The interrogation haunted him—not because he thought he'd been caught, but because Julius Frost had looked through him. The way a predator sees something that doesn't belong. It had taken everything in Max not to flinch.
The system had saved him. The Stealth Aura was the only reason his mana signature hadn't been exposed.
But it wouldn't hold forever.
He needed power. Now.
So, under the cover of night, Max snuck out of the academy.
Beyond the southern walls, the Forbidden Hunting Grounds stretched into dense, corrupted forest. A few years ago, it had been a peaceful region. Now it was infested with mana-twisted beasts—creatures mutated beyond recognition, wandering too close to cities.
They were also dangerous.
Perfect.
Max stood in the darkness, surrounded by whispering leaves and the crackle of ambient mana. His necklace glowed faintly as the system shimmered to life.
[Objective: Defeat 3 Tier-3 beasts to unlock "Mana Flow Skill"]
[Bonus Objective: Use at least 3 different elements in combat.]
Max's fists clenched.
"Let's begin."
The first beast lunged out of the brush—an ape-like creature with crystalline claws and a mana aura of earth.
Max moved like lightning. He summoned wind around his legs, dodging sideways, then used a burst of flame from his palm to blind the creature.
The ground erupted behind him as the beast slammed its fists down. Max ducked, then raised a wall of earth to pin it mid-swing. A second later, he summoned a spike of ice through the wall.
The beast shrieked once.
[EXP +120]
[Elemental Combo Bonus: +10%]
Two more came soon after—a twin-headed wolf crackling with lightning, and a plant-covered lizard spewing acid.
Max fought harder than ever.
He combined fire and wind for explosive gusts, froze acid midair with water manipulation, and ended the final beast with a bolt of raw lightning straight through its skull.
By the time the battle ended, Max was soaked in blood and barely able to stand.
But his screen flashed brightly:
[All Tier-3 Beasts Defeated]
[Skill Unlocked: Mana Flow Lv.1 – Improves mana efficiency by 10% and boosts recovery rate.]
[Level Up! Level 6 → Level 8]
He collapsed to his knees, laughing breathlessly. The rush of power filled every inch of his limbs. His mana now flowed cleaner, faster—he felt alive.
And stronger.
The next morning, Julius stood in a hidden surveillance room beneath the academy.
Mana-sensitive cameras had captured a flicker—a blurred shape moving past the southern barrier hours earlier.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
"That's the second time someone's gone near the Forbidden Grounds," Lena said quietly. "This one moved too fast for a normal student."
Julius didn't speak.
He merely zoomed in on the still frame.
Blurry. Shadowed. But the faint outline of a figure could just be made out.
And around his neck—just barely visible—a glint of light. A pendant.
"Enhance this," Julius said coldly. "And cross-check every student. I want names by tomorrow."
Back in his dorm, Max stood at the mirror.
He stared at himself. At the eyes that looked less innocent now. At the aura he couldn't fully hide anymore.
Then he closed his eyes and whispered, "I'll survive. No matter what."
But he felt it in his bones—
Julius Frost was coming for him.