The next morning arrived quietly.
The sky was still dark when Adrian stepped out of his small house. A faint chill lingered in the air, and the streets of the poor district were mostly empty. Only a few merchants were beginning to set up their stalls.
Adrian stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders.
Yesterday's training still lingered in his muscles.
But that was good.
Pain meant growth.
He began jogging toward the open training field at the edge of the district. His breathing settled into a steady rhythm as his feet struck the ground.
One lap.
Two.
Three.
By the time he reached the field, the sky had begun to brighten slightly.
Adrian slowed to a stop and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead.
Then he noticed something.
Someone was already there.
Standing near the tree where Adrian normally kept his training branch.
Silver-blue hair swayed gently in the morning breeze.
Lyra.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"You're early."
Lyra turned toward him.
"I didn't sleep much."
She looked slightly embarrassed.
"I kept practicing the breathing method you showed me."
Adrian crossed his arms.
"And?"
Lyra lifted her hand.
A small spark of frost appeared above her palm.
Unlike yesterday, it didn't explode out of control.
The frost slowly faded after a few seconds.
Adrian nodded.
"Better control."
Lyra smiled faintly.
"Your method worked."
Adrian walked toward the tree and picked up his training branch.
"Good."
Lyra watched him curiously.
"Do you train like this every day?"
"Yes."
Lyra looked surprised.
"Even though you don't have an awakened element?"
Adrian paused for a moment.
Technically he did now.
But she didn't need to know that.
"Training doesn't need an element," he said.
Lyra tilted her head.
"Most people wait until their awakening ceremony."
Adrian shrugged.
"Most people start too late."
Lyra thought about that.
Then she stepped forward.
"What should I do?"
Adrian pointed toward the field.
"Run."
Lyra blinked.
"Run?"
"Yes."
"But I'm a mage."
Adrian shook his head.
"Then you'll be a slow mage who collapses after two spells."
Lyra opened her mouth to argue.
Then she sighed.
"…Fine."
She began jogging.
At first her pace was slow.
Her breathing uneven.
Adrian followed behind her.
"Control your breathing," he said.
"Inhale through your nose."
"Exhale slowly."
Lyra nodded and tried again.
Gradually her rhythm improved.
After two laps she was already breathing heavily.
"I didn't realize physical training was this hard…"
Adrian continued running beside her.
"Most people underestimate it."
Lyra glanced at him.
"You're not even tired."
Adrian didn't respond.
Instead, he increased his pace slightly.
Lyra groaned.
"You're doing that on purpose."
"Keep up."
After several more laps they finally stopped.
Lyra dropped onto the grass.
"I think I'm dying."
Adrian sat down nearby.
"You're just tired."
Lyra glared at him.
"That's easy for you to say."
Adrian ignored the complaint.
"Now we practice mana control."
Lyra sighed but sat up.
She closed her eyes.
Adrian watched carefully.
"Focus on the cold energy inside your body."
Lyra inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
At first nothing happened.
Then the air around her began cooling again.
Small crystals of frost formed on the grass.
Adrian nodded slightly.
"Good."
Lyra concentrated harder.
The frost grew thicker.
Then suddenly—
Crack.
A thin sheet of ice spread across the ground.
Lyra's eyes snapped open.
"Oh no—"
Adrian immediately placed his hand over hers.
"Relax."
Lyra froze.
The moment their hands touched, the system interface appeared again.
[Resonance Bond System]
Bond Interaction Detected
Ice Affinity Mastery Increased
2% → 3%
Adrian remained calm.
But internally he was analyzing everything.
So simply interacting with Lyra while using ice mana increased his mastery.
That meant the bond system rewarded cooperative training.
Interesting.
The frost slowly faded again.
Lyra exhaled.
"…That almost got out of control again."
Adrian nodded.
"You pushed too hard."
Lyra looked frustrated.
"I thought I was doing it right."
"You were."
Adrian stood up.
"But control takes time."
Lyra also stood.
Then she looked toward the academy towers in the distance.
"…Do you think we'll be able to enter the academy someday?"
Adrian followed her gaze.
The tall towers stood far away, glowing slightly under the morning sun.
In the original story, the academy was where everything began.
Where heroes were made.
Where powerful alliances formed.
Adrian already knew he would end up there eventually.
But his path would be very different from the original protagonist.
"Maybe," Adrian said.
Lyra looked at him suspiciously.
"That's not a very confident answer."
Adrian smirked slightly.
"Confidence doesn't matter."
"Preparation does."
Lyra looked thoughtful.
Then she nodded slowly.
"Then I'll train harder."
Adrian picked up his branch again.
"Good."
Lyra crossed her arms.
"What now?"
"Sword practice."
Lyra blinked.
"But I'm not a swordswoman."
Adrian tossed her a smaller stick.
"You are now."
Lyra caught it awkwardly.
"This feels ridiculous."
Adrian stepped into position.
"Attack."
Lyra stared at him.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
Lyra sighed and stepped forward.
She swung the stick.
Adrian easily blocked it.
"Too slow," he said.
Lyra swung again.
Adrian stepped aside.
"Unbalanced."
Lyra groaned.
"You're enjoying this."
"Attack again."
Lyra continued swinging.
After several attempts she finally managed to land a hit against Adrian's branch.
She smiled proudly.
"I did it!"
Adrian nodded.
"Better."
Lyra looked pleased.
Then suddenly—
The system interface appeared again.
But this time the message was different.
New Bond Skill Unlocked
Adrian's eyes widened slightly.
Lyra noticed his expression.
"What?"
Adrian quickly dismissed the interface.
"Nothing."
Lyra narrowed her eyes.
"You definitely saw something."
Adrian turned away.
"Focus on your stance."
Lyra sighed.
"You're terrible at changing the subject."
But she resumed training anyway.
Adrian watched her carefully.
Because one thing had become clear.
Training with Lyra didn't just improve his ice mastery.
It was unlocking new system abilities.
And Adrian had the feeling that this bond would become far more important than either of them realized.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note
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See you in the next chapter!