THUMP!
A dull thud echoed through the room.
Kaen slowly opened his eyes, blinking with difficulty.
The sound seemed to have come from the small shelf above the desk. One of the wooden boxes he used to store magical junk had tipped over from the breeze blowing through the cracked window and fallen straight to the floor.
"Shit... what happened?"
He tried to get up, but a pulsing pain spread through his whole body, like something was flowing through his mana veins, trying to adapt.
"Ahh... damn. Looks like I messed up yesterday..."
His eyes dropped to the floor. The Vyralis Core was there, completely dim. Seeing it instantly brought the memory back.
He had absorbed all the energy from the core.
"Crap... Yenne said something about not needing to do it all at once."
She had made it clear it was better to take it slow, one step at a time. But since he wasn't feeling any real pain, just a few mild stings, he thought he could push a bit more.
"Feels like my head's about to explode."
He wasn't sure if it was the core's fault or just because he slept with his head on the floor.
Staggering, he went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. The chill helped him wake up a bit.
Kaen stared at himself in the mirror.
Hair white as snow, eyes red like blood.
No matter how many times he looked, it was still hard to get used to his new appearance.
"I really do look like a villain... why the hell did this guy wear a mask?"
In the game, the character Kain always wore a mask. He only took it off during specific quests tied to the lore.
"Mmh... not my problem. Guess I'll take another shower."
===
The Advanced Magic Fundamentals class had just ended.
Marco was getting ready to leave when someone called him.
"Hey, Marco. Where's Kaen?"
He turned around, surprised to see Yenne.
'Yenne Vaellen...? What does she want with Kaen?'
"No idea either. Elena asked me about him in the cafeteria yesterday, but he still hasn't shown up."
"Elena Elrien?"
Yenne repeated the name without thinking.
What could Elena want with Kaen? As far as she knew, there was no reason for her to be looking for him.
'Where the hell is that idiot?'
She turned and walked off without saying anything else.
"Ah... right. Not even a 'thanks for nothing,' huh, Marco?"
Marco huffed and ran a hand through his hair.
Lately, it felt like everyone treated him like an NPC.
"What's an NPC anyway...?"
Kaen had called him that a few times, but he never really knew what it meant. He just knew it sounded kinda offensive.
"..."
It was exactly 11:50.
Another class had ended. Still no Kaen.
Yenne paced around the courtyard, restless.
Yesterday afternoon, Kaen had given her a hint. Something so offbeat she instinctively backed away.
It was simple. But bold enough to completely change how any mage used mana.
Yenne was a mage who mastered the four basic elements and was already starting to dive into the advanced ones, like Professor Aeryn. But the difference in their levels was massive.
She was a Class 2 mage who was just beginning to step into Class 3. Everything she could still use was limited to the four basic elements.
But if she were to follow what Kaen suggested, she'd have to abandon all the other types of magic entirely.
She thought about Elena Elrien. A full-fledged fire mage with such complete control it seemed like fire was a part of her body.
The problem was, if Elena ever wanted to use other types of magic, even with all her talent, it would be complicated. She'd have to be at least a Class 5 mage to cast even simple spells of other elements, and even then, they'd max out at Class 1 or 2.
All because her mana veins were already completely hooked on the fire element.
"Damn it... why am I thinking about her now?"
Maybe it was because Marco mentioned that Elena wanted to talk to Kaen.
Yenne shook her head. That wasn't her business.
But something still bothered her.
Kaen didn't tell her to use ice magic.
He told her to stop using spells.
He suggested she transform her own mana into cold mana. Not casting ice magic, but becoming the ice. Channeling it without a spell or magic circle.
It was absurd. Like telling her to give up being a complete mage.
And honestly? If it were any other element, she might've considered it... but ice?
Yenne would rather die than become an ice mage.
====
Kaen was sitting with his mouth full, chewing like a pig.
At least, that's how Tharion Velast saw it as he stared at him with visible disgust.
"Are you listening to me?"
Kaen nodded at Tharion.
"You've got some nerve, huh? No respect for your senior?"
Kaen kept chewing slowly while feeling a slight discomfort in his stomach, even as he swallowed.
It seemed like the Vyralis Core had left behind some weird side effect, like he'd caught a magical flu or something. It was a strange feeling, like his mana was still trying to adapt.
'How long is this gonna last? I need to feel fully fine soon.'
He looked at the guy staring him down.
Tharion Velast was an 18-year-old noble, second-year student. His dark brown hair was neatly combed, and he wore a spotless uniform with gold and red details. His amber eyes and upright, arrogant posture screamed typical stuck-up mage.
He was a fire and earth mage, proud of already being a Class 3.
And the only thing Kaen was thinking in that moment was how satisfying it would be to just use repulsion full force and launch him through the wall.
"Do what I said. Stay away from Elena. She's mine. Our families are already in agreement."
Kaen didn't feel anything for Elena, but nobles in this world were seriously annoying.
Saying someone belonged to you was insane.
Tharion Velast was one of the main reasons Kaen wanted to start New Game+.
In Elena's first life, she suffered a lot at the hands of the Velast family. Their parents had strong ties and thought the families should unite. For that, they saw marriage between two prodigy mages as the perfect move.
But the more Elena grew, the worse Tharion's obsession became. It got so bad she eventually left the academy for a while just to escape him.
And it seemed like her return had only made him worse.
Seeing her advancing faster and more determined than before seemed to make her even more "precious" to him.
And for Kaen, worse than being seen as a prize by a lunatic was having someone like Tharion see him as the obstacle between him and that prize.
Kaen knew that if he stood in the way, he'd be constantly bothered. But he had a card up his sleeve.
This was Elena's second life. And now she already knew Tharion was a walking time bomb.
Kaen finally finished chewing, took a deep breath, and looked at Tharion, who glared back like he was itching for a fight.
"Yes sir. I won't talk to her again."
That's all he said...
"Good. Know your place and stay away from her. Elena has a great future ahead."
'A great future? What does that even mean to a guy like this?'
Tharion stood up and adjusted his collar. He glanced around with disdain. That cafeteria was where commoners and lower nobles usually ate, and it was clear he felt uncomfortable just being there.
"Do what you said you would. And don't try to mess with me."
He shot Kaen one last look before walking off.
Kaen waved at him like he was saying goodbye to an old friend.
Anyone watching from afar might've thought they were close buddies.
But Yenne, who had just arrived and was watching everything from a distance, knew that wasn't the case.