Jorik's life shifted faster than time itself.
The Caldereth Estate sat upon a volcanic cliff that overlooked the sea, its blackstone halls lined with soulfire torches. Noble sons and daughters trained under spell-forged gravity, dueled on runic sky platforms, and discussed politics with summoned spirits of ancient monarchs.
As the foster son, Jorik had access to all of it.
But his presence ruffled feathers—especially among the noble youths. Whispers called him a "peasant monster," "system-born freak," and worse. Yet none dared challenge him… not after what he did.
That week, Velquorian Royal Academy sent a formal envoy.
The letter, sealed with a crystal hourglass emblem, read:
> "To Jorik of House Caldereth,
You are hereby accepted into the Velquorian Royal Academy under full scholarship, with immediate placement in the Elite Combat Division, Class of Iridescent Stars."
And as if sensing his journey had truly begun, the system chimed once more:
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📜 System Notification: Quest Complete
Reward: Advanced Class Access – 'Chrono-Blade Phantom' unlocked.
Bonus: 6 Skills Acquired
(3 Assassination-based, 3 Swordsmanship-based)
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🗡️ New Skills Unlocked
Assassination-Based:
1. Veilstep Execution – Become invisible for 3 seconds after a blink. First strike from this state ignores defense and silences targets.
2. Phantom Artery Pierce – Auto-targets weak points in any lifeform, bypassing armor to inflict hemorrhaging damage. Can also disrupt mana flow.
3. Stillheart Killzone – Expands a 20-meter aura of silence where no sound or mana movement can occur. Jorik becomes undetectable within it.
Swordsmanship-Based:
4. Eclipse Fang Combo – A chained sword technique that combines speed, phase-shifting, and curse slashes. Ends with a sealing thrust.
5. Chrono Phantom Form – Temporarily splits Jorik into two timeline echoes that fight simultaneously. Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 mins.
6. Void Edge Counter – Perfect parry technique that redirects force and imbues the next attack with pure spatial rupture.
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Jorik smiled, standing atop the training tower at the estate. His blade, the Chrono-Banisher, pulsed with silent approval.
From battlefield legend to noble elite, and now a student of the most powerful academy on the continent—Jorik's destiny had shifted.
But in the shadows of time, unseen forces stirred… Watching. Preparing.
> "Let them come," Jorik whispered, drawing his sword, constellations dancing on its edge. "I will cut down their fate, too."