Adrian carried the unconscious girl carefully across the quiet training field.
She was lighter than he expected.
But the cold surrounding her body was intense.
Frost covered her sleeves and spread across her fingertips like thin crystals.
Even the air around her felt colder.
Adrian frowned.
"Her elemental energy is leaking out."
He had seen this in the novel before.
When someone awakened their element too early or lost control, their mana could become unstable.
If it wasn't stabilized quickly, it could seriously injure the user.
Adrian adjusted his grip and began walking toward the small house where he lived.
The streets were still mostly empty.
A few early merchants were setting up stalls.
None of them paid attention to the small boy carrying a girl wrapped in frost.
Which was good.
Adrian didn't want unnecessary attention.
As he walked, the blue system screen appeared again.
[Resonance Bond System]
Candidate Status: Unstable
Element: Ice
Bond Compatibility: Extremely High
Adrian glanced at the interface.
"So the system keeps analyzing her."
More text appeared.
Warning: Elemental Overload Detected
Adrian stopped walking.
"…Overload?"
That was dangerous.
If her elemental energy continued leaking like this, it could damage her body.
Adrian quickly pushed open the door to his small house.
He gently laid the girl on the bed.
Frost instantly spread across the blanket.
Adrian placed his hand near her forehead.
Cold.
Far colder than normal.
The frost around her arms thickened slightly.
Adrian crossed his arms and thought carefully.
"In the novel… when elemental power becomes unstable…"
There were usually two solutions.
One was a skilled mage who could stabilize the energy.
But Adrian didn't know any mages.
The second method was far simpler.
Physical contact.
Someone with compatible mana could help stabilize the elemental flow.
Adrian glanced at the system screen again.
Bond Compatibility: Extremely High
"…Of course."
The system had already calculated the answer.
Adrian sat down beside the bed.
He hesitated briefly.
Forming a bond right now might accelerate the system's awakening.
But it would also link his power growth to this girl.
Adrian looked at her again.
Her breathing had become weaker.
Frost continued spreading across the bed.
If he did nothing…
She might seriously hurt herself.
Adrian sighed.
"Fine."
He placed his hand gently on top of hers.
The reaction was immediate.
Blue light filled the room.
The system interface flashed brightly.
Resonance Link Initiated
Adrian's eyes widened.
Cold energy surged through his body.
It felt like icy wind rushing through his veins.
But strangely, the sensation wasn't painful.
It felt controlled.
Balanced.
The frost spreading across the girl's arms slowly began fading.
Her breathing stabilized.
The system displayed another message.
Resonance Stabilization Complete
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"So that worked."
The girl shifted slightly.
Her eyes slowly opened.
For a moment she looked confused.
Her pale blue eyes scanned the small room.
Then she noticed Adrian sitting beside the bed.
She blinked.
"…Where am I?"
Her voice was quiet.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"My house."
The girl sat up slowly.
The frost around her arms had mostly disappeared now.
She looked at her hands in confusion.
"I…"
She frowned.
"…I lost control again."
Adrian studied her carefully.
"You're a natural awakener."
The girl looked up in surprise.
"How did you know?"
Adrian shrugged.
"I've seen it before."
That was technically true.
Just not in this life.
The girl looked relieved.
"Most people don't understand what's happening to me."
She glanced around the small house again.
"You helped me?"
Adrian nodded.
"You collapsed at the training field."
The girl hesitated for a moment.
Then she spoke again.
"…Thank you."
Adrian waved his hand slightly.
"It wasn't a big deal."
But internally, Adrian was analyzing everything.
Because something important had just happened.
The system screen appeared again.
Resonance Bond Established
Element Obtained: Ice Affinity
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So this is how it works."
By forming bonds with compatible individuals, the system granted him access to their elemental affinity.
But there was still something he needed to be careful about.
The heroines must not know about the system.
Not yet.
Adrian stood up.
"You should rest for a bit."
The girl nodded slowly.
Then she looked at him again.
"…What's your name?"
"Adrian."
She repeated it quietly.
"Adrian…"
Then she gave a small smile.
"My name is Lyra."
Adrian froze for half a second.
Lyra.
He knew that name.
In the original novel, Lyra Frostwind was one of the strongest ice mages in the academy.
But in the story, she only appeared much later.
Which meant something very important.
Adrian had just met a character who wasn't supposed to appear yet.
He slowly looked toward the distant academy towers through the window.
The future was already changing.
And this was only the beginning.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note
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See you in the next chapter!