The day of the ceremony ended with the clan basking in glory. My sister, Selyra Verian, was already being hailed as the phoenix reborn, her flames lighting the path of our clan's future. The banquet stretched long into the night, with elders raising their cups and warriors roaring in praise.
But I slipped away early.
Because for me, the celebration was just noise. What mattered wasn't what they saw in Selyra—it was what they couldn't see in me.
The Eternal Inferno.
A flame that could end everything. A gift the world would brand a calamity if they ever learned of it.
I sat alone in my room, staring at the faint glow dancing in my palm. The fire was small, no bigger than a candle's flame, yet I knew with terrifying certainty: if I willed it, the flame could devour the entire chamber.
My heart raced with the thrill of it.
But I forced myself to close my fist, extinguishing the glow.
"Not yet," I whispered. "Not until I understand it."
---
The system had already revealed the truth of its function: I didn't have to walk this path alone.
By binding myself to Selyra, every step she took, every skill she learned, every ounce of progress she made—I would receive tenfold.
And tonight, the first sign of that power arrived.
A soft chime echoed in my mind.
> [Your bound target, Verian Selyra, has begun training in the Phoenix Swordstyle.]
[Calculating Rewards…]
[10x Amplification applied.]
You have gained complete mastery of Phoenix Swordstyle.]
[Your understanding of swordsmanship has advanced to a transcendent level.]
My breath caught.
In an instant, knowledge poured into me—not slow, not fragmented, but perfect. My body shivered as if invisible hands guided my muscles, corrected my stance, placed a sword into my hand that wasn't even there.
I saw movements that burned with elegance, arcs of fire that carved the air, thrusts that could pierce steel and sweeps that could scatter armies.
The Phoenix Swordstyle. A style crafted to complement her flames, blending sword and fire into a single devastating dance.
And now, it was mine. Not as practice, not as theory—but as mastery.
If I held a sword this moment, I could execute it flawlessly.
---
But the system wasn't finished.
Another surge swept through me, hotter and sharper than the first. My veins screamed, my chest tightened, and then—exploded outward.
> [Your bound target has increased her mana reserves.]
[10x Amplification applied.]
Congratulations. Your mana pool has expanded to unprecedented levels.]
[Your mana is denser, purer, and more refined than any in your generation.]
I gasped, clutching at my chest. It felt like drowning in a sea of light. Waves of power roared inside me, so vast I thought my body might break apart.
Then the system tempered it, settling the storm into a calm, bottomless ocean.
I closed my eyes, probing inward.
Where most children my age had barely a flicker of mana, I now held enough to rival adults who had trained for decades. And not just raw volume—the purity of it was terrifying. Each drop was worth ten of another's.
I wasn't just standing on the same stage as geniuses. I was already beyond them.
---
I fell back against my bed, staring at the ceiling in silence.
It was almost laughable. Just a day ago, I was the weakest child, mocked and pitied for fainting during the Seeds' meeting. The "extra" who wasn't supposed to exist.
And now? I had flames that could erase armies, swordsmanship that rivaled masters, and a mana pool that put prodigies to shame.
All because of one bond.
And this was only the beginning.
---
My thoughts drifted to Razeal.
The story I remembered, the one I had read before dying on Earth, placed him at the center of everything. The boy who should have been a villain, reborn with a system that connected him to villains across countless worlds.
I knew he hadn't unlocked those features yet. He was still just my brother, the boy who cried as an infant, who learned to crawl beside me, who sat silent but not unfeeling.
He wasn't bad. He wasn't cruel. He was family.
But when his system revealed itself… the world would brand him the greatest threat.
And maybe, just maybe, I could be there to remind him he wasn't alone. That he didn't have to fall into the role of villain.
I smiled faintly. "If you ever ask, brother… I'll help you."
---
The night grew deeper, silence pressing against the walls. My body thrummed with new strength, my mind echoing with perfect sword arcs and endless flames.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I didn't feel like a mistake.
I felt like destiny had finally opened its door to me.
The weakest child of the Verian clan no longer existed.
In his place stood Atticus Verian—the boy with the Eternal Inferno, the boundless ocean of mana, and a system that turned every step into ten.
And I had only just begun.
---