Woah!" Code's eyes lit as he watched the entire thread burn.
However, something was strange.
The thread itself wasn't burning. Instead, the flames danced over its surface.
"What?! You mean it's resistant to fire too?" Code muttered, bending forward. "But this is really cool, though." He smirked, adjusting his grip.
But as he did, his fingers brushed a book, which tipped another, and then nudged the thread.
The burning thread slipped down softly, flames shimmering over its surface. But this time, the scraps of paper scattered on the floor caught fire, and it spread rapidly.
"Shit!" Code's eyes widened.
In no time, the fire swept across the table, engulfing everything it touched.
"If I don't put this out fast, it could turn into a real mess," he muttered, scanning frantically for anything that could douse the flames.
And then—
His eyes landed on it.
A glass of water stood at Van's far right, reflecting the crimson glow.
Code dashed forward, snatched the cup, and sprinted back toward the fire.
'I better get this extinguished quickly…' he thought.
...
"Raaahh..." Van yawned as his eyes flickered open.
He slowly lowered the magazine from his face. I can't believe I dozed off, he sighed, shaking his head.
His gaze shifted to the sofa—Code wasn't there.
"Uh? Where'd he go?" His brows knitted. "Did he bolt?"
Then suddenly, Van felt it—something warm against his fingertips, growing hotter by the second.
"What the—" He glanced down.
And froze.
"F-fire?" he stammered. "Shit, don't tell me—" His eyes darted frantically around the room.
And then he spotted him.
Code crouched by his far right, the glass of water in hand, already tilting it.
Van's eyes widened.
"No! Don't pour—!" His voice echoed across the room.
"Huh?" Code froze, startled by the shout.
"Arrrgh…" Van exhaled heavily.
Code turned toward him, confusion etched across his face.
"Dude…" Van muttered.
"Uh?" Code staggered to his feet.
But his movement unsettled the glass, and a droplet slipped free.
"Ugh…!" Van's eyes went wide again.
"Shit!" Code gasped as he watched the drop fall—silent, and…
All he heard was, "Nara!" before—
Boom!!!
...
Boom! Shrrr…Krrrk!!
The entire house trembled.
Hina, seated at the dining table with a book, jolted as the tremors hit.
"What the hell?" She glanced toward the door opposite her.
"I hope we're safe…" she murmured as the shaking subsided.
...
The library was thick with sizzling steam. Shelves lay bruised, books tattered and scattered across the floor.
Amidst the haze came a cough.
"Cough, cough…" Code hacked, waving his hands to clear the mist.
"Oh jeez…" another voice groaned nearby.
Code turned—Nara stood there, hair disheveled from the blast.
"Dude, what did you do?" Nara wheezed, bracing his knees.
"The thread wasn't snapping no matter what I tried, so I thought fire would do it," Code admitted, guilt heavy in his tone.
"Oh, good grief…" Van emerged from the steam, picking up fallen books. "You could've killed us all, y'know?"
"Yeah," Nara added, still catching his breath. "If not for me."
"Well, yeah," Van nodded. "Your fire saved the day."
"Uh?" Code blinked, bewildered. "I don't get it."
"Arrgh…" Van sighed, stepping closer. The steam was already thinning out.
"We'd have been dead meat by now if Nara hadn't acted. Right before the water hit, he blasted it with a fireball."
"Woah!" Code's eyes glistened.
"Could've been perfect, if not for the thread amplifying the water's effect," Nara said with a crooked grin. "But still—I saved your ass. Now you owe me one."
"Uh… yeah." Code nodded nervously. To him, it felt like superheroes...something out of a comic.
'Can I ever be like that?' he asked himself.
"Stop acting all high and mighty," Van cut in. "Like you didn't make the same mistake yourself."
Code blinked. "Huh?"
Van passed him, heading back to the sofa. "Nara pulled the same stunt when he first tried this test."
"Ehh?" Code whipped his stunned gaze toward Nara.
"Yeah…" Nara rubbed the back of his neck. "First time…"
"But Van! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" Nara's cheeks burned red.
"I did?" Van raised a brow, feigning innocence—but his eyes gave him away.
"You damn snitch…" Nara growled through his teeth.
"No use crying over spilled milk," Van muttered indifferently, his gaze sliding to Code.
"No need to beat yourself up," he said. "At least this didn't turn into the stuff of nightmares - a nucleo-tenzen bomb."
"A nucleo-tenzen bomb?" Code's eyes widened. "W-was that what I just made?"
"Almost? Yeah," Van replied. "That was too dangerous. Guess we shouldn't have started with the thread test."
Code's gaze fell.
"Maybe something simpler would've been smarter," Van mused aloud.
Then suddenly—
"No!"
Van and Nara snapped their heads toward the sound.
Code stood among the shelves, fists clenched, head bowed.
"I don't want something simpler! I'll keep testing that thread until I snap it! I don't care how long it takes or how dangerous it is—as long as it makes me stronger!"
"Ooh, that's some determination," Van chuckled. "You don't see that in—" His voice trailed as he shot Nara a side-eye.
"Oi! You really looking for a fight?" Nara snapped, fists tightening.
"Arrgh…" Van sank deeper into his seat. After a moment of thought, he muttered:
"I can't do that."
"Uh? Why not?" Code's head jerked up.
"Because no matter what you try, that thread won't snap."
"What the hell?!" Code cried.
"I gave you the thread to check your phase in sorcery. And even though you've undergone rebirth…" Van paused. Code swallowed hard.
"You haven't entered any phase yet. Not even beginner—Flow."
Code shivered. He knew the truth. Every sorcerer started in Flow phase. But him?
"Still," Van's voice boomed, "that doesn't mean it's over. Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived this long—especially after meeting a god like me." He smirked.
Instead of snapping back, Nara just hissed and clicked his tongue.
"So… what's next?" Code asked softly.
Van's lips curled.
"I'll teach you sorcery—from scratch, all the way to rebirth. But…" His eyes narrowed. "You sure you can handle it?"
Code's determination flared. "Yes! No matter what, I'll get stronger."
He clenched his fist.
"That's the spirit." Van gave him a thumbs up.
"But don't forget…" His voice dropped to a low whisper.
"Uh?" Code looked up.
"My training is next to hell."
A cold shiver ran down Code's spine.
***
To Be Continued...