Ensemble Leveling

Chapter 35: Fly My Wings

The mechanical griffon’s massive body collide with the ground as it tried to pounce on him. With Jihoon’s current stats in the moment somewhat equal to it due to the current effect of Linked Song Magic but with the remaining duration, he has to dealt with it fast given his capability and that other participants would claim their checkpoint while he is locked in combat with it.

Scrounging the sensation and memories of his enlightenment to his Intermediate-class Light Magic, Jihoon puts his practiced magic knowledge and proficiency to the test.

Innate is when one only perceives the elements as they are, only the raw imagery depicting them.

Initiate is when one understood the methods and underlying physics that allows the magical elements to gain substantial effects.

Novice is imparting personal meaning into the methods themselves. Granting more substantive power more than just manipulation. This is also why users of same proficiency and element can have vastly different application range and potency of the spells they used.

Intermediate is when one synthesizes and connects the imagery, understanding, and meaning together instead of just sequentially linking them. This complexity allows Magic spell to gain far greater potency or effects.

Using his enhanced physical attributes, Jihoon moved and react as fast as the griffon could be. In the next moment of instant, Jihoon was directly above it midair.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic – Dawn’s Edge

Intermediate-class Light Magic – Daybreak Gleam

The blade of light that Jihoon’s manifested in his hand transformed into that of a greatsword. Far too unwieldy for one of his size and stature but Jihoon proceed to drive the massive blade downward into the mechanical griffon as its edge split the air in its path into a deafening whistle. Threatening to bisect the griffon apart on impact.

The griffon however too detected him quickly using its Wind Magic to detect the airflow surrounding it. Then a maelstrom manifested around it as the force of the wind was powerful enough to propel him skyward. Its MAG stats was 3-digits, far greater than his current state (MAG 60) even with Linked Song Magic.

With his attack off-course, Jihoon quickly used the other Light Magic he has within disposal.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic – Ardor of the Sun

Intermediate-class Light Magic – Prominence Brilliance

Erupted from the ground which his Golden Hour operates, multiple threads of light intertwine into ropes and the effect of Golden Hour enhance them further as ropes intertwine into cables. These large-sized cables the size of cargo ship’s anchor cable bind the hilt of Daybreak Gleam. Then at his internalized command, the greatsword of light is pulled against the mighty wind by the cables of light into the griffon with great force like a double-fold ballista firing its bolt.

The griffon quickly realizing what Jihoon is doing so it tried to increase its wind output to push the greatsword that is falling at it back but once it recognized that it does little. It chose to flee by disengaging the wind spell but it’s too late otherwise as despite its speed, the greatsword crashed into its side with enough force to break its outer hull.

Although it managed to avoid an instant destruction at his hand. It quickly retaliates with fury with a screech as another blast of wind unleashed, this time in the form of razor-sharp gales that sliced through the air like blades. Jihoon twisted midair, narrowly avoiding the first wave of wind blades,

The second wave is when his limitation is tested as numerous grazing cuts inflicted on his body as there’s a limit to just how much a ground-borne like him can maneuver midair.

Landing with a hard thud, Jihoon barely had time to recover as the griffon lunged at him again, its talons gleaming in the dim light. Jihoon gritted his teeth as he once again used another Light Magic of his, enhanced by the Golden Hour.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic – Piercing Glare

Intermediate-class Light Magic – Radiant Onslaught

When a glint of the sun burst through the dark cloud after a bad weather, it wasn’t just only one that followed. More would always arrive as slowly as the dark sky would slowly but surely clear under its radiance.

Multitudes of spears of light manifested, now all of their shape clearly refined as weapons instead of just a stick with sharp end. They appeared suddenly on top of the griffon before crashing down on it as volleys. Its Wind Magic still clearly works, seeing how it actively steering off the incoming barrages although at great strain since the received injury.

Each impact of the individual spear sent a shockwave through the ground, the force of their blows carving deep scars into the battlefield. Dust and debris swirled around them, the sheer intensity of the fight transforming the once pristine mountaintop into a war zone.

The battlefield grew more and more damaged as they exchanged blow after blow. Jihoon’s Light Magic clashed with the griffon’s Wind Magic, the air around them crackling with energy. Each spell he cast, each swing of his halberd, pushed him to his limits. But despite the griffon’s overwhelming strength, Jihoon refused to back down. He knew that if he faltered for even a second, the beast would tear him apart.

Meanwhile, the other participants who had reached the flag hurriedly verified their arrival, glancing at the intense battle before them. None of them dared intervene. One by one, they turned and made their way back down the mountain, leaving Jihoon alone to face the griffon construct.

“Typical,” Jihoon muttered through gritted teeth as he parried another swipe from the griffon. “Everyone’s too scared to stick around.”

But before he could fully recover from the latest clash, the ground beneath him trembled violently. Without warning, a large crack formed, splitting the earth at his feet. The sheer force and damage of the battle had destabilized the mountaint, and the section of ground Jihoon stood on—along with the magic circle he had created—began to tilt toward the edge.

“Aw shiet…” Jihoon muttered beneath his breath once the realization settles in.

With a deafening rumble, the piece of the mountain gave way, and Jihoon found himself sliding downward, the griffon hot on his trail. The broken piece of terrain slid down the mountainside like a makeshift raft, carrying both Jihoon and the griffon with it. The griffon screeched, lunging at him as they descended the mountain together.

Jihoon braced himself, using his enhanced agility to maintain his balance on the shifting ground. The magic circle he had formed earlier began to flicker as the terrain crumbled around him. But he couldn’t afford to let it break—not yet. As the piece of land slid further down the mountain, Jihoon cast more Piercing Glare spears into the ground, anchoring them to keep his magic in place. And to keep this piece of sliding earth from splintering more as they descent into the bottom.

The griffon swooped down, its claws aiming for Jihoon’s head, but he sidestepped at the last second, using the momentum of the slide to launch himself toward the beast. His decayed Judgement of Light shimmered with light as he swung it in a wide arc, the blade connecting with the griffon’s mechanical wings. But before it could dig any dipper, the wind imbuing its outer body reacted as it violently hurled him back into the sliding chunk of earth.

The battle had turned into a chaotic, sliding duel, the two of them locked in combat as the ground beneath them continued to fall. Jihoon’s mind raced as he realized how dire the situation had become. He couldn’t simply outlast the griffon—not when the terrain was collapsing.

“Guess I’ll have to take this fight all the way to the bottom,” Jihoon muttered, his grip tightening on the glowing hilt of Judgment of Light.

With the ground continue to slide beneath them and the griffon relentless in its pursuit, Jihoon prepared for the next phase of their battle, knowing that this might be his only chance to defeat the beast and make it out alive.

The battle had devolved into utter chaos—a sliding duel between man and mythic construct, both locked in combat while the ground beneath them continuously fell. Rocks crumbled, and debris flew as they descended toward the bottom of the mountain at breakneck speed.

Each clash and strike rippling across the magical broadcasts being streamed throughout Cicones. The tension was palpable as the scene of Jihoon battling the griffon on a massive, sliding and crumbling chunk of earth played out for the world to see. The landscape was crumbling beneath them, and yet Jihoon fought on, his Judgment of Light clashing with the griffon’s Advanced Wind Magic.

In the helicopter above, Rosa’s heart raced as she watched the scene unfold. Her sharp mind, always calculating and composed, was now clouded with worry. Her usual frustration with Jihoon’s reckless stunts had turned into genuine fear.

Her sharp eyes scanned the scene as the helicopter's pilot scrambled to keep up with the sudden drop. "Get lower!" Rosa commanded as her voice tinged with desperation. The helicopter began a rapid descent, but the piece of sliding earth was falling faster than they could catch up.

"What the hell are you doing down there, Jihoon?" Rosa muttered under her breath, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of her seat anxiously. Despite her usual composed demeanor, the worry in her eyes was unmistakable.

Her eyes flickered to the helicopter’s altitude meter, but it wasn’t descending fast enough. She felt the sting of frustration as there was nothing that she could do but just watch. The griffon’s claws, the unstable terrain, and Jihoon’s fierce determination were all on display, and yet, in her eyes, it was all too fragile.

Far below in the entertainment district, Karim stood in the crowd, his usually calm demeanor cracking as he watched the screen. His eyes narrowed as he saw Jihoon’s precarious situation—the massive griffon and the sliding battlefield creating a deadly mix. Even though he had always believed in Jihoon’s capabilities, this… this was different.

"You're cutting it way too close, kid," he murmured, his arms crossed as his eyes stayed glued to the screen. Karim had always believed in Jihoon’s resourcefulness, but this was pushing the limits of what even he thought was possible. The consequences of a single mistake were far too high.

The audience around him gasped, unable to tear their eyes away from the broadcast. Jihoon, locked in a desperate struggle, was not just fighting the sentinel but the mountain itself, the earth beneath him tumbling toward the base like a landslide.

People gathered in crowds, watching the holographic screens broadcasting the race, couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The chaotic nature of the battle, the earth crumbling beneath Jihoon’s feet as he fought the griffon, seemed like something out of a larger-than-life legend rather than the reality of the race.

“Look at that! I’ve never seen anything like it!” one of the commentators shouted, his voice thick with shock and awe. “Jihoon Hyunwoon is literally sliding down the mountain, fighting the griffon mid-battle! This is beyond dangerous—he could be crushed by the terrain at any moment!”

“I-I don’t know how he’s still in one piece,” the co-commentator stammered, her voice tinged with nervous laughter. “I mean, the griffon alone is enough of a challenge, but now the terrain is literally collapsing beneath him. How is he planning to get out of this?”

The tension in the audience only grew as the battle raged on. Jihoon’s blows clashed with the griffon’s wind-powered strikes, each hit sending shockwaves through the unstable ground. The sheer spectacle of it all had the spectators on edge, torn between awe and fear for Jihoon’s life.

As Jihoon and the griffon slid down the mountain, the leaderboard flickered. The rankings shifted. And in a turn of events that no one saw coming, Jihoon’s name jumped ahead of the top three participants—Fenrir Snowbreak, Legolas Virentleaf, and Zorn the Ironclad.

The commentators gasped audibly. “Wait… did Jihoon just overtake the top three? How is that even possible?”

“He’s descending the mountain faster than anyone else, but… it’s not exactly the safest method,” the co-commentator replied, clearly still reeling from the shock. “I can’t believe it, but technically, Jihoon’s in first place right now!”

Fenrir, Legolas, and Zorn, who had been steadily making their way down the mountain, glanced at their ranking displays in disbelief as Jihoon’s name shot past them. The realization struck them all at once: Jihoon was somehow descending the mountain far faster than they were. Though not in any way they would have considered sane.

“This guy,” Fenrir growled, her wolf ears twitching in irritation. “I don’t know what kind of insane stunt he’s pulling, but he’s going to get himself killed.”

Legolas glanced back up the mountain, his elven eyes sharp as ever. “If he makes it out of this alive, it’ll be a miracle.”

Zorn merely grunted, his massive form continuing to barrel down the path. “Good luck to him. He’s going to need it.”

As Jihoon continued his descent, locked in combat with the relentless griffon, the spectators, the commentators, and even his fellow racers were left in awe of the sheer madness of his situation. And yet, despite the danger, despite the chaos, Jihoon had somehow claimed the lead.

Back in the helicopter, Rosa's eyes widened as she caught sight of Jihoon’s ranking climbing. Despite the danger, despite the madness of the situation, Jihoon was still somehow turning it into an advantage. She gripped the armrest tighter, her thoughts racing.

“He’s actually doing it…” she whispered, the disbelief mixing with a grudging sense of awe. But the worry hadn’t left her eyes. The battle was far from over, and the griffon wasn’t backing down.

The griffon screeched again, its wind magic swirling around it as it lunged at Jihoon. The powerful gusts of wind sent shockwaves through the air, tearing chunks of the sliding terrain apart. But Jihoon, with his enhanced reflexes and Light Magic, met the griffon’s attack head-on. His Judgment of Light gleamed with radiant energy imbued as he blocked the beast’s talons, but the force of the blow still sent him skidding across the unstable ground.

Karim’s fist clenched as he watched Jihoon narrowly avoid another deadly swipe. “That daredevil… He’s cutting it way too close,” he muttered under his breath. For the first time in a long time since they first met, Jihoon has just kept making him felt genuinely uneasy with his method to the madness.

The audience was split between awe and terror. The scene before them was mesmerizing—Jihoon’s daring battle against the odds, the sliding mountain beneath him, and the relentless griffon sentinel all combined into something that felt larger than life. People held their breath, waiting to see if Jihoon could survive this reckless descent.

As Jihoon and the griffon continued their battle down the mountain, the piece of earth they fought on began to break apart even further. Rocks and debris tumbled around them, the sheer speed of their descent leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

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Every of his movement was calculated in the heat of moment, his mind racing as he balanced combat and survival. The wind magic from the griffon’s attacks sliced through the air, but Jihoon met each strike with a fierce counter of his own, his Light Magic flickering with intensity.

Even as the mountain crumbled beneath them, Jihoon refused to slow down. He couldn’t afford to—not when the griffon was still on his heels.

With one last burst of energy, Jihoon prepared another swing of his Judgement of Light again. The mechanical griffon perceived his action once again prepared to retaliate again with another surge of Wind Magic. However, he anticipated everything for this moment.

Riding on the momentum of the falling rock, Jihoon launched himself forward, halberd already moving into motion.

Judgement of Light – Breaking Dawn

His decayed halberd imbued with shimmering light, performing the technique instilled upon him as he resonated with the weapon. A horizontal swing with all of one’s focus and strength behind.

The halberd’s technique applied during its spell casting which temporarily let down its own barrier of wind. During that moment, Jihoon managed to strike a clear blow into one of its wings.

The mechanical griffon screeched as if in pain, its balance faltering as its damaged wing struggled to maintain flight. Jihoon’s eyes narrowed, knowing this was his chance.

“Now or never,” he only muttered, his focus unwavering.

With the chunk of earth continue to slide downward into the bottom. Jihoon consigned himself into a decisive duel. Numerous eyes laid upon him, the audience, Rosa, Karim. All of them watched in tense silence, waiting for an outcome to be decided.

The griffon, with one of its wings crippled, was no longer capable of sustained flight. It crashed down onto the sliding rock, its talons digging into the earth as it attempted to close the distance between itself and Jihoon. With its advanced flight capabilities diminished, it switched to a more direct approach, its claws slashing out with incredible force, bolstered by Wind Magic.

Jihoon, however, was already preparing his next move.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic – Ardor of the Sun

Intermediate-class Light Magic – Prominence Brilliance

With a flick of his wrist, numerous cables of radiant light shot forth from the ground, wrapping around the griffon’s body. The glowing cables ensnared its limbs, binding the griffon in place and preventing it from closing in. The beast struggled against the binding, but Jihoon wasn’t finished yet.

His magic circle, Golden Hour, was still active though flickering and unstable due to the chaotic battlefield—but it was enough for what he needed.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic - Afterimage

Intermediate-class Light Magic - Mirage Reflection

Jihoon’s form blurred for a moment, then split. His body fragmenting into multiple reflections of himself. Each Mirage Reflection moved as fluidly as the original, indistinguishable from one another, their movements synchronized in perfect harmony.

The mechanical griffon screeched in frustration, unable to discern which Jihoon was real. Its predatory instincts, honed by Sharp Sight [Imitation] and Predator Instinct [Imitation], failed to pinpoint a single target as the multiple Jihoons surrounded it, each reflection moving with precision.

The griffon, sensing the danger, immediately shifted into a defensive stance. Its Advanced-class Wind Magic surged to life, forming a powerful barrier around its body.

The griffon, realizing it was at a disadvantage, shifted to a defensive stance, its damaged wing folding inward as it channeled its remaining strength into a powerful wind barrier. The Advanced-class Wind Magic formed a swirling vortex around it, a shield of razor-sharp gales meant to repel any attack.

But Jihoon wasn’t deterred. With his enhanced mental clarity from Smashing Through Mountain Path and his Light Magic bolstered by Golden Hour, he coordinated his reflections to strike simultaneously. Each of Jihoon’s mirages, real as they are illusory, raised their halberds in unison, their movements a flawless symphony of light and power.

The wind barrier roared to life, the gales cutting through the air with deadly precision, but Jihoon’s illusions moved as one. They darted in and out of the wind, using the momentum of the slide to avoid the deadly gusts while closing the gap.

The griffon’s mechanical body trembled terribly under the combined assault. Its wind barrier flickered and wane as the combined strength of Jihoon’s reflections pressed in unison. For a moment, it seemed as though the tide had turned in Jihoon’s favor, as the sentinel’s wind barrier began to shatter under the pressure.

But the griffon was relentless.

With a deafening screech, the griffon summoned every last ounce of power it had left. The cables of light binding it began to fray, the sheer force of its struggling threatening to tear them apart. Jihoon’s eyes widened as he felt the tension in the air shift. The sentinel, no longer able to sustain its offense or defense, made a final, desperate push.

Forcing itself into flight, using nothing but all of its raw Wind Magic to keep itself airborne. With its remaining wing too damaged for extended flight, the griffon’s body wobbled and jerked as it struggled to stay aloft, but it refused to fall.

Jihoon cursed under his breath as he saw the griffon ascend once again, its body radiating with unstable wind magic. The beast’s flight was erratic, but it was determined to just stay airborne, no longer able to strike or defend—its only goal was to survive the duel.

After all, Jihoon remained confine strictly to the sliding earth that will inevitably crashed into the ground at full-force and take him out of the trial, it doesn’t need to do anything else.

Jihoon’s reflections shimmered, merging back into a single form as he readied his next move. He could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on him—the unstable terrain, the faltering magic circle beneath him, and the relentless griffon now forcing itself to maintain flight. He couldn’t let it end here.

His mind raced, cycling through a torrent of thoughts and recollections. Life and death danced before his eyes. They say epiphanies come at the brink of death, and as Jihoon hurtled toward that brink, something clicked inside him.

With another recklessly maneuver, borderline on suicidal. The sliding rock they were standing on teetered at another edge of the mountain path, gaining neck-breaking speed as it neared the precipice. Using his 500-ish DEX, Jihoon successfully timed his stomp on the border of the sliding rock as the platform flipped upside down and launched of the cliff midair. Right when it was about to plunge itself into the abyss.

Jihoon then falls off it and having no method of flight, Jihoon by the previous momentum during his free fall reached beneath the griffon, thinking he would just crash hard into the ground beneath. The wind roared past his ears as he accelerated downward.

However, it fails to recognize his gambit. As it is now right between the now flipping sliding rock and Jihoon himself. The magic circle glimmers he enacts his gambit.

Golden Hour Metamorphosis. Novice-class Light Magic – Ardor of the Sun

Intermediate-class Light Magic – Prominence Brilliance

From the glowing magic circle that had been anchored to the sliding platform, radiant cables of light erupted with explosive force. The cables shot toward the griffon’s back, piercing through the sky like luminous tendrils. Before just moving past it, leaving it in brief confusion as to what’s going on.

The glowing cables extended past the griffon, anchoring themselves to Jihoon’s decayed halberd, Judgment of Light, binding the weapon toward the magic circle.

Jihoon, suspended mid-fall, moved his body into a stance as if standing on solid ground. His mind, body, and weapon resonated in perfect harmony, preparing for the finishing blow technique.

Judgment of Light – Rising Sun

The halberd, now glowing with an intense luminal brilliance, surged with power. Jihoon swung upward in a swift, vertical arc, as if he were guiding the very sun to rise toward the empyrean heavens above. The radiant blade cleaved through the air, and with the aid of the pulling force from Prominence Brilliance, the halberd’s trajectory accelerated with immense speed and force.

The griffon, caught between the now-flipping rock platform above and Jihoon’s halberd rising from below, realized his gambit far too late. With its wing damaged and Wind Magic expended to keep itself propelled. It could do nothing but brace itself for the inevitable.

The radiant arc of Rising Sun met its mark with devastating precision.

The worst is that it was the same mechanic of using Prominence Brilliance to send the Daybreak Gleam at it at the very beginning of the battle that he performed but just upside down. The same attack at the beginning will now be the final blow to end the duel.

The halberd struck the griffon’s metallic frame like a guillotine, slicing through its body with the force of a divine blade. The radiant light burst from the impact, and in a blinding flash, the griffon was torn apart by the combined might of the strike and the pulling force from Prominence Brilliance. The creature let out a final, pained screech before its body was completely demolished.

The rock platform above them, now upside down and hurtling downward, cracked and splintered under the force of the blow, collapsing into scattered debris and dust as it fell toward the ground below. Jihoon’s halberd cleaved not only through the griffon but also through the very platform he had been using for the battle.

There was no ground left beneath him.

As the shattered remains of the griffon’s body fell away, Jihoon found himself suspended in midair, surrounded by the debris of the rock platform. His body was exhausted, the magic circle flickering and fading as Golden Hour finally began to wane. He had won—but now, there was no solid ground to catch him.

The audience in Cicones, Rosa in the helicopter, and even Karim on the ground below, all watched in breathless silence as the massive explosion of light consumed the scene. Jihoon had destroyed the griffon, but at the cost of obliterating the platform that should have saved him from his free fall.

Nothing left but the open sky and the long drop to the base.

“Jihoon!” Rosa shouted from the helicopter, her heart pounding as she watched him plummet with the shattered debris.

Karim’s eyes narrowed, his heart racing as well.

“This idiot…” he muttered, his voice tense with concern. Even in victory, Jihoon had pushed himself to the brink.

The commentators and audience were in awe, torn between the victory they had just witnessed and the terrifying sight of Jihoon falling with no visible means of recovery.

“He… he destroyed the griffon!” the commentator yelled, his voice filled with disbelief. “But now… he’s falling! There’s no way—he’s going to—”

Jihoon’s body was in exhaustion, but his mind didn’t fail to recognize that he has gone overboard with that gambit. With clarity, he goes on calculating as his plummet to the ground below only has few seconds remaining. Time seemingly slow down to a halt as his mind undergoes recollection in the boundary between life and death once more.

Then he remembered someone, Alvorna. When he first received the title of Maestro when he first arrived in Absence. He recalled the sensation of her hand reaching out to his as she brought him with her off to the cloud stage where they shared their musical attunement with their instruments. Showing their sentiments away from the public eyes.

Away from the angry people who sees him as an unknown foreigner who dares to intimately entwining with one of the most hallowed figures of Absence. The daughter of the Matriarch of the Harpies no less.

Remembering the vow to be there for her that he made with her on the cloud stage as they shared each other's closely-held backstory. And so formed an intimate connection that goes beyond impulse or carnal desires. Jihoon could still feel and recall her warmth, her presence, as if she were there beside him.

He genuinely wished for her before she departed back to the towering Citadel still visible at the center of Absence no matter the distance away.

Like a bird trapped in a glidded cage. He had vowed that he will find his way to allow her the freedom to move beyond the boundary of Absence. From her imposed duty by her own lineage.

During that epiphany, he suddenly realized one thing from the vow and connection that he made with Alvorna. People of Absence used their own attuned element born from birth and nurturing as if it is inseparable from their life. That’s what he had perceived of the people all around him. No matter the races, that’s the shared sentiment between them all.

In other words, from their perspective… their magic and themselves is no different but just one and the same. Their progression and approaches on the level of power was as natural as it could be. To someone like him who only just received it externally, he couldn’t wrap such a concept in his mind.

A profound understanding that reshaped his perception of magic and life.

The stages of magic proficiency he had come to know crystallized in his mind:

-Innate is when one only perceives the elements as they are, only the raw imagery depicting them.

-Initiate is when one understood the methods and underlying physics that allows the magical elements to gain substantial effects.

-Novice is imparting personal meaning into the methods themselves. Granting more substantive power more than just manipulation.

This is also why users of same proficiency can have vastly different application range and potency of the spells they used of the same element. The magic for each person is inseparable from individuality.

-Intermediate is when one synthesizes and connects the imagery, understanding, and meaning together instead of just sequentially linking them. This complexity allows Magic spell to gain far greater potency or effects.

But as Jihoon hurtled toward the ground, something else clicked in his mind—the key to Advanced-class magic.

Connection.

Advanced-class magic wasn’t just about mastering the elements or honing them to personal perfection. It was about connecting with the deeper meaning behind the magic itself. It was about becoming one with the magic, letting it transcend its normal boundaries to achieve something greater—not just an expression of power, but of purpose.

In short, he must stop perceiving himself as commanding magic to do his bidding, but rather… he is his own extension of his own magic.

With the way opened in his overdriven mind, Jihoon’s thought accelerated beyond his known limit as a new spell formulated in his mind.

First, the imagery. He remembered how Alvorna taken flight so freely, how her unfurled wing span seemingly lift her with own ease. His wings, however, were not fully formed, almost fragmented like shattered glass, representing Jihoon’s own limitations and the weight of the unfulfilled vow he had made to Alvorna. They symbolized the yearning to fly beyond boundaries, to ascend to a place unreachable by ordinary means.

Second, Jihoon drew on completely all his Light Magic proficiency, weaving together luminal energy in ways and paths he never had done before. The wings weren’t just conjured, they had to be shaped, crafted with precision, balancing power and fragility. He focused on the essence of the spell, ensuring that each fragment of light together formed a cohesive whole.

Third, the personal meaning. Jihoon poured his memories of Alvorna into the spell. The weight of their shared experiences, the emotions they had kept hidden from the world, and the promise to break free from the chains of their respective fates. These wings, though fragile, were his manifestation of that desire—the symbol of the vow to help Alvorna break her cage, to fly free together. They represented both the hope and the pain of that unreachable promise that even the System registers as highest possible in difficulty.

Finally, the connection. He empathized with her plight, from the suppressed ideality that only taken flight thanks to his unconditional feelings toward her. And in doing so, he recognized her situation being no different than his even if they are vastly different. Together, they are people who didn’t feel belong to the world they’re in.

Why are these hands chasing dream out of my reach?

He may have been a nobody, and she stood above the world with glee. But the shared sentiment between them was one and the same.

‘Break the birdcage, and be free’. Jihoon muttered his incantation.

Is my thirst for normalcy ‘odd’?

As the ground approaches, the sounds of shattered glass manifested from nowhere to be discerned.

Advanced-class Light Magic – Wings that Don’t Reach

Fly, perfect wings.

Jihoon’s Light Magic surged, its substances distinctly different as a pair of brilliant wings of light erupted from his back. Each individual ‘feather’ composed it was brittle like fragmented glass. They were imperfect, flickering with instability, as though testing the boundary of his immature control of his own element. But, they were there and that is all what mattered.

Where have… you been hi-ding?

The wings were wide and radiant, shimmering with the soft glow of dawn. They flapped once, catching the air beneath them, and Jihoon’s rapid and fatal descent slowed.

For the first time in his life, Jihoon had achieved flight—true flight. The wings of light carried him, lifting him from the inevitable crash below. Though unsteady, though still fragile, the magic held, a testament to his newfound understanding and connection to the magic itself.

Bring me to the mind that got me started.

The name of the spell came to him as naturally as breathing, embodying everything he had felt for Alvorna and himself.

It was a reflection of their struggles. Wings that Don't Reach—a metaphor for the freedom they both sought but had not yet fully grasped.

The desire to fly, to reach beyond his standing, but always tragically held back by invisible chains of both others and self. It was that yearning for freedom, that shared sentiment, that gave birth to his first Advanced-class spell even if it is fragile and unstable.

Fly, perfect wings.

Show them who I can be.

His heart raced as the spell took form, lifting him slightly, the wings flapping unevenly. His breakthrough had come—but it was unstable, the wings flickering, struggling to hold their form.

Yet, despite the instability, Jihoon was flying. But even as he maintained flight, Jihoon knew this new power was fragile—still incomplete. His mastery over this Advanced-class spell was far from perfect, but in that moment, it was enough. It had saved him.

He wasn’t yet a master of this new magic—it was raw, unfinished, and unsteady and can’t be repeated enough to drive the point, but the connection was there. He understood the path forward, the steps he needed to take to refine this new power.

The audience in Cicones gasped in awe as they witnessed Jihoon’s ascent. The once chaotic scene of his plummet had turned into something ethereal, almost beautiful, as the wings of light carried him above the treacherous ground below.

Rosa, watching from the helicopter, let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “He… he’s flying,” she whispered, her heart racing.

Even Karim, usually composed, was struck by the sight before him.

“He did it,” he spoken out loud in the public, surrounded by so many celebrating the scene in front of them, a small smile tugging at his lips. “That reckless idiot actually did it.”

For the one last time, if you will…

“He’s done it! Jihoon Hyunwoon has achieved flight! This… this is Advanced-class Light Magic! No one could’ve predicted this!” The commentators were stunned into silence for a moment, before erupting into excited shouts.

Jihoon hovered in the air, the wings of light still shimmering behind him as he steadied himself. He felt the connection, the bond with the magic, and the deep meaning that tied it all together. Though the wings faltered occasionally, they held strong enough to keep him aloft.

Slowly he tried to find proper ground for footing as he could genuinely feel the limitation of his recent breakthrough approaching its limit soon. But his epiphany, the journey in Absence, his meeting with Alvorna have brought him to this very point. All of it together had brought this moment for him.

Promptly descending on the ground again with only a light tap, the wings of light behind his back dispersed into the ether. Though his newfound reach was unsteady, Jihoon smiled genuinely for the longest time as far as he knew.

That’s all.

He had broken free.