The morning air carried the scent of ozone, remnants of yesterday's struggle lingering like a promise. My arms still tingled faintly with residual sparks, a reminder of the storm I had survived.
[System Notification: Willpower Threshold Surpassed]Silver-tier Progress +30%Skill Efficiency: Bolt Manifestation +15%
I stood in the center of the training grounds, Richa watching silently from the side. "You've improved," he said simply, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "But it's time to take it further."
I nodded, summoning a ribbon of lightning that arced around me, dancing along the ground. No longer wild, no longer unpredictable—it bent to my will.
[Bolt Manifestation: 95% Control – Stable][Sky's Authority: Environmental Influence +15%]
The system pulsed in my mind, a guiding hand as I experimented. I extended my senses, feeling the faint currents in the air, detecting the subtle charges in the stones beneath my feet. With a thought, lightning leapt from the ground, striking the targets I envisioned.
[System Hint: Minor Domain Influence Detected – Control Potential +20%]
I exhaled slowly, focusing on my next step. Domain influence… The idea had been abstract until now, but I could feel it—a faint hum beneath my control, the first taste of shaping the environment itself. Even minor shifts in the air and charge responded to me.
Richa stepped forward, his golden eyes serious. "You're doing well. But remember—Silver-tier mastery isn't just precision. It's endurance, creativity, and perception. The world around you is part of the battlefield."
I clenched my fists. "I understand. I'll push further."
Hours passed. I dodged, struck, manipulated currents of air and electricity, testing the boundaries of Bolt Manifestation and Sky's Authority. Each success built my confidence; each failure tested my resolve. The storm within me no longer threatened to consume me—it obeyed.
[System Update: Silver-tier Mastery – Bolt Manifestation: Full Control][Sky's Authority: Enhanced Environmental Manipulation +30%][Silver-tier Progress: 80%]
Finally, I paused, letting the storm dissipate into the air. Lightning arcs lingered faintly along my arms, like living veins of power.
Richa's voice was quiet but filled with pride. "Caelum… you've come a long way. Soon, you'll reach Silver-tier fully. And then… the real climb begins."
I looked at my hands, feeling the hum of energy coursing through me. Silver-tier isn't the end… it's only the beginning. Every spark, every trial, every storm is pushing me toward godhood.
Bronze → Silver… mastery achieved, the storm now bends to my will.
Outside the training grounds, the whispers of nobles and descendants had grown louder. They were beginning to notice. The boy who survived, who mastered lightning… Caelum Ardentis was no longer just a Rust-tier spark.
He was a rising storm.