Back in the field, Bahamut slowly stood up. The moment he did, the intensity dropped noticeably, like a pressure being released. The heat receded. The sunlight softened. The world... returned to normal.

...

Elsewhere...

"It’s gone."

"Huh?"

"The heat. It just... stopped."

"That was weird."

"Yeah... really weird."

Some shrugged it off, some laughed it away, but a few stayed quiet, thinking.

...

Elder Silvia remained still for a moment longer before exhaling softly.

"That boy..."

There was no confusion in her eyes, only certainty.

"He’s starting to affect things beyond himself. Just what are you really?"

Even though she had felt his presence and aura, and had her suspicions as to who or what he was, in fact, his true background and identity, the feats he was performing at just Tier 1 were too mind-blowing. Even she, with all her power, couldn’t affect the environment as much as he did. The most she could do was conjure a sea out of nowhere. Water was in the environment, and that atmosphere, so she could do that. But to affect the sun to the extent that everyone could feel the heat was something only Tier 5 and beyond could do.

...

Back in the field, Bahamut stretched lightly, completely unaware of the ripple he had just caused.

"Feels good."

He rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers again as a faint trace of light flickered and vanished. Then, he paused for just a moment. His head tilted slightly upward.

"Hm."

The sun. It felt... Closer. Not physically, but connected. He stared at it for a second longer before shaking his head with a small chuckle.

"I’m probably overthinking it."

And just like that, he walked off. Leaving behind a field that, for a brief moment, had almost felt like the center of the sun itself. Not literally, though.

...

The next day came with a quiet resolve.

Bahamut returned to the same open field before the sun had fully risen, the sky painted in soft hues of gold and orange. The air was cooler, calmer, untouched by the intensity that had gripped the sect the previous day.

He stood there for a moment, staring up.

"Today."

No jokes.

No distractions.

Just one goal.

Push Light to 50%.

He sat down again, crossing his legs, his expression far more serious than before. His blindfold rested around his neck once more as his eyes slowly closed.

"Inhale..."

"Exhale..."

The world faded.

...

He descended into himself once again.

The inner space greeted him, vast and endless, the six cores floating in their familiar positions. But this time, they felt... different. The light core was no longer weak.

It glowed brighter than before, no longer a flickering candle but a steady flame. Still smaller than the others, but no longer insignificant.

Bahamut hovered before it.

"We’re not stopping halfway."

He reached out. The moment his consciousness touched the light core, it responded. Bright, sharp, and powerful. It was not rejecting him like before, but it was not yielding either.

"Good."

He pushed deeper.

...

Outside, the sun rose higher. Its rays fell directly onto him.

First hour. Nothing strange. Just heat and light, controlled.

...

Second hour.

The light began to gather again. Faint streams of golden radiance drifted toward Bahamut’s body, subtle at first, like threads being pulled.

Inside, the light core pulsed stronger. Bahamut held it steady, guided it, and pulled more.

...

Third hour.

That was when something went wrong. The fire core reacted without warning.

BOOM!

Inside his consciousness, flames surged violently, expanding outward as if provoked by the growing light. Bahamut’s focus snapped.

"Tch!"

The heat spiked.

Outside, the temperature around him surged again, but this time it wasn’t controlled. The air distorted visibly, waves of heat rippling outward as the grass around him began to dry at an unnatural rate.

A faint crackle echoed as small patches of earth darkened.

Inside, the fire core roared, demanding attention, demanding dominance.

"Stay in line!"

Bahamut forced it down barely, but it worked for now.

...

Fourth hour.

The wind joined.

FWOOSH!

Invisible currents burst into motion within his inner world, spiraling wildly around the cores. They weren’t attacking, but they weren’t stable either. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Outside, a sudden gale swept across the field. Grass bent violently, dust lifted. Leaves from nearby trees were ripped free and sent spiraling into the air. Bahamut’s hair whipped wildly around him, his body trembling slightly as he fought to maintain control.

"Not now..."

He gritted his teeth, pulled back, and stabilized, forcing the wind to settle.

...

Fifth hour.

The earth reacted.

CRRRRACK.

A deep rumble echoed within. The earth core pulsed heavily, sending waves of pressure through his entire inner space.

Outside, the ground beneath him trembled. Small cracks formed around where he sat, spreading outward in jagged lines as if something beneath was shifting.

Nearby stones vibrated. One... split. Bahamut’s breathing faltered. His control was slipping. All of them were reacting.

"Why now...?"

Then he realized. The light wasn’t just growing. It was balancing, and the others refused to be overshadowed.

...

Sixth hour.

Seventh.

Eighth.

The struggle intensified. Every time he pulled more light, the others pushed back.

Fire surged.

Wind howled.

Earth pressed.

Even water, though distant, rippled faintly in resistance. Only darkness remained, still watching as always.

...

By the ninth hour, blood slipped from the corner of Bahamut’s lips.

Outside, the field had changed.

The grass around him was scorched in some areas, flattened in others, cracked in others. The air fluctuated between hot and turbulent, unstable in a way that made the environment feel alive, yet he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

"Just a little more..."

Inside, he gripped the light core tighter and pulled harder, forcing it to grow. The glow intensified. Blinding and overwhelming. The other cores roared in protest, but this time, Bahamut didn’t suppress them.

He endured them. Let them rage. While forcing the light forward.

...

Tenth hour.

Eleventh.

Twelfth.

His consciousness began to blur. His grip weakened. His body reached its limit, but the light core... finally shifted.

Its power surged. A breakthrough! The glow stabilized.

"Got it..."

The moment the thought crossed his mind, everything went dark.

...

Outside, Bahamut’s body fell forward.

THUD.

He had fallen unconscious. The field went silent. The wind stopped. The heat faded. The ground stilled as if nothing had ever happened.

Time passed quietly.

Then, a screen flickered into existence before his unconscious form.

[STATUS UPDATE]

[Affinity Changes Detected]

Light: 40% → 51%

Fire: 52% → 53%

Wind: 52% → 53%

Earth: 52% → 53%

Water: 50% (No Change)

Darkness: 56% (No Change)

[Condition:]

Physical State: Stable

Mental State: Exhausted

Consciousness: Offline

[Remark:]

Host has successfully forced elemental balance under unstable conditions.

Warning: Repeated strain may lead to core conflict.

...

The screen flickered.

Then vanished.

...

Bahamut lay there, still and silent, under the now gentle sun, unaware that he had just taken another step toward something far greater and far more dangerous.

...

Just wondering when I would get more unlocks and hit 1k in WinWin