Bell’s breathing hitched.
He could feel the suffocating, icy killing intent emanating from Cecilia’s fingertip.
She was going to destroy it.
Just as Leovet had destroyed her monster moments ago.
She intended to crush the only thing of his that had ever been recognized, right in front of him.
“Wait.”
A voice interrupted the impending destruction.
Leovet walked over from the podium. His steps were slow, yet they carried an undeniable pressure.
Cecilia’s finger stopped in midair.
She looked up, and for the first time, a trace of clear dissatisfaction surfaced in those pure eyes.
“Instructor, do you have further instructions?”
Leovet walked to her side and looked down at the crude dirt wolf.
“This thing does not belong to you.”
He reached out and picked up the crooked dirt wolf from Bell’s desk.
Bell was stunned.
Leovet held the dirt wolf before his eyes, scrutinizing it closely.
“Do you see it?”
He spoke to Cecilia.
“It is ugly, crude, and could fall apart at any moment.”
“But it has one thing your monster will never possess.”
Cecilia tilted her head, her face still wearing that perfect smile.
“And what is that?”
Leovet did not answer.
He simply placed the dirt wolf gently back onto Bell’s desk.
Then, he turned to face Cecilia.
“It was made with the creator’s heart.”
“Whereas your monster was merely something you threw together on a whim.”
The smile on Cecilia’s face froze.
Leovet did not look at her again, turning instead to Bell.
“Bell Lucas, put your toy away.”
“Come to my office at midnight tonight.”
“Do not be late.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the classroom without looking back.
The heavy wooden door closed behind him.
Once again, only two people remained in the classroom.
Bell sat rigidly in his seat, not daring to move.
Cecilia stood beside him with her head bowed, making it impossible to see her expression.
Silence wrapped around the two of them like an invisible web.
“Big brother.”
Cecilia finally spoke.
Her voice was very soft, almost as if she were talking to herself.
“Do you know?”
“I had originally prepared a surprise for you today.”
Bell’s heart gave a violent thud.
A surprise?
What surprise?
Cecilia reached into her robe and pulled out an exquisite small box.
She opened the box to reveal a silver badge inside.
At the very center of the badge, a complex emblem was engraved.
It was the family crest of the Lucas family.
“I made this myself last night.”
There was a hint of cautious anticipation in Cecilia’s voice.
“I wanted to give it to big brother as a gift for our... reconciliation.”
Bell’s throat tightened.
He wanted to speak, but not a single word would come out.
Cecilia held the box out to him.
“Big brother, do you like it?”
Bell looked at the badge.
It was exquisite, every detail carved to flawless perfection.
But he could feel it.
An unsettling, faint aura was emanating from that badge.
“I...”
Just as Bell started to speak.
Cecilia suddenly laughed.
That smile was no longer an innocent mask.
It was a sickly, twisted ecstasy filled with possessiveness.
“Never mind.”
She withdrew the box and tucked the badge back into her robe.
“Right now, big brother only wants that ugly little mud wolf, don't you?”
She leaned in close to Bell and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear.
“It is fine.”
“After all, big brother will understand sooner or later.”
“In this world, I am the only thing that truly belongs to you.”
She reached out and gently stroked Bell’s cheek.
The touch was as cold as snake scales.
“You are going to see that man tonight, aren't you?”
Bell’s body tensed instantly.
Cecilia’s smile deepened.
“Go ahead.”
“I will not stop you.”
“Because...”
She leaned into Bell’s ear and whispered in a dreamlike, airy tone.
“No matter where big brother goes, what you learn, or how strong you become.”
“In the end, you will return to my side.”
With that, she let go and turned, walking out of the classroom with light steps.
Her back, as she hummed a tuneless melody, was no different from that of an ordinary girl who was satisfied after receiving candy.
Deathly silence returned to the classroom once more.
Bell slumped in his chair, his strength completely spent.
He looked down at the crude dirt wolf on the desk.
Leovet’s words echoed in his mind.
“It was made with the creator’s heart.”
“Whereas your monster was merely something you threw together on a whim.”
Bell reached out and carefully cradled the dirt wolf in his palm.
It was light and fragile.
But at this moment, it was the only thing of his that had been recognized.
He stood up and carefully placed the dirt wolf inside his clothes.
Then, he turned and headed toward the dormitory.
...
The night was deep.
The academy’s streetlamps cast a dim, yellow glow along the paths.
Bell held the thick black notebook and stood before the door of the Black Stone Tower.
He looked up at the lonely, towering structure.
Midnight.
He had arrived on time.
Bell took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked firmly on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The dull sound of knocking echoed before the empty tower.
A few seconds later.
The hinges creaked as the heavy wooden door swung inward.
Leovet stood behind the door. He was not wearing his instructor’s robes, but a simple black shirt.
He looked at Bell, the corner of his mouth curving into a playful arc.
“Punctual.”
“Good.”
He stepped aside, clearing the space behind the door.
“Come in.”
Bell stepped forward and entered the Black Stone Tower.
The heavy wooden door closed behind him.
The space inside the tower was large, with various strange magic circles and runes hanging on the walls.
The air was filled with a faint, crisp scent belonging to the wind element.
“Put the notebook down.”
Leovet’s voice came from behind him.
Bell did as he was told, placing the thick black notebook on a nearby table.
“Now, take off your coat.”
Bell blinked in surprise, but he still complied.
He removed his academy uniform jacket, leaving him in only a thin white shirt.
Leovet walked up to him and circled around him once.
“Too thin.”
“Insufficient muscle mass and inadequate bone strength.”
“A body like this cannot even withstand basic physical techniques.”
Bell kept his head down and said nothing.
Leovet stopped in front of him and reached out, patting his shoulder firmly.
The force was so great that Bell almost lost his footing.
“From today onward, your training will be divided into three stages.”
“Stage one: physical fitness.”
“Stage two: mana control.”
“Stage three: actual combat.”
Leovet turned and walked to the wall, taking several heavy metal rings from a cabinet.
“Put these on.”
Bell took the metal rings, their heavy weight causing his arms to sink.
“These are weight rings, five kilograms each.”
“Wear two on your wrists and two on your ankles.”
Bell gritted his teeth and put the metal rings on his wrists and ankles one by one.
In his previous life, he probably wouldn't have even been able to move, but now, with the enhancement of mana, his physical capacity was indeed much stronger.
Instantly, he felt as if his body had been filled with lead.
“Good.”
Leovet nodded with satisfaction.
“From now on, except for sleeping and classes, you are not permitted to take these weight rings off.”
“Do you understand?”
Bell nodded.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
Leovet turned and walked to the center of the training ground at the top of the tower.
“Now, we begin the first task.”
“Run one hundred laps around this training ground.”
Bell’s eyes widened.
One hundred laps?
Even with mana, this was excessive.
The circumference of this training ground was at least fifty meters!
That was five thousand meters!
And that was while carrying twenty kilograms of extra weight!
“You are permitted to use mana. Is there a problem?”
Leovet raised an eyebrow.
Bell gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“No.”
“Good.”
Leovet leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
“Begin.”
“Remember, if you stop midway, the count restarts from zero.”
Bell took a deep breath and began his heavy strides.
One lap.
Two laps.
Three laps.
The weight of the rings made every step incredibly difficult.
Ten laps.
Twenty laps.
His breathing began to grow rapid, and sweat dripped from his forehead.
Thirty laps.
Forty laps.
His legs began to feel weak, and his chest felt as if a giant boulder were pressing down on it.
Fifty laps.
His vision began to blur, and the only thing left in his ears was the sound of his own ragged gasps.
Sixty laps.
His steps began to falter, and he nearly fell several times.
Seventy laps.
His lungs were burning, and every breath felt like swallowing razor blades.
Eighty laps.
His consciousness began to drift, leaving only the mechanical motion of one step after another.
Ninety laps.
He could no longer tell north from south; he only knew he couldn't stop.
Ninety five laps.
His legs felt like lead; every time he lifted one, it required every ounce of his strength.
Ninety nine laps.
He saw the finish line.
The final lap.
Bell gritted his teeth and used his last bit of strength to rush toward the finish.
Thud.
He collapsed heavily to the ground, panting violently.
Sweat had soaked through his shirt; he looked as if he had been pulled straight out of the water.
Leovet walked over to him and looked down.
“One and a half hours.”
“Barely a passing grade.”
Bell lay on the ground, lacking even the strength to lift his head.
“Rest for five minutes.”
Leovet turned and walked back to the wall.
“Then, we begin the next training session.”
Bell’s heart sank.
There was more?
Five minutes later.
Leovet walked up to him again.
“Get up.”
Bell struggled, pushing off the ground with his hands to slowly stand up.
His legs were still trembling, and he was teetering on the spot.
Leovet gave him no time to catch his breath.
“Now, we begin mana control training.”
He reached out, and a green wind blade condensed in his palm.
“Watch closely.”
The wind blade began to spin, faster and faster, eventually forming a perfect circle.
“This is the most basic mana control.”
“Condensing mana into a shape and maintaining its stability.”
Leovet let go, and the green circular wind blade hovered in midair, motionless.
“Now, it is your turn.”
“Use the earth element to condense a sphere and maintain it for one hour.”
Bell gritted his teeth and reached out.
He channeled the meager earth element mana within him, attempting to condense a sphere in his palm.
A crude, irregular lump of earth slowly took shape in his hand.
It was crooked, its surface pitted and uneven, looking as if it might crumble at any moment.
“Too crude.”
Leovet’s voice came from the side.
“Start over.”
Bell gritted his teeth, dispersed the lump of earth, and condensed it again.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each time, he was rejected by Leovet.
“Too loose.”
“Unstable center of gravity.”
“Uneven mana distribution.”
“Start over.”
Ten times.
Twenty times.
Thirty times.
Bell’s mental energy was nearing exhaustion. Sweat mixed with tears, blurring his vision.
“I... I can't do it...”
His voice was hoarse, tinged with a hint of despair.
“You can't do it?”
Leovet walked up to him, looking down from his height.
“Then you might as well die.”
Bell snapped his head up.
Leovet’s face was devoid of any expression.
“Do you think Cecilia Lucas will let you go just because you ‘can't do it’?”
“Do you think this world will show you mercy just because you ‘can't do it’?”
“Bell Lucas.”
Leovet crouched down to look him in the eye.
“You have only two paths.”
“Either get stronger.”
“Or die.”
“Choose one.”
Bell’s throat tightened.
He looked into Leovet’s icy eyes.
There was no pity there.
Only a near-cruel pressure.
Bell gritted his teeth and reached out his hand again.
“I... I choose to get stronger.”
A microscopic arc curved at the corner of Leovet’s mouth.
“Good.”
“Then, continue.”
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