---
The cheers of the crowd had barely faded when Caelan's knees finally gave out.
His body, pushed past its limit, no longer responded. He barely registered the sensation of falling before the world spun sideways.
"Caelan!" a familiar voice cried.
Before his face could meet the stone floor, a pair of arms caught him—strong, yet surprisingly gentle.
"You idiot," Seryn muttered under her breath, looping one of his arms over her shoulder as she heaved him up. "You look like a burnt-out mana crystal."
Caelan managed a weak chuckle as she dragged him toward the resting area near the arena edge. "I thought you were rooting for me?"
"I was," she grunted. "Then you went and nearly killed yourself like a lunatic."
Up in the clan pavilion, Velian Stormbrite arched a brow as he observed the scene. "Seems my daughter has taken a liking to Theron's boy."
Theron gave a sidelong glance, lips twitching upward. "Hmph."
Caelan groaned as Seryn plopped him down into a chair. "You could've at least… made that more graceful."
She shot him a sharp look. "Shut up and stay still before you pass out again."
"You're so gentle when you're worried about me," he smirked.
Seryn rolled her eyes, though a faint pink rose to her cheeks. "Don't tempt me to drop you this time."
Before Caelan could reply, a small object sailed through the air and hit him lightly in the chest.
"Ow. What the—?"
He blinked and looked down.
A pill. Sky-blue in color, glowing faintly with mana.
He looked up to see Silas Cromwell casually walking past.
"Mana recovery pill," Silas said without stopping. "Take it. You've got about thirty minutes to look human again. Maybe forty, if you're lazy."
"Thanks?" Caelan said, still half-confused.
Silas gave a one-handed wave and leaned against a nearby wall, arms folded and eyes closed like he hadn't just witnessed a battle between demigods.
Caelan stared at the pill again. "You think this'll fix my broken everything?"
"Stop whining and take it," Seryn muttered.
He sighed, popped the pill into his mouth, and swallowed.
The effect was immediate.
Cool, refreshing energy flowed through his veins like water rushing into a parched desert. The burn in his muscles dulled. His thoughts cleared.
> That's the good stuff…
He leaned back, breathing slower now, the tight ache in his chest fading gradually.
> Crimson Overdrive… that power… it was unlike anything I've ever tapped into.
> My whole body felt like it was alive. Like every cell was screaming for more… and yet completely focused.
He flexed his fingers slowly, watching faint red lightning crackle at his fingertips before vanishing.
> I could feel it—the fusion. Blood magic and internal lightning… It didn't just enhance me. It changed me.
He closed his eyes briefly, reaching inward, willing the System Interface to open.
A familiar pulse washed over his senses as golden text shimmered into view.
---
[System Panel – Caelan Virelith]
Level: 22
Age: 16
Classification: Warrior-Mage Hybrid
Class: Magic Dual Swordsman
Stage:
Warrior Path: Silver Stage (Initial)
Mage Path: True Mage (Initial)
Stats:
Strength: 510
Speed: 525
Willpower: 460
Vitality: 630
Endurance: 590
Affinity: Universal
Skills:
Dual Swordsmanship – Lv. 10
Flame Magic – Lv. 6
Blood Magic – Lv. 6 ^ 7
Lightning Magic – Lv. 2 ^ 3
Space Magic – Lv. 1
Low-Level Regeneration – Passive
Crimson Overdrive – Unlocked
Wind Resistance – Passive
---
He stared at the update, a slow grin creeping across his face.
"Two skill-ups and a new technique added. Not bad for almost dying."
"You talking to yourself again?" Seryn asked, glancing over.
"Technically, I'm talking to the semi-sentient interface of an ancient cosmic entity that governs my evolution, but yeah. Myself."
She snorted. "Well, tell your ancient cosmic friend you still look like trash."
"I'll let him know," Caelan replied dryly, though the pride in his voice betrayed him.
> Crimson Overdrive…
> Not just a technique. It's a statement. A fusion of blood and lightning… An echo of what I might truly become.
Suddenly, he felt it.
A pulse.
Deep within his chest, a rhythm that wasn't his heartbeat.
Thump.
His skin tingled.
His mana core stirred.
Thump.
Power.
His body was accelerating the recovery. Healing at a speed no ordinary Silver Stage hybrid could match.
> The bloodline… The dragonblood. It's reacting.
He exhaled sharply.
> I might be back on my feet faster than they think.
Caelan stretched a little, rolling his neck.
Seryn frowned. "You're recovering too quickly."
"I'm just built differently."
"You're impossible."
"And yet you're still here. Nursing me back to health. It's adorable."
She glared. "Say that again and I'll hit you hard enough to make you need another pill."
Caelan leaned forward, smirking. "You flirt like a lightning trap. Charming and deadly."
"Glad you noticed."
Silas cracked an eye open from his corner. "You two planning to fight or flirt until the final match starts?"
"Why not both?" Caelan said with a grin.
Seryn groaned. "I regret helping you."
He chuckled and leaned back in his chair, eyes closing briefly.
> Thirty minutes, huh?
> They think I'll need that long…
But the pulse within him continued. A power awakening beneath the surface—quiet, steady, hungry.
> I'll be ready long before that.
And when he stepped back onto the stage… he would remind the world why the name Virelith was whispered with both reverence and fear.
---