The first light of dawn spilled over the towers of Origin Academy, brushing the stone walls with pale gold. The S-Class training hall was quiet, almost impossibly so. Students had already begun filtering in for morning exercises, but Zeryth Malakar's focus was elsewhere.
He was not here to compete, not yet.
The Vice Principal had summoned him before sunrise. The hall was vast, empty, and filled with faint magical resonance, a perfect place to test what a mind like his could do.
"You have already mastered basic disintegration and integration," the Vice Principal said, her voice sharp but calm. "Objects, beasts, simple constructs… these were only the beginning. Today, you will learn to break and absorb the very essence of the elements themselves."
Zeryth tilted his head, lips curling in a faint smile. Finally.
[Step One: Air]
The hall seemed to disappear as Zeryth closed his eyes. He felt the wind brushing through the open windows, flowing over his skin. Each molecule of air moved in currents, patterns invisible to ordinary perception.
[Disintegrate]
He extended his hand. A small sphere of air in front of him vanished entirely, folding into nothingness. The absence was absolute, yet he felt no disturbance. The Vice Principal watched silently, her gaze measuring, approving, waiting for him to take the next step.
[Integrate]
The void returned — not as air, but as power. The qualities of air flowed into him: speed, flexibility, flow, and subtle awareness. Every movement became lighter, swifter, almost imperceptible. His mind and body merged with the nature of air itself. He could sense currents before they arrived, glide with invisible grace, and move without resistance.
A small thrill ran through him. This is only the beginning.
[Step Two: Water]
Next came water. A small basin had been placed in the center of the hall, the liquid shimmering in the morning light.
"Observe it," the Vice Principal instructed. "Water adapts. Water persists. Water flows around obstacles. Absorb its traits."
Zeryth focused. He touched the surface, feeling the temperature, the density, the subtle resistance. Then he disintegrated it into countless droplets, each particle folding into nothingness. The penalty buffer from the Vice Principal's enchantments prickled faintly in his mind, but he ignored it.
[Integrate]
The essence of water surged into him. Flexibility, adaptability, resilience, and endurance — every property embedded itself in his body and mind. His movements became fluid; his body, a vessel capable of absorbing blows, bending around obstacles, flowing as water itself.
He tested himself instinctively, sweeping a hand through the air and letting his body react. Already, he felt the combination: the flow of air, now tempered by the resilience of water. Even if the winds blew sharply or the rains fell, he would remain unaffected. He had begun to merge himself with the elements, becoming resistant to whatever he absorbed.
Walls, stones, beasts… all of them will be the same.
[Step Three: Stone and Earth]
A stone pillar waited at the edge of the hall. Its presence was heavy, immovable, and purposeful.
"Stone," the Vice Principal said, "is endurance, structure, and resistance. Disassemble it carefully. Absorb its traits, and integrate them into your form."
Zeryth extended his hand. The pillar crumbled particle by particle, each fragment folding into the void. His body trembled faintly — the mass and density of the stone challenged his fragile frame. But he endured. Pain is a variable; it is nothing compared to gain.
[Integrate]
Strength, stability, endurance — every quality embedded itself. His muscles grew denser, bones reinforced like hardened steel, reflexes sharpened to respond to brute force. Now, combined with air and water, he was light, fluid, and unyielding all at once. He moved across the hall, testing his balance, and realized he could withstand impacts that would break ordinary bones.
[Step Four: Walls and Barriers]
The Vice Principal stepped aside, gesturing to the enchanted walls that lined the hall. Each wall hummed faintly, a network of wards and protective enchantments.
"Disassemble. Integrate. Learn from these protections."
Zeryth closed his eyes and reached into the weave. Slowly, he tore apart the barriers, piece by piece, observing the energy flows, the traps of mana, the hidden reinforcements. Every fragment that vanished left behind a lesson, a blueprint, a trait.
[Integrate]
He absorbed it into himself. Awareness of magical wards became instinct. Resistance to physical and arcane obstacles now coursed through his body. The penalties stung, but each absorption left him stronger — more resistant — more untouchable.
By the time he opened his eyes, Zeryth stood in the center of the hall like a living amalgamation of air, water, stone, and magic. Every element he had touched now flowed in him, making him nearly impervious to attacks from any source.
Each element, each object, each obstacle… it becomes part of me. Not just physically. Not just tactically. Every trait, every nuance, every instinct… mine.
He could feel it: the air flowing over his skin, the water's resistance and adaptability, the stone's endurance, the walls' wards and protections. All integrated. All refined. His mind cataloged, calculated, and adapted.
If I can absorb this, what cannot I absorb?
He allowed himself a faint smile. He had not merely learned to fight; he had learned to become the elements themselves. And the more he absorbed, the more resistant he became. Nothing could break him unless he allowed it.
Malrik, Isolde… and even the Principal himself. They will all underestimate me.
Zeryth moved to the center of the hall and leapt, spinning midair. The wind responded to him, carrying him farther and faster. He fell onto the stone floor — and the impact barely grazed him. He let water drip from his hand, feeling it integrate instantaneously. He touched the walls, even a shard of broken stone, and each merged seamlessly into his body.
Resistance… adaptability… flow… endurance…
Every trait became instinct. Every element a part of his being. He was not merely Zeryth Malakar anymore. He was something greater — a child fused with the essence of world itself, a vessel capable of mastering any force or obstacle that Origin could throw at him.
The Vice Principal watched quietly from the shadows. There was a faint smile on her lips, though her eyes remained sharp.
"You understand too quickly," she said finally, breaking the silence. "Most students would crumble under the penalties, under the strain of integrating even one element. You… absorb everything."
Zeryth inclined his head. "The body is nothing. The mind is infinite. Every obstacle is a lesson, every lesson is an advantage. Integration is the path, resistance the reward."
"Very well," she said. "But remember this: understanding is as important as absorption. You must master the traits fully, or the integration will falter. Comprehension before consumption."
Comprehension… naturally, Zeryth thought. I already understand more than they realize.
By the time the sun fully rose over Origin Academy, Zeryth Malakar had transformed. Not just stronger. Not just faster. But resistant to annything he integrated, flowing like air, enduring like stone, adaptive like water, and aware of the magical energy in every barrier.
And this… is only the beginning.