[User's Circle has reached 20% proficiency. 80% remaining until breakthrough to Second Circle.] [User has gained 5 points in Magic Power.]
Vergil exhaled, shoulders still tensed. "Even with a perfect refinement rate… only 20%," he muttered, voice heavy and heaving. "No wonder magicians are rare and expensive."
He thought of Eleanor, how she'd need crystals of her own if she kept pushing herself at this pace to grow with him.
"I'll need more. A lot more."
But that was a problem for later.
Now came the real test.
[Ember Spark]
He drew in a slow breath, pushing his thoughts aside, and began guiding his mana through the foundational pathways Elvira had taught him. It didn't come easily. His control, still raw from the refinement, is faltering.
He summoned fire, agitating the mana and compressing it into a single spark, the orange light fizzing, unstable. A sudden jolt of backlash shocked his nerves, making his fingers twitch.
Again.
He gathered it, tighter this time. It ignited—a faint flame dancing across his palm—then burst violently, uncontrolled, singeing the edge of his sleeve.
Vergil hissed, but didn't stop.
Over and over again, he called the fire, fighting and reshaping it. It responded like a wild animal, furious and proud, unwilling to be tamed.
Then came the cold.
[Frost Touch]
Switching polarity was hard. His body still hummed with residual heat, and his mana resisted the shift in polarity.
'Focus' he quieted himself. Slowed his pulse. Imagined ice. Not just cold but slow and still. Absent of any motion. It hurt to hold back the fire within, to suppress the part of him that wanted movement.
Eventually, the mana curled inward, coiling like foggy mist. A soft shimmer of frost bloomed along his fingertips. It faded too quickly, but it was a start.
He repeated the process. Again and again.
Fire. Ice. Fire. Ice.
Each transition scraped at his nerves and dulled his focus. Each spell left behind trembling fingers or a throb of headache. But slowly, the shifts became cleaner.
More fluid. Less volatile.
By the time the horizon turned from pitch black to pale blue, sweat clung to his body. Frost still clinging to his fingertips.
Vergil stood, unsteady but firm. His muscles are still sore.
[User has gained the active skills: Ember Spark (F) and Frost Touch (F).]
"Finally," he muttered, muscles trembling as the pain throbbed through him like a pulse, but he wanted more.
The sparks of power, more skills to merge. One after another. He could almost taste it, sharp and sweet, like blood.
'Just a little more... one more Combination.'
"Let's check my status window," Vergil murmured, his eyes narrowing as the familiar blue panel shimmered into view.
---
Status Window
Status Window
Name: Vergil
Level: 7
Title: Commoner
Lifespan: 65 years
Spouses: None
Race: Human
Stats
Strength: 16 → 24
Constitution: 15 → 32
Dexterity: 16 → 22
Intuition: 7 → 9
Magic Power: 10 → 20
Mana Capacity: 12 → 18
Available Stat Points: 0
Equipment
Basic Clothing: +2 Defence
Sword: +10 Attack
Shield: +4 Defence
Passive Skills
Keen Focus (F)
Basic Sword-Bow Mastery (F+)
Basic Camouflage (F)
Resilient Body (E)
Wild Instincts (F)
Weak Toxin Resistance (E-)
Pack Commander (F+)
Survival Instincts (F)
Blood Scent (F)
Mana Organ (F) [Growth Type]
Mana Affinity (F+) [Growth Type]
Evasive Spirit (E-)
Crude Weapon Proficiency (F)
Keen Smell (E)
Tainted Blood (E-)
Beast Tamer (E-)
Shadow Footwork (F+)
Keen Reflexes (F)
Steadfast Stance (F)
Alertness (F)
Tough Body (F+)
Battle Instincts (F+)
Carrion Sense (F+)
Burial Adaptation (F)
Pack Mentality (F+)
Corpse Parasite (E-)
Nocturnal Stalker (E)
Active Skills:
Authority of Predation (???)
Evasive Spirit (E-)
Rapid Precision (F+)
Pack Tactics (F)
Feral Charge (F)
Adrenaline Surge (E-)
Voracious Fang (E)
Ember Spark (F)
Frost Touch (F)
Command Beast (E-)
Venomous Edge (F+)
Quick Draw (F)
Swift Counter (F+)
Pounce (F)
Crippling Claws (E-)
Howl of Coordination (F+)
Power Strike (F+)
Quick Guard (F)
Slash (F)
Thrust (F)
Parry (F)
Savage Claw (F+)
Dagger Rush (E-)
Frenzied Hunger (E)
Burial Ambush (E-)
Wailing Howl (F+)
Death's Taint (E-)
Ravenous Bite (E-)
Vergil's eyes scanned the panel, satisfaction blooming across his face.
"My stats have skyrocketed… and the number of skills I've accumulated is crazy. Time to start merging."
'Combination'
"Combine Ravenous Bite + Voracious Fang."
[Combination successful!]
New Skill Acquired: Predator's Fang (E+) A savage bite skill that fuses traumatic tearing with virulent venom. Causes deep tissue damage upon biting and inflicts venom capable of minor paralysis or painful swelling. It can be lethal over time if continuously injected.
Vergil nodded, a dark thrill curling through his chest. Brutal. Savage, yet perfect. Each new skill made the pulse of power in his veins spike, each combination an urge he couldn't resist. The pull was sharp, intoxicating and the hunger that whispered.
'Keep going, keep going, don't stop.'
"Combine Blood Scent + Keen Smell."
[Combination successful!]
New Skill Acquired: Predatory Scent (E+) Enhances olfactory senses to an extraordinary degree, allowing one to actively track prey from their blood and scent over great distances. Gives a slight reaction time boost when near a critically-injured target.
"Next…" he said under his breath, already choosing his next move.
Combine: Evasive Spirit + Shadow Footwork.
[Combination successful!]
New Skill Acquired:
Shadow Dash (E-) A swift, stealth-enhanced burst of movement that reduces sound and visibility during dash.
Vergil tilted his head. "Still E-. The compatibility must've been low… but it's versatile. I'll take it."
Combine: Survival Instincts + Wild Instincts + Battle Instincts + Alertness.
[Combination successful!]
New Skill Acquired:
Primal Awareness (E+) An instinct-driven combat sense tuned to survival and bloodshed. Passively detecting killing intent and subtle environmental changes and boosts evasion during dangerous situations while heightening reaction time when in a near-death state.
Vergil's eyes gleamed. "That one's a game changer."
Combine: Pack Commander + Pack Mentality + Pack Instincts.
[Combination successful!]
New Skill Acquired: Pack Synergy (E-) When in a team, enhances coordination and group tactics, improving allies' timing, accuracy and a minor defence boost.
Vergil exhaled, flexing his arms with a satisfying stretch. "That'll do for now."
His eyes hovered briefly over Tough Body and Resilient Body.
"No point rushing those. They're close in function. I'll wait until I've evolved one or gained another similar one."
The status window faded, leaving only the quiet hum of the night. But the gleam in his eyes hadn't dulled, it had sharpened.
Sleep, food and rest were all trivialities to him. All that mattered now was the next skill, the next surge of strength, the next thrill of dominance. He felt alive only when chasing it.
He glanced toward the cottage. "Time to head back inside."