The Mid-Term Synthesis Duel was held in the Academy's Grand Elemental Arena, a vast circular pit shielded by a shimmering, arcane force field. The stands were packed with students, Proctors, and scholars, all eager to witness the supposed humiliation of the lazy Lord Jae-eun (Heuk-jae).
Lord Theron (Rank 23) swaggered into the arena, radiating confidence. He was clad in expensive, light armor and carried only a simple focus rod, since his custom elemental rings were banned by the duel's rules.
Lord Jae-eun (Rank 511) entered with a practiced slouch, the mask of bored indifference firmly in place, amplified by the Facial skill. He carried nothing but his own empty hands.
The Challenge
Eun-ji stood beside the referee, a Proctors' assistant, as Heuk-jae's 'second.'
The rules were read: "The combatants must each create a complex, sustainable elemental synthesis construct using their innate ability only. The construct must hold for ten seconds. The judging criteria are complexity, stability, and speed."
Theron immediately chose his specialty: the Obsidian Blade, a razor-sharp construct combining the brute force of Earth Aether with the cutting heat of Fire Aether.
Heuk-jae countered with his choice, speaking in the drawling voice of the bored noble: "I shall attempt the Glass Serpent. A fluid, concentrated synthesis of Air and Water Aether."
The crowd chuckled. The Obsidian Blade was a known, high-level construct; the Glass Serpent was a fragile, theoretical synthesis rarely attempted, even by prodigies. Heuk-jae had deliberately chosen a challenge that sounded weak but required incredible finesse.
The Duel Begins
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Theron instantly went for maximum power. His eyes narrowed, and he began the complex two-second incantation necessary to pull both Fire and Earth Aether from the environment. A cloud of red and brown smoke began to swirl violently around his hands, condensing rapidly into a thick, glowing sword hilt.
This was Heuk-jae's window.
He activated his Magic Mastery and the strategy derived from Master Zai's Treatise.
He subtly channeled a high-frequency Aetheric Oscillation—the invisible pressure wave he had practiced—directly at the turbulent storm of energy surrounding Theron's forging blade.
The Flaw Exploited
Theron's Obsidian Blade was designed to withstand external attacks, but not internal imperfections.
The invisible pressure wave introduced a microscopic gap in the synthesis where the Earth Aether and Fire Aether met. The construct was rendered fatally unstable, but it was invisible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, Heuk-jae executed his own synthesis. He didn't use an incantation. He used his Magic Mastery to simply will the Air and Water Aether to combine. The result was instantaneous, precise, and fluid.
A shimmering, transparent ribbon of concentrated energy—the Glass Serpent—appeared, flowing like liquid glass around Heuk-jae's hand. It was beautiful, complex, and flawlessly stable.
The Fracture
Theron finished his furious channeling. He slammed his two hands together, and the synthesis condensed fully.
The Obsidian Blade appeared—heavy, dark, and seemingly perfect. The crowd gasped in anticipation.
"Ten seconds!" the referee shouted.
Theron let out a shout of triumph, but the flaw implanted by Heuk-jae's precise Aetheric oscillation was already at work.
At second seven, a hairline fissure appeared down the center of the Obsidian Blade.
At second eight, the internal pressures became too great.
With a loud SHATTER, the massive construct exploded into a harmless cloud of dust and vapor, dissipating completely. Theron, exhausted from the channeling, stared in shock at his empty hands.
Heuk-jae's Glass Serpent, meanwhile, flowed elegantly around his arm, shimmering for the full ten seconds before he simply allowed the synthesis to dissolve.
Victory and Scrutiny
The arena erupted not with cheers, but with stunned silence, quickly followed by confusion. How could the Rank 511 slacker have defeated the celebrated Rank 23 prodigy?
The referee, a man of rules and procedure, stepped forward.
"The Obsidian Blade failed to sustain stability for the required time. The Glass Serpent construct was sustained successfully."
"Lord Jae-eun wins the challenge!"
Theron stumbled toward Heuk-jae, his face white with humiliation. "That's impossible! My synthesis was flawless! You must have used an unauthorized focus!"
Heuk-jae, maintaining the façade of polite arrogance, simply shrugged. "Perhaps your expensive rings have made you soft, Theron. Sometimes, the simple, focused approach is superior to brute force."
The defeat was public, undeniable, and utterly humiliating for Theron
A figure emerged from the high Proctors' box and began descending the stairs toward the arena floor: a severe, powerful woman radiating elemental authority. It was Proctor Lyra's Mother, Head of Elemental Studies.
She ignored the humiliated Theron and walked directly to Heuk-jae, her eyes cold and sharp.
"Lord Jae-eun," she stated, her voice tight with suspicion. "Your technique was unorthodox and instantaneous. You are officially promoted to the Top 500 list. I want an analysis of your synthesis method delivered to my office by morning."
She paused, her gaze raking over him. "And per the conditions of the challenge, you have earned your reward."
[QUEST OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: Must publicly surpass a top-50 ranked student in an official challenge or exam within one month.]
[Reward: A meeting with the Head Proctor's Inner Circle (Tier 1 Status Unlocked).]