《The Elemental Nexus》 Chapter 1: The Sky Shattered Dean Everett had just turned nineteen. A freshman at Jefferson State College, he was still adjusting to the awkward limbo between boy and man¡ªjuggling orientation week, late-night pizza, and trying to find the balance between lectures and gaming marathons. Life wasn¡¯t perfect¡ªhis roommate snored like a dying bear, and he already owed the vending machine fifty bucks in accidental double charges¡ªbut it was normal. And that was enough. Then the sky cracked. He was walking across campus, earbuds in, hoodie half-zipped against the autumn chill, when a soundless tremor washed over everything. Students stopped. Birds froze mid-flight. The air itself rippled, like heat waves rising off pavement. Above the quad, the sky shimmered. Dean pulled out an earbud just in time to hear the screams. It started with a pulse of blue light that expanded like a dome, flickering with runic symbols. He barely had time to register the shift before a beam of light lanced down, encasing a group of students. They vanished without a trace. ¡°What the hell¡ª?¡± Another flash. Another group gone. Dean ran, dodging past a guy filming the sky on his phone. ¡°Move!¡± Too late. A third beam slammed into the ground. Dean¡¯s world went white.
He woke on cold stone, his body aching like he¡¯d been hit by a bus. The sky above him was no longer blue¡ªnow it glowed a surreal violet, with twin moons hanging overhead. An aurora-like haze danced across the horizon, and the air smelled... different. Fresher. Charged, like the moments before a lightning strike. He sat up slowly, clutching his head. All around him were others¡ªstudents, adults, even a couple of professors¡ªdazed and confused. They stood on a massive stone platform, suspended in the sky above jagged cliffs and a sprawling forest. A voice boomed¡ªnot from speakers, but inside their heads. ¡°Welcome, chosen ones. You have been summoned to Aevaria, the realm of magic and survival. Your world has grown stagnant, your potential wasted. Here, you will awaken.¡± ¡°What the hell does that mean?!¡± someone shouted. Dean¡¯s heart pounded. ¡°Awaken your Mana Heart. Become more than human. Fight, grow, and evolve. Or perish.¡± Another pulse of light washed over the platform. One by one, people dropped to their knees, gasping, clutching their chests. Dean felt it too¡ªlike a second heartbeat igniting in his core. It started small. A warmth. Then a blaze. It surged up his spine and behind his eyes until¡ª Mana Heart Awakened Status Interface Unlocked A translucent window blinked into existence in front of him, hovering mid-air like a hologram:
Name: Dean Everett The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Level: 1 Race: Human Class: [Unassigned] Element(s): [Unassigned] Stats: ? Strength: 5 ? Agility: 6 ? Endurance: 5 ? Intelligence: 7 ? Wisdom: 6 ? Mana: 10
A UI. Like a game. Dean gaped, then reached out¡ªhis finger passed through it like mist. The system responded with a soft chime. Around him, others were reacting too. ¡°What is this, a joke? Some kind of VR thing?¡± But deep down, Dean knew it wasn¡¯t. Whatever this was... it was real.
The next few hours were chaos. A robed woman appeared¡ªclearly not human, with gray skin and glowing blue eyes. She introduced herself as Instructor Valeen, a Summoning Guide tasked with initiating Earthlings into the fundamentals of Aevaria. ¡°Your world is without mana,¡± she explained, pacing before them. ¡°But here, mana is the foundation of life. Your Mana Heart allows you to absorb, store, and wield this energy.¡± She gestured, and a whirl of wind shaped into a blade hovered beside her before dissolving into mist. ¡°You are now bonded to this realm¡¯s System. You will grow in power by gaining experience. Fight, train, survive¡ªand your Level will increase. With it, your stats, your skills, your potential.¡± A tall, redheaded guy¡ªathletic, football build¡ªraised his hand, disbelief etched across his face. ¡°You¡¯re saying we¡¯re in a damn RPG?¡± ¡°A crude approximation,¡± Valeen replied. ¡°But not inaccurate.¡± Dean listened intently. ¡°Classes are tied to your affinity¡ªshaped by your Mana Heart and personality. Once identified, your Class determines your stat growth, skill paths, and combat style.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± someone else shouted. Valeen nodded. ¡°A Fire-element Brawler molds flame into fists. A Sorcerer unleashes infernos from afar. Same element, vastly different methods. The synergy between Class and Element is crucial.¡±
A screen appeared in front of each person. Valeen continued: ¡°Now, your Class will be assigned. Some of you may only possess one Element. Others may have two. Very few may have more. None possess all.¡± Dean blinked. That sounded... oddly specific. His screen pulsed. Class Assigned: Elementalist Element Affinities: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Nature, Shadow, Light, Healing Rarity: Mythic Title Gained: The Elemental Nexus Skill Gained: Mana Conduit (Passive), Elemental Weave (Active) Dean stared at the hovering screen in front of him, heart pounding. Nine elements. Nine. Most people seemed to get one or two. Nobody was reacting like him. No gasps. No screams of shock. Which meant... This isn¡¯t normal. He glanced around. Everyone else was too busy marveling at their own panels. A few were fist-pumping or laughing. Good for them. But Dean felt that slow, creeping instinct take over¡ªone honed from a life of flying under the radar. Don¡¯t stand out. Not here. Not yet. Please select your active Elemental Affinities (Max 2). These will shape your early training, combat approach, and class growth. Dean exhaled, scanning the list. Fire and Wind would be flashy. Water and Earth¡ªsolid, versatile. Healing? Useful. But a target. His eyes landed on Ice and Shadow. Cold. Quiet. Lethal if used right. Ice could control a battlefield. Shadow could help him move through it. And both? Subtle enough to stay under the radar. Perfect. Selected Elements: Ice, Shadow Confirmation Locked. Initial Elemental Path Set. He felt it then¡ªmana weaving into his soul, coiling around the threads of Ice and Shadow. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right choice. But it felt right.
They were transported again¡ªthis time to a sprawling sky-city of marble towers, glowing runes, and floating platforms. Nerathiel: capital of the Skyspire Dominion. Magic danced through the air like pollen. A faction of Aevaria had claimed the Earthlings, offering not slavery, but training. Integration. A chance to grow, survive, and eventually earn freedom or citizenship. Dean, along with a select few¡ªthose with elemental potential¡ªwere chosen for The Arcanum Academy. The airship left the others behind. As it soared above crystalline lakes and endless forests, Dean stood near the railing, gripping it with both hands. He wasn¡¯t just in another world. He wasn¡¯t just some guy anymore. He had a rare Class. All elements. A walking anomaly. And he had no idea what came next.
¡°Hey,¡± came a voice beside him. A girl, probably his age. Dark curls. Olive skin. Eyes that flicked between sadness and simmering resolve. ¡°I¡¯m Kaela. You okay?¡± Dean nodded weakly. ¡°I... don¡¯t know.¡± She offered a tired smile. ¡°Same. But if we¡¯re in some game world now... I¡¯m not planning on being an NPC.¡± Dean smirked, just a little. Maybe he didn¡¯t have a plan yet. But if he was going to survive in this strange new world, he¡¯d need allies. And maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªhe could figure out who he really was in the process. Because one thing was clear: The rules had changed. And he was going to learn how to play. Chapter 2: Sorcerer of Ice and Shadow The airship cut through the clouds like a silver blade, its silent propulsion magic humming softly beneath the deck. Dean leaned against the railing, wind tugging at his hoodie, twin moons casting a pale glow over the massive landscape of Aevaria below. He hadn''t spoken much since they left the Summoning Platform. Kaela stood a few paces away, still occasionally glancing at him, like she wasn¡¯t sure if they were allies, strangers, or something in between. Dean didn¡¯t mind. It was better this way¡ªfor now. Eventually, the floating spires of Arcanum Academy came into view. Set atop a massive plateau that hovered in mid-air, the academy looked like it had been carved out of a single piece of crystal and stone. Towers spiraled like helixes, runes danced in the air, and walkways floated between buildings. Everything shimmered with ambient mana. It was both beautiful and intimidating. When the airship docked, a stern woman in deep purple robes met them at the landing pad. She had silver hair, dark skin, and a gaze sharp enough to cut through stone. ¡°I am Instructor Valeen. You are initiates. You do not yet belong here. But you may earn your place.¡± Her voice was clipped, her words efficient. ¡°Follow me. Do not wander. Do not fall behind.¡± Dean fell into step with the others, blending into the pack as they walked through the stone arches and into the academy grounds.
After a whirlwind tour of dorms, mess halls, courtyards, and dueling fields¡ªeach more awe-inspiring than the last¡ªthey were finally brought into a wide, circular chamber with seats arranged in rings, like an amphitheater. Floating crystals hovered in the air, glowing gently. ¡°Here,¡± Valeen said, gesturing, ¡°you will finalize your initial Class selections for your Elemental Paths.¡± A new window opened in Dean¡¯s vision:
Elemental Class Selection ¨C Confirm Active Elements Active Elements: Ice, Shadow Suggested Classes: ? Sorcerer ¨C Long-range elemental caster with high mana growth. ? Shadeblade ¨C Hybrid close-range assassin with stealth-based shadow affinity. ? Cryo-Warden ¨C Defensive controller using ice for barriers, traps, and zone control. Note: Full Class path will remain hidden to others. Elementalist retained.
Dean stared at the options. He didn¡¯t want anything that would draw attention early on. Sorcerer felt the most... basic. The least suspicious. Safe. He tapped the selection: Class Chosen: Sorcerer This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Class Display: Ice & Shadow Sorcerer The window blinked away, and with it, the moment of tension passed. Around him, the others were murmuring, checking their own windows, a mix of disappointment, excitement, and confusion on their faces. Thankfully, the universal window reveal was over. Everyone¡¯s system was now private. Dean exhaled slowly. No one else would see what he truly was unless he told them. Good.
They were finally shown to their quarters¡ªshared dorms split by element type. Dean¡¯s room was in the Twilight Vault, meant for users with darker or colder elements: Shadow, Ice, and occasionally Wind. His room was small but clean¡ªstone walls, a crystal lamp, and a bed with a view that overlooked the misty cliffside below. Not bad for another world. As soon as the door closed, he sat on the bed and whispered: ¡°Status window.¡± It appeared instantly.
Name: Dean Everett Level: 1 Race: Human Class: Sorcerer (Elementalist) Elements: Ice, Shadow Title: The Elemental Nexus Skills: ? Mana Conduit (Passive): Greatly increases mana regeneration and elemental control. ? Elemental Weave (Active): Temporarily fuses two elements into a unique spell. ? Frost Shard (Active): Launch a spear of sharpened ice. Scales with Intelligence. ? Shadowstep (Active): Instantly teleport to a nearby shadow within 10 meters. ? Mystic Insight (Passive): Reveals hidden affinities and mana signatures. ? ??? (Locked)
He stared at the title again. Title: The Elemental Nexus Effect: Grants compatibility with all elemental types. Reduces mana cost of multi-element casting by 50%. Enhances growth rate of elemental skills by 30%. That was... insane. Totally broken. He remembered Valeen saying none possessed all elements. So why him? ¡°Why me?¡± he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°I was just some guy.¡± A gamer. A college kid. Average. But now? Now he was something more. And something very dangerous, if the wrong people found out.
Later that evening, they were summoned again¡ªthis time to the dining hall. It was massive, with long tables, enchanted chandeliers, and floating trays that drifted between students offering fruit, meat, and strange glowing drinks. Dean sat near the end of one of the Shadow-affinity tables, eating something that tasted vaguely like roasted chicken and lavender. ¡°Mind if I sit here?¡± He looked up. Kaela again. He shrugged. ¡°Go ahead.¡± She sat across from him and stabbed a piece of some glowing root vegetable. ¡°You seem like someone who¡¯s used to being alone.¡± Dean raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t talk much. Doesn¡¯t mean I want to be a loner.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± She studied him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised by any of this.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m plenty surprised,¡± he replied dryly. ¡°I just process by shutting up.¡± She laughed softly. ¡°Fair. I got Nature and Fire. Weird combo, right?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Actually sounds kind of cool. Vine-whips on fire?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± she grinned. ¡°They stuck me in the Ember Bloom wing. Sounds like a tea shop.¡± Dean gave a small smile. Maybe having one person to talk to wouldn¡¯t be so bad.
That night, back in his room, Dean practiced. He whispered the incantation and pointed at the empty air: ¡°Frost Shard.¡± A long, glimmering spike of ice formed in the air and shot into the wall, cracking the stone. He winced. Too strong. He waited for the mana pulse to settle, then tried again: ¡°Shadowstep.¡± He felt his body dissolve into mist for a heartbeat, then reform in the far corner of the room. His head spun a little, but it worked. He grinned. He could do this. Maybe not all at once. Maybe not loudly. But he¡¯d figure it out. Dean Everett might not have asked to be summoned to Aevaria. But now that he was here, he wasn¡¯t just going to survive. He was going to learn everything. Chapter 3: Shaping Ice, Dancing Shadows The sky above Arcanum Academy burned with a sunrise unlike any Dean had ever seen¡ªstreaks of violet, gold, and deep blue painting the clouds in layered ribbons. Two suns¡ªone pale orange, the other smaller and faintly blue¡ªrose side by side beyond the horizon. Mana shimmered faintly in the morning air, making everything glow faintly, like the world itself was waking up with them. A deep chime echoed across the campus¡ªno metal or digital ring, but a harmonic pulse of energy that made the stone beneath Dean¡¯s feet vibrate and the runes in the walls hum in answer. His first full day as a student of the Arcanum Academy had begun. He stood at the edge of a wide marble bridge that connected the Twilight Dorms to the rest of the academy. Below, rivers of glowing mana flowed like veins through the air, cascading down into waterfalls that evaporated mid-fall into mist. Across the massive floating island campus, towers and buildings made of crystal, stone, and skyglass reflected morning light into a million fractured beams. Every elemental path had its own ¡°district.¡± To the south, the Infernal Wing burned with eternal torches and red crystal spires. To the east, the Aether Gardens bloomed in spirals of living greenery and flowers that sang when brushed by the wind. Floating chunks of land orbited the Stormspire, crackling with lightning, while the Glacier Hall stood tall and silent in the northwest corner¡ªfrost clinging to the air like breath in winter. Even now, after everything he¡¯d seen, Dean had to stop and take it all in. This place¡­ it¡¯s magic. Real magic.
The central plaza was buzzing with first-years. Students moved in groups, laughing, comparing stats, or showing off minor spells. The energy was electric¡ªpart excitement, part anxiety. Dean walked quietly, hood up, his academy-issued tunic lined with faint silver markings for Shadow affinity and pale blue threads for Ice. Most students only had one color. Two already made him stand out more than he wanted to. Instructor Valeen stood at the heart of the plaza on a raised disc of floating obsidian, hands behind her back, her cloak rippling in a breeze that didn¡¯t touch anyone else. ¡°You are here to learn. You are here to struggle. You are here to survive,¡± she said, voice booming unnaturally across the courtyard. ¡°Classes have been distributed to your system. Those with one element will attend a single Elemental Focus each day. Those with two¡ªdouble the load. Do not complain. You are privileged to have such potential.¡± The floating disc pulsed, and glowing trails of mana lit up across the campus like a constellation map, guiding students to their designated wings. ¡°Report to your first class immediately. Tardiness is not tolerated.¡± Dean¡¯s path split off toward the icy edge of the academy, where blue-tinged walkways glittered underfoot and the temperature dropped with every step.
Ice Manipulation: Foundations and Theory was held in a circular dome carved from frostglass and glowing sapphire crystal. The walls shimmered like frozen waterfalls, and pale blue torches cast flickering shadows that looked like dancing snow spirits. Inside, chilled air filled Dean¡¯s lungs with each breath. Runes pulsed along the ceiling like veins in a glacier. He took his seat in the back, letting his eyes roam over the room. Some students rubbed their hands together, clearly uncomfortable with the cold. Dean welcomed it¡ªit felt like clarity. Instructor Nyros entered without a word, robes trailing icy mist behind him. His face was narrow and weathered, eyes sharp and pale as frostbitten steel. ¡°Ice is not merely a byproduct of water. It is purpose. It is silence. It is control,¡± he said, pacing. ¡°Your first instinct will be to hurl spears and walls. That is crude. Childish. Ice is not for hammering¡ªit is for cutting, shaping, freezing the world to your will.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He lifted one hand. A breath of mana twisted through the air and an entire section of the floor flash-froze, cracking upward into jagged spires before melting back into smooth frost. Dean¡¯s notebook filled quickly. Every word felt like an unlocked ability waiting to happen. Nyros demonstrated the three ¡°paths¡± for Ice-focused users: Dean was technically closest to a Cryomancer. But even now, he found himself thinking in combinations: trap terrain, lure with illusions, finish with precision strikes. He practiced a subtle Frost Shard at the end of class, shaping it thinner and faster than most. The instructor gave him a look¡ªbut said nothing.
Shadow class was different in every way. Located in the Twilight Vault, a section of the academy cloaked in mist and permanently bathed in dusk light, the architecture was gothic and angular. Stained glass windows shimmered with illusions instead of color, and the halls echoed with whispers that may not have been real. The classroom had no desks¡ªjust platforms of floating obsidian, hovering in total silence. Mistress Velra lounged on a high perch as if she owned the night itself. ¡°Shadow,¡± she purred, ¡°is movement, misdirection, and murder.¡± A few students flinched. She smiled wider. ¡°There are no rules here. Only results. You hide, you strike, you vanish. That is how shadow wins.¡± She demonstrated by dissolving into the darkness, reappearing behind students, placing phantom daggers at their throats before vanishing again. Dean took it all in. Unlike Ice, Shadow required instinct. He wasn¡¯t flashy with his Shadowstep, but he was quick, and more importantly¡ªprecise. Velra introduced the primary Shadow branches: Dean kept quiet during the skill demonstrations, but he noticed others didn¡¯t.
By midday, the Skyview Refectory was packed with students from every element wing. Glass walls gave a panoramic view of the campus and the floating islands drifting lazily in the skies beyond. Dean sat at a table tucked in the shadow of a support pillar, sipping some kind of sweet floral tonic. All around, voices clamored. ¡°I¡¯m a Flame Duelist. Got Blazing Crescent on day one!¡± ¡°Oh yeah? I unlocked Storm Bind. Stuns anyone within ten meters.¡± ¡°Hydromancer here¡ªAOE water walls, let¡¯s go.¡± Dean listened. The sheer variety of classes and skills was wild. He¡¯d heard names like: The loudest kids bragged the most. Dean took note of that. It was always the quiet ones you needed to watch. ¡°Yo, Shadow guy!¡± Dean glanced up, sighing inwardly. The red-haired student from earlier¡ªDuelist class¡ªswaggered over, fire sparking along his fingertips. ¡°What class you end up picking again? Just Sorcerer?¡± ¡°Still just Sorcerer,¡± Dean replied flatly. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s boring. What¡¯s your skill? Shadow puff or ice bolt?¡± Dean gave him a neutral smile. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Whatever. You¡¯ll be bottom ranked anyway,¡± the kid snorted and walked off. Dean stared at his drink, letting the idiot¡¯s voice fade into the background. Kaela dropped into the seat across from him a moment later. ¡°That guy¡¯s going to die the second we¡¯re let outside the walls.¡± Dean chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think I might be okay with that.¡±
That evening, the bell tolled again¡ªlow and resonant like the heartbeat of the academy itself. ¡°All first-year students, report to the Arena Hall for your Combat Evaluations.¡± Dean stood, adjusting his coat. The hallway glowed with soft blue torchlight as he joined the steady flow of students crossing the bridges toward the Arena. The Arena Hall itself was breathtaking. Set inside a coliseum of floating stone rings, the central combat platform shimmered with reactive mana tiles. Statues of legendary mages and warriors lined the walls, and glowing scoreboards hovered high above the crowd. Students were sorted into small groups according to their elements, each one stepping up to demonstrate their abilities before being ranked. Dean found his group¡ªIce and Shadow Affinities, twenty students total. He stepped into line just as a hulking boy encased in obsidian armor launched an ice javelin across the field, cheering himself on as instructors scribbled notes. Dean exhaled slowly. Here we go. Time to show what he could do. Carefully. Chapter 4: Arena 57 The Arena Hall of Arcanum Academy wasn¡¯t just a battleground¡ªit was a marvel of magic, architecture, and ancient design, floating high above the main campus on its own isolated platform of stone and skyglass. Massive arches rose into the sky like the ribs of some long-dead titan, each inscribed with glowing runes in ancient Aevarian script. Mana drifted through the air in glowing wisps, responding to the tension, excitement, and anticipation that buzzed through the crowd. Above the central platform, translucent display panes hovered midair, flickering with names, rankings, and magical readouts. The scent of ozone and stone lingered in the breeze. Dean stood with his assigned group on the outer edge of the arena complex, tucked beneath a vaulted arch overlooking the dueling fields. There were dozens¡ªno, hundreds¡ªof individual combat rings spread across the outer levels, each one levitating on its own disk-shaped platform. In every direction, battles raged. It was beautiful chaos. In one arena, a Windmancer girl spun into the air, her hair braided with crackling static as she rode a cyclone, flinging razor-sharp gusts at her opponent. In another, a boy with molten skin and a hammer of flame slammed into a stone wall raised by an Earthwarden, sparks flying with each impact like falling stars. Nearby, a duel between a Lifeweaver and a Shadowblade blurred between healing bursts and deadly flickers of darkness¡ªgrace and violence dancing together in a deadly waltz. The sky above swirled with energy, refracting light through the upper mana barrier. It was like watching storms, fireworks, and divine magic collide in perfect symmetry. This... is what they brought us here for, Dean thought. Not just survival. Not just power. Spectacle.
But for every graceful clash, there were failures. A boy with a Fire affinity panicked mid-spell and set his own robe ablaze. A Nature caster lost control of his vines, tangling himself in his own overgrowth. An Ice mage shattered their own barrier, slipping and landing hard as instructors rushed in. Not everyone was ready for this. Dean watched, arms folded, eyes calm but wary. There had to be at least ten thousand people here. Maybe three times that. Spread across dozens of elemental wings, split by age, region, and skill level. Not all were from Earth¡ªsome had clearly been here longer, already wearing colored sashes that marked second-years or ascended ranks. But Earthlings were everywhere now¡ªscattered like seeds in this new, terrifying garden. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He wasn¡¯t sure how many would bloom. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would. But he¡¯d survive. Of that, he was certain.
Hours passed as the evaluations continued. Names were called in bursts of soft system pings that echoed only in the minds of those summoned. Dean Everett. Please report to Arena 57. He inhaled sharply, then exhaled through his nose. Time to move.
Arena 57 hovered near the outer ring of the coliseum. It was a perfectly circular disk of white stone veined with silver, surrounded by a translucent mana field to protect spectators. Pale light filtered from below as if the sky itself were glowing, and on the far side stood his opponent¡ªa girl with long green-black braids, wrapped in robes of flowing emerald and deep blue. Water and Nature, her status hovering briefly above her for the spectators to see. No name, no stats. Just her elements and her title: "Hydroveil Initiate" A tier-two class, probably. Someone who knew what she was doing. Dean stepped onto the field. The moment his foot touched the edge, the display above his head shimmered. Dean Everett Class: Sorcerer Elements: Ice | Shadow Safe. Ordinary. Just how he wanted it. The crowd around his arena platform murmured¡ªnot at him, but at the match-up. Dual-element fights were rare in first-year evaluations. The announcer¡¯s voice boomed, but it wasn¡¯t a person¡ªit was the system itself, echoing across all arenas. ¡°Begin.¡± The shield around the platform shimmered, locking them in. Dean moved first, launching a thin Frost Shard at an angle¡ªharmless, a probing move. The girl stepped lightly to the side, not even needing a shield. She raised both hands, and the floor beneath Dean bloomed with moss and flowers, spreading fast¡ªNature mana. At the same time, rings of water spiraled around her arms, forming a sphere in front of her chest. He leapt back, Shadowstepping into a pillar of dusk left by the mana lights. The plants chased him, roots bursting through the stone like drills. She was good. Efficient. Focused. But then she started pressing harder.
Dean kept it light at first. Frost barriers, shallow ice spikes, small bursts of shadow. Enough to dodge, delay, and defend. But her strikes became faster. A vine snared his ankle and nearly yanked him down. A water whip slammed against his shoulder and spun him across the platform. He winced. She wasn¡¯t just trying to win. She was trying to hurt him. Another blast of pressurized water caught him in the side, sending him sliding across the ice. He rolled, came up to one knee, panting. The girl raised a wall of twisting vines behind him, cutting off retreat, and began gathering moisture in the air again. Her expression was tight. Determined. She¡¯s trying to put me down, Dean realized. Not just prove her strength. She¡¯s proving a point. Maybe she thought he was a threat. Maybe she just didn¡¯t like Shadows. Either way, his ribs were aching. He didn¡¯t want to show off. He wanted to keep things quiet, keep things controlled. But the moment she raised her arms again and called down a rain of sharpened leaf-blades from above¡ªcoated in mana so dense it shimmered like green fire¡ªsomething in him snapped. Fine. Just a little. Dean''s eyes narrowed, and he felt the pulse of mana deep in his chest¡ªthe stir of that core he¡¯d been hiding since day one. Just one spell. Just one glimpse. His hand rose slowly, and both Ice and Shadow answered¡ªnot separate, but together. The air chilled. The shadows bent inward. He whispered the name of the skill that hadn¡¯t yet seen the light of day. Chapter 5: Spell Born in Desperation The air around Arena 57 crackled with tension. Vines surged. Shards of water spun in violent spirals. Dean crouched low near the platform¡¯s edge, his ribs aching, breath coming fast. His opponent stood tall across the dueling ring, arms spread, mana pulsing visibly in blue and green arcs. Her expression was focused¡ªbut fierce. She wasn¡¯t here to play fair. Dean¡¯s fingers twitched at his side, mana beginning to rise like a tide from deep within. Fine. Just a little. He whispered the command in his mind: Skill Activated: Elemental Weave ¨C Ice + Shadow Mana burst through him like a second heartbeat, twin pulses of cold and darkness rushing through his veins. The platform dimmed¡ªnot from any spell she cast, but from his own rising storm. Frost formed across the tiles beneath his boots, curling in sharp spirals rather than smooth patches. The shadows around him elongated, reaching like tendrils, each laced with shimmering frost like glass-thread. The temperature dropped fast. His opponent hesitated, sensing the change. Dean didn¡¯t give her time to adjust. With a flick of his hand, he sent the frost-shadow tendrils slamming forward, not as projectiles, but as chains¡ªglimmering constructs of cold mist and dark energy that slithered across the ground like serpents. She conjured a water barrier, but the first tendril passed straight through the mist¡ªshadow slipping between form and space¡ªand coiled around her ankle. The second snapped up from beneath, aiming for her staff hand. She broke the first with a surge of pressurized water, but not before Dean Shadowstepped behind her, conjuring a long, curved shard of blackened ice mid-motion. She spun fast, raising a wall of vines, but the edge of his blade carved through them, the frost burning the plant life on contact. Ice laced with shadow burned. That was new. The watching crowd leaned in, silent now. The shifting mana barrier flickered to match the magic in the ring¡ªswirling from pale blue to deep violet as the clash escalated.
Dean couldn¡¯t afford to let the moment go. He pressed his advantage¡ªchaining together bursts of Froststep across the field, leaving a trail of slick, frozen shadow in his wake. Each movement made the battlefield harder for her to manipulate. The vines struggled to gain footing on the frozen surface. Her water spells slowed, mist freezing before reaching full form. But she wasn¡¯t done. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. With a shout, she thrust her hands down and drew pure moisture from the surrounding air. A sphere of dense water formed over her head, pulsing with green life magic as thick roots burst from it like a blooming sea flower. Dean¡¯s eyes widened. A fusion spell? She was using Water and Nature together in a combined form¡ªa twisting flurry of elemental whips lined with barbs. The spell lashed out, cutting deep grooves in the stone. One swept across Dean¡¯s shoulder, ripping through his outer coat. Pain bloomed hot and sharp. Another cracked the floor where he¡¯d been standing a second earlier. He Shadowstepped into the far corner of the arena, panting. His head throbbed. His mana levels weren¡¯t bottoming out, thanks to Mana Conduit, but he could feel the strain. The girl raised her hand again. She wasn¡¯t just going to finish the match. She was trying to flatten him. Dean frowned, eyes narrowing. Alright, then. You want to push? He planted his feet and drew on that title¡ªnot just the skill, but the passive power that came with it. The mana around him stirred like wind through an ancient forest. Title: The Elemental Nexus ¨C Active Sync in Progress¡­ Twin circles of magic formed at his feet¡ªone ice, one shadow. But instead of staying separate, they rotated around each other, spiraling together like twin galaxies. Dean reached into the mix and shaped the combined energy into something new. Spell Created: Obsidian Hail Dozens of thin, needle-like shards burst into the air above him¡ªblack with shadow, rimmed with frost, each one spinning like a dagger. His opponent reacted quickly, throwing up a layered wall of vines and water mist. The first few shards struck and shattered. But the next dozen pierced straight through. The shadow let them pass through the gaps. The ice let them slow mid-air, change direction, strike at odd angles. Her defense cracked. One shard tore through her outer robe. Another pierced the water shield near her shoulder, sending a burst of steam into the air. She stumbled back, finally going defensive for real. Dean didn¡¯t advance. He could have. He could¡¯ve ended the match right there. Instead, he let the spell dissolve, letting mist rise from the shattered shards and swirl into the air like vanishing snowflakes. Let her keep standing. Let her think he was still playing safe.
The system pinged in their minds simultaneously. System Evaluation Complete. Cease Combat. The arena platform shimmered, the mana barrier flickering briefly before relaxing its glow. The crowd exhaled like it had been holding its collective breath. Dean stood still, chest heaving, frost and shadow still clinging to his hands like smoke. Across the field, his opponent wiped blood from her lip. Her expression was unreadable¡ªsomewhere between shock and irritation. She gave him a curt nod. Dean returned it without a word. As they left the ring, the system displayed results overhead: Combat Evaluation ¨C Arena 57 Victor: Dean Everett Class: Sorcerer (Dual-Element) Performance: B+ Mana Control: A Adaptability: A Power Output: B Lethality: C- Final Grade: A- His opponent¡¯s score was B overall¡ªgood, maybe better than most¡ªbut not enough to beat him. Dean kept his face neutral as the murmurs started again in the watching crowd. His display still showed only ¡°Sorcerer,¡± Ice and Shadow. Nothing else. But he could feel it. Eyes were turning. Not because he bragged. Not because he tried. But because even holding back, he stood out.
Later that night, as Dean walked the glowing bridge back to the Twilight Vault, mist curling beneath his boots and the twin moons rising high above the horizon, he pulled up his status window.
Name: Dean Everett Class: Elementalist (Registered as Sorcerer) Elements: Ice | Shadow (Active) Title: The Elemental Nexus Skills: ? Mana Conduit (Passive) ? Elemental Weave (Active) ? Frost Shard ? Shadowstep ? Obsidian Hail (Custom Spell) ? Mystic Insight (Passive)
He read the last one again¡ªObsidian Hail¡ªand smiled faintly. He hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface.