Chapter 6
Blaze woke up to a familiar sensation—pain searing through every fiber of his body. His limbs felt like they had been used as drumsticks in a titan's rock band.
"You're awake," a gentle voice said.
Blaze turned his head with great effort and saw Elara, the ever-kind mother of the house, sitting beside him, her hands glowing softly with healing energy.
"I'm sorry to burden you again, Mrs. Elara," Blaze muttered.
Elara just smiled warmly. "It's no burden, Blaze. Besides, you've been entertaining my children quite well lately."
Before Blaze could respond, the mechanical voice of the Chaos System chimed in.
[She's too kind. You are just misusing her kindness.]
Blaze mentally cursed the system. Couldn't it just let him have a moment of peace?
Ignoring the system's snark, he checked his status.
[Quest Completed!]
Rewards: +100 CP
Bonus Reward: +50 CP
Blaze sat up, ignoring the ache in his body, and immediately pulled up his Chaos Shop. As expected, there were tons of techniques, but something was odd—many of them didn't seem to be tied to any elemental affinity. They were strange yet powerful, much like his Astral Strike.
He scrolled through the list and nearly choked at the prices.
"Are these skills forged by gods?!" he muttered.
After searching for ones within his budget, he settled on two:
Astro Punch – A bone-shattering strike amplified by strength, speed, and senses.
Feral Pounce – Doubles speed in a single direction but leaves no room for retreat.
Blaze clenched his fists, feeling a strange sense of excitement. With these in his arsenal, he could crush Micah and his crew without any doubts.
Then, a nagging thought hit him—how had he even won the fight in the first place? He was completely spent.
"System, how did I do that?" Blaze asked.
[How am I supposed to know?]
Blaze twitched. "Are you seriously my system or some kind of scammer?"
[Scammers take your money. I take your sanity. Big difference.]
Blaze groaned. Dealing with this system was worse than dealing with Lucas.
At that exact moment, the door swung open, and Lucas strolled in. His usual fiery expression had returned, making Blaze wonder if he was about to get yelled at again.
Lucas pointed at him. "Blaze, I challenge you to a duel!"
Blaze stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"...Bro, I literally just recovered from a near-death experience."
Lucas folded his arms. "That's not my problem."
Blaze sighed, preparing to reject him outright, but then Lucas smirked.
"You do know that after defeating Micah, people now consider you the second strongest among the trainees, right?" Lucas said. "Some even say you should be first since you took on multiple opponents at once."
Blaze blinked. "…What?"
Lucas leaned in. "So, if you don't accept my challenge, people might start thinking you're just scared of me."
Blaze felt a vein pop.
This manipulative little—!
"...Fine," Blaze muttered.
Lucas grinned. "Good. Let's go."
As they stepped outside to a secluded training field, the Chaos System pinged.
[New Quest: Defeat the Beast Invitus!]
Reward: Awaken Your First Magic Affinity
Blaze's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, why haven't I awakened any affinity yet? Didn't you say I had a 60% chance last time?"
[Keyword: 60%. Not 100%.]
"...Scam system."
[Hurtful, but true.]
Blaze was about to curse it further when his instincts screamed at him.
He barely managed to block in time.
A powerful force slammed into his arms, sending vibrations through his entire body. When he looked up, Lucas was already smiling.
"Let's get started," Lucas said.
Blaze charged forward, activating Feral Pounce. Instantly, his speed doubled as he shot toward Lucas like a missile. He cocked his fist back and unleashed Astral Strike–he hammered Lucas across the face.
Lucas staggered, his head whipping to the side. A moment of silence passed. Then, slowly, Lucas turned back, wiping blood from his mouth.
"I should have expected nothing less from you," Lucas admitted. "I let my guard down."
His fingers curled, his nails elongating into sharp, beast-like claws.
"This time, I won't."
Lucas vanished.
Blaze's eyes widened. Fast!
Lucas appeared mid-air, using Beast Lunge to propel himself like a predator striking its prey.
Blaze had no choice but to use Feral Pounce again—the two collided like two unstoppable forces.
—
Meanwhile, in the city…
A small mansion housed a tense atmosphere.
Micah lay in a bed, his arm covered in healing runes, while an old healer examined his wounds. Beside him stood a short, middle-aged man and a tall, imposing woman—Micah's parents.
The healer shook his head grimly. "His condition is worse than I thought. His bones didn't just break—they were shattered to dust. With my current cultivation level, it'll take at least a month for him to recover."
Micah's mother, Sandra, clenched her fists, fury blazing in her eyes. "Are you sure a Zero did this?"
The healer hesitated before nodding. "It shouldn't be possible, but yes."
Sandra turned to her husband. "We can't let this stand. Kill the Zero who hurt our son."
The man, however, just shook his head.
"I can't," he said grimly.
Sandra's face twisted. "Why not?!"
Her husband's expression held a mix of regret and fear.
"The boy is under Rolland's protection. And I do not dare cross that man."
A heavy silence filled the room.
—
Back at the training field…
Blaze lay flat on the ground, his body refusing to move. His limbs ached, his vision blurred, and every breath felt like fire in his chest. Lucas, though still conscious, wasn't in much better shape—his chest rose and fell heavily as he lay beside Blaze, drenched in sweat.
Then came the dreaded notification:
[Quest Failed!]
Blaze's lip twitched. "Figures…" He let out a breath, staring up at the endless sky. Damn it. Even after gaining new skills, I still couldn't win. His fists clenched, frustration burning in his chest.
Lucas turned his head toward him, a smirk playing on his lips. "You lost."
Blaze chuckled weakly. "For now." His gaze remained fixed on the sky, his mind swirling with thoughts of power, vengeance, and survival. I need to get stronger.
Lucas, uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, studied Blaze's expression before finally speaking. "What are you thinking about?"
Blaze's eyes darkened. "Getting stronger. Strong enough to avenge my village… and to protect my new home." His voice was steady but held a weight to it. "If the Black Cloak Wizards ever attack Brindlemark, I don't want to be as useless as I was before."
Lucas hummed, closing his eyes. "Tch, you sound way too serious." He exhaled before cracking a grin. "But… you're in luck."
Blaze turned his head slightly. "Yeah?"
Lucas smirked. "I know a way for you to get stronger."
Blaze narrowed his eyes. "If you say 'train harder,' I swear I'll—"
Lucas rolled onto his side, resting his head on his palm. "Blaze," he said, his smirk widening, "will you join the Wizard Knight Academy and become a powerful wizard?"
Blaze blinked.
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. The Wizard Knight Academy wasn't just a place for learning—it was where the strongest warriors, spellcasters, and knights were forged. A ruthless, prestigious institution that only took in the most talented… or the most insane.
Blaze's throat went dry. "The Academy?"
Lucas's smirk didn't falter. "Yep. The same one."
For a moment, Blaze didn't speak. He wasn't a wizard. He had no magical affinity—hell, the system straight-up refused to give him one. He barely survived a fight against Micah, and Lucas was still leagues ahead of him. What chance did he have?
But then…
The Black Cloak Wizards.
The memory of his burning village.
The screams.
The helplessness.
Blaze's jaw tightened. No. Never again.
Slowly, he sat up, his body screaming in protest. He turned to Lucas, his eyes filled with determination.
"…Alright," he said. "I'll do it."
Lucas grinned. "Good choice."
— TO BE CONTINUED…