The day after receiving their academy badges, Kael wasted no ti.
The upcoming ranking tournant wasn’t far away, and if Charlotte wanted to survive among Astraea Academy’s monsters, she needed to beco stronger as quickly as possible.
Not stronger by academy standards.
Stronger by future standards.
The kind of strength needed to survive the disasters Kael knew were coming.
Walking through the academy grounds, Kael kept his hands inside his pockets while Charlotte followed closely behind him.
"Kael, where are we going?" Charlotte asked.
Kael didn’t answer imdiately.
Instead, he continued walking toward a large building located near the academy’s training district.
"You absorbed the Werewolf Dungeon Boss’s mana core," he finally said.
Charlotte nodded.
"So?"
Kael glanced at her.
"It’s ti to awaken your elent."
Charlotte froze.
"My elent?"
"Yes."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Ever since entering the academy, she had heard stories about elental awakenings.
Students capable of controlling fire, wind, water, lightning, darkness, and dozens of other elents often beca the strongest combatants.
The problem was that most awakenings happened naturally.
Nobody truly knew how to force one.
"How exactly are we supposed to do that?" Charlotte asked.
Kael remained silent.
Because I can’t exactly tell you that your lightning affinity awakens during a life-and-death crisis in your second year, he thought.
In the original ga tiline, Charlotte’s awakening had happened much later.
During a mission gone horribly wrong.
A mission where she nearly died.
The intense desire to survive had forced her dormant talent to erge.
But Kael had no intention of waiting that long.
If he could trigger the process early, Charlotte’s growth would accelerate dramatically.
Soon they arrived before a familiar building.
The Academy Training Center.
Charlotte looked up at it before turning toward Kael.
"What are we doing here?"
Kael smiled.
"Like I said."
"We’re awakening your elent."
Without waiting for a response, he stepped inside.
Charlotte hurried after him.
Several minutes later, they entered one of the academy’s private gravity-training chambers.
The heavy steel door closed behind them with a tallic thud.
Far away, hidden among nearby buildings, a certain black-haired girl narrowed her crimson eyes.
Lilith stared at the closed training-room door.
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
"What exactly is he doing alone with another girl?"
Her aura beca increasingly sinister.
"Who is she?"
The temperature around her seed to drop.
Several students nearby unconsciously moved away.
anwhile, completely unaware of the impending danger to his future well-being, Kael suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He frowned.
Why do I suddenly feel like soone wants to kill ?
Shaking off the feeling, he focused on Charlotte.
The girl was examining the room curiously.
The gravity chamber was almost empty.
Aside from reinforced walls and a control panel mounted near the entrance, there was nothing inside.
Kael turned toward her.
"Charlotte."
She looked up.
"Do you know the fastest way to beco stronger in this world?"
Charlotte thought for a mont.
"Learning powerful spells?"
Kael shook his head.
"Wrong."
"Then combat techniques?"
"Wrong again."
Charlotte blinked.
"Then what?"
Kael folded his arms.
"Physical strength."
She looked confused.
Kael pointed toward her.
"Your body."
"Most people beco obsessed with techniques and abilities."
"They spend years learning sword styles and magic while neglecting their foundation."
He continued calmly.
"If your body is weak, your techniques beco weak."
"If your body cannot withstand mana, your spells beco weak."
"If your endurance collapses after a few minutes, your talent becos aningless."
Charlotte fell silent.
Kael wasn’t wrong.
Looking at her current academy evaluation, most of her physical statistics remained around E-Rank.
Only her mana-related attributes were noticeably higher.
Even after absorbing the dungeon boss core.
Kael walked toward the control console.
"Your mana potential is decent."
"But your body is terrible."
Charlotte imdiately frowned.
"That was rude."
"It was accurate."
Charlotte clicked her tongue.
Kael ignored her reaction.
He placed his hand on the control panel.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Tell sothing, Charlotte."
His voice suddenly beca serious.
The atmosphere inside the room shifted.
Charlotte unconsciously straightened.
"What is it?"
Kael’s gaze remained fixed on the machine.
"How much are you willing to sacrifice for power?"
The question caught her off guard.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then mories surfaced.
The orphanage.
The bandits.
The dead children.
Her younger brother.
The final words he had left behind.
Grow stronger.
Protect yourself.
Charlotte slowly clenched her fists.
"As much as necessary."
Kael smiled.
"Good answer."
He pressed a button.
Imdiately—
The gravity chamber activated.
A powerful force descended upon the room.
BOOM!
Charlotte crashed to the floor.
Her knees struck the ground first.
Then her hands.
The sudden pressure nearly forced the air from her lungs.
"W-What—?!"
She could barely breathe.
Every movent felt impossible.
Her muscles scread.
Her bones felt as though they were carrying several tis their normal weight.
Even lifting her head beca difficult.
"Three tis gravity," Kael said calmly.
Charlotte’s eyes widened.
"Are you insane?!"
Kael ignored her.
He walked slowly toward the center of the room.
"Gravity training is one of the most effective ways to strengthen the human body."
"Every movent tears apart muscle fibers."
"Every second forces your body to adapt."
"Every breath becos training."
Charlotte could barely hear him through the pressure.
Sweat already covered her face.
Kael continued.
"Most students never use these chambers properly."
"Because they’re afraid."
Charlotte gritted her teeth.
"You call this proper?"
Kael nodded.
"Of course."
Then his expression beca serious.
The playful tone disappeared entirely.
"Now for the important part."
Charlotte suddenly felt uneasy.
Kael drew his sword.
SHING!
The blade reflected the chamber lights.
Charlotte’s eyes widened.
"Kael?"
The pressure in the room seed to increase.
Kael slowly approached her.
His face remained calm.
Too calm.
"If I want to force your awakening, I need to push your body and mind beyond their limits."
Charlotte stared at the approaching blade.
A bad feeling ford in her stomach.
A very bad feeling.
Kael stopped directly in front of her.
"There is a chance this works."
He raised the sword slightly.
"And there is a chance it doesn’t."
Charlotte swallowed.
"Define chance."
Kael smiled.
"It’s roughly fifty-fifty."
Charlotte’s face turned pale.
"FIFTY-FIFTY?!"
"Relax."
"That doesn’t make feel better!"
Kael pointed his sword toward her.
His expression beca completely serious.
"Charlotte."
For the first ti since entering the room, she felt genuine danger.
The sa danger she had felt inside the dungeon.
The sa fear she had experienced when facing death.
"If you want power..."
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"Then prove you’re willing to risk everything for it."
At that mont, Charlotte finally understood.
Kael wasn’t planning to train her.
He was planning to break her limits.
Whether she awakened...
Or broke first.
Would depend entirely on her.
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