Vergil stepped through the village gates just as the sky shifted from twilight to early morning. The air was crisp, and faint golden light bled over the rooftops, brushing the cobbled paths of the quiet settlement with sleepy warmth.
His boots thudded steadily as he made his way toward the Adventurer's Guild—a modest but well-kept stone building near the village square. The lanterns outside still flickered, casting a warm glow over the wooden sign swinging above the entrance.
As he pushed open the door, the familiar scent of parchment, iron, and faint traces of old ale greeted him. A few adventurers lounged near the bulletin board, muttering about missions. At the reception counter stood Elina—the young guild attendant with chestnut hair tied neatly behind her back and sharp eyes that rarely missed a thing.
Vergil approached with a rare, subdued smile.
"Morning, Elina."
She blinked, surprised, then softened as she looked up.
"Oh, Vergil! You're back early. How did it go?"
Without a word, Vergil pulled a small pouch from his satchel and placed it on the counter with a soft clink. He loosened the drawstring, tipping the contents forward—ten E-rank Astralyth Crystals spilled out, glowing faintly in the morning light.
Elina's eyes widened. "Wait... ten? You gathered all these already?"
He nodded, resting a hand on his sword hilt.
"The Grave Scavengers were easy once I learned their rhythm. Groups gave some trouble at first, but after that..." He shrugged.
"That's... honestly incredible," she said. "Most new F-rank adventurers take several days—some even need help. You did it solo in one night?"
Vergil hummed in quiet confirmation.
"It was necessary."
Elina smiled, genuinely impressed.
"Well, congratulations. You've passed your advancement quest with flying colors. May I see your adventurer card?"
He handed it over silently. Elina slotted it into the crystal reader. The device hummed softly, processing. Moments later, she retrieved a new card from beneath the counter—its trim now silver, the rank clearly marked:
Vergil
E-Rank Adventurer
She handed it over along with ten silver coins.
"There you go. Officially E-rank. You'll get access to better quests now—and better pay. I'll also note you completed it solo. That'll reflect well on your record."
Vergil glanced at the card briefly, then slipped it into his pocket
"Thanks."
Elina tilted her head slightly.
"Don't forget to rest. Pushing too hard catches up fast."
Vergil gave a half-smile.
"I'll keep that in mind."
---
He left the guild with silver in hand and a new rank to his name. But his thoughts had already moved on—to Eleanor.
Turning off the main path, he passed through the quieter part of the village, stopping before a familiar cottage.
The door opened before he could knock.
Eleanor stood there, her long white hair loosely tied, violet eyes unreadable.
"You're late."
No warmth. No smile. Just fact.
Vergil nodded slightly.
"You've changed."
She stepped aside silently. He entered.
The house remained as he remembered—orderly, filled with magical artifacts. Herbs dried above the fireplace. Runed parchments littered the tables. Glyphs floated gently in the air, pulsing with restrained mana.
At the far end, Elvira glanced up from a tome.
"Back from your hunt? Still breathing?"
Vergil smirked.
"Cut me some slack—I just hit E-rank."
"Took you long enough," she grunted.
But his focus was on Eleanor.
She returned to her worktable, where a half-formed glyph hovered. Her fingers moved, and tendrils of green magic extended outward like roots—[Entangling Snare], stabilized and refined.
"It lasts twenty-one seconds now," she said. "Triggers on movement. Applies a slow debuff if they resist."
Vergil watched in silence.
"And?"
She raised her hand. A faint white glow formed in her palm—stable, calm.
"[Minor Restoration]. Tier-one healing. Closes shallow wounds, mends fractures."
Vergil blinked. Healing wasn't common for nature mages.
"You learned that in a day?"
She finally looked at him.
"If you bleed out, I don't want it to be because you were too stupid to dodge."
Cold. Direct. Sharp.
Vergil chuckled.
"Cold as ever."
Eleanor met his gaze.
"You're the sword. I'm control and support. That's our formation. I don't need warmth—I need efficiency."
No pride. Just purpose.
Elvira nodded approvingly from her seat.
"She's sharper now. But that also means harder to reach. Keep that in mind."
Vergil glanced between them.
"We're heading out tomorrow. Subjugation quest—something small but real. Time to test your control."
Eleanor nodded.
"I'll be ready. Don't slow me down."
"I should be saying that to you," he said with a smirk.
She didn't reply—already focused again on the hovering glyph.
Vergil turned to Elvira.
"I want to learn fire and ice magic. Tier-one."
Elvira raised an eyebrow.
"Done swinging swords for the day, and now you want to juggle elements?"
"I want more options. In combat, flexibility matters."
She exhaled quietly, rising to retrieve two scrolls from the shelf. She unrolled them on the table.
"Fire and ice," she said. "Opposing polarities. Even with your dual affinity, it'll be rough."
Vergil didn't reply—already studying the diagrams.
"The first spell: [Ember Spark]. Foundational fire magic. You ignite volatile mana through agitation and compression. Not for damage—it's a trigger. A fuse."
He nodded, tracing the glyph—a tight spiral with jagged lines.
"The second: [Frost Touch]. Mana mimics still water—slowing kinetic motion and cooling heat. You channel it through skin or weapon."
Vergil frowned.
"How do I manage both?"
"Polarity control," Elvira replied. "Fire demands intent and movement. Ice requires patience and stillness. You can't force them together. You shift between them. That's the core of dual polarity."
Vergil closed his eyes. Adjusting rhythms. Breath. Mental cues. Mana flow.
"I'll train tonight. Reinforce my channels. Return in the morning."
Elvira gave a dry snort.
"Most mages take weeks to switch flows without backlash. You think you'll get it in one night?"
"I don't need mastery. Just function."
A faint grin tugged at her lips.
"You're stubborn. I like that. But if you fail—I will smack you upside the head."
That night, Vergil sat cross-legged beneath the open sky, the field behind Elvira's cottage bathed in moonlight. The stars hung motionless above him, and the world seemed to exhale in quiet stillness.
"Authority of Predation."
Black mouths tore open in the air around him—silent, jagged voids. The Astralyth Crystals dissolved into raw energy as they were consumed, their pale glow snuffed out and replaced by a dark, surging pressure that rushed into his body.
Pain followed.
Not the searing pain of injury, but a deeper, gnawing kind—the tearing of something internal. His mana organ screamed under the pressure as the energy coursed violently through his system, flooding his circle with unstable power.
'System… allocate all points to Constitution.'
[6 points have been allocated to Constitution.]
The pain dulled, but didn't vanish. The energy still surged like a wild current, bucking against his control. He gritted his teeth, forcing his breath into a steady rhythm, and began to refine—pulling the Astralyth energy into his mana circle and filtering it, forcing chaos into order.
It was slow. Brutal. Every bit of progress was earned through sheer will.
Hours passed before the turbulence began to ease, and the energy settled into clean, flowing mana.
[User's Circle has reached 20% proficiency. 80% remaining until breakthrough to Second Circle.]
[User has gained 5 points in Magic Power.]
Vergil exhaled, eyes still shut, shoulders tense.
"Even with a perfect refinement rate… only 20%," he muttered, voice dry. "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.
"I'll need more. A lot more."
But that was a problem for later.
Now came the real test.
"Elvira will slap me if I mess this up."
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, faltered.
He summoned fire first—agitating the mana, compressing it at a single point. It sparked once—then fizzled, 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, he called the fire, fought it, shaped it. It responded like a wild animal—furious, proud, unwilling to be tamed.
Then came the cold.
Switching polarity was harder than expected. His body still hummed with residual heat, and his mana resisted the shift.
Focusing, he quieted himself. Slowed his pulse. Imagined ice—not just cold, but slowness, stillness, the absence of 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 mist. A soft shimmer of frost bloomed along his fingers. 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 spike of headache. But slowly, the shifts became cleaner. More fluid. Less volatile.
By the time the horizon turned from black to pale blue, sweat clung to his brow—and frost clung to his fingertips.
But the mana obeyed.
Vergil stood, unsteady but firm. Breath steady. Muscles sore.
[User has gained the active skills: Ember Spark (F) and Frost Touch (F).]
"Finally," he said, stretching.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a tired smile.
"The pain was worth it."
"Let's check my status window," Vergil murmured, his eyes narrowing as the familiar blue panel shimmered into view.
---
Status Window
Name: Vergil
Level: 7
Title: Commoner
Lifespan: 65 years
Spouses: None
Race: Human
Class: All-Master
---
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 Defense
Sword: +10 Attack
Shield: +4 Defense
---
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—crazy. Time to start merging."
He focused, and a familiar 'Combination' prompt surfaced, glowing faintly.
---
Combine: Ravenous Bite + Voracious Fang
Combining skills... Combination successful!
New Skill Acquired:
Predator's Fang (E+)
A savage bite skill that fuses traumatic tearing with virulent venom.
Causes deep tissue damage, intense bleeding, and injects venom capable of inducing muscle weakness, minor paralysis, or painful swelling.
Can be lethal over time against smaller or already weakened targets.
Small chance to reduce target's defense or mobility temporarily.
Vergil nodded. "Brutal. Just how I like it."
---
Combine: Blood Scent + Keen Smell
Combining skills... Combination successful!
New Skill Acquired:
Predatory Scent (E+)
Enhances olfactory senses to an extraordinary degree.
Accurately tracks prey via blood, sweat, fear, or decay over great distances.
Slight reaction time boost when near a wounded target.
Vital for hunters, trackers, or beast-type warriors.
"Next…" he said under his breath, already choosing his next merge.
---
Combine: Evasive Spirit + Shadow Footwork
Combining skills... Combination successful!
New Skill Acquired:
Shadow Dash (E-)
A swift, stealth-enhanced burst of movement.
Reduces sound and visibility during the dash.
Harder to track in low-light or shadowed areas.
Short cooldown, chainable with movement or stealth skills.
Ideal for rogues or quick-strike predators.
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
Combining skills... Combination successful!
New Skill Acquired:
Primal Awareness (E+)
An instinct-driven combat sense tuned to survival and bloodshed.
Passively detects ambushes, killing intent, and subtle environmental cues.
Boosts evasion and positioning in dangerous scenarios.
Heightens reaction time when death is near.
Perfect for scouts, assassins, and natural predators.
Vergil's eyes gleamed. "That one's a game changer."
---
Combine: Pack Commander + Pack Mentality + Pack Instincts
Combining skills... Combination successful!
New Skill Acquired:
Pack Synergy (E-)
Enhances coordination and group tactics within close-range teams.
Allies near the user gain improved timing, slight accuracy boosts, and minor defensive synergy while flanking.
The user becomes a natural field leader, optimizing group movement and cohesion.
Especially effective with beast companions or party combat.
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 tier."
The status window dimmed and disappeared. But the gleam in his eyes remained.
He glanced toward the cottage.
"Time to check on Eleanor's progress."
Stepping inside, he was greeted by the warm scent of herbs and freshly baked bread. Elvira and Eleanor sat at the table, quietly eating breakfast as golden morning light filtered through the windows.
Eleanor looked up, her silver eyes cool and unreadable. "You're back."
Elvira gave a small nod. "Early, too. I take it you've made progress?"
Vergil smirked. "Two new spells. Thought you might want a demonstration."
Eleanor took another bite of bread, not looking at him. "As long as they're not useless."
Elvira sighed but rose to her feet. "Let's take it outside. I'm not cleaning up after any mana burns."
Without a word, Vergil stepped back into the soft morning light. Eleanor followed in silence, arms crossed, her expression distant.
"Go on," Elvira said once they were clear of the cottage. "Let's see what you've been working on."
Vergil lifted his hand as mana began to gather, coursing through his veins.
"First one's Ember Spark."
A sharp flicker of orange light danced across his fingertips before bursting into a small but concentrated flame. It hissed as it flew forward, striking a nearby rock with a faint scorch.
Elvira gave a nod of approval. "Good control. Efficient, not wasteful."
Eleanor tilted her head slightly. "It's just a spark."
Vergil said nothing, already drawing mana once more.
"And this one—Frost Touch."
The air around his palm chilled instantly. Frost shimmered along his fingers, spreading outward as he reached toward a branch. The moment he touched it, ice bloomed across the wood in a quiet, crystalline sheet.
Elvira narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Subtle. That level of temperature control isn't easy. Useful, too, if you know when to apply it."
Eleanor stepped closer, examining the frozen branch. "Better. At least it's not another fire trick."
Vergil smirked. "You're hard to impress."
Eleanor's tone was flat. "Earn it."
Elvira turned back toward the cottage. "If you're going to keep developing spells like that, I'll need to teach you proper core management. Otherwise, you'll burn through it before you realize."
"I'm ready," Vergil said.
Eleanor said nothing, but her gaze lingered on the frost coating his hand a moment longer before turning away.
"Come inside," Elvira said, waving him in. "I'll prepare something simple to stabilize your core. You'll need it if you plan to keep stacking spells."
Vergil followed, casting a brief glance toward Eleanor. She had already taken a seat by the window, arms folded, eyes distant. The cold light filtering through the glass reflected in her gaze—sharp, detached, unreadable.
"You don't like being impressed, huh?" he asked casually.
She didn't look at him. "I don't like wasted potential."
Vergil paused, then let out a dry breath—half scoff, half laugh. "Noted."
Elvira was already gathering herbs from a shelf, her movements efficient and precise.
"Ember Spark's a solid starting point," she said. "Work on refining its shape next. Power comes second. As for Frost Touch—don't get too confident. Without control, you'll end up freezing your own nerves."
"I'll be careful," Vergil replied, watching her grind the herbs into a fine powder.
"You always say that," Eleanor muttered.
This time, he didn't answer. Instead, he leaned against the wall, frost still trailing faintly from his fingertips, thoughts already drifting to what came next.
Elvira poured the powder into a pot of water and set it over the flame. "Drink this. It'll ease the strain on your mana channels. After that, we'll test those spells properly."
Vergil took the cup and sipped. Bitter. Sharp. But it spread warmth through his chest.
[Your mana channels are strengthening.]
"Got it," he said.
Elvira nodded. "Good. I want to see how your body holds up under pressure."
Eleanor stood, her voice slicing through the quiet like ice. "Don't expect me to be impressed just because you lit a spark and froze a stick. Half-baked tricks like that get you killed."
Vergil glanced at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Cold as ever."
"I speak the truth. If you can't take it, don't ask for opinions."
Elvira sighed. "That's enough, Eleanor."
"I'm just being honest," she said, turning away. "If he plans to climb, he'll need thicker skin than that."
Vergil didn't respond. He finished the drink, set the cup down, and stepped toward the door.
"Alright," he said, voice calm—but a flicker of fire smoldered in his eyes. "Let's see what this half-baked trick can do."
The wind outside had picked up, carrying the morning chill. As they stepped into the open air, Vergil lifted his hand. Ember Spark bloomed in his palm—small, searing, alive. Frost Touch laced his fingers on the other hand, cold mist coiling gently around his knuckles.
He stood with both flame and frost in hand, then looked to Elvira.
"I'm ready."
She stepped forward, gaze calm but sharp. "Show me control first. Hold both. Keep them stable."
Vergil nodded.
Ember Spark danced in his right hand, flickering with raw heat. Frost Touch swirled across his left—spirals of cold mist rising from his skin. Opposing forces. One misstep, and they'd collide.
The air shimmered with tension.
Eleanor leaned against the fence, arms crossed. "Let's see if he lasts ten seconds."
Vergil exhaled slowly. The frost hissed. The spark flared. But both held steady.
Five seconds.
Seven.
Ten.
Fifteen.
A bead of sweat traced down his temple.
Elvira gave a small nod. "Good. Now—release."
He thrust his right hand forward. Ember Spark shot out, striking a tree stump with a sharp flash. Heat scorched the wood. A moment later, Frost Touch followed—ice rushing over the blackened bark, hissing as steam rose into the cold air.
Vergil lowered his hands, exhaling hard.
Elvira raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. That's enough for today."
He gave a quiet nod. "Alright."
Eleanor scoffed as she turned away. "Guess you didn't collapse after all."
Vergil didn't answer. He just watched the steam curl into the sky before following them back toward the cottage, the weight of effort still heavy in his limbs.
As they neared the door, he turned to Eleanor.
"We're leaving soon. But before that, I'm getting you a weapon. You'll need something for defense."
Eleanor met his gaze and gave a curt nod. "Got it, Vergil."