Adrian's training routine quickly became part of his daily life.
Every morning before sunrise, he ran through the quiet streets of the poor district.
Then he trained at the empty field near the outskirts of the city.
Running.
Sword practice.
Mana sensing.
Day after day.
His small body slowly began to change.
His stamina improved.
His movements became faster.
His control over his breathing became smoother.
Progress was slow, but it was real.
And Adrian was patient.
After all, he had ten years.
One morning, several weeks after he had begun his training, Adrian arrived at the field earlier than usual.
The sky was still dark blue.
Only the faintest hint of sunlight appeared on the horizon.
Cold air drifted across the grass.
Adrian stretched his arms.
Then he began running.
One lap.
Two.
Three.
By the fifth lap, his breathing was steady.
This body was already adapting.
When he finished his run, Adrian walked toward the tree near the edge of the field and picked up his training branch.
He stepped into position.
Slash.
Step.
Turn.
Strike.
The branch cut through the air again and again.
His movements were smoother now.
Cleaner.
More controlled.
Adrian continued practicing for nearly an hour.
Eventually he stopped and closed his eyes.
Mana training.
The faint sensation of energy around him appeared almost immediately.
Unlike before, the mana no longer felt completely unfamiliar.
He could sense it more clearly now.
Small currents of energy drifted through the air.
Adrian focused on one of them.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He reached toward it with his mind.
The mana hesitated.
Then—
It moved.
Only slightly.
But it moved.
Adrian opened his eyes.
"…Good."
That meant his control was improving.
Just then—
Crunch.
The sound of footsteps on frost echoed behind him.
Adrian turned immediately.
Someone was standing near the edge of the field.
A girl.
She looked about the same age as him.
Her long silver-blue hair reflected the pale morning light.
Her clothes were simple, but they looked unusual for someone from the poor district.
But what caught Adrian's attention wasn't her appearance.
It was the frost.
Thin layers of ice spread across the grass around her feet.
The temperature in the air seemed colder near her.
Adrian frowned slightly.
"That's…"
In the novel, elemental power normally awakened at eighteen.
But sometimes—
Very rarely—
Someone could show signs of their element much earlier.
Those people were known as natural awakeners.
Adrian studied the girl carefully.
Her breathing looked unstable.
Small traces of frost escaped from her hands.
It looked like she was struggling to control the energy.
The girl suddenly staggered.
Her knees nearly gave out.
Adrian moved immediately.
He stepped forward and caught her before she fell.
The moment their hands touched—
The world seemed to freeze.
A bright blue light exploded in Adrian's vision.
A familiar screen appeared.
[Resonance Bond System]
Adrian's eyes widened.
More words appeared rapidly.
Resonance Candidate Detected
Elemental Compatibility: Ice
Bond Probability: Extremely High
Adrian stared at the screen in shock.
"…Now?"
The system had been dormant this entire time.
But now it was reacting violently.
The girl looked up weakly.
Her pale blue eyes met his.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then the frost around them spread further across the ground.
The system interface flashed again.
Bond Opportunity Detected
Initiating Resonance Analysis
Adrian frowned.
Something told him this moment was extremely important.
But before he could react—
The girl collapsed completely.
Adrian caught her quickly.
Her body felt cold.
Too cold.
Frost covered her hands and arms.
Her breathing became shallow.
Adrian looked down at the unconscious girl.
"…What exactly are you?"
The system screen flickered again.
Then a new message appeared.
Resonance Bond Possible
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
A bond.
That must be how the system granted elemental abilities.
But he remembered something important.
The heroines must not know about the system yet.
Not until they trusted him.
Not until their relationship deepened.
Adrian took a slow breath.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was helping her.
He lifted the girl carefully.
"I guess my training just got more complicated."
Far away, the first rays of sunlight finally rose above the academy towers.
And without Adrian realizing it—
The first major change to the original story had already begun.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note
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See you in the next chapter!