"I see… a day off. Nice, nice. Gotta prepare myself and plan, I guess," Ace muttered under his breath as he weaved through the dispersing crowd of students.
The announcement from Professor Ratais had been unexpected—a full day off after just one lecture. Apparently, it was tradition, some flimsy excuse to let new students "acclimate" before the Academy's real grind began. Ace wasn't complaining. With the First-Year Tournament barely a month and a half away, every free moment was pure gold.
'Since it's just near noon… plenty of time. Today, I'll practice increasing my Arcane Power,' he decided, his eyes already scanning for the fastest route back to the dorms.
He bypassed the bustling dining halls and courtyards, ignoring the students already gathering in cliques, laughing, planning their free afternoon. Ace had other priorities.
The stone corridors quieted as he reached the residential wing. Room 393 sat at the far end, tucked away like a forgotten thought. He eased the door open, shoulders relaxing as he saw the room was empty. Theron, his infamously disciplined roommate, was nowhere to be seen—probably off perfecting some esoteric spell or rearranging his weapons rack in alphabetical order.
Good. Privacy was rare around here.
Ace sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes. The familiar pull of his elemental affinities whispered beneath his skin—Fire, Air, Lightning—like coiled serpents waiting to strike. He inhaled slowly, drawing the raw ambient energy inward, his mind sharpening as he guided it through his core.
It was difficult, demanding in ways that left his muscles tense and his focus burning. But thanks to the self-taught drills he practiced back at his family's manor, it was manageable.
Time bled away as he refined the swirling currents within himself, shaping them with care, pushing them to hold form longer, burn hotter, crackle brighter. His breathing steadied; the hum of his own power settled deep in his chest, subtle but undeniable.
A faint warmth radiated through him as he exhaled, cracking his eyes open.
[Status Updated]
Arcane Power: C → C+
A small grin curled at the corner of his lips. "Nice… longer use time for elements. Step by step," he whispered.
He scarfed down a quick, unsatisfying lunch—just the last scraps of dried fruit and bread from home—then rolled up his sleeves, eyes glinting with determination.
"Time to train my Unique Ability now," he declared to the quiet room, stretching out his limbs. "I can detach my hand, but not all limbs… yet."
His gaze shifted to his legs. "Let's see if I can get my leg to play along today."
Stripping down to his underclothes for better movement, Ace planted himself in the center of the room, breathing deeply, centering his formidable Willpower (A) like a steady anchor.
The sensation never stopped being weird—dismantling parts of himself at a molecular level, consciously severing flesh, bone, muscle, only to reassemble them perfectly intact.
Sweat prickled at his brow as he forced his focus beyond the familiar threshold of his hand. He visualized the bonds loosening—atoms unraveling like threads. His foot began to tingle, an eerie disconnect blossoming at the ankle.
Minutes dragged into hours.
Pop.
A barely audible sound broke the tense silence.
Ace glanced down, heart pounding. His foot—disassembled from the ankle down—floated a mere inch from his leg, suspended by an invisible tether of energy. Relief flooded his chest as he willed it back into place, flesh and bone knitting seamlessly.
A grin split his face. 'Progress.'
It wasn't a full leg yet, but the gap between potential and control narrowed.
The golden glow of late afternoon faded, twilight creeping in as the door suddenly clicked open.
Ace spun, eyes wide for a heartbeat before slipping back into practiced nonchalance, tugging his tunic over his head as Klaus stepped inside.
The ever-disheveled herbalist raised an eyebrow, grinning. "What are you doing alone, man?" Klaus asked, laughing softly. "Everyone's out there having fun today. From tomorrow? This hellish Academy's gonna truly start."
Ace shrugged, stretching out the lingering stiffness. "Nothing. Just… planning the names of my future children. Seeing if I could find any good ones."
Klaus snorted, shaking his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Plan those tonight, meet them in your dreams. But now? Have dinner with me if your naming's finished. I'm starving."
Ace's stomach growled as if on cue. "Sure, sure. Mom's cooking I brought is already finished… guess I gotta buy food now."
A thought struck him. "Hey, Klaus… you know any part-time jobs around here? Need to stack some Crowns."
Klaus scratched his chin, thinking. "Hmm, maybe. I'll tell you later, after we eat. Now come, I'm hungry."
"Sure, sure." Ace grabbed his coin pouch, following Klaus out. The lingering scent of parchment, magic, and effort clung to his clothes as the door clicked shut behind them.
A glowing status window flickered briefly in the dim room, unseen by either of them:
[Status Updated]
Ace Dragnell — Current Status
Name: Ace Dragnell
Noble Status: Low-Tier Noble
Age: 16 (First Year Student)
Strength: D
Agility: D
Endurance: C
Intelligence: S
Willpower: A
Charisma: D
Arcane Power: C+
Abilities:
Unique Ability: Molecular Disassembly & Regeneration (Rudimentary Control → Slight Advancement)
The innate power to disassemble one's body to a molecular or atomic level and reassemble it at will.
Can regenerate from a single cell or atom.
Current Mastery: Hand and Foot Disassembly achieved. Full limb and complete body disassembly remain in progress.
Elemental Affinities: Fire, Air, Lightning
Skills:
Basic Self-Defense (C)
Survival (Wilderness) (D)
Weapon Forging (B-)
Reputation: Unknown / Low-Tier Noble (among students)
Silver Crowns: 300
Dorm Room: 393