Ronan stepped out of Ms. Amara's office, his mind swirling with excitement. The conversation they had just shared had sparked his curiosity—how could he mask his flame core? It was an intriguing challenge, one he was eager to test out. As he walked through the training grounds, his eyes caught sight of Elenor, Tavin, and Andera standing together, engaged in conversation.
A grin spread across his face as he broke into a jog, waving enthusiastically. "Good morning, everyone! How are you all?"
In perfect unison, they responded, "We're fine. How about you?"
"I'm doing great!" Ronan replied, his excitement evident. "So, how was your training?"
Tavin smirked, crossing his arms. "It went pretty well. We all advanced."
Ronan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Oh?"
"I reached Adept Tier Five," Tavin said with a confident nod. "Andera's at Adept Tier Five, too."
Elenor added, "I'm Adept Tier Four," she finished with a smile.
Ronan's jaw practically hit the ground. "What the hell, man?!" he blurted. "I'm still at Adept Tier Four! I missed a great opportunity!"
Before he could continue lamenting, his gaze wandered and landed on Serena, who stood a little distance away, speaking with another girl. As if sensing his gaze, Serena turned and walked toward him with a composed expression.
"Good morning, Ronan," she greeted, her voice steady.
Ronan blinked in surprise. "Did she just take the initiative to talk to me? That's new." He shook off the thought and responded, "Good morning."
She asked, then crossed her arms. "How about a sparring match?"
Ronan hesitated. "A spar?" He glanced behind her, and realisation struck. "Wait… isn't Serena Viridion, Amelia Viridion's cousin?Am I going to die today?"
Serena must have noticed his expression because she smirked. "This isn't for my cousin. I'm just curious about how an Adept Tier Four defeated an Adept Tier Five."
Ronan let out an awkward chuckle. "Ah… okay then."
Together, they stepped onto the training ground's sparring stage. Ronan rolled his shoulders, stretching out his limbs. "Any conditions?"
"No weapons," Serena said simply.
Ronan clenched his fists and nodded. "Alright."
They both took their stances, eyes locked in silent challenge. Serena moved first, her steps fluid and controlled. She lunged, throwing a quick jab at Ronan's right side. With his right hand still healing, he instinctively relied on his left, blocking and countering with a swift hook. Serena dodged, shifting her weight like flowing water, her movement effortless.
Ronan thought, "She is fast."
The two exchanged blows in rapid succession—Serena's strikes were precise and controlled, her footwork impeccable, while Ronan relied on power and instinct. Neither gained the upper hand; their abilities clashed in a heated display of skill.
Their fists collided mid-air, and the force sent them both skidding back. Ronan exhaled sharply. "Damn, she's good."
Without missing a beat, he summoned Flare Burst—small fireballs condensed with intense heat. He launched them at Serena, watching as she reacted instantly.
Molten Shield.
A lava shield materialised before her, blocking the explosions effortlessly. The shield dissipated, and Serena mirrored his attack, summoning Flare Burst and sending them his way.
Ronan attempted Molten Shield, but he lacked her strength. The fireballs shattered his defence, forcing him to dodge at the last second. He barely avoided the blasts, the heat licking at his skin as he rolled to the side.
"Hah! Is this her way of telling me, 'Don't be arrogant?'" he mused bitterly. "Message received loud and clear."
Determined, he closed the distance between them, his mind focused on finding an opening. But just as he prepared to strike, Serena's hands glowed ominously.
Firestorm Barrage.
Ronan's stomach dropped. "Oh, come on!" He looked up just in time to see a barrage of fireballs descending upon him like a meteor shower.
"Shit! This idiot girl really wants to kill me!" he activates Shadow Step.
His form flickered, his speed increasing exponentially as he evaded most of the direct hits. However, the explosions sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, throwing him off balance. The force hurled him through the air, and he realised mid-flight that there was no safe landing.
"I SURRENDER!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
With a thunderous crash, half of the stage was left in ruins. Ronan groaned as he pushed himself up, coughing from the dust. "Man… I thought I was actually dead for a second."
Serena approached, her arms crossed, but before she could say anything, Ronan held up a hand. "Okay, okay—I get it. You're ridiculously strong. This fight was an eye-opener."
Serena's expression softened, and she gave a small nod. "You did well."
Ronan chuckled. "Yeah, I'll tell myself that."
He limped over to a nearby tree and sat down, closing his eyes to meditate. He looked at Serena, who was talking to others. Ronan thought, "Serena has dual element Water and Fire, yet she only uses fire magic, not water. She wants to show the difference between us. Then I have to thank you as you did what you wanted. Orin talks so highly of you. But you're nothing special; you are just the same as other nobles. I will keep that in mind."
His thoughts drifted back to what Ms Amara had told him earlier. "How can I mask my flame core?" His opponent should never be able to gauge his strength from it. But what could he disguise it with?
He mulled over the problem for a few minutes, until a realisation struck him. "Oh! What if I make it look like a newly awakened flame core?"
Excitement bubbled within him at the idea. If he could suppress his flame core's signature and make it appear weak, his opponents would underestimate him. It was perfect.
With renewed determination, he focused on his core, beginning his training anew, as the evening sun cast golden hues over the training ground.
In the evening, Serena and Amelia were walking back to their dorm, they met Orin. Orin greeted them, "Good evening." Serena replied, "Good evening." Although Amelia also greeted him, she seemed angry with Orin. Orin looked at Serena and said, "You sparred with Ronan, and it was one-sided." As Orin wants to say more, Serena's words caught him off guard. Serena said, "If Amelia doesn't underestimate Ronan, she would definitely win. And he is not as great as you said. You should consider your friends."
Orin was utterly surprised as he saw a Serena whom he had never known. Orin is a bit frustrated, said, "If you let him use a weapon, you wouldn't even have a chance, as Ronan is strong with a sword."
Serena, furrowing her eyebrows, said, "It does not matter, a win is a win and a loss is a loss." Amelia is also surprised by Serena's words. Orin felt defeated, took a deep breath and said, "This is advice, how you take it is up to you. Remember what you said today. If you battle with Ronan again, you must not underestimate him." Without waiting for a reply, he left.
Ronan lay on his bed, exhaustion settling deep into his bones. Today's training had been gruelling, but at least he had made progress.
A few days later, he had finally learned to mask his flame core—a crucial step forward. Tomorrow, he would tell Ms. Amara about his achievement. His right hand had healed, another relief, but there was still a lingering concern gnawing at him.
"I have to find a way to fight this corrupted magic…" he mused, staring at the ceiling. "It can't be true that only Light magic can counter it."
With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Ronan drifted into slumber.