The bus jolted violently as it hit a pothole on the cracked road leading into Zone 9, snapping Max from his thoughts. The vehicle was old, its mana engine sputtering like it might die any second. Around him, a dozen other students sat in silence. Their faces were hollow, eyes sunken with exhaustion and quiet despair. Zone 9 Academy was a place of prestige or pride. It was where the world talentless were dumped and forgotten and the talented were treated as Gods.
When the bus finally stopped, they were amazed by The academy which looked more like a castle than a school. Max could feel the sting of hopelessness in the air, but to him, this was a blessing in disguise. No attention, no expectations—exactly what he needed.
A weary instructor waved them inside. "No fighting. No casting spells in the dorms. Food's once a day. You break the rules, you're out. That's all."
Max settled into a cramped dorm room that smelled of damp wood and mold. He dropped his bag, the necklace hidden beneath his shirt faintly pulsing, almost like it was reacting to something.
That afternoon, they were taken to a broken-down training dome behind the main building. It was missing half its ceiling, and the mana conductors barely flickered to life. "Begin sensing your mana," the instructor droned, then sat on a cracked bench and pulled out a flask.
Max didn't join the others. Instead, he snuck away to a quiet corner behind a collapsed pillar. Pulling up his system screen, he read the new quest:
[New Quest Available: Elemental Mastery Trials]
Objective: Master a third element.
Reward: Unlock Passive Skill – Mana Flow Tier 1
He focused, drawing deep into his core. Water. He envisioned rivers, storms, oceans.
A soft mist formed in his palm, condensing slowly into a shimmering sphere. It hovered in the air before splashing harmlessly to the ground.
[Quest Complete]
[Passive Skill Gained: Mana Flow Tier 1]
His veins tingled. Mana flowed more smoothly now, like a dam had been lifted. He could sense more clearly, react faster. The power was growing.
But he wasn't alone.
A figure stood behind a pile of rubble—slim, silent, watching. She had short black hair and amber eyes that locked onto Max like a hawk.
She said nothing. After a heartbeat, she turned and vanished into the shadows.
Max's stomach twisted. That was no coincidence.
In Zone 9, secrets didn't stay buried.
And someone had already started digging.