Chapter 8: THE SPARK WITHIN

The morning air was crisp as Logan walked to the training grounds. The earth crunched beneath his boots, dew still clinging to the grass. He couldn’t believe it had only been a day since his core was unsealed. For the first time in years, he felt something stir inside him—a warmth, a pulse, a presence that had been locked away for a long time.

Today, that feeling would be tested.

The training field lay at the edge of the inner courtyard, surrounded by ancient obsidian walls engraved with runes for magical safety. It was a place where elite members of House Smith honed their talents—and a place Logan had never been allowed to set foot in.

Until now.

He stopped as he reached the edge of the field. Standing in the center was a tall man clad in silver-gray robes trimmed with deep cobalt. A long black scar trailed down from his temple to his collarbone, giving him a permanent look of quiet menace. Strapped to his back was a wand holster and a dual-bladed spear with glowing runes etched into its shaft.

A few meters away, Rudeous stood watching, along with a handful of house elders and magic enforcers. Even Alice was present, her expression radiant with hope.

“Logan,” Rudeous said calmly, “meet your instructor—Ardyn Vex.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “The Ardyn Vex? The Thunder Reaper?”

The man smirked. “So you have heard about me. Haven’t heard that name in a while though,” he said, stepping forward. “You must be Logan. Heard you knocked a few people flat without even touching mana. Colour me curious.”

His voice was gravelly, the kind forged by years of war cries and stormy battlefields.

“I was just lucky. That’s all,” said Logan in a simple and humble tone.

“Lucky, huh? It’s good to be modest. I heard you successfully developed your mana core when you were only five,” said Ardyn Vex with interest in his voice.

“I did. But as it was dangerous for me to practice magic at an early age, my mana core was sealed.”

“Hmm… nonsense! Why would it be dangerous? I don’t know how a noble family like the Smiths can act so stupid. If you had already started practicing when you awakened, then by now you could have reached a far greater height.”

Rudeous gave an awkward smile. Though he was proud and cold at other times, he couldn’t act so smug now before this man—Ardyn Vex, who was in a league of his own.

“What happened has happened. But from now onwards, I will train you. Be sure it won’t be a walk in the park. So get ready to go through hell.”

“I’m ready to learn,” Logan said, standing straighter.

“We’ll see,” Ardyn replied, cracking his knuckles.

Onlookers were eager to see Logan in action. They were waiting to find out what this boy was actually capable of.

Specially Rudeous and Mirena. Rudeous out of curiosity. Mirena……

Out of concern.

Ardyn clapped once. “Before we start training, you should be capable of feeling the mana flow in the environment. So that you can absorb it. Manipulate it. Use it to strengthen your mana core. So first, sit in a cross-legged position. Meditate. Try to feel the flow of mana in nature. You will feel the pulse inside you. Once you can finally feel the mana, you will see that it resonates with your pulse as you have already formed a mana core.”

Logan dropped into a cross-legged position, hands resting on his knees. He closed his eyes and tried to find the warmth he felt yesterday.

At first, it was like trying to grasp smoke. Mana drifted around him, elusive and formless. He could feel it brushing his skin like cold mist, but it wouldn’t flow inward.

“You’re forcing it,” Ardyn said. “Mana isn’t something you conquer. It’s something you guide. Let it flow to you. Think of it like music. You don’t command a song—you listen.”

Logan slowed his breath and relaxed his shoulders. His heart rate evened out.

Then he felt it—a flicker, like a pulse of light blooming from his chest. A thread of energy winding its way through him, delicate and steady.

He reached for it gently.

A faint spark danced across his fingers. It fizzled, but didn’t vanish.

The observers leaned in.

“Not bad, your ability to feel mana is impressive.”

They hadn’t tested Logan’s elemental affinity yet. But the small spark just now confirmed that lightning was surely one of them—or perhaps it was his only elemental.

Alice was thrilled. Seeing her son arise with potential, joy lit her face like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Logan opened his eyes and blinked at the spark fading between his fingers. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Don’t get sentimental,” Ardyn muttered. “You’re still a baby holding a blade. Now stand. Let’s see if you can walk with it.”

Logan stood, brushing grass from his trousers. His legs were trembling slightly—not from fear, but from effort. Drawing mana had drained more from him than he expected.

“Focus on the spark,” Ardyn instructed. “Shape it into a bolt. Small one.”

Logan took a deep breath, raised his hand, and visualized a stream of energy flowing from his core to his palm. He pictured the bolt—short, precise, contained.

A thin arc of lightning zipped out, barely more than a twitch, but it struck the wooden dummy dead center.

The air sizzled.

Gasps rose from the sidelines.

“Impressive,” one elder whispered.

Ardyn grunted. “You’re ahead of schedule. That’s close to Tier 1 lightning magic already.”

“Tier 1? What’s that?” Logan asked with confusion.

“Wait, no one told you about magic spell tiers?” Ardyn Vex asked, confused.

“No.” Logan replied simply.

Hearing this, Ardyn was disappointed but started to explain.

“Like different elemental affinities, mana cores also differ. They range from Tier 1 to Tier 6—Tier 6 being legendary. The stronger your mana core is, the higher your magic tier is. And the higher your magic tier is, the more advanced your magic spells are.”

“Your father is a Tier 4—fire mage, with latent air and gravity.”

“Even with many affinities, only one becomes your deviant affinity—-the one you truly masters. The rest… remain active but lack the same expertise as the deviant affinity. They are latent affinities. So if someone is a Tier-4 fire mage with latent air and gravity, it means he can cast Tier-4 class fire spells but weaker spells with air and gravity. Maybe barely even Tier-2.”

Logan listened to every word—his mind already forming theories.

Affinities. Cores. Advancement tiers.

A system of magic, rules to break and master.

He didn’t yet know what affinities he had. But this very explanation piqued his interest even more than before.

“Enough with the chitchat, boy. Now try again. And this time, don’t clench your teeth so much. Mana needs rhythm.”

They spent the next hour refining his technique. Logan learned to vary the pressure of his flow, to modulate the intensity of the bolt. It was difficult—each adjustment required precision and inner calm—but with every mistake, he learned.

He scorched one dummy. Then accidentally set another on fire. Ardyn put it out with a casual flick of water magic.

Still, Logan refused to give up. His instincts were sharp, and even when his form was wrong, his intent was clear.

Ardyn watched him closely. The more Logan tried, the more something shifted in the seasoned mage’s expression—doubt turning to curiosity, curiosity to admiration.

After a particularly controlled bolt that left only a small smoking mark, Ardyn stepped forward.

“You’re not just gifted,” he said quietly. “You’re something else.”

Logan blinked. “Is that good or bad?”

Ardyn chuckled, the first genuine laugh he’d given all morning. “Depends on who you ask.”

He stepped back and twirled his wand. “Let’s raise the stakes. Channel your emotions. Not just your will. Magic isn’t just technique—it’s soul.”

Logan hesitated. His emotions? That meant vulnerability. He didn’t like that. But he nodded.

He thought about the years of being on the battlefield. The bruises, the injuries. The pain of losing loved ones. The loneliness. The motherly love of Alice. The quiet humiliation of being looked down upon in this new world, even by servants.

And he directed all of that into the bolt forming at his palm.

The lightning erupted, pure white with a trace of gold. It struck the dummy with such force that the wood splintered into burning fragments.

The crowd fell silent.

Even Ardyn stepped back, eyes wide.

Then slowly, the man smiled.

“Well then,” he muttered, “looks like I’ll need to start preparing Tier 1 lessons sooner than expected.”

It takes a normal person around three to four years to reach Tier 1 mage after awakening their elementals.

But this Logan… on his first day, he grasped the essence of Tier 1 magic. It won’t be long before he will be officially known as a Tier 1 mage. Maybe six months at most.

Or maybe…

Even less…

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