Ingredients for Chaos

2:32 PM

"Man... I really like outdoor activities. I hate being stuck inside the academy."

"You're right, we should go out more often. The only problem is having to walk so much."

"That's true..."

Some students were chatting loudly, laughing and complaining, while the entire Class S of the first year moved together through the outer edges of Veyhart Academy. They were on their way to the so-called Transmutation Garden, a practice area located about 40 minutes from the main building of the academy.

It might seem strange at first glance, but Veyhart was one of the most renowned institutions in the Kingdom of Solmere. It was known for its complete structure: classrooms, dormitories, libraries, arenas, labs, and even safe outdoor zones for field lessons—all within a single massive complex, surrounded by natural mana forests.

The group had already been walking for over half an hour. Kaen, as always, was going at his usual lazy pace.

The walk was long, and the heat of the day only made everything more exhausting.

'...Should've gone to bed early.'

He stretched his body, yawning mid-walk.

"Hey, are you feeling any better?"

"Hmmm?"

'Where did she come from?'

"Actually... my shoulders are kind of sore. Want to give me a massage while we walk?"

Yenne slowly turned her head toward Kaen like he had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

'Was that too much?'

A noble... massaging a commoner?

"Haa... I don't even know why I bother asking you stuff."

She was already getting annoyed just remembering. The day before, she had found out that Kaen had absorbed the entire Vyralis Core. All of it. In just one night.

One single night...

She had nearly collapsed hearing that.

Yenne had made it very clear that the process should be done in stages, over at least three weeks.

'How did he absorb the whole core in one night... and still be alive?'

The Vyralis Core could be compared to a magical blood transfusion.

The difference was that, instead of just replacing part of the body's energy, Kaen had swapped out his entire internal mana reserve for a concentrated, unstable form of living energy.

It was like trying to replace all your blood at once. The risk was insane.

Yenne stared at him again as he yawned.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

"...I already told you, my shoulders still feel a bit off—"

"I'm NOT talking about your back!!!"

She almost yelled, but to keep her composure in front of the other students, it came out as a tense, frustrated whisper.

Kaen gave her a smile, clearly amused by how flustered she looked after drawing some attention.

"Embarrassed to be walking next to a commoner?"

"~maybe I am..!"

Yenne might seem persistent, but what Kaen had done was insane. If he had died, no one would've been surprised.

'Where did all that energy he absorbed go...?'

It was strange and incomprehensible. He was still a Class 2 mage. He didn't even have advanced body training or any extra benefits on his body.

How could he be walking around like nothing happened?

She was still deep in thought when Professor Maelis's voice echoed from up ahead.

"Alright, class. We're here."

The students sighed in relief.

"Ahh... finally, man."

"Took long enough. I thought I was gonna pass out."

The Transmutation Garden finally came into view. A wide space surrounded by stone walls covered in magical runes. It looked old, with a rustic yet elegant vibe.

At the center was a semicircular pavilion made of arcane glass, where alchemy experiments could be conducted safely. The area also had small watchtowers and Class 3 guards posted at the edges, mostly for show. Their presence was more symbolic than functional.

The academy was still visible in the distance, a silhouette on top of the hill. The feeling of being "outside the protection" was subtle... but real.

"Looks like we're getting another alchemy class on magical purification... ugh, so boooring..."

Lyra mumbled as she passed by Elena, who was walking close to Kaen.

She wrapped her arm around her friend's and said:

"You do everything again and I'll help with whatever you need, okay?"

"Hmm... thanks for the unconditional support, as always."

Elena replied with a sarcastic smile.

'Looks like she's pretty relaxed.'

Just like Kaen, Elena also knew what was coming. But since the game never showed events from her perspective, he had no idea what she had prepared—or what was going through her mind.

'Should I just raise my hands and let things play out?'

Luckily, ever since absorbing the crystal, Kaen had been feeling better. The only issue was his mana, which still hadn't fully stabilized.

Time had passed, and Aeryn, the magic combat professor, had made it clear he shouldn't push himself too hard.

Maybe it was just his bad luck, but she had already noticed something different.

She knew Kaen wasn't normal.

High-class mages could feel it.

The pure mana flowing through his body wasn't ordinary. His presence pulsed in a strange way, almost like it was alive.

He remembered her words perfectly at the end of the class:

===

Aeryn stopped him when all the other students had already left.

"I don't know exactly how you're making pure mana flow through your body... but if those fluctuations stay unstable, you're going to have serious problems."

Kaen kept his usual expression, trying not to show any reaction. But inside, he was a bit surprised.

'At least she doesn't know about my point of inertia yet.'

That was the only thing keeping him calm for now.

"Tch... you don't have to tell me what you've been doing. Just try not to overdo it, okay? It'd be a shame to lose a... class assistant."

'Assistant? Did she mean test subject?'

Kaen wasn't sure if Aeryn was genuinely concerned about him or just thinking about her own amusement.

But a good action was still a good action.

He gave a small, tired smile and raised his hand to say goodbye.

But instead of a simple wave...

He gently placed his hand on her head.

Like he was calming down a hyperactive child.

"And relax..."

Aeryn froze for a moment. Her eyes subtly shifted downward, avoiding direct eye contact.

She didn't say a word.

"You don't need to worry. I'm fine."

Kaen left his hand there for a few seconds, then walked off like it was the most natural thing in the world.

===

Now, with all the students gathered in the center of the Transmutation Garden, Maelis finally began the explanation.

"Today we'll be doing a fieldwork exercise. You'll need to head out in groups of up to three people and search for natural magical ingredients around the forest."

Some students looked at each other, clearly excited about the chance to explore.

"I want each of you to collect the ingredients needed for the recipe you developed in our last class. Use your notes and what we studied to identify the correct materials. Then come back here, and we'll work on preparing the formulas."

At that moment, the professor's assistant, Valtair, stepped forward and added:

"Don't worry about safety. This whole area is under surveillance, and the boundaries have been confirmed. The environment is safe. Just stick to groups of three and don't stray too far from the perimeter."

While the students organized into groups, Kaen moved a bit away, observing the trees around them, the shadows in the woods further ahead...

'I need to find a way to sneak out and absorb mana.'

Ever since he absorbed the crystal's energy, his mana core had been almost empty. He had recovered a bit overnight, but it was nothing compared to how much he usually recharged in areas rich with natural mana, like the grove.

Luckily, the mana flowing around this forest was decent. Not quite like the grove, but enough for Kaen.

===

'...This bastard. Is he really that shameless?'

Elena listened closely to what Valtair, Maelis's assistant, had just said. She felt a real urge to burn him on the spot. Lying about the area's safety to unsuspecting students while plotting something behind the scenes? Disgusting.

But without proof, and knowing no one would believe her, she had only one option: prepare.

Last time, everything went wrong the moment she decided to wander off alone into the forest. Her biggest mistake. And she wasn't planning to make it again.

She had learned something important from that past experience. The attack during the alchemy class wasn't just aimed at Professor Maelis. That had only been the distraction.

The real target was someone much more specific.

Her eyes shifted subtly, landing on a figure a few meters ahead—a girl with an elegant posture, long black hair, and dark eyes. She seemed unaware, watching the students form their groups.

It was her.

Yenne.

Just like Elena, last time she had also wandered off alone to look for ingredients. A mistake that came with a price.

Elena noticed where exactly her eyes were focused.

She was staring straight at Kaen.

'Maybe... this time things will end more easily than before.'