After taking care of Lan and his subordinates, Enrico walked back to the dormitory.
'Since the Constellations approved the pact, I had to prepare a little. I already talked to Kai so he can take care of Lan and prevent him from causing problems. Since I don't know whether I'll be unconscious for some time or not...'
[Are you sure about this? It's going to be based on luck, and from what I can see, your luck is shit.]
'And what can I do? Wait for everyone to surpass me? I need to increase this body's potential as quickly as possible.'
Enrico continued walking, but slowed down when he noticed someone watching him. It was a girl who bore some resemblance to him. The biggest difference was her black hair and silver eyes. It only took Enrico a second to recognize her.
'That's the second in line to inherit the Solcren family. The original Enrico's sister, two years older than him. Platina Solcren Ferreira.'
The girl looked away and began walking away. She had probably come at her father's order after learning about Enrico's victory against Lan.
[She seems to have above-average potential.]
'Yes. She'll graduate this year, when she turns eighteen, and she'll be one of the few third-year students to reach the Fifth Circle.'
[She seems like she'll be troublesome.]
'Well, she'll inherit her mother's nickname because of her metal magic, and she'll also have a second magic.'
The system remained silent for a few seconds, apparently surprised.
[So she doesn't focus only on her main magic? Doesn't that slow down her evolution?]
'It's not that surprising. Some first-year students in Class S already have two magics. We can say that when a mage encounters a barrier in their path, they begin looking for other ways to increase their own power. Of course, there are unique magics belonging to certain families, like Serenya's.'
Enrico quickened his pace and finally reached the dormitory. There was no one around. He had chosen that time precisely because the students would be in the cafeteria, and he still needed to make sure none of the maids were in the corridor.
He looked around and waited for a few seconds.
'The next one won't appear for another twenty minutes. I hope the result isn't too bad.'
Enrico entered the empty dormitory. The room was illuminated only by the sunlight coming through the window. He sat in the center of the room, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his knees. His eyes remained fixed on the floor as he breathed slowly, trying to prepare himself for what was about to happen.
He took a deep breath.
'...Let's get this over with. I hope I'm lucky. Besides, it shouldn't be as bad as the Mana Zone...'
He remained silent for a moment.
'...Who am I kidding? It could be worse.'
It was time to fulfill the pact. Enrico had found a way to break through his limit and increase the potential of that body, but he would have to pay a price. A single step higher could make all the difference in his future.
A roulette appeared in front of him.
Enrico looked at it with an empty expression.
'It's really going to be based on luck.'
He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, desperately wishing that the result wouldn't be bad.
The roulette began spinning for seconds that seemed like minutes to him.
Then it stopped.
Enrico opened his eyes.
[Since your birth... damn.]
His face completely lost its expression, and he slowly stood up.
He had gotten the worst possible result.
As soon as he mentally confirmed the pact, Enrico remained silent for a few seconds before muttering:
'Shitty luck.'
[You obtained the Curse: Fire Cancer.]
[Survive.]
"Urgh..."
The pain came like a hammer blow against his chest. Enrico's heart began to burn—not as a metaphor, but literally. Each heartbeat felt like a small explosion inside his body. He arched his back and fell to his knees, gritting his teeth.
"GAHHHHHH!!!"
The temperature of the room instantly rose. Steam began forming on the walls, while the furniture creaked under the suffocating heat. Enrico's skin began to crack, small fissures appearing across his body as if lava were trying to escape from inside a human vessel.
Invisible flames seemed to surround his body, while the floor of the dormitory began to char. A black coloration spread across the wood and stone like a disease. His breathing became hot, as if he were exhaling embers.
Then, an even more intense pain traveled through his back. As if he had been branded with a red-hot iron, black burn marks began appearing, forming symbols that seemed ancient—perhaps not even human.
Enrico tried to scream again, but his voice came out hoarse and weak.
If it weren't for his natural resistance to fire, inherited from his magical compatibility, his body would have turned to ashes at that moment. That was precisely why the curse only affected fire mages. Any other type of mage would probably die during the first minute.
"M-Merda..."
He managed to mutter before nearly losing consciousness. Tears streamed down his face, but evaporated before they even reached his chin.
Then, an enormous amount of mana was released.
A brutal pulse swept through the dormitory like a silent explosion. The floor trembled, objects were thrown away, and suddenly, the heat disappeared.
Enrico collapsed onto the floor.
Unconscious.
And that was only the first month.
The dormitory was in ruins. Thick smoke filled the room, while the burned wood spread a strong smell throughout the area. Then the door was violently kicked open.
"ENRICO!"
A female voice echoed through the dormitory.
A silhouette emerged from the middle of the smoke. She had pink hair and eyes, and her expression was filled with panic. Without hesitation, she ran toward Enrico and knelt beside him.
Immediately behind her, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"By all the heavens... what happened here?"
It was Angela, the maid responsible for the dormitory. Upon seeing Enrico's condition, she immediately crouched down and, without any effort, lifted the boy into her arms.
"He's... burning alive."
The pink-haired girl stared at Enrico's injured body, completely terrified.
Angela also looked at the black marks spread across his body, which had begun to fade. Her expression changed.
"Is this Fire Cancer?"
Without wasting any more time, the two hurried out of the dormitory, carrying Enrico to the infirmary.
When they arrived, the medical team was already prepared for some reason. Elaris was waiting at the entrance with a serious expression. Angela placed Enrico on one of the beds, and the doctors immediately began analyzing his condition, using healing magic to stabilize his body.
Angela then looked at Elaris.
"Lady Elaris, how did you know he was in this condition?"
Elaris returned her gaze with the same neutral expression.
"I saw an explosion of fire coming out of Enrico's dormitory window and immediately called the doctors. And I probably wasn't the only one. Any student who was outside would probably have seen it too."
Angela turned her head toward Enrico and then looked at the pink-haired girl who still remained beside the bed.
"Do you know that girl?"
Elaris observed the young woman for a few seconds.
"The only thing I know is that she's been rapidly climbing the Rank since two weeks ago. Today she entered Class C alongside a knight from Class D and already intends to challenge someone from Class B."
The two looked at the girl again for a moment, but soon turned their attention back to Enrico, who remained unconscious on the bed while the doctors struggled to stabilize his body.