Chapter 7: Stolen Balance

Zein stared at himself in the mirror of his room. The marks of his stolen abilities were beginning to spread across his body like fractures of light and darkness. His core burned. His soul creaked.

[Current Status: Critical instability.][Warning: Multiple fusion may result in dissolution of self.]

—"I can't afford to lose control... not now."

Then, an idea struck his mind like lightning. A skill. One specific skill that could save him.

—"I need... Reset."

Only one person in the entire academy possessed that skill: Kael Varnes, vice president of the student council. One of the few legal users of regulatory abilities.

Kael was everything Zein wasn't: orderly, formal, admired. His ability was legendary for keeping his body in perfect balance, capable of harmonizing energy flow even in extreme combat.

Zein watched him from afar during an advanced magical control class.

—"I just need a moment," he murmured.

He waited until after class, when Kael stayed behind reviewing holographic reports in the southern garden.

Zein walked up beside him as if it were nothing.

—"Varnes, right? I wanted to ask you about your stabilization ability. Were you trained for it... or is it a skill?"

Kael, suspecting nothing, smiled kindly.

—"Interested in the regulation discipline? It's not for everyone."

—"So they say," Zein whispered.

[Adaptive Absorption activated.][Target: "Reset."][Conditions: Synchronized energy contact.][Result: Success.]

A slight tremor ran through his body.

[Skill absorbed: Reset.][Applying to unstable core.][Result: Balance restored.]

Zein breathed for the first time in days without feeling his soul tear apart.

The fractures in his skin glowed... and closed.

Current Status: Stabilized. Collapse Risk: 0%.

He smiled.

—"Thanks, Kael."

Kael blinked, confused.

—"Excuse me?"

—"Nothing. Have a good day."

And with that, Zein walked away... ready to collect more power.

In the following days, Zein moved like a shadow through hallways, libraries, and training halls. His absorption system worked in silence. No one suspected a thing.

[Skill absorbed: Shadow Stealth.]Ability to completely hide physical and magical presence.

[Skill absorbed: Physical Amplification.]Increases strength, speed, and body resistance by 300% for a limited time.

[Skill absorbed: Wisdom.]Increases mental processing speed and strategic analysis.

[Skill absorbed: Minor Regeneration.]Automatically heals minor wounds and reduces fatigue.

[Skill absorbed: Boxing.]Martial style based on instinctive reaction and lethal counterattacks.

Total Active Skills: 10/∞Note: Limit has been nullified due to stability state induced by "Reset."

One night, while training alone in a secret chamber, Zein activated all his new skills.

His body moved with superhuman precision. Each boxing strike was reinforced by Physical Amplification. Each dodge, perfected by Wisdom. His silhouette vanished into the shadows between movements.

And if any wound appeared... it closed within seconds.

He was, in essence, a living weapon.

—"Now... I can face what's coming."

But while Zein strengthened his arsenal, a figure watched him from the top of the academy's south tower. The same hooded figure who had been spying on him before.

—"He's doing it faster than expected," they murmured. "Even his core responded better than anticipated."

Beside them, another being emerged from the mist, cloaked in a veil of abyss.

—"Shall we stop him?"

—"No," the figure replied firmly. "Let him steal all he needs."

They turned, revealing a face marked with ancient runes.

—"After all... the more power he gathers, the closer he gets to the other Zein. The one who did lose control."

And the figure vanished into the shadows.