As Yun Jin finished his meal, Ardent leaned back in his chair and spoke with ease.

  "You can take a break for a month. Do as you please."

  It sounded like an offer of rest, but Yun Jin wasn’t fooled.

  Ardent was telling him to get stronger.

  Killing Kravtsov had shifted the balance of power—a major advantage for Ardent in the political game. Whether Yun Jin stayed or left, he had already played a key role. And if he wanted to remain relevant, he couldn’t stay stagnant.

  By mid-morning, Yun Jin called for Merlin, meeting him in Ardent’s open garden. The air was crisp, the scent of dew still lingering on the trimmed grass.

  "It’s time," Yun Jin declared. "Teach me magic."

  Merlin’s eyes lit up instantly. He had been waiting for this moment.

  But before they began, he hesitated.

  "Did you ever use the trick I taught you?"

  Yun Jin sighed. "No, sadly."

  Merlin frowned. "Figures."

  Back at the hotel before the tournament, Yun Jin had already known his biggest weakness—mental attacks.

  When he told Merlin, the mage had been genuinely surprised.

  "Really?" Merlin had asked. "But someone with a big ego is usually hard to break mentally."

  Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

  Merlin laughed it off quickly. "No offense, but people who are self-confident tend to have natural resistance to mind attacks. Their heads are... difficult to alter. With the right techniques, you could even counterattack using your own mental force."

  Intrigued, Yun Jin had asked him to explain.

  Merlin had taught him the theory—but never let him actually try it.

  "I don’t want to risk it," Merlin had admitted. "Mental battles have severe backlash. If you win, the payoff is huge. But if you lose, your mind could shatter. I’m not taking that risk."

  Instead, he had promised to teach something else.

  Back in the garden, Merlin’s curiosity got the better of him.

  "Fine. If we’re starting magic, tell me this—where did that ice sword come from?"

  Yun Jin glanced at his palm, summoning the rune that had been branded onto his flesh.

  "It came from Olag, the Fallen King."

  Merlin’s eyes widened as he inspected the rune. "This is... amazing!"

  Even though its essence was already consumed, the craftsmanship of the inscription was unmistakable—whoever carved it had been an expert of the highest order.

  "What did it do?" Merlin asked.

  "It gave me Ice Affinity."

  Merlin nearly shouted in surprise. "Just like that?!"

  Affinity was not something easily obtained. It was extremely rare to find items that could grant an affinity—even Dryad Hearts only boosted natural potential.

  Merlin was genuinely impressed. "A refined affinity rune, that’s priceless."

  To test his ability, Yun Jin conjured an ice sword.

  "I didn’t get a skill for it," he admitted, "but I can use the same basics as [Minor Light Conjuring] to shape the ice."

  Merlin watched as Yun Jin formed the blade—slow, clunky, and uneven. Then, without a word, Merlin created his own.

  His sword appeared instantly—bigger, more solid, perfectly structured.

  Yun Jin scoffed. "No need to overcompensate."

  Merlin shot him an annoyed glare but said nothing.

  Instead, he gestured. "Look inside."

  Yun Jin activated [Mana Eyes], analyzing the structure of both weapons.

  Immediately, he saw the difference.

  His own ice sword was only solid on the outside—inside, its mana flow was unstable, scattered, unrefined.

  Merlin’s, on the other hand, was tightly condensed, carefully woven with precise mana pathways.

  "If yours wasn’t coated with [Aura Blade], it would shatter in one hit." Merlin pointed out. "That’s the difference between knowing a spell and using it correctly."

  Determined, Yun Jin focused.

  This time, he shaped the ice properly—condensing the flow, refining the edges. A thinner, razor-sharp blade materialized in his hand.

  Merlin gulped just looking at it. "...That was fast."

  A notification appeared.

  [Skill Unlocked: Ice Conjuring (Rank C)]

  Merlin was both impressed and terrified at Yun Jin’s learning speed.

  Not satisfied, Yun Jin conjured two more swords, floating them in the air.

  Then, focusing on a nearby tree, he commanded all three blades forward.

  SHINK!

  The tree shattered into a hundred clean pieces.

  But—

  The ice swords also broke.

  Yun Jin stared at the fragments, then smiled wryly. "Still just ice, huh?"

  He had been wondering if he could integrate Arc Lightning into his conjured swords—but it seemed they weren’t durable enough yet.

  Still, the potential was endless.

  Floating swords.

  A technique only Heaven-Defying Core Masters could do—a feat only three living people in the world had accomplished.

  Baek Tianjun.

  And two others—both nearly two hundred years old.

  Yun Jin exhaled. "Any more ice magic I can learn?"

  --

  Merlin grinned, folding his arms. "It’s not that easy. You need to start with proper mage training first."

  Yun Jin smirked, leaning slightly forward. "Alright. Let’s bet on it."

  Merlin’s eyebrow twitched. "Bet?"

  Yun Jin crossed his arms, his teasing smirk widening. "Let’s make this interesting. If I manage to learn all the spells today, you have to dress like a girl."

  Merlin froze. His ears turned red. His mind stalled, struggling to process the absurdity of the demand.

  Then—

  "WHAT!? WHY!?"

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  His voice cracked slightly as he took a step back, glaring at Yun Jin like he had just suggested ritual sacrifice.

  Yun Jin shrugged, completely unfazed. "Because it’d be funny." He grinned. "And let’s be honest—you’d look adorable."

  Merlin’s entire face burned. "I—THAT—WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MAGIC!?"

  Yun Jin stayed perfectly calm, tapping his chin as if contemplating something profound. "Hmm. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything."

  Merlin huffed, crossing his arms tightly. "There is absolutely no way I’m agreeing to this ridiculous bet."

  Yun Jin tilted his head. "Oh? Afraid you’ll lose?"

  That did it.

  Merlin immediately snapped up to full height, puffing out his chest like a threatened cat. "Fine! But if you fail—" He jabbed a finger at Yun Jin’s chest. "You have to call me ‘Master’ for an entire week!"

  Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "That’s your big demand? You want me to call you ‘Master’?"

  Merlin crossed his arms higher, chin lifted. "Obviously. If you can’t master basic magic in a single day, then you should show proper respect to your teacher."

  Yun Jin chuckled, shaking his head. "The time difference doesn’t seem fair. A whole week? Maybe I should raise my bet too."

  Merlin’s eyes widened in immediate panic. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

  Yun Jin laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. One day of learning. If I win, you wear the dress. If I lose, I call you ‘Master’ for a week."

  Merlin exhaled heavily, already regretting his life choices. "...Fine."

  And just like that, the bet was sealed.

  Merlin rolled his shoulders, forcing himself to focus. "Alright, then. Try to keep up."

  "First, to make the bet fair," Merlin said, raising a hand, "I need to know what you’re working with."

  Yun Jin arched an eyebrow. "Fair? I thought you were already convinced I’d fail."

  Merlin huffed, flicking his wrist. A small, glowing rune materialized above his palm—a spell designed to scan elemental affinities.

  "I just don’t want to hear excuses when you lose."

  His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the spell.

  Alright, faint aura... Light affinity, Rank E-... and this cold and gentle presence—WAIT A MINUTE.

  Then, when the results fully registered, his entire body froze mid-motion.

  "Wait… hold on." He leaned in closer, blinking rapidly as if the numbers would change. "Your Ice Affinity is C?"

  Yun Jin nodded. "Yeah."

  Merlin’s head snapped up. "C!? Are you serious!? I thought it was Rank D at best! How did that rune push you to Rank C!?"

  Yun Jin tilted his head, unimpressed. "Is that high?"

  Merlin grabbed him by the shoulders. "YES, THAT’S HIGH! You practically brute-forced your way into learning ice magic, and now I know why!"

  Yun Jin blinked. So the rune was that strong? I knew Olag was special, but I didn’t think it would surprise Merlin this much.

  Unbeknownst to Yun Jin, since Merlin was his only source of magical knowledge in this world, he hadn’t yet realized that Merlin wasn’t an all-knowing expert. Even a prodigy like Merlin had gaps in his understanding—especially when it came to spiritual magic and tribal enchantments.

  That was why, when Merlin first sensed the rune’s energy, he had assumed it merely gave Yun Jin the lower end of an affinity.

  But Rank C?

  Rank C was the threshold. The dividing line between those who could become pure mages and those who had to incorporate magic into their combat styles.

  Merlin groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I hate how unfair this is."

  Yun Jin nodded. "So, what does that mean for my training?"

  Merlin sighed dramatically, throwing his arms up. "It means Ice is going to come stupidly easy for you, but Light is going to be a challenge."

  Yun Jin chuckled. "That’s fine. Just tell me what I need to learn."

  Merlin clapped his hands together, shifting into teaching mode. "Alright, now that we know your affinities, let’s begin with the basics. Pay close attention."

  He lifted a hand, gathering mana into his palm. A faint golden glow flickered, swirling gently before condensing into a thin, focused beam.

  "This is [Light Ray]."

  The moment Merlin fired, Yun Jin’s [Mana Eyes] flared to life.

  He saw it—not just the spell, but the intricate structure of mana within it. The energy followed a specific path, drawn in, compressed, and then released in a sharp, precise burst.

  A straight line.

  The beam struck a nearby rock with a sharp hiss, leaving behind a faint scorch mark.

  Yun Jin narrowed his eyes slightly.

  This technique… it felt familiar.

  For a brief moment, his mind flashed back to Kravtsov’s attack—the one that had nearly killed him.

  That searing, piercing bolt of destruction that had ripped through his arm, carving a deep wound into his shoulder.

  This spell was weaker—far weaker—but the principle felt the same.

  A beam formed by condensing and directing energy into a single point before unleashing it.

  Yun Jin raised his own hand.

  A beam of light immediately shot forward.

  PZHHH!

  Merlin’s eye twitched.

  Yun Jin tilted his head slightly. "So, a precision attack."

  Merlin blinked, his composure slipping slightly. "...Yes. That’s correct." He cleared his throat, moving swiftly to the next spell.

  But Yun Jin kept his gaze on his own hand.

  So Light Magic could be used like that…

  He clenched his fingers slightly, contemplating. If he could modify the structure, adjust the output, could he recreate something similar to Kravtsov’s attack?

  The thought sent a sharp thrill through him.

  If light could be condensed, then perhaps—it could also be sharpened.

  But that was a test for another time.

  For now, he turned his attention back to Merlin, hiding his intrigue behind his usual smirk. "Alright, next one."

  Merlin snapped his fingers—and in an instant, a burst of blinding white light exploded from his palm.

  Yun Jin flinched, staggering back as his vision burned white.

  "AGH—!" He rubbed at his eyes, blinking furiously. "A little warning!?"

  Merlin smirked, arms crossed. "Now you know how I feel every time you do that."

  Yun Jin paused mid-blink. Then, his smirk widened.

  He snapped his fingers.

  A second burst of blinding light flashed.

  "AGH—!" This time, Merlin was the one covering his eyes.

  He barely had time to recover before—

  SNAP!

  Another burst of light.

  "Yun Jin—!"

  SNAP!

  Merlin retaliated immediately.

  The garden became a battlefield of endless flashes.

  Both of them stood there, repeatedly blinding each other, taking turns yelling in protest but refusing to stop.

  "Will you stop—!?"

  "Only if you stop first—!"

  SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

  It continued until Merlin abruptly wobbled, nearly falling over.

  He clutched his forehead, exhaling sharply. "Alright—stop. Stop!"

  Yun Jin, mid-snap, raised an eyebrow. "Giving up already?"

  Merlin sighed. "If I keep playing, I’ll run out of mana before the lesson even starts."

  Yun Jin chuckled, dropping his hand. "Fine, fine. You win this round."

  Merlin shook his head, muttering something under his breath before straightening. "Let’s move on before you turn this into a competition."

  Yun Jin grinned knowingly. "It already was."

  Merlin sighed deeply. "Let’s move on."

  He turned toward the ground, lowering his stance slightly as mana surged outward. Cold mist billowed around him, and in the span of a breath, a thick, semi-transparent wall of ice formed before him.

  "This is [Ice Shield]. It rapidly condenses ice to form a strong defensive barrier."

  Yun Jin casually raised his own hand—and immediately, a near-identical wall of ice materialized in front of him.

  Merlin’s eye twitched. Again.

  Yun Jin tapped the barrier lightly. "Not bad. It’s fast but crude. Still, very dense."

  Merlin inhaled sharply through his nose. "...Yes. That’s the point."

  His patience was clearly being tested.

  But he wasn’t done yet.

  Merlin exhaled, closing his eyes briefly. The air around them grew heavy, and the temperature dropped sharply.

  Mana surged outward, expanding into the atmosphere. Instead of shaping itself into a direct construct, the magic influenced the surrounding air, bending nature itself to create a localized snowstorm.

  Tiny shards of ice formed, swirling violently before—

  A full-fledged blizzard erupted.

  The ground froze over as hail pelted the earth with sharp impacts, small but deadly.

  After a few seconds, Merlin canceled the spell, dispersing the storm before it damaged the garden.

  He dusted off his hands, exhaling. "This is [Storm Gust], an area-of-effect spell. It’s much harder to control than the others."

  Yun Jin, as usual, simply closed his eyes.

  A moment later—

  A perfectly replicated snowstorm erupted.

  Merlin’s entire body stiffened.

  Yun Jin opened his eyes, nodding in approval. "That wasn’t too difficult."

  Merlin stared. Then slowly, carefully, he folded his hands behind his back.

  "You… copied all of them on the first try."

  Yun Jin shrugged. "I was paying attention."

  Merlin exhaled through his nose, forcing a frown . "Of course you were."

  Merlin’s entire soul left his body.

  Yun Jin grinned, stepping closer and patting Merlin on the head. "See you in the afternoon."

  Merlin could only stare at the ground, muttering to himself. "This is unfair. This is actually unfair!"

  That afternoon, Merlin arrived in a dress.

  A cute, frilly dress that he clearly hated with every fiber of his being.

  Yun Jin, leaning back in his chair, grinning like a madman, looked him over and gave an approving nod.

  "Yep. Absolutely adorable."

  Merlin glared daggers. "Say another word, and I will end you."

  Yun Jin raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright."

  As they were about to leave, a new butler arrived—a replacement for Elara.

  The moment Yun Jin saw him, his expression shifted.

  His [Mana Eyes] flared for just an instant.

  Then he smiled.

  "You're human."

  The butler, a well-groomed man in his late twenties, bowed slightly. "My name is Wallace. My task is to serve you and your companion, as per Lord Altheron’s request."

  Yun Jin nodded in approval. No longer one of Ardent’s monsters.

  "Good. Then take us to the Adventurer’s Guild."

  Merlin nearly choked. "Wait, WHAT!? We’re supposed to be resting!"

  Yun Jin smirked. "This is rest. Exercise helps recovery. Besides, I need to level up."

  He poked Merlin’s cheek.

  "Now stop pouting, princess, and let’s go."

  Merlin grumbled the entire way, but in the end—they were on their way to their next challenge.

  Because Yun Jin couldn't hide his excitement.

  It was time to get stronger.