The ceiling of the Hydro Palace infirmary was carved from glowing sea-glass, but to Techyon, it felt like a cage. He bolted upright, his skin still mapped with bandages.
"Don't panic! You're still injured!" Alya cried, reaching out to steady him.
"Get away!" Techyon snapped, his eyes flashing with a desperate, blue static. "I have to kill him. You don't know what he did—what he took from me!"
"Techyon, shut up," a calm, weary voice cut through the room. Lapis sat in a nearby chair, his goggles resting on his lap. His eyes looked tired, but sharp.
"But—"
"You know we can't beat him now," Lapis said flatly. "He saw through my ghosts. He overpowered your speed. We aren't ready."
"Lapis is right," Elisa stepped out from the shadows of the balcony, her pink butterflies fluttering around her fingers.
Techyon stared at her. "Elisa? Where were you while we were being slaughtered?"
"Investigating," she replied simply. "And marking our prey."
Neweland, the Hydro Arcon, walked into the room, his expression grave. "Rax left a message before he fled while you two were unconscious. He said: 'One of these insects said he would defeat me. If he truly believes that, let him face me alone any day he chooses.'"
Techyon's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "I will beat him down. Alone."
"Why do you push yourself so much?" Alya asked, her voice trembling. "There are S-Rank adventurers, guilds... let them handle the monster."
"No," Techyon said, looking her in the eyes. "No other adventurer is going to defeat him. It's only me who is going to kill him."
The Training of the Arcon
For the next week, the palace training grounds echoed with the sound of thunder. Under Neweland's strict guidance, Techyon pushed his body to the breaking point. Alya was always there, bringing food and water, her eyes full of a worry she couldn't hide. "Take care of yourself, Techyon," she would whisper.
Then, it happened. Techyon focused his mana, tapping into the Bloodline of Arax. Suddenly, his Auto-Counter flared to life—but his HP was still full!
His body began to hiss. Steam erupted from his pores as his internal temperature skyrocketed. He was becoming a living engine of light, but he was melting from the inside out.
"Hydro Refresh!" Alya shouted, slamming her hands into the ground. A wave of cooling, mystical water enveloped Techyon, absorbing the lethal heat instantly.
Techyon stood in the center of the mist, his eyes glowing. If she can cool me down like this... I can stay in this form forever. I can use my full potential.
He walked out of the steam, his heart racing for a different reason. He reached out and took Alya's hand. "Will you go with me?"
Alya's face turned a deep crimson, her blue eyes wide with shock. "W-with you?"
The romantic tension in the room was shattered as the heavy oak doors swung open. Lapis walked in, looking more energized than he had since the Dragon attack, followed by a grinning Neweland.
"Techyon! I finally figured it out!" Lapis shouted. "I know how to upgrade my passive to Level 3—"
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes dropped to where Techyon's hand was still wrapped around Alya's.
A heavy silence filled the room. Neweland turned his head, his shoulders shaking as he desperately tried to stifle a laugh behind his hand.
"Bro," Lapis said, his voice flat but mocking. "Didn't you tell me you had zero interest in romance? What exactly are you doing right now?"
Alya's face went from crimson to purple. In a fit of pure shyness-induced panic, she used her Hydro Strength to shove Techyon away. He went flying into a pile of training mats with a startled yelp.
"Leave that for now!" Lapis waved his hand, dismissing the drama. "Techyon, I've unlocked the path to Level 3. But I'm still figuring out the exact trigger."
Techyon sat up, rubbing his head. "Wait... passive abilities can be leveled up? I've never heard of that in any guild manual."
Lapis sighed, leaning against the wall. "That's because most people are stuck at Level 1. Listen carefully, because this is how we bridge the gap between us and Rax."
The Three Tiers of Passive Mastery:
Level 1 (The Awakening): You have the power, but you can't use it properly. It's wild and unpredictable. (Like Techyon's Auto-Counter only triggering at 6% HP).
Level 2 (The Mastery): You can use your passive properly and freely. It becomes a tool you control, rather than a reflex that controls you.
Level 3 (The Zenith): The maximum level. Your passive is fully integrated into your soul. It provides absolute protection or a "Sovereign Effect" unique to your bloodline.
"To level up," Lapis explained, "you have to perform a 'Soul Task' specific to your ability. For me, it's about spatial perception. For you, Techyon... it's probably related to the Speed of Light."
Techyon looked at his hands. If he could get his Auto-Counter to Level 3, Rax wouldn't even be able to touch him.
Techyon stood in the center of the training grounds, his chest heaving. As he pushed his mana, the air didn't glow gold—it fractured into shards of brilliant white and deep blue. The lightning didn't just spark; it hummed with the sound of a thousand rushing rivers.
His Sapphire Blue eyes locked onto the target dummy.
"Hydro Refresh!" Alya called out.
The cool mist hit his skin, but instead of just dampening the heat, it harmonized with his White-Blue aura. The steam rising from his body wasn't just heat—it was a manifestation of his growing power.
"Lapis," Techyon said, looking over his shoulder, his blue eyes glowing with a faint white ring. "If I hit Level 2... will my aura finally stabilize?"
Lapis nodded, leaning against a marble pillar. "At Level 2, that White-Blue flash won't just be an accident. It'll be your constant state of existence. You won't just move fast; you'll be the storm."
Neweland watched from the balcony, his own white-and-blue hair fluttering. He looks more like Arax every day, the Arcon thought. The Strongest Arcon's son is finally waking up.