The morning light bled faintly through the thin curtains of Dorm Room 393. The Academy stirred beyond the window, but inside, the air was still.
Ace woke early, his limbs buzzing faintly with the lingering strength from his recent gains. He moved through his usual routine — short, focused drills to keep his Arcane Power flowing, his right hand flickering apart and reforming with practiced ease.
A quick, forgettable breakfast followed. The refectory hummed with student chatter, but Ace's mind was already elsewhere.
"Three classes today… but I really wanna check my katana properly," Ace thought, adjusting his coat. "I guess I'll skip class and train… Klaus can lend me his notes after."
Sneaking off-campus wasn't new to him — timing, observation, and a touch of charm were all it took.
A burly Academy guard stepped in his path, arms crossed. "Where you headed, first-year? Skipping class already?"
Ace plastered on a half-smile, voice calm. "Urgent errand for Professor Thane. You want me to drag him over here to explain it?"
The guard hesitated — no one wanted to get tangled in Thane's business. With a quick nod, Ace slipped past, smirking to himself.
The Adventurer's Guild board loomed ahead, weathered, crowded with faded parchments.
One job caught his eye:
Whispering Woods: Goblin Raids on Farmlands — Reward: 160 Silver Crowns.
Proof of Kill: Minimum five goblin heads. Hobgoblin head highly valued.
"Perfect," Ace thought, signing the sheet. Combat practice, decent coin — and a chance to test the blade.
A quiet clearing near the goblin territory served as his training ground. He unsheathed the custom katana — his work, his defiance forged into steel.
Channeling his Fire affinity, Ace pushed energy into the blade. The first few attempts flickered, unstable, the flame sputtering like a dying ember.
But after thirty minutes of concentrated effort, sweat dripping, the fire flared steady — 7 seconds before flickering out.
"Good enough for now," Ace thought, flexing his wrist. "Time to kill the green gang."
The goblin nest reeked of smoke, filth, and fear. Their guttural chatter carried across the woods, crude spears glinting in the undergrowth.
Ace moved fast, katana flashing — flame dancing along the blade, cutting through flesh, burning armor, the goblins falling one after another.
The air filled with the scent of scorched hair and ozone.
But then the real threat emerged.
A towering, snarling Hobgoblin, eyes wild, skin mottled grey-green, a jagged stone axe clenched in its fists.
"Whoa…" Ace muttered, blade steady. "That's not your average goblin."
The Hobgoblin charged with alarming speed, the axe cleaving down in a brutal arc.
Ace detached his left hand, knife gripped tight, sending it circling behind the beast unseen.
The axe slammed against Ace's katana — the impact rattled through his bones, but his Endurance (B) held firm.
A sharp kick to the Hobgoblin's gut sent it stumbling back, but not down.
As it roared forward again, Ace's detached hand struck — the knife plunging deep into the creature's exposed thigh.
The Hobgoblin howled, stumbling. Ace reattached his hand, Fire flaring along the katana's edge.
With one clean, powerful sweep, the blade severed the Hobgoblin's head.
"Nice… that's kinda clean," Ace muttered, exhaling as the body collapsed in a heap.
The goblin heads were easy enough to collect, and the Adventurer's Guild paid out quick — 160 silver crowns, the pouch heavier now.
But Ace wasn't done.
Deeper in the forest, he found solitude, honing his blade and elemental control further.
Hours of sweat, mistakes, and practice paid off:
Fire infusion stabilized for 11 seconds — sharp, clean bursts of flame along the blade.
Lightning infusion to his foot — short, explosive bursts of speed, combining with his newly improved Strength and Agility, both climbing to C+.
By dusk, his movements were sharper, his control steadier, his body more in tune with the weapon.
Back at the Academy, the dorms were quiet — most students tucked away, the day's routine complete.
Ace slipped into his room, exhausted, only to realize — "Ah, shit… forgot to grab notes from Klaus." He groaned, shaking his head. "Guess I'll bug him tomorrow."
Despite the fatigue, the looming test left no room for laziness.
His textbooks opened — Element Fusion, Advanced Alchemy — complex diagrams and formulas consumed effortlessly by his sharp memory and high intellect.
Finally, his eyes heavy, he collapsed into bed — dreams tangled with blades, flame, and the hum of his own rising power.
Ace Dragnell — Current Status
• Name: Ace Dragnell
• Noble Status: Low-Tier Noble
• Age: 16 (First Year Student)
Core Stats:
• Strength — C+
• Agility — C+
• Endurance — B
• Intelligence — S
• Willpower — A
• Charisma — D
• Arcane Power — C+
Abilities:
• Unique Ability: Molecular Disassembly & Regeneration (Rudimentary Control - Increased Mastery)
* Description: The innate power to disassemble one's body to a molecular or even atomic level and reassemble it at will. Can regenerate from a single cell or atom. Can reassemble specific body parts, which will possess the same inherent power as the main body. Ace can now successfully detach and reassemble his hand and foot with increased speed, control, and reduced mental strain.
Elemental Affinities:
• Fire (Blade infusion stable — 11 seconds)
• Air
• Lightning (Foot infusion enables short-term speed and agility bursts)
Skills:
• Basic Self-Defense — (C)
• Survival (Wilderness - from isolated manor life) — (D)
• Weapon Forging — (B) (Custom katana forged — B+ grade, elemental infusion steadily improving)
• Knife Mastery — (Beginner) (Effectively integrated with detached hand tactic)
• Noble Law & Political Theory — (Beginner) (Sharp legal understanding demonstrated)
• Katana Mastery — (Beginner) (Fire infusion duration increased)
Gear:
• Custom Katana — B+ Grade
Reputation:
• Growing recognition — defiance of noble hierarchy, intelligence
• Rivalry with Elara Flavosky
• Tensions with Theo Harnest — political hostility escalating
Silver Crowns: 364