Behind Firestorm's reclusive mountain home, in the yard.
I stood across the green field, my gaze fixed on a metal disc with flames billowing wildly on top. A single bead of sweat slid down my forehead as I struggled.
Firestorm glanced at Tzeleah. The girl was waving her arms in swift circles, a thin layer of water swirling and engulfing them like sharp tentacles.
"You're doing great, Tzeleah," said Storm, "but didn't you hate fighting in close range?"
Tzeleah paused and glanced at me briefly. "I just felt it was necessary."
Storm turned her eyes to me.
"Axion. Why have you stopped?"
I looked back at the burning disc.
"I don't think this is working. I can't feel anything."
Storm's face softened.
"Learning to influence existing elements isn't easy. For me, it was once the hardest thing there was." She gazed at the fire as the red flames wavered, vibrated, and suddenly deepened into a rich blood-red.
"The first step is to feel the path. Once you do, it's easier to connect to the flames."
She observed my face. Clearly unsatisfied.
"Don't get discouraged. You are already… Well, just keep working hard and results will come."
"..."
"...yes master." I said.
Then stood there in silence.
Before, when I tried running from her, the wall of flames that suddenly appeared on my way was made this way.
I mentioned it to Storm once and she revealed it was a skill almost exclusive to her. Even though she claims anyone can learn it with enough practice, and a lot of talent. At Ixaocan, right now, no one besides her could.
On the first day of her lessons, she wasn't sure what to teach me because I was a bit too advanced. I half jokingly mentioned this skill and,
She actually accepted.
'But,' I stretched out my arm, eyes locked onto the flames, 'I've tried the spell Clarity, which usually helps a lot with understanding, but even that didn't work.'
"I hope I'm not wasting my time here."
.
For the next week, all I did was stay at Firestorm's place, practicing. But after failing to make any meaningful progress for days, I left for the capital again.
I walked across the creaking floorboards of a Magical Items Store, my eyes scanning the tall shelves.
A glowing blue lantern caught my attention. I reached for it, and as I did, several glass jars on the nearby counter began to hum and vibrate in response to my presence.
"Hmm," I hummed, looking at the shelves filled with a variety of magical-looking items: daggers, monocles, cloaks, staffs, compasses, and many more.
"Nothing here looks insane."
After wandering through the store, I found something that made me stop dead in my tracks. "Is that…?"
Behind a glass container sat a pair of purple boots emanating dark waves.
I shouted to the store manager across the room, "Hey! What's the name of these?"
He stopped reading his book and looked over to where I was pointing. "Oh. Those are the Sorcerer's Boots."
'The game item!?'
'Wait a second, what would happen if I wear these and equip the one at the UI shop?'
"If you want them, I can give you a discount. Only five thousand contribution points."
"..."
"I… don't know if I have any contribution points."
'I must get this. Even if I steal it.'
He adjusted his monocle, then said:
"I see that you have a master insignia, so you should have at least some thousands. Did you spend everything on weird potions?"
"Potions? Oh, no."
"Great. Just give me your insignia for a moment."
"Hm, let me see…" He held the insignia as energy began to pour into it. "Axion, eleven years old, all elements!? Ohh! You're that kid! Haha," he said excitedly, "but it seems you don't have enough. Actually… you have nothing."
"What?"
"Yes, that's weird. You should bring this to the court. They'll know what happened."
The court.
That reminds me of something… Did I forget something?
SWISH!
The sound of something cutting through air.
'I can't see. My blind spot—behind me.'
I ducked. A book flew past.
"Shit," said a sleek-haired boy to his two underlings. "The guy might actually be something, huh?"
I stopped for a moment,
'This stupid thing always happens in fantasy I guess.'
I considered how much damage I should do to him.
"What is the meaning of this?" I asked.
He approached with arrogance, leaning in too close to my face. "Who do you think you are? Spreading those fake rumors around? Huh?"
His breath stinked.
"Hey boys," he continued, turning to his crew, "we need to teach this preppy a lesson, huh? Whaddya guys think?"
"Hehe," one of them laughed.
"If he doesn't run like a coward! Haha!"
Then the crew leader declared, "I challenge you to—"
BAM!
I headbutted him straight in the nose.
"AAHH!" He stumbled back and smacked his butt on the floor, hands clutching his face. "Y-You broke my nose!" he cried, blood streaming down.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, a red mark forming on my own forehead. "I just saw an annoying bug." The mark were gone by my passive healing.
The other two looked furious, but they only rushed to help their friend on the ground.
"Hey!" the store manager shouted. "Books are not for throwing! Go fight outside!"
"..."
'Wait, this is my chance to rip them off.'
I turned back toward the three troublemakers.
"What about that challenge? I know you can bet on it, so how about we make a bet? I'll allow all three of you together. Three versus one—pretty good, huh?"
I smirked.
"Or are you too afraid?"
"Who's afraid!"
"HEY!" the manager shouted again. "I won't say it again!"
.
.
Little did I know that such a small incident would grow to completely change my life.