Chapter 13: The Hidden Cube’s Revelation

Alex felt the weight of the mysterious cube in his hand, its surface smooth yet pulsing faintly with an unknown energy. The aura fluctuations it emitted were faint—almost imperceptible—but his enhanced senses picked up on them.

He glanced around the vast chamber beneath the academy, ensuring no one was watching before pouring a small amount of aura into it. The moment his energy touched the cube—

A blinding light erupted.

Alex shielded his eyes as an unseen force yanked his consciousness into an unfamiliar space.

When Alex opened his eyes, he was no longer in the underground chamber. Instead, he stood within a vast void filled with floating, shattered ruins. The air buzzed with raw power.

Before him, a massive stone tablet floated, etched with glowing symbols. They shifted and rearranged themselves until they formed words he could comprehend:

[You who possess the Seed of Ascension, prove your worth.]

Before Alex could react, the ruins around him trembled. Three figures materialized before him.

One was clad in heavy armor, radiating oppressive strength. Another wielded a staff, its aura swirling with boundless knowledge. The last was a shadowy assassin, eyes gleaming with lethal intent.

A trial.

Alex clenched his fists. If this was a test, he would face it head-on.

The warrior struck first, his sword splitting the void itself. Alex barely dodged, feeling the sheer force of the attack brush past him. His enhanced body allowed him to react faster than ever, but these figures weren't ordinary opponents.

His instincts screamed.

The mage raised a hand, and chains of light shot toward him. At the same time, the assassin vanished into the darkness.

Alex had no weapons, no allies—only his wits and enhancements.

But that was enough.

He had one free enhancement left today.

His eyes darted to the environment. The stone tablet. The ruins. Could they be enhanced?

Without hesitation, he reached out.

[Enhance.]

The air itself shuddered as his ability activated. The faint aura lingering in the ruins intensified a hundredfold. Suddenly, pillars of raw energy burst from the ground, disrupting the enemies' formation.

Seizing the moment, Alex dashed forward, delivering a devastating kick to the assassin who had just reappeared behind him. The figure shattered into dust.

The battle raged on, but Alex's enhancements tipped the scales. The trial was brutal, but he endured. With one final strike, the last of the figures dissolved into light.

The stone tablet shone, and a voice echoed in his mind:

[Trial Passed. You have unlocked a fragment of the Seed's power.]

A sharp pain seared through Alex's chest, but before he could process it—

He gasped awake, still clutching the cube. The underground chamber was unchanged, but his body felt different.

Stronger.

His aura had deepened, refined itself. And more than that—the cube was no longer inert. It had accepted him.

A notification-like imprint surfaced in his mind:

[Seed of Ascension - Unlocked (Stage 1)]

Enhanced Adaptability: Increased learning and combat efficiency.

Hidden Potential: Locked.

Alex's heartbeat quickened. This was no ordinary relic.

And he had only just scratched the surface of its power.