Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Unbound
Kael sat beneath the shade of an old oak tree on the academy's northern hill, the spires of Velis Arcanum silhouetted behind him in the afternoon sun. A breeze tugged at his loose sleeves, and the low hum of distant magical constructs buzzed faintly across the campus. Mira sat beside him, legs pulled to her chest, eyes watching the sky.
"Do you think he's always been like this?" Kael asked.
Mira tilted her head. "The Lord?"
Kael nodded. "Corrupting the world's magic, creating shadow beasts to poison everything around them. It's not just ambition. It's hatred."
She frowned. "Whatever he's doing… it's more than just cruelty. You saw what happened at the farm."
They had. He and Headmaster Dalen had gone to investigate the farm after the attack. The land was dying—crops withered in seconds, animals bloated with dark magic, and the air itself was tainted. Omni-vision had revealed threads of shadow mana twisting and knotting through the ley lines beneath the earth. The attack wasn't about food or resources. It was a surgical strike. A test.
"Dalen said the corruption spreads fastest where shadow beasts linger the longest," Kael muttered. "He thinks the Lord—Maledir—is using them to infect the ley lines. If enough nodes are tainted, it could disrupt every natural source of magic on the continent."
Mira's hands clenched. "That would destroy everything."
Kael nodded. "The Lord wants to wipe out all magic."
She shivered. "But why?"
Kael didn't answer. He didn't know.
---
Later that evening, Kael stood once more in Dalen's office. The headmaster studied him across the polished stone desk, steam curling from a cup of bitterroot tea.
"You said I was unbound," Kael said finally. "What does that mean?"
Dalen set his cup down. "It means you're not like most people. Normally, individuals have magic that manifests within strict elemental or skill-based limits—confined by affinity, by form. Even gifted casters follow certain rules. But you… your skills don't obey those rules."
Kael frowned. "How did you know I had Omni-vision?"
Dalen smiled faintly. "When you touched the affinity orb, it didn't react because it couldn't. You don't pull from the elemental pool. You see the world itself. Not just magic, but the systems behind it. That's Omni-vision. And the way you use Minor Teleport? It's more than movement. It's manipulation."
Kael sat in silence.
Then the system notified him congratulations Omni-vision Intermediate understanding.
"Check your status," Dalen said quietly. "Then you'll understand just how far you've come."
Kael summoned the window.
---
Name: Kael
Level 43
Strength: 50
Intelligence: 100
Dexterity: 30
Perception: 50
Endurance: 40
Willpower: 50
Agility: 30
Unspent Stat Points: 24
Equipment:
Magic Bag
Balen's Sword
Light Leather Armor
Skills:
Minor Teleport (Master understanding)
Omni-Vision (Intermediate understanding)
---
Kael lowered his hand, the glow of the status window fading from his eyes.
"There's still so much I don't know," he said. "About being unbound. About Omni-vision."
Dalen nodded. "And you'll learn. But be careful, Kael. Power like this makes you a target—not just for Maledir, but for the world."
Kael stood. "Let them come."
His voice was steady.
I've already died once. I won't let this world fall—not while I'm in it.