On a barren mountaintop untouched by civilization, a man stood alone. His bare feet rested on the barren ground, leaving slight cracks due to the sheer force they exerted. His short, chestnut-colored hair fluttered slightly as the man gave out a deafening roar
Leon Valerius exhaled slowly.
Light began to seep from his skin, faint at first. Then it grew brighter, swirling along the contours of his muscles like liquid gold. His veins shimmered, glowing faintly blue where mana coursed through them like rivers of divine fire. His eyes opened—crimson turned gold, then slowly cooled into a deep, earthy brown.
His breath was steady. His body was still. And yet the very atmosphere shifted around him, rippling with suppressed force.
The sky darkened slightly, as though unsure whether to tremble or bow.
"That's it," he muttered. His voice was quiet, deep, and strangely relieved. "It's done."
He didn't test his strength. He didn't even dare to.
One flick, he suspected, would disintegrate the planet so hard that even the debris and particles emerging from the destruction would destroy many surrounding planets and solar systems.
He lowered himself into a seated position atop the stone altar he had shaped with his own fists centuries ago.
It has been more than 10,000 years now, hasn't it? Or even more? He murmured to nobody in particular. Then he took out a locket and opened it. It had the photo of a beautiful elf woman.
'Master,' Leon carefully traced the picture as he spoke to the locket, 'your disciple, your stupid ironfinger, did not fail you. The final level of the Divine Titan Body Sutra has now been reached. Your dreams have now come true.'
He sat in silence. The wind blew gently as he submerged himself into a very distant memory.
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Start of flashback
"Leon, are you ready? It is almost time. Hurry."
"I am coming, I am coming. Don't rush me." A teenager Leon was led by his hand by a bright girl, who seemed to be in a hurry. They practically sprinted through the busy streets of the Korvan Bazaar and finally reached an area where many other people had gathered.
Today was the day the annual magic aptitude testing began - the most awaited season for every teenager who had reached the age of twelve.
"Look, Vanessa! There are so many people here!" Leon said, his eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
Vanessa, the girl with hair like spun moonlight, squeezed his hand. "Don't be scared, Leon. We'll be fine. I just know we're both destined to be great mages!"
Her confidence was infectious, but deep down, Leon was terrified. He'd never been able to produce so much as a spark of light, while Vanessa could already make flowers bloom out of season.
One by one, children placed their hands on the crystal. Some made it glow dimly, earning polite applause. Others produced brilliant flashes of light, drawing gasps from the crowd and pleased nods from the stern-faced mages overseeing the test.
Then, it was Vanessa's turn. She walked onto the stage, her small frame filled with a poise that belied her age. As her palm touched the orb, it didn't just glow; it erupted. A blinding column of pure white light shot into the sky, and the air crackled with raw power. The overseeing mage, a man known for his stoicism, shot to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Aether-grade affinity! Unheard of!" he bellowed. "She is a once-in-a-millennium prodigy!"
The crowd roared. Nobles who had been observing from their balconies were already sending runners to extend invitations. Vanessa was swept off the stage, her future secured in an instant.
Then, it was Leon's turn. He walked up in a daze, the cheers for Vanessa still ringing in his ears. He placed his hand on the still-humming crystal.
Nothing happened.
He pushed harder. Still nothing. The crystal, which had blazed like a sun for Vanessa, was as inert as a common rock under his touch. A few titters broke out from the crowd. The head mage sighed, a flicker of pity in his eyes.
"No affinity. Inert," he declared, his voice flat. "Next."
Humiliation burned hotter than any magic. This was the worst result.
Even if one had the smallest affinity, they would be able to at least aim to become stronger by training, but for an inert, this was the dead end.
The only hope was to become a daily worker and earn a living wage.
Vanessa, surrounded by fawning nobles, gave him a look of sorrow, but she was quickly whisked away to the Royal Magic Academy.
Their paths, once intertwined, had split into a chasm. He saw her less and less, her letters growing shorter and more infrequent, until one day a royal decree announced her betrothal to a high duke's son.
That was the day Leon's world shattered. For the first time, tears welled in his eyes as he had finally had enough.
Worthless. Talentless. Inert.
The words echoed in his mind as he stood on the edge of the Dragon's Tooth cliff, the wind whipping at his clothes, urging him to take the final step.
"A strong body, but a weak will. What a waste."
Leon spun around. An elf woman sat on a nearby rock, munching on a piece of dried fruit. She was dressed in simple, travel-worn robes, her features possessing an ageless quality that defied categorization as either young or old.
"Who are you?" Leon snarled.
"Someone who sees what others don't," the woman said, her voice calm and melodic, as she looked Leon up and down. "They tested your mana, boy. They tested your connection to the world's magic. But they never tested the magic within you."
"The power of your own vessel."
"What? The power of my own vessel? Why have I never heard of such a thing?"
"That is because you never looked at the right place. How about it, do you want to follow me now? I think that you could be a very strong person." The Elf master said, extending her hands with a genuine smile.
Leon looked at the outstretched hand, and then at the person referring to herself as master again, and then extended his own hand..
"I would love to."