Five years passed in silence, like drifting ash carried by an unseen wind.
Within the vast territory of Clan Verdic, a secluded training ground lay hidden beneath layers of ancient formation arrays. Frost-covered stone pillars stood in a circular formation, engraved with elemental runes that pulsed faintly with dormant power.
At the center of it all stood a child.
Barefoot. Calm. Still.
His name was Shadow Verdic.
At merely five years old, his presence already carried a strange weight—one that did not belong to a child. His breathing was steady, his posture flawless, his mind unnaturally composed.
Around him, Elemental Water surged like living streams, spiraling in controlled arcs before freezing instantly into crystalline shards of ice. The temperature plummeted as frost spread across the ground, crawling outward like a silent predator.
The ice shattered.
Not violently.
But precisely—each fragment dispersing without a single ounce of wasted energy.
Standing several meters away was a tall man clad in dark-blue armor, his arms crossed, eyes sharp yet filled with restrained shock.
This man was Gale.
The personal guard of Bolan Verdic, the current Clan Head.
And the sole instructor entrusted with guiding the most dangerous existence Clan Verdic had produced in centuries.
A Child Who Defied All Laws
Gale exhaled slowly.
Five years…
In just five years, Shadow's elemental cultivation had reached a realm that most elite disciples could only dream of.
At present, Shadow's elemental realms were:
Fire — Convergence Cycle
Darkness — Convergence Cycle
Water — Foundation Cycle
Wind — Foundation Cycle
Lightning — Foundation Cycle
More frightening still—
Under Gale's guidance, Shadow had already begun evolving his elemental foundations.
Water (Foundation Cycle-almost broke through to Convergence Cycle)
Darkness (Convergence Cycle-almost broke through to Ascension Cycle)
Gale's fingers curled unconsciously.
This shouldn't be possible.
His thoughts drifted backward, four years ago.
Back then, Shadow was only one year old.
An age when most children could barely speak.
Yet that was the year Shadow shattered common sense itself.
Normally, a cultivator required four to six years just to awaken a single elemental. And even after awakening, strengthening an elemental from Foundation Cycle to Convergence Cycle demanded three to five years of ruthless training.
But Shadow?
At one year old, he had already broken through from Elemental Fragment to Elemental Awakening.
Not for one element.
But for two.
Fire.Darkness.
And now at the age of five,
He had already reached Convergence Cycle in both.
Gale swallowed.
Young Master… you are not just a genius.
You are something far more terrifying.
Even Bolan Verdic, a man who had reached Elemental Tier 3 Ascension Mid Stage, had not achieved such feats at this age.
Nor had the ancient ancestors recorded in the clan's sealed archives.
Shadow Verdic stood alone at the peak of absurdity.
A Different Philosophy of Power
Shadow slowly withdrew his Ice Elemental and extended his hand once more.
This time, pure Water Elemental flowed out.
Gale frowned.
Instead of switching to Darkness, Shadow continued refining Water, compressing it, cycling it, stabilizing its flow.
After several minutes, Gale finally spoke.
"Young Master," he said carefully, choosing his words with caution."Why do you not focus on raising the realm of your Darkness Elemental?"
Shadow did not turn around.
"I want to train all my elementals equally," he replied calmly."I don't want to lean toward Darkness alone."
Gale stepped closer.
"But focusing on one elemental is better," he argued."In real combat, it is extremely difficult to control multiple elements at the same time, especially when facing opponents with higher elemental realms."
Shadow finally turned.
His eyes were calm.
Clear.
Sharp beyond his years.
"Even if my elemental realm is lower," Shadow said evenly,"I can diversify my attacks and arrange strategies to counter my enemies."
The words struck Gale like a silent hammer.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
In the end, Gale let out a helpless sigh.
"…I see."
He had no rebuttal.
This child…
His understanding of combat already surpasses most veteran cultivators.
Suddenly....
The air shifted.
A powerful presence descended upon the training ground, bending the surrounding elemental flow. The frost on the ground cracked as invisible pressure spread outward.
A man clad in magnificent dark armor walked forward.
Wind spiraled faintly around his body.
Darkness coiled beneath his feet.
This was Berus Verdic.
Wind Elemental — Cyclone Convergence Cycle (Lv2)
Darkness Elemental — VoidShade Foundation Cycle (Lv3)
Behind him walked a small boy with an arrogant grin.
Crey Verdic.
Four years old.
One year younger than Shadow.
Fragment of Wind
Fragment of Darkness, on the verge of awakening into Foundation Cycle
Crey stepped forward and looked Shadow up and down with open disdain.
"So you're still training?" Crey scoffed."Train however you want, your elemental will never awaken."
He laughed loudly.
"Genius? What kind of genius is that? Even if you hold three elemental fragments, if you can't awaken them, you might as well stop training."
His laughter echoed mockingly across the field.
What Crey did not know,
What no one outside Bolan and the ancestral elders knew,
Was that Shadow's aura had been forcibly sealed, suppressed to make him appear unawaken.
Berus waved his hand dismissively.
"That's enough, Crey," he said coldly."This one has no future. Don't bother with him."
He turned to Gale.
"You," Berus commanded."Train my son. Help him awaken his Darkness Elemental."
Gale stiffened.
"I...." he began.
Before he could finish....
BOOM.
A crushing VoidShade aura descended upon him.
The pressure slammed Gale to the ground, forcing him to one knee. The stone beneath cracked as his armor groaned under the weight.
"Do not even think about refusing my order," Berus said icily."If you do, I will personally inform Bolan about this."
Gale clenched his teeth.
Before he could answer,
Shadow stepped forward.
"It's fine, Gale," Shadow said quietly."I can train on my own."
He paused, eyes calm.
"Besides… there's something I want to try."
Berus snorted, turned away, and left with Crey.
Deep within the Hall of Elders, ancient torches flickered against towering stone pillars.
Elder Hua stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Wind Elemental — Cyclone Ascension Cycle
Darkness Elemental — VoidShade Ascension Early Stage
Two other elders stood beside him.
All three belonged to the Berus faction.
They were waiting.
Moments later, Berus entered the hall.
"Are all preparations complete?" Berus asked.
Elder Hua turned slowly.
"I will give you ten years," he said calmly."Ten years for you and Crey to raise your elemental strength enough to defeat Bolan."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Remember, Bolan has already reached VoidShade Ascension Mid Stage, surpassing even me. In ten years, he may advance rapidly and reach Late Stage."
Berus clenched his fist, veins bulging.
"Do not worry, Elder Hua," he said coldly."I have made complete preparations."
His lips curled into a sneer.
"As for Shadow, there is no need to worry. Three elemental fragments without awakening are nothing but trash."
The elders laughed in satisfaction.
"Good. If that is the case," Elder Hua said, his voice thick with authority,"I will grant you an Artifact of the Gold Rank, so that you may defeat Bolan."
The elders nodded in agreement.
Berus froze.
Gold Rank.
His breathing tightened.
Artifacts were not mere weapons. They were manifestations of power, history, and dominance, treasures forged from ancient beasts, rare metals, and lost elemental techniques.
The artifact system was rigid, unforgiving, and absolute:
Bronze Rank— divided into Class 1 / 2 / 3 (Class 1 being the highest)
Silver Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
Gold Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
King Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
Emperor Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
Legendary Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
Mythic Rank — Class 1 / 2 / 3
Even within the same rank, Class determined supremacy.
A Gold Rank, Class 3 artifact,though the lowest class,was already enough to shake entire clans.
Berus knelt deeply.
"Thank you… Elder Hua."
His voice trembled, not from fear, but from gratitude.
Gold-rank artifacts were almost impossible to obtain.
Even in black markets that sold forbidden relics, only a handful of Gold Rank artifacts existed, and most were hoarded by the Great Clans.
With a Gold Rank weapon in hand…
Berus could challenge destiny itself.
Far from the laughter of scheming elders…
Shadow sat alone.
The wind howled around him, slicing against the stone walls of his hidden training chamber. His breathing was slow. Controlled. His aura pulsed rhythmically as threads of Wind Elemental Power spiraled around his body.
He pushed harder.
Converge.
The wind screamed.
His veins burned.
Hours passed.
Nothing.
Shadow opened his eyes.
"…Still can't break through."
He clenched his fists.
His Wind Elemental was still trapped below the Convergence Cycle.
His mind drifted,to the knowledge he had learned.
Elemental power was divided into two fundamental categories:
Normal ElementalsFire. Water. Wind. Lightning.
Special ElementalsDarkness. Light.
Yet Shadow frowned.
Why… are Darkness and Light considered special?
From what he could feel…
Fire, Water, Wind, and Lightning were far more destructive. Their damage output was explosive, overwhelming, capable of annihilating entire areas.
Darkness felt… different.
More subtle.
More dangerous in ways he did not yet fully understand.
Shadow inhaled deeply.
He extended both palms.
🔥 Fire surged.💧 Water followed.
He tried to merge them.
The energies collided,
....then violently rejected each other.
Pain shot through his arms.
He staggered back.
"…Failed."
Again.
And again.
Ten attempts.
Ten failures.
Sweat soaked his clothes.
Shadow sat down slowly.
"…Hypothesis," he muttered.
Water must reach the Convergence Cycle first… only then can it harmonize with Fire.
His eyes sharpened.
Without hesitation, he entered deep meditation.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Shadow's Water Elemental grew calmer… deeper… heavier like an ocean gathering pressure before a storm.
Bolan returned from his journey with a grim expression.
The smaller clans under Verdic's protection had sent complaint after complaint.
Beasts were growing more aggressive.
Territorial lines were collapsing.
The cause was clear.
Between Clan Verdic and Clan Lightning, there existed a dangerous zone....
A territory ruled by a Beast King.
Clan Lightning had erected an unbreakable barrier.
The beasts had nowhere to go.
So they fled.
Straight into Verdic's borders.
Bolan entered the grand council hall.
Seven elders were present.
Among them...
Three stood firmly on Berus' side.
One of them…
Elder Hua.
Bolan spoke without hesitation.
"Clan Ordix has requested the construction of a new border defense. They are under Verdic's protection. We must reinforce their frontier."
A murmur erupted.
Clan Ordix.
A clan whose strength rivaled the Great Clans.
A clan with a Half-Step Transcendent, Elemental Tier 3 ancestor.
Elder Hua slammed his staff.
"I object! The treasury cannot sustain such an enormous project!"
His allies echoed him.
But Bolan's voice remained calm.
"Clan Ordix is the most loyal clan to Verdic."
His eyes darkened.
"In the past, after the Verdic Era (Merlyn's Student) , there was only one clan, Clan Verdic itself. Over time, elders and experts branched off and formed their own clans."
His gaze sharpened.
"Among all of them… Clan Ordix is the only one whose bloodline is tied directly to ours."
Silence.
"They are our kin."
Elder Hua trembled with fury.
"This will drain Verdic's Clan resources for ten years!"
Before Bolan could respond....
A terrifying pressure descended.
Voidshade energy crushed the air.
The doors opened.
An old man stepped in.
Elemental Voidshade — Ascension Late Stage.
"Greetings, Grand Elder."
Everyone bowed.
Grand Elder Oyang looked at Bolan.
"Have you thought this through?"
Bolan met his gaze.
"My decision is final."
The Grand Elder nodded.
"Then execute it flawlessly."
His eyes flicked briefly toward Elder Hua.
"So no one may accuse you of incompetence."
Elder Hua clenched his teeth.
Good… he thought bitterly.Let them blame you when the clan fractures.
After the meeting, Bolan searched for Shadow.
He found nothing.
Then....
A fluctuation.
Multiple attacks surged toward him.
Bolan activated Ice Elemental — Ascension Cycle, blocking them,
.....but they shattered like illusions.
Below him,
🔥 Fire erupted from the ground.
He leapt aside, countering with Lava Elemental — Ascension Cycle.
Then.....
Wind spheres.
Dozens.
Each crackling with lightning.
Bolan's eyes widened.
"…This is elemental fusion."
He released Voidshade — Ascension Mid Stage, devouring the attack like a black abyss.
"Show yourself," he commanded coldly."If you refuse to surrender, not even ashes will remain."
A mini black hole formed.
Darkness swallowed the surroundings....
forming a perfect ten-meter cube.
Bolan's heart shook.
Such precise control… at Elemental Tier 1?
He prepared to annihilate everything....
When a voice echoed.
"Father… it's me."
Bolan froze.
Shadow stepped forward.
"I'm sorry for attacking you secretly."
Silence.
Then.....
"Hahahahahaha!"
Bolan laughed loudly.
"My son! Your perception and control forced me to use Tier 3 power!"
He faced Shadow.
"Where did you learn fusion?"
Shadow lowered his head.
"I just… tried combining what I had. I wanted to test it on Gale, but he was busy teaching Crey."
He knelt.
"I'm sorry, Father."
Bolan stared.
Five years old…
Fusion mastery…
Elite-level control…
This child… surpasses reason.
Aloud, he smiled.
"Shadow… will you come with me to Clan Ordix? Uncle Gel, Aunt Mervis, and Mey miss you."
Shadow stiffened.
"Ugh...Uncle Gel?…When are we leaving?"
"After preparations about a defensive barrier complete. Weeks… maybe months."
Shadow nodded in understanding, then looked up at his father.
"Why… about the defensive barrier at Clan Ordix's border?" he asked quietly.
Bolan did not answer immediately.
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon, where the sky seemed unnaturally heavy, as if something unseen was pressing down upon the world.
"You will understand when we arrive there," Bolan finally said.
Then his expression hardened, his voice lowering with a weight that made Shadow's chest tighten.
"But there is something I must tell you, Shadow."
He turned back, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder.
"You must become stronger than me."
Shadow's eyes widened slightly.
"So that you can protect the people you care about," Bolan continued. "I can feel it… something is going to happen soon. The beasts are behaving strangely. They are becoming more violent, more restless, as if driven by an unseen force."
A heavy silence followed.
Shadow nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Bolan exhaled softly, then withdrew his hand.
"Continue your training," he said. "I still have matters that must be handled."
Shadow watched his father leave.
Then he turned and walked deeper into his sealed training ground, a hidden space personally constructed by Bolan himself, isolated from the outside world so that no one could sense or measure Shadow's true strength.
There, Shadow sat down and closed his eyes.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
In silence, Shadow meditated, refining his elemental control, strengthening his foundation, sharpening the power he kept hidden from the world.
And when he finally opened his eyes,
His Elemental power has breakthrough:
Fire — Convergence Cycle (Almost Breakthrough Ascension Cycle)
Darkness — Convergence Cycle (One Step to Breakthrough Ascension Cycle)
Water — Convergence Cycle
Wind — Convergence Cycle
Lightning — Convergence Cycle
He knew.
The time had come.
The journey to Clan Ordix was about to begin.
After all preparations were completed, Bolan gave a single command.
"Move out."
The convoy began to advance using land transportation. Heavy wagons reinforced with steel frames rolled forward, pulled by powerful warhorses bred specifically for long-distance travel and battlefield endurance.
Shadow sat inside one of the carriages.
It was not a luxurious vehicle, but a caged transport, built for safety rather than comfort. Thick metal bars reinforced with formation runes surrounded the carriage, ensuring that even sudden beast attacks would not reach those inside.
Outside, thirty elite guards rode in perfect formation.
Each of them wore full battle armor, their presence disciplined and sharp. Their warhorses snorted softly, muscles coiled with strength. These were not ordinary soldiers, each of them was an elite personally trained under Bolan's command.
The convoy followed secure routes, paths cleared and guarded long ago to avoid high-risk territories.
As the wheels rolled across the land, Bolan's voice broke the steady rhythm of travel.
"Long ago," he began, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, "Clan Verdic was still led by Verdic himself, the direct disciple of First Elemental Sage."
Shadow listened intently.
"At that time," Bolan continued, "Verdic had already reached Elemental Voidshade — Transcendent Early Stage."
Shadow's breath hitched.
"…That level exists?" he asked quietly.
Bolan nodded.
"Yes. Power beyond imagination. But everything changed when the Ancestor fell."
His tone darkened.
"One by one, elders and powerful figures left Clan Verdic to form their own clans. Among them… Clan Ordix."
Shadow turned sharply.
"Clan Ordix…?"
"They share our blood," Bolan said calmly. "Their lineage traces back to the same origin as ours."
Shadow fell silent.
His gaze lowered as he clenched his fists.
My strength… is still far from those ancient masters.
The realization weighed heavily on him.
As the convoy reached the border of Clan Ordix, both Bolan and Shadow felt it at the same time.
A violent aura surged from the forest.
Bolan narrowed his eyes.
"A beast… one that has crossed the border."
Before any order could be given,
Shadow moved.
Darkness rippled beneath his feet.
He fused Dark Elemental Power with ElementalFire, forming a black silhouette,a living shadow carrying a blazing core.
The shadow clone shot forward like a phantom bomb.
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted inside the forest.
Bolan's eyes widened.
Such perception… and such clean fusion.
But then,
ROOOOOAAARRR!
The beast's roar shattered the air.
Bolan stiffened.
"…This isn't a low-rank beast."
Beasts were divided clearly:
Lower Rank
Mid Rank
High Rank
King Rank
Emperor Rank
Legendary Rank
Mythical Rank
The creature Shadow had attacked was a High Rank Beast—its power comparable to Elemental Tier 2 Ascension Cycle.
Ordinarily, it would take three Tier 2 elite cultivators to bring such a beast down.
One-on-one?
Almost impossible.
Shadow vanished.
Using his new technique that he make by himself "Shadow Camouflage".
Dark elemental energy wrapped around his body, erasing his presence completely.
At the same time, he fused Fire and Water, creating a dense mist that spread across a fifty-meter radius.
Visibility = zero.
The beast roared in confusion.
Shadow struck.
He drew the Silver Rank, Class 1 sword Bolan had given him.
Fire and Lightning fused around the blade.
"Fire Shockwave!"
The sword came down.
BOOOOM!
The strike slammed directly into the beast's head,
....but the creature endured.
A massive claw swung.
CRASH!
Shadow was sent flying.
His body slammed into the ground, rolling violently.
Pain exploded through his arm.
Crack.
His bones screamed.
"…Damn it."
Shadow forced himself up, teeth clenched.
"I have no choice…"
His eyes hardened.
"I must use my ultimate skill."
He closed his eyes.
Fire.Water.Lightning.Darkness.
Four elemental forces compressed into a single point on his blade.
Bolan watched.....stunned.
Four-element fusion…? At his age? He'll lose control.....
"VOID REQUIEM!"
Shadow slashed.
The world shattered.
A catastrophic wave of void-infused elemental force exploded outward, devouring everything in its path.
The forest vanished behind a wall of mist and destruction.
Dense fog swallowed the battlefield.
Bolan's heart pounded.
"Find the Young Master!" he commanded sharply.
The elite guards moved,
Then stopped.
From within the fog…
A massive silhouette collapsed.
And a voice spoke.
"Father… I succeeded. I've brought it down."
Shadow stepped forward, bloodied, trembling, but standing.
Bolan exhaled sharply, relief flooding his chest.
"Floryn!" he called. "Heal him!"
A woman stepped forward.
Shadow's mother.
Floryn of Clan Velrose.
She activated Elemental Restoration — Ascension Cycle, soft green light enveloping Shadow's wounds.
Then....
The sound of galloping horses echoed.
A large force approached.
At the front rode a man with a broad smile and blazing aura.
"Bolan!"
It was Gel, Clan Leader of Ordix.
Fire. Lightning. Wind.
All two elemental at Tier 2 Ascension Cycle.
And Lightning....
Elemental Plasma — Ascension Mid Stage.
Gel stared at the fallen High Rank Beast… then at Shadow.
"…What kind of monster did you bring this time?"
Bolan laughed softly.
"Our future."
After that, Gel bring Bolan's group straight towards Clan Ordix.
The gates of Clan Ordix loomed ahead.
And the real storm…
Was only beginning.