Looking at the chief, Noah listened carefully, burning the man's words into his memory. In the future, he might have to look back on this moment for guidance. Once they returned to Earth, there wouldn't be any instructors, no masters to teach them, no one to rely on except themselves.
He didn't know much about magic yet. Didn't fully understand runes, how they worked, or even the full extent of what he had unlocked. But if there was one thing he knew, it was this—he had to learn.
Not just for himself, but for the people who would depend on him.
Exhaling slowly, he bowed slightly. "Thank you, Chief. I appreciate the words of wisdom."
The chief nodded but shook his head. "Do not thank me. I am but a humble guide. It is the Lord who is truly wise."
Noah held back a sigh. The chief spoke with complete conviction, but Noah couldn't help but see the irony in it.
'A "Lord," huh?'
The only one guiding them was Rudy.
Noah let the chief speak, even if this so-called "Lord" was just a glorified, floating tin can.
'It's not like Rudy is some kind of god. He's just a funny little robot from an intergalactic empire that wants to help the small folk on Earth, that's all.'
Still, Noah couldn't deny that Rudy had been useful. The little AI had explained mana, guided them through the tutorial, and—even in his annoyingly dramatic way—helped them understand the rules of this world.
But that was all he was. A guide.
Knowing the chief had said his piece, Noah turned and walked away from the center, making his way back toward Amanda and the other students.
A smirk tugged at his lips as he glanced at her.
"So… think I can save myself now?" Noah asked, his voice laced with cheeky confidence.
Amanda rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I don't know, Noah. Last I checked, you still haven't figured out how to use your runes to save yourself."
Noah scoffed. "Bold words coming from someone who hasn't even stepped up yet. What if you get something useless? Like… Dirt Whispering Magic?"
Amanda raised a brow. "Dirt Whispering?"
Noah shrugged. "You know, like talking to rocks or something. 'Oh mighty pebble, please grant me your wisdom.'"
Amanda snorted, shaking her head. "Right. And I suppose Runic Magic makes you a scholar now?"
Noah tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Well, I did read those runes better than anyone else."
Amanda waved a hand, dismissing him. "You can stop trying to make me less nervous. I'm ready."
"If you say so."
Noah stepped back, giving Amanda space as she moved forward.
The chief's gaze swept over the gathered students before his voice rang out once more. "Who would like to go next?"
Amanda didn't hesitate.
"Me."
She walked past the others, her stride calm, steady. No uncertainty. No hesitation.
Noah's eyes lingered on her for a moment as she moved—focused, determined, completely in control.
The robed figures shifted as she approached, resuming their positions around the circle. The runes beneath her feet flickered to life, pulsing in steady waves of golden light.
The chief gave her a nod. "May the Lord bless thy soul."
Amanda exhaled slowly, steeling herself.
Then—the ritual began.
Standing in front of the circle, Amanda watches as the hums of the robed men and women ignite the flames of the orb, their visages rising in the air.
Noah watches, standing away, his gaze fixed on the golden sphere as it crackles with raw energy.
Then—
BOOM!
The lightning surging around the orb snapped outward—a thunderous explosion tearing through the air. A streak of violet light arced down, striking Amanda dead center.
Noah's breath caught. His fingers twitched at his sides, an instinctive urge to move—to intervene—but he didn't. He knew better now.
The moment the energy collided with Amanda, her entire body tensed. Her back arched slightly, fingers twitching as the power threaded through her veins. Unlike the others before her, she didn't cry out. She didn't buckle under the pressure.
Instead, she exhaled—slow, measured.
'How is she handling this better than most?' Noah couldn't help but wonder as he watched her endure the sheer, thunderous force.
The lightning crawled across her skin, its glow sinking deep—seeping into her like molten lava. It wasn't just burning over her flesh; it was burrowing inside, bombarding her very core.
The golden radiance that once surrounded her began to shift.
It darkened. Mutated.
The vibrant hue twisted, warping into something unnatural.
A bright, eerie shade of violet-green.
The blinding colors overwhelmed Amanda, her figure nearly swallowed by the radiant surge. The energy concentrated in her chest—pulsing, growing—until it exploded outward. A beam of light shot into the sky, piercing through the heavens.
'Wow, that's bright.'
Noah couldn't help but think as he raised a hand to shield his eyes, his vision straining against the intensity. His eyes narrowed, squinting through the glare.
Then—something changed.
The golden glow didn't just fade; it fractured, cracking like shattered glass before unraveling into writhing, emerald-tinged tendrils of light. They slithered downward, twisting around Amanda's body, weaving through the air like spectral vines.
A cold gust rushed across the ritual site, carrying the scent of damp earth… and something far more unsettling.
Decay.
The air thickened.
The platform beneath Amanda pulsed—not in the steady, rhythmic glow of those before her, but in erratic, uneven bursts.
'A flower?' Noah thought as he spotted something sprouting at Amanda's feet.
A single flower bloomed, poised like a rose, its stem lined with sharp, prickly thorns.
It unfurled slowly, petals dark as dusk, edges tinged in a sickly violet hue.
Then—it withered.
In an instant, the once-thriving bloom curled inward, its petals blackening, shriveling into nothingness. As if the very essence that birthed it had devoured it whole.
Amanda's body shuddered as the weight of the affinity ran its course.
Her fingers twitched, curling slightly.
Yet—she didn't collapse. She didn't wail or scream.
She simply stood there, exhaling.
Slow. Measured.
The strange energy coiled within her, neither rejecting nor consuming her, but accepting her.
The chief took a step forward, his gaze unreadable.
"You are bound to Hex Nature."
A ripple of murmurs swept through the onlookers.
'Hex Nature? That sounds like a mix of Hex and Nature…' Noah questioned in his head.
The chief's voice carried through the restless crowd.
"Not merely Nature, nor purely Curse. Yours is a path of duality—life and rot. Bloom and decay. You wield the roots of vitality, entwined with the vines of malediction."
Amanda stood motionless, her gaze fixed on her own hands. The last wisps of violet-green mist curled between her fingers, slithering like living tendrils. Their edges flickered between ethereal and tangible, slowly fading into nothing.
She clenched her fingers slightly before looking up, locking eyes with the chief.
"And what does this mean for me when using my power?"
Her voice was steady, sharp.
The chief studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he exhaled.
"It means your magic does not give freely," he said. "It is not an element that bends at will. It is a force that demands balance—a trade. Every seed of life you sow may take something in return. Every root you grow may strangle as easily as it nurtures."
Amanda's jaw tensed, but she didn't waver.
She nodded once. "I see."
Nothing more. No questions. No hesitation.
The weight of the moment settled over the crowd, an unspoken realization hanging in the air.
Amanda didn't fear this power. She didn't reject it.
She simply accepted it.
Amanda turned from the platform, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the lingering energy. Her fingers flexed experimentally, testing how her new power settled beneath her skin.
Noah watched her approach, raising an eyebrow. "So? Do I need to start keeping an eye out for poison ivy now?"
Amanda smirked. "Only if you plan on stepping out of line."
"Yikes," Noah muttered, placing a hand over his chest in mock concern. "That was fast. You're already embracing the 'Hex' part of Hex Nature."
Amanda tilted her head, pretending to think. "I don't know, Noah. Seems to me like someone who can 'reshape reality' with runes shouldn't be throwing stones."
Noah shrugged. "I don't know… seems to me like I'll have a better chance of surviving the sinking ship than you."
Amanda scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Say whatever helps you sleep at night. Just understand that when push comes to sink, I'm the one who's making it out alive."
Noah smirked. "Okay, Miss Witch Doctor, I'll hold you to that."
Amanda's eyes narrowed. "Witch doctor, really?"
"I mean, Hex Nature? Sounds very witch-doctor-y to me."
Amanda sighed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
"That's what makes me fun," Noah quipped.
Before Amanda could fire back, a familiar, chipper voice cut through the air.
"CONGRATULATIONS, PARTICIPANTS!"
Noah's stomach sank. "Oh, no."
Amanda groaned. "Here we go…"
A burst of blue light crackled above them, and just like that, Rudy materialized in the air, his polished metallic frame gleaming under the ritual's fading glow.
"Well, well, well!" The floating AI spun dramatically in place. "I must say, I am thoroughly impressed! You all managed to unlock your affinities without completely dying! That is, indeed, an accomplishment!"
A collective groan rose from the students.
"Wait—completely dying?" someone muttered.
Rudy continued as if he hadn't just casually implied some of them partially died. "And so, my dear struggling survivors, I bring you splendid news!"
A dramatic pause.
"Phase One of the tutorial is officially complete!"
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Wait, Phase One?" Noah muttered, rubbing his temples.
Amanda folded her arms. "I don't like where this is going."
Rudy clapped his metallic hands together, his digital eyes glowing brighter. "Indeed! You've spent a week in this quaint little village, learning how to tap into your newfound powers, and honestly? You've done far better than I expected! Which means…"
His voice took on an almost gleeful edge.
"It's time for Phase Two!"