A Month Passed…

A lot had changed.

And I meant a lot.

Bobo, once small enough to fit in my palm, had tripled in size. He now stood as tall as a young fox, his limbs leaner, his golden fur sleeker, richer, thicker. His once rounded features had sharpened ever so slightly, giving him the look of a real warrior.

And it wasn’t just his appearance.

Training with Rhyzar’s Warforged Golden Ape had transformed him.

At first, Bobo couldn’t even land a scratch. Every attack, every strike, every movement—Rhyzar’s beast countered it all.

But Bobo didn’t give up.

He adapted.

He learned.

The way he moved in combat became sharper. Smarter. More refined. The monkey that had once played and tumbled through life now stood with his back straight, his stance firm, his eyes burning with purpose.

A warrior’s heart.

The enclosure had noticed.

A month ago, Bobo was one of the smallest and weakest among the juveniles.

Now?

Now, he stood among them as an equal in size—yet a superior in strength.

They respected him.

They idolized him.

To them, he wasn’t just another monkey. He was legendary.

The once playful jabs and small dominance tests? Gone.

Instead, they watched him with curiosity and admiration.

Even the older ones had started paying attention.

And yet—

Even after all this growth, all this progress…

Bobo still couldn’t land a scratch on Rhyzar’s ape.

I clenched my fists just thinking about it.

We still had a long way to go.

But today wasn’t about Bobo.

Today was about Chia.

She had awakened.

The moment I heard, I didn’t waste time.

I was already heading toward her house, a familiar path through the bustling streets.

Lina tagged along, skipping beside me, excited beyond belief.

“She’s going to be so cool now,” she chattered. “Chia was already strong, but now she’s going to be, like, super strong, right?”

I smirked. “I don’t know. We’ll see.”

Bobo sat perched on my shoulder, as he always did now, his tail curling lazily around my neck.

I could tell he was curious too.

Chia was many things—bold yet shy, wild yet endearing, clumsy yet sharp when it mattered.

And now, she was a summoner.

The moment I stepped inside, I knew I had walked into an ambush.

Because before I even got a chance to speak—

“Ohhh, look who’s here!”

“The prince has arrived!”

“Chia, your knight has come for you!”

I blinked.

Chia froze.

Then—

She turned red.

Stolen story; please report.

Like, bright, volcanic eruption, boiling red.

I groaned. “Seriously?”

The group of kids snickered.

Chia, who had been standing proudly just a second ago, now stammered, waved her arms, and looked like she wanted to run.

“S-Shut up, you idiots!” she yelled, voice cracking. “It’s not like that!”

Someone gasped dramatically. “Ohhh, she’s stuttering!”

Another nodded solemnly. “That means it’s totally like that.”

I sighed. “You guys have way too much free time.”

“Oh, come on, Akul,” one of them grinned. “You wouldn’t be here first thing if she wasn’t special to you.”

Chia made a noise that wasn’t human.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I came to see her artifact.”

“Ohhh,” someone dragged out the word. “Is that what you call it?”

More laughter.

Chia looked like she was about to explode.

Lina, on the other hand, just giggled, entirely enjoying the chaos.

Bobo, completely unbothered, yawned.

After a minute of torment, someone finally said, “Alright, alright, let the poor girl breathe. Show him your artifact, Chia.”

Chia glared at them all, still fuming. But after a moment, she took a breath, straightened her back—

And lifted her hand.

I had seen plenty of artifacts.

I had seen my father’s. I had seen Rhyzar’s. I had even awakened my own.

But Chia’s artifact…

It was completely, unapologetically, ridiculously her.

The moment she lifted her hands, a soft puff of golden mana flickered in the air—

And then, a floating box of sweets appeared.

Not just any box.

It was pastel pink, round, with tiny golden embellishments.

A small ribbon sat neatly on top, and when the lid lifted slightly, an intoxicating scent of warm caramel and vanilla filled the air.

I blinked.

“…So you really made a box of sweets.”

Chia huffed. “It’s an artifact! Not just a box of sweets!”

I smirked. “Right. My bad.”

She crossed her arms. “You don’t get to judge me! Yours is just a floating book!”

I chuckled. “Fair.”

But as my eyes drifted toward her artifact again, something stood out.

It was… faint.

Fainter than mine.

Like it hadn’t fully solidified yet.

Chia noticed my stare and puffed up. “I know, I know. It’s small now. But don’t worry!”

She jabbed a finger at me, her face determined.

“I’ll cultivate until my artifact is bigger, stronger, and fatter than yours!”

I snorted. “Fatter?”

She froze.

Then turned red.

“I-I meant stronger! More defined!” she stammered.

Lina, standing at my side, giggled. “Chia, are you gonna eat your artifact?”

Chia whipped around. “NO!”

The kids burst into laughter.

She puffed her cheeks, but didn’t argue.

Instead, she opened the box.

And from inside—

A flicker of raw power surged.

The temperature rose instantly.

The ground beneath her feet cracked.

I felt my heartbeat quicken.

Chia wasn’t fire.

She wasn’t lightning.

She wasn’t wind.

She was something else entirely.

The energy that spilled out was hot, unstable, volatile.

Like something was waiting to explode.

And then, I saw it—

The elemental inscription.

Burning letters glowed across the surface of her artifact, spelling out a single word.

━━━ ◇ ━━━

Element: Magma born

━━━ ◇ ━━━

Magma.

Not fire.

Not just heat.

Magma.

Destructive, molten, explosive power.

I let out a low whistle. “That’s… intense.”

Chia beamed.

The teasing was forgotten.

She stood tall, shoulders back, pride shining in her eyes.

And for the first time since I walked in—

I saw her as a summoner.

A real one.

Chia grumbled, hugging her floating box protectively. "You guys just don't get it..." She said, giving the box a loving kiss.

I smiled.

She was still the same Chia.

But something in her eyes… wasn’t.

“So?” I asked, tilting my head. “What’s your talent?”

Chia grinned, her round cheeks puffed with pride. “Oh! Watch this!”

She flicked her wrist—

And from her floating box, a small, round candy popped out.

It hovered in the air for a moment—then ignited.

A molten glow spread across its surface.

Chia flicked her finger toward a nearby stone—

And the candy shot forward like a bullet.

The moment it made contact—

BOOM!

A small explosion erupted, sending dust and pebbles flying.

I stared.

Lina squealed. “That was awesome!”

Chia beamed, bouncing on her heels. “Right?! My talent is attack-based!It's an A-grade. "Molten Infusion. I can infuse everything I summon with molten mana, turning them into explosives!" ”

I let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

She grinned.

But as she glanced at her artifact again—

Her smile wavered.

“…But,” she muttered, voice lower now, “it’s also a problem.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Chia chewed her lip.

Then, finally—

"You know how cultivating your artifact requires gathering mana and using it to solidify, right?" she asked.

I nodded. I remember my grimoire could cultivate mana on its own, pulling energy from the world around it. For me, it wasn't a big deal, but others had to do it manually. Maybe that was hard for her?

Chia’s fingers tightened around her artifact.

"Mine isn’t normal. I can use normal mana, but..."

I stiffened.

She exhaled, rubbing her forehead. “The Magma born element is rare, right? And powerful. But it’s also—”

“Expensive,” I finished for her.

She nodded.

“I need special energy sources to cultivate my artifact,” she muttered. “Without them, it weakens. And the stronger I get, the more resources I’ll need.”

I stayed quiet.

Chia’s family didn’t own a business. They weren’t well-off.

They were hardworking people, but in a world where status mattered, where money determined how far you could grow…

Chia was worried.

And I couldn’t blame her.

She forced a smile, waving her hand. “But it’s fine! I’ll just work harder. There’s gotta be a way, right?”

I didn’t respond immediately.

Because I knew.

I knew that hard work alone wasn’t always enough. My father used to tell me this.

But looking at her, at the way she stood—

Determined, defiant, radiating pure willpower—

I couldn’t find it in me to say those words.

Chia wasn’t the type to accept failure.

Even if the world tried to stop her—

She’d find a way through.

I exhaled, shaking my head. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

“You’re stubborn.”

She grinned. “Of course.”

I smirked. “Then let’s figure it out together.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then—

She punched my shoulder. “You better not pity me!”

I chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare.”

She huffed. “Good.”

But even as she said that—

She smiled.

Chia's awakening wasn't perfect. A rare element wasn't always a blessing.

It came with uncertainty, struggles, and worries.

But standing there, watching her grit her teeth and refuse to back down…

I knew one thing for sure.

She wasn’t going to give up.

And I’d be damned if I let her struggle alone.