❄️ Elemental Rebirth: Aokiji's Awakening
Chapter 3: Trial of the Glacial Wolf
The skies above Frosthowl Forest were darkening, clouds thick with snow hanging low like a warning. Frosthowl was a known beast zone — the academy usually avoided it during unstable weather. But today, the instructors had made an exception.
"Low-risk training exercise," Instructor Mu had said.
"Just Frost Rabbits and Ice Beetles. Perfect for first-years."
But something felt… wrong.
The wind howled unnaturally through the trees. The ice underfoot cracked where it shouldn't. And Aokiji, walking at the rear of the group with his long coat fluttering like shadowed snow, kept glancing toward the northern ridge.
🧭 Into the Wild
Groups of students split up, each tasked with finding and subduing a beast with their basic spells.
Aokiji partnered with a timid boy named Ren, who couldn't even cast a clean Fire Spark without setting his shoes on fire.
"Why did we get paired?" Ren muttered. "I heard you're some emotionless Ice freak…"
Aokiji didn't answer. He crouched, brushing his fingers across the snow.
"Tracks," he murmured.
"Frost Rabbit?"
"No. Too large. Clawed."
They moved cautiously, the snow thickening. And then — from the trees — a low, rumbling growl.
🐺 The Glacial Wolf Appears
The trees exploded as a massive creature lunged from the ridge — a Glacial Wolf, twice the size of a normal one, eyes glowing with corrupted mana. Its breath came out in steam, and frost clung to its fur like armor.
"That's not in the exam plan!!" Ren screamed.
The wolf snarled and charged.
Aokiji stood his ground.
"Get back," he said.
Ren didn't need to be told twice.
The Glacial Wolf pounced — claws outstretched.
Aokiji raised one hand.
"Frostbind: Chain Root."
Ice erupted beneath the beast, forming into jagged chains that latched around its limbs mid-air. It crashed into the snow, howling.
But the wolf's body pulsed — a second burst of corrupted mana shattered the chains instantly.
It was too strong.
Aokiji stepped back, calmly.
His left hand sparked.
"You shouldn't have chased me."
He raised it — the pendant at his chest glowing like a storm ready to break.
"Arc Bolt."
A golden flash lit up the forest.
CRACK!
The lightning bolt struck the wolf square in the chest, sending it flying into a tree trunk with a deafening snap of bone and bark.
Silence.
The snow began to fall again.
Ren stared, wide-eyed, from behind a rock.
"Y-you… you used Lightning!?"
Aokiji turned toward him, eyes unreadable.
"Don't tell anyone."
Ren gulped. "R-right."
But someone else had already seen.
High in the trees, Instructor Mu Xiaoyu stood hidden behind a spell of silence, her expression unreadable.
"So it's true…" she whispered. "Triple element… and he's only at Novice."
🏫 Back at the Academy
News of the Glacial Wolf attack spread fast. Students exaggerated every detail — some said the wolf was five meters tall, others claimed it was a magical experiment gone wrong.
What they all agreed on… was that Aokiji Linfeng had saved a classmate alone — and did it with a technique that no other Novice should possess.
But no one could prove anything.
No one could explain the scorch marks.
Or the clawed corpse of the beast found frozen, then shattered.
Aokiji simply sat in his room that night, watching the snow fall outside.
He opened his hand.
A spark of flame danced above his palm.
A thread of lightning buzzed above the other.
And his breath turned to frost as his aura chilled the air.
"They're waking up…"
The pendant pulsed — this time, warm.