One hundred per cent."
Silence.
Her eyes narrowed. "A hundred? The highest recorded at your age is seventy-five, and that belongs to the current genius of Thaelon. And you're telling me yours is one-hundred?"
"Well, none of it gets wasted," he muttered.
Eleanor's gaze flickered. Pride? Envy? Yet, she schooled her features back into calm.
Elvira leaned back, lips curling. "I guess... you're either blessed by heaven or just incredibly lucky."
She guided them to a secluded clearing, untouched by anyone, only a calm and serene breeze, drifting through the rustling grass.
"Sit. Now close your eyes and focus on yourselves," she instructed.
Vergil and Eleanor obeyed instinctively, settling into a meditative stance that made them comfortable.
"Vergil," she said firmly. "Your core is volatile. Don't crush it; instead, guide it. Match its rhythm with yours. Force it, and it'll explode."
She turned to Eleanor. "You've already formed your Circle. Just gather mana from the surrounding area and deepen it."
Eleanor nodded, already drawing her mana inward with practised grace.
As for Vergil, his breath became ragged, sweat prickling his skin. His mana throbbed inside of him as he focused on creating his circle.
For a moment, the flow stabilised, and a ring began to form.
Crack.
A sharp pulse burst from within his core, shattering the formation. His mana surged outward violently. His body tensed.
[System Notice: Instability has been detected.]
[Warning, please control your rhythm.]
Vergil gave a dry smile. Nice of you to finally care.
He gritted his teeth. His mana wasn't resisting—it was overreacting.
[You're forcing it, you have to sync with it and guide your mana.]
"Got it."
He breathed deeper. This time, going with the wild flow. He let it pulse briefly, redirecting and not resisting. And it obeyed. The chaos inside slowed, and the rhythm stabilised.
Elvira's eyes narrowed. "Good. You're adjusting. Keep going and draw your circle on your mana heart."
Vergil smirked but stayed focused. The flow steadied further. A faint ring of mana began to take shape on his heart.
Then. Swoosh.
The instability vanished.
[Magic Power has increased by 5. You have created your First Circle.]
Vergil finally exhaled as sweat dripped down his temple. His breath even turned a faint blue from the reminiscent mana.
Elvira gave him a long look, then nodded once. "Not bad. But this is only the first step. To advance, you'll need way more Astralyth cores and time. Even prodigies take their time with this."
She glanced up at the fading sky, now sinking beneath the earth. "Let's end our lesson here. Get some rest."
Vergil's stomach growled.
[Fatass.]
"Shut it. But thanks for the assist."
[Anytime.]
Standing at the doorway of Elvira's home, Vergil paused and was curious before asking. "Elvira, how do I compare to the students at the academy?"
Elvira smirked. "In terms of potential, you're among the top. But strength? You're nowhere near their level."
She scoffed. "You'd be dead in seconds," not cruelly, but like a blacksmith testing the strength of steel before it's ready to forge the weapon.
Vergil frowned and narrowed his eyes. "How strong are they?"
"They don't use the adventurer ranking system. That's just for low-tier monsters. Adventurers only go up to C-class, barely able to handle a Tier 1 beast with a solid party. The academy, though? They operate on the same system as the Tiers: Tier 0 through Tier 7."
Vergil's blood flowed faster than ever. A place for monsters. A place where he wanted to be.
"Can you recommend us?" he asked.
Eleanor blinked. "Vergil... you seriously want to go? Knowing you'd be completely outclassed?"
"I need to," he said simply.
Elvira tilted her head. "Prove your worth in a month. Refine your Circle. Show me you can fight. Otherwise? You're not ready to go."
Her tone darkened. "Because if you go as you are now… You won't last a single day."
Vergil didn't flinch. A slow grin spread across his face.
Perfect.
Eleanor only sighed. "You're insane."
Vergil turned to her, eyes burning. "I will prove myself."
Elvira chuckled low. "Then train. Because if you fail… you're staying here."
As they stepped out into the night, a soft wind stirred. The path ahead was clearer than ever. All they had to do was walk the path.
However, before leaving completely, Eleanor paused and turned back.
"…Do you have something I could borrow for the night?"
With a knowing look, Elvira threw her a cosy nightgown. "Girl, try not to get too cosy. Before you realise it, you'll be training."
Despite rolling her eyes, Eleanor followed Vergil silently and whispered a grudging thank you. By the time they got back, the sky had already transformed into a deep ink-blank.
They headed to their shared room after a filling dinner. Sinking on the bed, Vergil's mind whirled around what Elvira had spoken.
I'm still too weak.
His gaze drifted to the dagger on the table, its edge reflecting a dim light from the light above.
'I should switch to a sword tomorrow.'
Eleanor stepped out of the shower, door creaking behind her, as she adjusted the nightgown Elvira tossed her.
Vergil respectfully looked away after a glance.
"Sleeping already?" she asked, drying her hair with a towel.
"Yeah."
She slid under the covers opposite him. A moment of quietness passed.
"…I never asked," she said quietly, "but what's your real goal?"
Vergil didn't move for a moment. Then, with calm certainty, he replied.
"To make the world mine." The words came out like a tune, perfected to his standards.
She smiled faintly, not out of mockery this time, but something quieter. Something that almost looked like belief, and that scared her a little.
"The whole world? That's... ambitious."
"I do not care if it sounds impossible," he said. "I will do it. And I will not stop until I have it for myself."
She studied him. The fire in his eyes glowed ever so brightly.
"...You're crazy, you know that?" she said softly.
Vergil only grinned. "Don't you know, only the mad can change the world."
Eleanor let out a breath. A small smile tugged at her lips.
"Then I guess I'll have to stick around and see how far that madness takes you."
Vergil closed his eyes, a quiet chuckle escaping him.