Unable to tear his gaze away from his ethereal master, Elian stood frozen. Bianca similarly didn't look away. The two stood locked in each other's eyes as if time had stopped.
Everyone else, however, fell to the ground, unable to remain standing. Few could comprehend what had just happened. And considering how close they all came to dying, most kneeled on the ground, terrified.
The same black warrior who saved them just minutes earlier had attacked one of their own. And just when death seemed imminent, a castle of ice and snow manifested from thin air. The frozen stronghold was the only reason everyone else continued to breathe—and they all knew it.
But then a sharp sound broke the silence. A loud crack. Then another. And another, until the sounds echoed like a chorus of shattering glass. Within seconds, the ice castle fragmented and disappeared, releasing Tessa Potts from her makeshift prison.
"Ms. Potts!"
"You're alive!"
Some tried to race toward her—only for the woman to rebuke them.
"EVERYONE, FREEZE! No one moves unless I say so—your lives depend on it!"
Tessa's hand trembled, but her voice never wavered. She stood tall, placing herself between the Breaker and her students once again. Her words caused everyone to look toward the armored menace still standing in a daze. They complied.
Bianca, who noticed their subservience, spoke softly to her companion.
"Elian, have you calmed down now?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Now force Adamant and Driven to deactivate, if you please."
"I don't think I know how, Bianca."
"It's easy. Just think that you want them to turn off. Your nanomachines will do the rest."
"Okay."
[Talent: Adamant – deactivated.]
[Talent: Driven – deactivated.]
"Good. I want you to remember this lesson. While your Talents are powerful, they may harm you if used carelessly. You are too impulsive. If you wish to serve me, this cannot happen again. Understood?"
Without his Talents active, Elian understood exactly what he had almost done. Because of his inexperience, his rage nearly caused him to murder those he had tried to save. Lowering his eyes, he answered in a disheartened tone.
"I'm sorry, Bianca. It will never happen again."
Even those without Psychomancer would have seen the self-loathing that now dominated the boy. Bianca chuckled gently, trying to console him.
"Do not get discouraged, Elian. You will learn, and you will grow. Your progress has been nothing short of amazing. This is but a small mishap—one you will look back on fondly and laugh about in the future."
Comforted by her tenderness, the boy looked up, determined to do better.
"Got it. Thanks, Bia—"
Elian couldn't finish his words. His master's solid form began to turn semi-transparent. As if the world itself began objecting to the presence of the departed.
"BIANCA!"
Yet despite her fading figure, she smiled—soft, distant, almost wistful.
"Elian, do not worry. I merely need some rest. I'll be back after a short nap. Try to stay out of trouble until I return, okay?"
Her eyes drifted. Like she wasn't sure she believed her own promise.
Then she flickered—snuffed out like a candle before she could finish her goodbye.
"BIANCA!"
In a panic, the boy quickly retrieved his master's soulgem from his magic bag.
As his fingers traced the golden orb, he scanned it—only to be horrified at what he saw.
___
Name: Bianca Valestra (F)
Talent: Frigid (S) | Eternal (SSS)
Lvl: 75
HP: 5 / 5 | MP: 5,239 / 300,000
Strength: SSS | Intelligence: SSS | Agility: SSS
Job: Ice Mage (S) | Alchemist (SS) | Psychomancer (SSS)
Title: Witch of the Frozen Night
___
Bianca's hit points halved! Why? Was it because she used mana?
Elian quickly racked his brain and remembered her words:
"Elian, apart from the times I helped you, I had been economical with my use—I'm still good for a few days if I refrain from using my abilities."
The realization slammed into Elian harder than even the jaws of a Soldier Ant.
"NO! NO! NO! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE HELPING HER!"
A bitter emotion gripped his heart. The weight was so heavy it felt like someone was choking him by the throat. He wanted to do something—anything!
Ironically, the one who guided him was now the one he missed.
"Calm yourself, my weapon. A minute may appear insignificant, but it is a start. Thank you."
"The monster cores!"
He rapidly scanned the surroundings and saw Ned still holding a Soldier core at his side. And while the sight still made him furious, Elian forced himself to calm down. If he lost control again—no. He couldn't even think about that.
As he stomped toward his target, both teachers and students lowered their heads to the ground. All except one. Tessa Potts, grasping his intent, screamed:
"NED! THROW THE SOLDIER CORE TO THE BREAKER! HURRY!"
The student complied immediately, using his full weight to push it away. For a brief second, Elian felt relief that Ned had survived. But just as quickly, his mind focused on the core sliding across the ground.
"HIII!!!"
"RUN AWAY!"
"KYAA!!"
Like mice fleeing before a hunter, both students and teachers avoided Elian's path like a plague. But he didn't care. He caught the core as if it were his greatest treasure.
Please. Please work.
With controlled movements, Elian tore off chunks of the core and fed them to Bianca's soulgem. As before, the orb devoured it greedily.
He scanned it immediately.
___
Name: Bianca Valestra (F)
HP: 5 / 5 | MP: 7,162 / 300,000
___
"Still no change?! DAMN IT!"
Gritting his teeth, he broke the rest of the core and fed them all in a frenzy. More mana. Still no HP.
"WHY?! WHY WON'T IT WORK?! WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!?"
[Talent: Adamant – activated. Elian Reed is now immune to fear and psychological effects so long as the Talent remains active.]
Like a lie, all the worry, fear, and unease were sealed away. Elian felt hollow. Suffocated. But he couldn't afford to feel—not now. He needed a clear head.
And Adamant delivered.
Think. If one core is not enough, I just need to get more.
In haste, Elian took out the other Soldier cores and fed them to Bianca's soulgem. Although the MP rose by over 4,000 points, the HP still remained at five.
"More! I need more cores! Salvaging the Workers would take far too long! I need a faster way! Ah! My Jobs! Wait—how do I even choose?!"
So far, Elian had only used the system to scan. He hadn't learned how to operate it. Remembering the woman who wielded lightning, he turned toward Tessa.
"HOW DO I PICK A JOB?!"
At his roar, Tessa closed her eyes—and her legs gave out. She collapsed to her knees, trembling.
Elian stormed over and dropped beside her. With a furious snarl, he slammed his fist into the ground. The impact made her jolt with a sharp gasp.
"WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING ME?! TELL ME NOW!"
He grabbed her shoulder and shook her. A sharp crack followed. Tessa whimpered.
"DAMN IT! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Elian let go in shock. His grip had torn the sleeves from her blouse. Her skin was black and violet from bruising.
"ARGH! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"
Shouting his frustration, he quickly threw a high-grade potion at her and stormed off.
Job. Job. Job. Everything about the system revolves around the nanomachines. Most of what Master taught me relied on instinct. Let's give it a try…
"SYSTEM! SHOW ME MY JOBS!"
Three windows appeared.
___
[First Job Progression for Elian Reed]
[Adamant Pathway – Living Metal]
[Driven Pathway – Juggernaut]
[Forged Pathway – Vanguard]
___
"YES! IT WORKED!"