greenhouse, a reinforced structure with enchanted glass walls and stone foundations. It was one of the safest places in the alchemy area, built to withstand chemical explosions and mana surges.
'Damn it... what is this?'
She looked around, chaos unfolding everywhere. Guards were fighting with everything they had against the dark mages who had appeared like shadows falling from the sky after a sudden explosion. They had crossed the academy's barrier like it was nothing.
How was that even possible?
Even though the Transmutation Garden was at the outer edge of the complex, Veyhart Academy had a barrier that should prevent any user of corrupted mana from getting close.
"QUICK, EVERYONE INSIDE!"
"What's going on?! Is this a real attack?!"
"Wasn't Veyhart's barrier supposed to stop this?!"
"Why are they targeting the alchemy area?!"
The students ran in panic, throwing questions into the air as if answers could somehow be found in their own screams.
In the middle of the chaos, one student was sprinting toward the greenhouse when a fire spell cut through the air like a blazing arrow, appearing out of nowhere with a threatening glow.
......FWOOOOSH!.....
"Ngh...!"
'Damn it...'
Maelis instinctively stepped in front, conjuring a mana shield.
CLANG!
The impact cracked the shield and threw her a few steps back, but it held.
"What are you waiting for? Get out of here!"
"Aaaaah!"
The student, still in shock, scrambled to his feet and ran, stumbling.
'Who cast that spell?'
Maelis was panting, her arm trembling. She wasn’t a battle mage. She could barely maintain Tier 2 spells even when giving her all.
"Tsk... damn it... what are we supposed to do? Where are the other students...?"
If she had known something like this could happen, she would’ve never agreed to Valtair’s suggestion to scatter the students across the forest to gather ingredients.
But maybe... maybe that was a good thing. If most of them were far away, maybe they wouldn’t get caught up in the fight.
That was what Maelis held onto. What she wanted to believe.
But then, as if fate itself was mocking her thoughts, a man in black clothing with an intense gaze appeared behind her.
"They're probably being hunted down right now."
Maelis spun around by reflex, ready to cast something offensive, but the man raised his hands in surrender, chuckling like this was all some joke only he found funny.
She backed away, putting some distance between them.
"Who are you?! What do you mean by that?!"
The man stopped in front of her, tilting his head slightly. His hair was short and messy, dyed a bright green that clashed with the chaos around them, with strands falling over his forehead.
'Who is this guy?'
She couldn’t recognize him. He wore a cracked metal mask covering half his face and a long cloak embroidered with twisted silver symbols, like he wanted every thread to scream for attention.
"Like I said... they’re being hunted by my mages as we speak."
"What do you want with the students? Why are you attacking the academy?!"
"Why?"
He touched his chin, looking thoughtful, with a grin that bordered on madness.
"Hmm... one of the reasons was to kill you."
He stared at her with theatrical anticipation, as if waiting for a gasp or a scream.
But when Maelis didn’t react and kept her calm expression, he pouted and wagged a finger.
"Tsk...tsk... boring. You're ruining my scene."
"Don't mess with me."
"Alright, alright... the other reason was..."
The man made a dramatic gesture with his fingers, drawing an X in the air like some cheap circus magician:
"Pfft... of course I’m not gonna tell you."
'So there’s more than one reason...? But what?'
Maelis tried to figure it out, but no answer came to her mind.
Why would dark mages take such a huge risk? Attacking Veyhart wasn't a small thing. They knew that. They weren’t stupid. This could be a suicide mission.
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Unless they had something big to gain...
The man slowly raised his hands, spinning his fingers like he was about to perform a stage trick. The air around him darkened, and a black magic circle formed beneath his feet, pulsing with twisted energy. He looked like he was having fun, like a child pretending to be a villain.
"Don’t worry, professor. If you really want to know more before dying... well, I’ll give you a little taste."
Maelis stepped back half a pace.
"Of course, you'll have to survive this first!"
"Cut the crap! Just tell me what you want from Veyhart!!"
"No more questions, professor..."
With a casual motion, like tossing confetti, he launched the spell with both hands, clapping like he was enjoying his own performance.
A dark blast, like a beam of pure corruption, shot straight at Maelis.
'Damn it... this lunatic.'
====
Light filtered through the tall branches above, casting soft beams on the ground covered with leaves and moss.
The sound of birds was distant, muffled by the silent flow of mana spreading through the forest. Kaen stood between the roots, unmoving, almost blending in with the forest around him.
It had been thirty minutes since Kaen started absorbing pure mana directly into his core.
The energy flowed through the forest and gathered around him, invisible to the normal eye. But if it could be seen, it would look like dozens of faint, wavy blue lines drifting through the air like silk ribbons, wrapping around his body before fading into his skin, as if drawn into the center of his chest.
'I’m really absorbing mana faster...'
The Vyralis Core was known for enhancing the body, increasing physical resilience, stabilizing internal channels, and improving tolerance to magical overload.
There were many effects.
But for most mages, that wasn’t anything special. Few cared about physical resilience when they could just cast spells from a distance.
But Kaen wasn’t like other mages.
His Inertia Core didn’t just store mana as fuel. It converted energy into force vectors, fusing them into his body and allowing him to control momentum, direction, and impact power however he wanted.
However, when he absorbed the dense energy from Vyralis, something changed. Instead of just using it... it was assimilated.
'What I thought was a problem turned out to be a good thing.'
The Vyralis energy reacted uniquely with the structure of his core.
Not like fuel, but like a structural upgrade. As if the Inertia Core had gained a new internal layer. More stable. More durable.
With that realization, he started to understand how he had survived absorbing the full Vyralis crystal in a single night.
'Bastard... did he steal from me?'
Most of the absorbed energy had gone into upgrading his internal core, not as fuel, but as reinforcement.
And maybe that’s why the way he stored mana was now different.
He could absorb more smoothly, and in greater volume.
In the game Chronos Realms that Kaen knew, everything was about energy bars and flashy effects, with no way to really feel any of this. But here, with mana entering his body so gently, Kaen could feel the difference. Even if just a little, he knew he had improved.
"..."
".."
====
A bit farther away, Marco and Yenne walked through the underbrush, watching the ground and the roots closely.
They were collecting strange magical herbs, like red branches and leaves with golden patches, the ones Kaen had pointed out earlier.
Professor Maelis had asked the students to create a Solution of Elemental Purification, and since they didn’t know the traditional ingredients, Kaen suggested an alternative combination.
Yenne was examining one of the branches. She sniffed the tip cautiously, then immediately wrinkled her nose.
"Urgh... that’s disgusting..."
She quickly turned her head away, making a face of pure disgust.
The smell was unbearable. It was like rot mixed with acid, as if she’d stuck her face in a bucket of spoiled sulfur.
"Are you sure this is right?"
"I don’t know either... but if he said it, then it probably is."
"You really trust that lunatic?"
Marco scratched his cheek, thinking for a moment as he stared at the weird-looking branch in his hand.
"..."
"Well... I don’t really know what else to collect, so..."
"Seriously? So you're just going with the only option you’ve got?! Let’s just grab these and get out—"
THUUUUM!
The sound was deep and distant, like muffled thunder echoing through the trees.
"W-What was that?!"
Marco looked around, tense. Yenne also stopped and turned her head in the direction of the noise.
"It sounded like it came from the transmutation garden... where the professor was. We better get back now. Let’s talk to that other idiot."
...What did she mean by other?
"Haaah... alright, let’s go."
Marco started stuffing the herbs into the cloth bag. He wasn’t sure what any of them were. Flowers, stems, thick leaves... everything looked like an ingredient, but he didn’t know the names.
I hope Kaen knows what he’s doing.
As he crouched down to tie the bag shut, Yenne froze. A shiver ran down her spine.
Her eyes narrowed.
Something was coming.
CRAAASH!!!
She spun around and raised a magical barrier in front of Marco just in time.
A tall, muscular man burst through the undergrowth like a charging beast.
THRAM!
His outstretched arm slammed into the barrier, sending out a wave of force that made the magic vibrate.
"Tsk... I was aiming for the boy."
His hand had hit Yenne’s shield instead of Marco, who was now on the ground, shocked.
"Now brace for impact."
He jumped back, putting distance between himself and Yenne.
BOOOOOM!!!
Yenne’s barrier exploded in a blast of force and heat, launching both her and Marco backwards.
Marco hit a thick root and let out a groan.
Yenne rolled across the ground and got to her knees with effort. Her left arm trembled from the pressure of the magical backlash.
What... kind of spell was that?!
The man wore dark clothes, scorched leather, and had bands wrapped around his right arm. His head was shaved on the sides, and old burn marks ran along both arms.
He snapped his fingers, sparks crackling from a red-tinged bracelet.
Two more figures stepped out from the bushes behind him.
The first was a scrawny, irritated-looking boy with a bag slung over his shoulder.
"Are you insane? You almost killed her!"
The brute just turned his head with no hint of guilt.
"She got in the way. Not my fault."
"You really are a beast...!!"
"What did you say?!"
As they argued, a third figure appeared from the trees.
A woman with short pink hair and steady, commanding eyes.
Yenne froze when she saw her.
No doubt... she’s the one in charge.
She glanced at Marco, who was still getting up, dazed.
This wasn’t a test.
If that attack had hit Marco or even her, the damage would’ve been serious.
The woman stepped forward, stopping just ahead of her companions. Her cold eyes settled on Marco with clear disdain.
"He’s irrelevant. Get rid of him. We only need the girl."
"Heh... sure."
The brute started walking slowly, each step heavy and sinking into the damp soil.
"Sorry, kid... nothing personal."
As he got closer, his pace picked up. The slow walk turned into a jog, then into a full sprint straight toward Marco.
Marco’s eyes widened, frozen in place. His body ached too much to react.
Yenne stood up, her arm shaking as she tried to cast another spell—knowing she wouldn’t make it in time.
"Shit..."
Then, without warning, the trees trembled.
ZUUUUM!
An invisible pressure swept through the forest like a silent thunderclap.
A muffled sound burst out, followed by a sharp snap in the air.
VOOOM!
The brute, mid-sprint, felt the pressure before seeing anything. Instinctively, he crossed his arms to shield himself.
THRAAAAM...
The impact hit like a punch from the forest itself.
The invisible vector struck his forearms with massive force, cracking the skin on impact. He was launched backward, flipping through the air, feet lifting off the ground as if yanked by an unseen force.
CRAAASH!
His body crashed through two trees and tumbled through the brush.
Silence fell.
No one understood what had just happened.
The pink-haired woman’s eyes widened briefly in surprise.
He was charging one second... and flying the next? What was that?
Then she felt it—an overwhelming presence pressing from ahead. An aura so dense and heavy it couldn’t be ignored.
She didn’t hesitate.
"Get ready."
She spoke firmly to her companion while keeping her eyes locked on the source of the pressure.
Then Kaen stepped out from the bushes.
?? Author's Note:
?? 1 - How does a mage increase their Tier?
don’t store external mana. Mana flows naturally through their body and is shaped in real time to cast spells. A standard mana core isn’t meant to store outside mana — it just regulates the flow of the magical energy already within the body.
more mana their body can conduct and use. Some are born with a larger natural reserve, but that’s not a fixed rule and will be explored later.)
Inertia Core, where storing pure mana is possible — something considered impossible for humans. He uses it as fuel for his vector-based abilities.
- Expand the core’s flow capacity;
- Strengthen the mana channels (as already seen with Elena and Yenne);
- Develop a new magical perception (through study, training, combat, etc.).
higher-tier mages use more mana, with more control and stability, even without storing it. This allows for bigger spells, longer cast times, and more complex elements.
?? 2 - Why is Kaen so different from other mages?
Inertia Core, which stores pure mana — again, something considered impossible for humans.
carries mana like fuel, which allows for instant bursts of power, but at great risk. Even without stored mana, he can still use his abilities — but with limitations and side effects.
trapped, dense, and unstable, causing internal conflict. That’s why the fairy Seris called him a “mess.”
doesn’t cast traditional spells like fireballs or ice spears — he uses physics-based, vector techniques, like repulsion, impulse, and collisions.
?? 3 - Is the magic tower useful to Kaen?
doesn’t learn traditional spells, so grimoires and casting books are useless to him.
experimental research, and that can be valuable. For example, the Third Magic Tower, where Yenne has access, studies Vitality Condensers like the Vyralis Core, which:
- Strengthen the physical body (muscles, structure);
- Boost tolerance to intense mana circulation.
not evolve like a traditional mage, but he can still benefit from that research — especially ones that increase his resistance or reduce the risks of his own powers.
?? 4 - Does the evolution formula give a real advantage?
formula Kaen found in the library (Chapter 13):
- Level 1 version: Internal Pulse Essence — temporary effect, speeds up mana flow for a short time.
- Level 2 version (obtained during the “Stable Mana Link” quest):
Grants a permanent increase in the body’s mana flow efficiency, improving control, reducing waste, and speeding up casting.
doesn’t directly raise your Tier, but it might be the missing piece to trigger a breakthrough — especially if control issues are what’s holding a mage back.
Yes, it gives an advantage against opponents of the same Tier.
? But in higher Tiers, the effect has less impact, since other factors come into play (elemental affinity, technique, magic resistance…). The bonus doesn’t vanish — it just becomes a smaller part of the whole.
?? 5 - Does the Vyralis Core lose power over time?
Vyralis Core.
not a potion, but an alchemical vitality-condensing crystal. Using it requires meditation, mana connection, and controlled absorption.
“gaining XP” in games:
→ At low Tiers, the effect is strong.
→ At high Tiers, the impact decreases — but it never goes away.
permanently strengthens the body, allowing Kaen to endure the side effects of his own powers longer and without breaking his internal channels.
Thanks for reading this far!
Thanks for reading this far!