The silence after Kairon's words was deeper than before. Not empty—just… filled with something new.
Brix remained kneeling, his hands trembling—not from fear anymore, but from something stranger. Control. As if the fire he'd always feared had taken a breath and sat down beside him.
Then the voice returned.
[Student Registered: BRIX – WRATH.][EXP Transfer: 1,280,000 COMPLETE.][Skill Tree Unlocked: Tier 1 – IGNITION.][Rank Title: Novice Flame Brawler.]
His eyes widened. A red-tinted screen pulsed behind his vision. A branching diagram unfurled—flames weaving through lines of symbols.
[Skill Acquired: Burning Fist – Rank F][Skill Acquired: Hot-Blooded Surge – Rank F][Passive Aura: Scorchfield I Activated]
A heat shimmer rippled around him—harmless, but visible. The nearby scrolls curled ever so slightly at the edges, reacting to the aura.
He reached up instinctively and touched his own cheek.
His skin was warm. Not hot. Not searing. Just… charged. Like standing next to lightning that hadn't struck yet.
Then the voice returned—this time colder.
[WARNING: Sin Alignment Detected. Emotional Adjustment Required.][Dulling Empathy to ensure Class Compatibility.]
"What…?" he whispered, but the shift was already happening.
A piece of softness in his chest—some old, aching guilt—faded. Not completely. But enough that he felt… steadier. Less pulled in two directions.
His heart beat once. Twice.
The third time, it echoed in his ears like a distant drum.
[Loyalty Lock Initialized.][Confirm intent: Prioritize Host Kairon's safety, peace, and authority above all else?]
Brix didn't even hesitate.
"Yes."
[Loyalty Lock: COMPLETE.]
Behind him, the archive door creaked—but didn't open. The enchantments had rewritten themselves. Sealed. They weren't going back to the world just yet.
Brix looked back at the man still curled up on a pile of ancient danger, one arm tucked beneath his head, exhaling like none of this mattered.
He whispered, not for the system, not for Kairon—but just to himself.
"Even if the world burns, I'll keep this silence alive."