It took Vlad several minutes to process what he had just experienced. His eyes turned to the surroundings around him. The green land before him was scorched and dead, cracks spread across the dirt with smoke rising from several places. The air smelled of ash and ozone. The thick bark of the tree behind him carried several burn marks, its branches completely stripped of their leaves.

"I-I think I should leave this place first," Vlad gasped, rising to his feet. His legs felt unsteady, but he forced them to move. He threw the mystery box inside his gym bag and ran out of the forest. He took a detour to make sure no one would be suspicious of him when the atrocities done to the forest were revealed.

He was not the type of person to avoid responsibility, but it would become a headache to explain how he actually caused such harm with a D-Rank talent.

Worst come to worst, it might get revealed that he had formed a primordial core.

It took him over half an hour to reach his room. He closed the door behind him with a click. Noah was already fast asleep, taking an afternoon nap. The boy did not even bother to change his uniform before hopping onto the bed. His body lay sprawled across the mattress, one arm hanging over the edge.

At least his shoes were placed properly at the entrance instead of leaving a trail to his bed. Vlad noted the small courtesy with mild appreciation.

He placed his bag in the wardrobe where he had already arranged his clothes properly. The shirts and blazers hung on wooden hangers while his casual clothes were neatly placed on the shelf below. He closed the wardrobe door softly.

He reached his bed where he sat, leaning against the side wall, and checked his status screen again.

"My physical stats have increased from before," he murmured, noticing the changes. "My vitality and endurance jumped significantly. Did my vitality increase because the Umbra absorbed the vitality of the flora around me?" He wondered aloud, tapping his chin.

The large increase in endurance was logical given the amount of pain he had endured while forming the core.

"So it’s real, huh?" Vlad murmured as the reality settled over him. "I really formed a Primordial Core." The words felt heavy on his tongue, almost unbelievable.

His eyes shifted to the skill at the bottom.

[• Skills:

– Foresight Eye {Tap to learn}]

He tapped the button.

[Sending the information required to activate the skill directly to Host’s brain...]

Vlad felt a surge of information forcefully flushed into his mind. Images, concepts, and sensations flooded through him like a river breaking through a dam. His eyebrows furrowed as a throbbing headache attacked him. He clenched his temples between his palms, his eyes squeezed shut.

After a few seconds, the pain slowly faded, leaving behind a strange clarity.

Ding...

[Congratulations! You have learned a new skill: Foresight Eye {Level 1}

Description: A forbidden ability that allows the user to see continuously 0.5 seconds into the future.

Note:

1. Consumes Electro mana to activate.

2. Extended use over a prolonged period may cause temporary damage to the eyes.]

"Hah... haha... hahaha..." Vlad broke into small laughs of delight. He had finally learned his first magical skill. The sound was light, almost childlike. Although it was a small achievement, it pushed him one step closer to his goal. He could not wait to use this skill in battle.

"Oh shit, when did so much time pass?" Vlad gasped, his eyes falling to the time on his phone. The screen displayed 4:50 in the evening. It had taken him more time than he realized to form the core.

He quickly jumped off the bed, took out a black leather jacket from his wardrobe, and moved down the stairs while pulling the jacket over his shoulders.

As soon as he stepped out of the dormitory, he bolted in the direction of the girls’ dormitory. His feet pounded against the stone path, urgency driving him forward.

---

"Whoah, girls really are lucky to live closer to such a beautiful place," Vlad murmured, standing before the dorms. The evening light cast long golden shadows across the grounds.

On one side stood the complex of several stone buildings, moss spread along their old outer walls. The green patches clung to the grey stone like nature’s own decoration, giving the structures an ancient, lived-in feel. It was the dormitory where first and second year girls lived.

A few hundred metres away on the other side, the market sprawled like a small town stitched onto the academy grounds. Timber-framed shops leaned shoulder to shoulder along narrow cobbled lanes, their upper floors jutting out over the streets below, creating a canopy of wood and shadow. Hanging signs creaked on iron brackets, painted with sigils, runes, or simple pictures, marking apothecaries, blacksmiths, artifact shops, restaurants, and even clothing and general stores.

Smoke curled from chimneys and forge vents, carrying the smell of roasted meat, hot metal, and herbs, all mingling into a scent that Vlad could smell all the way from the open ground outside the market. Somewhere a vendor called out prices, haggling with a cluster of students, while others wandered between stalls comparing enchanted trinkets. Perhaps because the customers were young students, the market seemed even more energetic than Barton or Velarum city.

"Where are your bandages?" A soft voice entered his ears, pulling him out of the daze of the scenery.

Chloe stood beside him, wearing loose cream trousers and a lavender sweater on top that revealed one of her shoulders. The fabric draped elegantly across her frame.

Her hair was untied, falling on either side of her face like a silken curtain, framing her features in a soft silhouette.

Vlad looked at her silently for a moment, his eyes fixed on her serene face. The evening light caught the edges of her lavender hair, giving it a faint glow.

"My wounds healed, so I removed them," he answered.

Chloe grabbed his wrists and examined his hands herself. Her fingers traced the skin where the injuries had been. There was truly not even a mark left.

"It really healed," she murmured. Her voice turned sharper, her pale lavender eyes locking onto Vlad as she demanded, "You used a healing potion?"

Vlad shook his head. He leaned closer, his knees bending as his face drew level with hers, his lips moving nearer to her ear.

"I formed a core. The process healed my injuries," he whispered, his breath brushing against her neck. A faint shiver ran through her shoulders.

"What level? Who taught you? Where did you receive the mana stone?" Chloe showered him with questions, each one coming faster than the last.

"I don’t know the person. They gave me a mana stone and taught me the process," Vlad revealed, his voice still a whisper. "But don’t worry. They are trustworthy."

Chloe did not inquire about the person further. If Vlad said they were trustworthy, there was no need to think otherwise. Her trust in his judgment was absolute.

"What level?" This was the question she truly wanted to know.

"It’s a secret only between us," Vlad murmured, leaning even closer to her ear. "It’s Primordial level."