"I can copy skills."

The pain from his pinch faded to numbness. He looked at the text one more time to be sure he didn’t imagine it. He tapped the notification of his new skill.

[Reminder: NEW SKILL UNNAMED!]

Now that I think of it, the skill I had unlocked was very similar to Ember Bloom.

He remembered seeing Juda’s eyes bloom and feeling his stomach twist. He had brushed it off as Juda’s body heat making him queasy but could it have been when he copied it?

No. I would’ve gotten a notification then.

The angel must’ve used Ember Bloom to track my movements, forcing the Void to replicate it.

The skill had taken a lot of mana from him, and even threatened brain damage, according to the doctor.

It wasn’t a skill that could be easily used like Ember Bloom. Killian named the skill without much thinking.

[New Skill Named!] [Corrupted Bloom]

It is derived from the Corrupted Fire so it is only fair.

He checked for any other notification, and just before he dismissed the WLog he spotted the little warning sign by the Innate Skill, Mimicry.

The skills I copy can threaten my life.

If I eat other elements and make them mine I wonder if it’d still be the same.

He tapped the warning sign, with tensed shoulders.

[Warning: Reconstructed skills are subject to void corruption. The output will differ from the original source. Tainted. Corrupted. Forbidden. High-level reconstruction places extreme stress on the host, potentially causing hemorrhaging, mana burnout, or temporary to permanent loss of sensory control.]

[Solution: None.]

[Solution: Just Eat It. (Revised.)]

Killian narrowed his eyes at the last solution.

He remembered saying those words to the Void the first few times they met but it didn’t make sense in this situation.

I can’t eat my stress away when it comes to brain damage. I risk collapsing and worse.

He dismissed the WLog and stopped eating. He was getting more stressed and snacks weren’t helping. The new innate skill wasn’t helpful at the moment.

Do I need to get physically stronger? Have firmer control of my mana and Void Element?

Or increase the amount of mana discharged from my HEART?

There was no one to answer his questions, so there was one thing he could do.

"I should sleep."

.

.

Killian left the boardroom after going through every single clause on the contract he was given.

There was no loophole, at least according to his twelve hours of law knowledge. I can make do with this.

He crosschecked again, then tapped the ’send’ button and waited for the board to confirm.

The old men nodded in unison, and the lady smiled. "Well, dismissed. Oh, and Killian, wait for a while."

The old men disappeared from plain sight and the old women strolled out of the room, while chattering.

The board room soon became empty, left for Killian and the lady. She looked up from her phone. "I heard you wanted to drop out from the duel?"

Killian raised a brow. Apart from the receptionist who had no reason to tell anyone, and his father, there was no other person he had told.

"I didn’t like how quickly that decision was taken without my consent. The contract sent to me was an agreement not even a consent."

The lady dropped her phone into her bag. "That is true. However, the Academy is a place every Warden aspires to visit. I couldn’t have guessed there was anyone who wouldn’t want to."

Killian said nothing. If his situation was different, then visiting the Academy owned and controlled by the rulers of their kingdom would be exciting.

"Well, do you give consent for the S-Rank Warden to join you there? I made arrangements for one who’s stationed at the Academy for one month."

"Yes. She is the Water Mage you texted about, isn’t she?" Killian looked up to remember. "Lady Helen?"

The Director smiled, tapping the hairpiece on her head. "My one and only. She’s really sweet so you don’t have to worry. Her element is an opposite match to the angel’s so you can be rest assured."

Killian nodded.

I don’t have to worry about her being possessed since she comes from a line of Southerners.

Her mental state is fortified.

"When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you have your second mission down." The lady replied. "That’s the last requirement."

So soon. Killian hummed in response. It hadn’t been two months since he attained Warden status.

But he would be competing in the Academy with other Wardens who had stayed more than a year.

"I am not expected to pass the Academy’s Trials, right?"

A smirk creeped to the lady’s face. "You realised you would have been signed up, didn’t you? Well, no. But as you have done before, do your best."

All Killian heard was the ’no’, and he breathed out in relief. Academy trials were open to all ranks before B-Rank Lower. He didn’t plan to risk his life.

Trials are always till the weakest person concede defeat and it’s no surprise that some Wardens were too proud to ever concede defeat.

Hence, there have been deaths.

"Alright. Thank you for your assistance, ma’am."

"Thank you for spending time with my son last time." She grabbed her bag.

Killian wore a frown as he watched her walk towards him. "I couldn’t spend time with him because I happen to be the wrong twin. That’s not my fault."

She stopped by the door, and tilted her head. "But he told me that you were quite fun to talk to."

Killian’s frown loosened. "He probably meant my twin brother. I’d take my leave." he said that but held the door open for her to leave.

The lady shook her head as she walked out. Killian saw her whip out her phone, before closing her phone.

"There was no need to lie and say it was me though. Is he hiding his friendships with Keith?"

He tossed the thought aside. His WLog notification came just when he needed it.

[Mission Alert!]

[C-tier Realm - Realm of Daln]

Killian paused, staring at the familiarity of the name.

Isn’t that the training realm?

The realm of the human-rabbit?