In the cafeteria, Ryan's eyes alternated between holographic windows and Elseria. The two ate silently, not knowing what to say to the other.

Between bites, Ryan searched for catalysts that he and Kieran could use to forge an artifact while eating.

"Could I use crushed bones of Silver rank crystal beasts during the forging process to draw the inscriptions into the metal?" he muttered as he stared at articles on the aurora net.

Elseria, who heard his whisper, asked, "Are you still looking for a catalyst for the inscriptions to use while forging the artifact?"

"Hm? Yes."

"What kind of inscription do you want to attach to the artifact?"

"Most blacksmithing tasks require forging a sword. I was thinking of adding an inscription that increases the sharpness of the blade."

"What do you think of using blood from a crystal beast with metal affinity?"

Ryan's eyes shone, and he began to search for a list of crystal beasts with metal affinity.

***

Inside the Lava Pit, Kieran was still sitting cross-legged. His body was bright red, and all of his veins were pulsating. Small red light entered his body faster and faster, causing a pained expression to appear on his face.

His struggle inside the Lava Pit intensified as the fire elemental particles relentlessly penetrated his body.

In the midst of his agony, he gritted his teeth and concentrated. He began to attract the elemental particles of fire that had invaded his body and attempted to wreak havoc, within his spiritual world.

Just as Professor Melia had explained, he was trying to direct the elemental particles to create a vortex.

The process was slow and laborious. The red light emanating from the elemental particles became more and more intense as the vortex spun faster and faster and compressed.

As the vortex compressed further, Kieran felt a strange resonance within him. It was as if the elemental particles and his spiritual world were synchronizing, forming a strange connection.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the vortex solidified into a small, radiant core that looked like a fiery gem.

A faint smile appeared on his face despite the pain he felt.

Panting, he slowly withdrew from the pool of lava, his body still glowing with a faint red glow. A shadow fell over him as he heaved his exhausted body onto the hard rock. Looking up, he finds the manager of the Lava Pit staring at him.

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"You're finally out, kid. Congratulations on forming an elemental core. Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you," Gallus said.

Not paying attention to Gallus' words, Kieran lay down on the ground breathing heavily. The ground was hot, but it seemed cool to him compared to the time he had just spent in the lava pool.

Gallus said nothing at Kieran's lack of response. Instead, he simply smiled.

"Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked.

"I thought I was going to die," Kieran replied between breaths.

"Hahaha. It's not very surprising. Do you have any idea how long you spent in there?"

Kieran frowned, but he couldn't give any answer. With the pain he endured, he couldn't pay attention to the time he spent inside the pool of lava, but from Gallus's words, he suspected that he had exceeded the time that he was granted.

"Have I gone way over time?"

"You've been in there for a little over three hours. I had to send two students away. Another is waiting for his turn."

"I'm sorry."

"As this is the first time you've broken the rules, and given today's special circumstances, you won't receive any punishment. However, you will have to pay the merit points for the extra hours you've used. I won't charge you for the few minutes of this hour."

"Thank you. How much do I have to pay?"

"I have a proposition for you. What if you become my disciple? I'll cover the hours you've used."

"I'm sorry, but I already have a Master," Kieran felt deja vu when replying to Gallus.

"Eh? Who is it? Is it someone from the academy? Who dared to snatch you before me? Know that I am one of the strongest in the academy! You have nothing to lose by accepting to be my disciple."

"I am not the disciple of any person within the academy. But I already have a Master, and I will not change him, no matter what kind of advantage I may receive from you."

Inside Kieran's spiritual world, Runihoril showed a bright smile. A feeling of pride filled his soul upon hearing his words.

Gallus scratched the back of his head as he looked at him, 'It would be a shame to lose the opportunity to train a talent like him who reached the Elemental Core before turning 19. Besides, these bastards from the other academies will arrive soon. They'll probably exhibit their disciples in front of me with their arrogant demeanor. As if I couldn't teach a disciple!'

"What if you were to accept a second Master? I wouldn't ask you to give up your other Master. Besides, he and I are probably different. The things we can teach you will be different too. I'll even let you use the Lava Pit for free a few times a month. What do you say?" said Gallus.

Kieran was about to refuse when Runihoril's voice echoed in his mind, "You should accept his offer. You can train here without spending merit points. It will be of great help to you. Besides, you still lack many things to have a proper foundation. Considering the environment in which he lives, it is highly probable that this man is oriented toward fire-related techniques. His teaching will be useful to you."

"But..."

"Don't be so stubborn. Although I appreciate how much you value our relationship as Master and Disciple, don't restrict yourself because of it. Take advantage of the opportunities offered to you to become stronger."

Kieran hesitated, he didn't want to accept, but he knew Runihoril's words were correct.

"Ok. I accept," he replied.

"Good. I want to warn you that my training will be tough, kid. I'm not like other Professors who pamper their disciples. If you can't handle it, then you're not worth my time," said Gallus, a fierce smile on his face as he used his aurora collar to send a message.

"It's fine with me."

A giant fist entered his vision as soon as he finished his words. He crossed his arms in front of him to protect himself, but the blow sent him hundreds of meters backward.

"Good! Let's start the first lesson, kid!" Gallus shouted as fiery energy leaked from his body.

Kieran, who barely felt his arms after this blow, started to smile. His body, which was tired after the three hours spent in the lava pool, quickly changed, taking on the appearance of a lycan.