The third night in the Reject Wing was different.
No rats.
No strange scratching in the ceiling.
Just silence.
But Aeron couldn't sleep. Not with the pulse.
That quiet, thumping rhythm inside his chest—not a heartbeat, but something deeper. A second pulse. Faint, strange, not human.
And it was getting louder.
The black stone door at the end of the ruined hallway was calling him again.
He stepped out of his room just past midnight.
No moonlight—only the glow of half-broken crystal lamps flickering overhead.
He moved like a shadow, careful, quiet.
The others in the Reject Wing were either asleep or trying to forget they existed. No one noticed as he reached the end of the hallway.
The vines had withered.
The stone felt warmer now.
The markings across the door were no longer hidden—they blazed faint gold, curling like veins of fire.
And this time, when he placed his palm on it…
It opened.
No creak. No boom.
Just silence as the heavy black slab melted inward, revealing a spiral stairwell made of obsidian, leading deep underground.
No hesitation.
Aeron stepped in.
The air changed instantly.
No dust. No cobwebs.
Just clean, cold pressure—like the space itself wanted him here.
The stairs curved downward for what felt like forever, until they ended at a circular chamber carved into a crystal-lined cavern.
At the center stood a pedestal.
And on that pedestal, floating silently in the air, was a cracked sphere of light—barely holding together, but alive.
Aeron approached slowly, breathing shallow, eyes fixed.
He could feel the sphere pulling at him. Not his body—his soul.
"You were broken open..."
The whisper came again. Louder now. Clearer.
"So now you can be rebuilt."
He reached out—and the moment his fingers brushed the light, it exploded.
Not outward.
Inward.
Light pierced through his skull. His chest. His spine.
His mind split wide open—no pain, just pure overload.
Images.
Symbols.
Systems.
A thousand broken fragments of power, all weaving through him like living circuits.
Then—choice.
[System Fusion Detected]
Your core has been forcibly sealed. Standard class paths inaccessible.
Activating REBUILD PROTOCOL...
Matching fragments found. Three compatible power paths selected:
🩸 Soul Healer – Uses pain as a currency. Can redirect, suppress, or weaponize injury.
⚡ Stormborn Mage – Controls unstable lightning-based spells. Fast, violent, wild.
🐺 Combat Hybrid (Flash Stepper) – Focused on movement, counter-attacks, and rhythm combat.
Begin fusion?
Aeron didn't even hesitate.
"Begin."
It hit him like a tidal wave.
He dropped to his knees, fists clenched, as power—not borrowed, but rebuilt—began filling the empty space where his core used to be.
Each path wove into the next, not stacking—but syncing.
The healer inside him sparked first. A glowing thread of blue light wrapped around his arms, sinking into his blood. He could feel his heartbeat sharpen—like it had become a weapon. His pain was no longer just pain.
The mage came next. Lightning tore through his nerves, chaotic but familiar. It didn't burn—it reminded him of what being alive felt like. His muscles twitched. His vision sharpened. Sparks danced between his fingers.
The martial path followed like a pulse of gravity. His feet planted deeper. His breath slowed. His awareness shifted. It wasn't power—it was presence.
When it ended, he collapsed onto his back, staring up at the crystal-lit ceiling, sweat pouring down his face.
His limbs ached.
His mind raced.
And then—
[New Core Reconstructed]
Power Type: Triple Hybrid
Paths: Soul Healer | Stormborn Mage | Flash Step Combatant
Rank: F (Reawakened)
Status: UNREGISTERED
Detection: BLOCKED
You have no records. No restrictions. No limits.
Aeron laughed.
Actually laughed.
"So that's how we're doing it now?"
He sat up slowly, still buzzing with static. His body felt heavier—but alive. Real.
"They sealed me…"
"But they didn't delete me."
On the pedestal, where the light had once floated, now sat a simple black ring.
Unmarked. Cold to the touch.
When he picked it up, a small thread of text appeared in the air:
[Bind: Unrecorded]
A ring that masks your presence from detection spells, system scans, and academy monitors.
Congratulations, you're invisible now.
Aeron smirked. "Stealth mode. I like it."
He slid it onto his finger.
By the time he climbed back to the Reject Wing, the sun was starting to rise.
Birds were singing.
The Academy bell rang from the main tower in the distance.
And somewhere in the noble dorms, Thorne Valen was probably sipping tea and smiling like he still ruled the world.
Good.
Let him smile.
Let them all relax.
Because starting now?
The real game was beginning.
Back in his room, Aeron took a deep breath and exhaled.
He looked at his hand.
Blue light flickered along his veins.
Not strong yet—but growing.
He opened his stolen notebook and flipped to a blank page.
[Abilities – Day One]
Not given. Built from scratch.
1. Pain Split (Soul Healer)
Split your pain into a phantom copy and redirect it to another target.
Cost: stamina + internal cooldown
Early use: can transfer damage taken in battle onto the enemy
2. Spark Pulse (Stormborn)
Release a burst of lightning from your body in a small radius.
Effect: stuns nearby targets for 0.5s and boosts next movement by 20%
Great for opening surprise moves
3. Rhythm Break (Flash Stepper)
Read the tempo of a fight, then disrupt it with a burst move.
Low damage, high interruption
Timing is key
These aren't final. Just the start.
He closed the notebook and stared out the broken window.
The academy was waking up.
Students walking across the central grounds in robes of every color.
Teachers flying overhead on summoned beasts.
Training bells echoing from the East Wing's martial hall.
And him?
Still trapped in the shadows.
Still F-rank.
Still forgotten.
"Let's keep it that way for now."
He smiled to himself.
"They'll see me when I'm ready. Not before."
[End of Chapter 3]