Chapter 199: Heart of Chronos
Arriving back at the dorms, I wasted no time heading straight into my private training room. My mind was already focused on one thing: restoring the Heart of Chronos.
The item’s degradation was happening faster than I’d anticipated, and I needed to act now if I didn’t want to lose its full potential.
I walked over to the far side of the room, where I kept my most valuable tools, and grabbed the one thing that could help me: the Cauldron of the Skies.
[Item: Cauldron of the Skies]
[Rank: Unique] → [Potential Rank: Legendary (Sealed)]
It had been a long time since I’d last used this item.
Not because I didn’t want to, but because I rarely had the chance to gather enough materials to make it worth the effort.
The Cauldron of the Skies wasn’t just some basic item upgrader; it had the ability to enhance even the most broken or rare items, pushing them to their true potential—if I had the right ingredients.
Although I occasionally used it to upgrade simple mana stones into high-quality ones whenever I was short on money, today would be different.
Today, I’d be putting it to a real test.
I placed the cauldron carefully on the dining table, its ancient runes glowing faintly as it adjusted to the mana in the room.
Now, for the second part of the equation. Reaching into my storage, I pulled out the next item.
[Item: Dark Steel Dagger]
[Material: Dark Steel]
Dark steel was rare—extremely rare.
The ore itself was something only royalty and the highest-ranking nobles had access to.
It wasn’t even available on the market, and the chances of coming across more were slim to none.
Normally, I would’ve preserved it, maybe even used it for something grander in the future, but I couldn’t afford to be stingy now.
I had the Heart of Chronos in my possession, and this dagger, while valuable on its own, was nothing compared to what I stood to gain by fixing the necklace.
“Time to get to work.”
I placed the dagger into the cauldron alongside the Heart of Chronos, watching as the celestial runes engraved on both items began to react to the cauldron’s magic.
It was a delicate process, one that would require patience and precision.
I couldn’t rush this, but I also couldn’t afford to take too long.
The item’s condition was deteriorating, and I needed to stabilize it before it became unusable.
The cauldron began to hum, faint mana trails swirling up from its surface as it initiated the restoration process.
This would take a while, but I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
Once the Heart of Chronos was fully restored, it would be one of the most powerful items in my arsenal—an advantage I desperately needed
As the holographic screen lit up before me, the familiar prompts appeared, asking for my choice of items to begin the synthesis.
[Note: Please choose items for synthesis]
[Unique Item: Heart of Chronos]
[Rare Item: Dark Steel]
I dragged the icons of the Heart of Chronos and the Dark Steel across the screen, aligning them with their designated spots—left for the item I wanted to upgrade and right for the material I was willing to sacrifice.
[Sacrifice: Rare Item: Dark Steel]
[Confirm: Yes/No]
Without hesitation, I clicked Yes.
[Attempting Synthetization:]
The cauldron reacted immediately, scattering brilliant white lights into the room, a mesmerizing display that I’d seen countless times before.
But this time, it felt different.
The weight of the items being combined—the ancient Heart of Chronos and the rare Dark Steel—added a certain gravity to the moment.
As the cauldron hummed with power, I watched the familiar progress bar fill up.
[Synthesis: 26% → 47% → 79% → 100%]
Since the items were a perfect match in terms of synchronization and compatibility, the process took barely 10 seconds.
The synergy between them was flawless, as if they were always meant to be combined.
[Item Synthesis complete!]
[Transformation Result:]
[Item: Heart of Chronos (Unique) has been acquired!]
[Note: Item quality has now been restored!]
[Item Status: 100%]
[Note: Item Dark Steel (Rare) has now been deleted from user and cauldron inventory]
[Item: Heart of Chronos (Unique)]
[Description: Crafted from the essence of a legendary celestial mage and imbued with the master’s celestial prowess, this artifact is filled with hundreds of enchantments designed to overlay at its unparalleled core.]
[Effects: Return (24 hours)]
[Description:] When the user is subjected to substantial or fatal damage, the item’s “Return” effect will activate, causing the user’s status to revert to its state from exactly 24 hours prior.]
[Note: Effect activates automatically.]
[Note: User stamina will not be restored upon usage of Return.]
[Note: The skill will not negate S-rank skills, Unique skills, or higher.]
[Note: Unique Item: Heart of Chronos and Unique Item: Tears of Chronos]
[Synergy Available!]
[Would you like to Synergize the items?]
[Yes/No]
Yes….
[Item effects synergizing!]
[Synergy successful!]
[Congratulations!]
The synergy process completed, and notifications quickly filled my vision:
[Item: Heart of Chronos (Unique)] and [Item: Tears of Chronos (Unique)] will now have their intended effects increased by 20%.
[Mana consumption for both items will now be reduced.]
[Note:]
[Item: Heart of Chronos (Unique) Effects:] Return (24 hours), stamina recovery (20%)]
[Item: Tears of Chronos (Unique) Effects:] Time dilation (Movement slow: 70%)]
‘Sweet….’
Looking at the necklace, now pulsing with newfound energy, and thinking about the enhanced synergy between the two powerful relics, I couldn’t help but smile.
Looking out the window, I exhaled slowly, lost in thought.
The weight of time hung heavy on my mind.
Only a few months were left, and the looming vacation felt closer than ever. After this semester’s grand festival, it would be time to return to the county.
Liyana must be waiting…
The thought of her stirred a mix of emotions within me.
But there was no point in dwelling on the future just yet. Worries about what awaited back home could come later. For now, I had more immediate concerns: exams, the grand festival, and the events that still lay ahead.
Taking a deep breath, I slapped my cheeks lightly, trying to shake off the mental fog.
“Focus on the present,” I whispered to myself. “There’s no use worrying about things you can’t control.”
With renewed resolve, I grabbed a stack of books from the nearby shelf and sat down at my desk.
The cauldron, now hidden back in my private training room, was out of sight, but the weight of my responsibilities wasn’t.
I skimmed through the books, each one full of materials I needed to review for the now delayed final written exams.
After I finished reviewing the necessary materials, I knew what came next—training.
There was no way around it.
With the grand festival approaching, I couldn’t afford to slack off.
Not now. I’d honed my skills, but I had been too focused on fighting opponents with similar traits to mine.
I needed to broaden my horizons, challenge myself against different kinds of foes.
My usual opponents, like Lucas, no longer held the same sense of necessity.
I didn’t need to keep testing Lucas’s potential as well. I already knew what he was capable of.
Denying his duels every time we met would be a nuisance, but it was time to move on.
No more wasting energy on predictable matchups.
Although it was customary to fight opponents a year ahead from the same department, it wasn’t strictly necessary—especially once the challenge was accepted.
I stared at my notes, my thoughts drifting.
“Rose…” I muttered, her name filling the silence of the room.
She was the perfect opponent for the coming grand festival.
Her intricate mana control, her ability to manipulate her seven mana circles—it was a challenge I needed.
Fighting her would be like facing a storm, unpredictable and dangerous.
But it would certainly sharpen me and prepare me for the upcoming scenarios next semester….
….
Although Rose and I spent most of our time together working in the student council, I had always believed that we were close enough to call each other friends.
We had shared countless moments, discussions, and even the occasional late-night paperwork session.
Especially with the recent incident with Dorothy…. Our relationship had slightly grown to an extent even I couldn’t quite comprehend….
Despite her composed exterior, I could tell she had taken an unusual liking to me, though I never quite understood why.
That’s why I had assumed she would be the type to agree to just about anything I asked—whether it was a small favor or something bigger, much like Seo had done for me in the past.
But now, standing in front of her, that assumption was proving to be wrong.
“No…” she said, her voice firm, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before.
Her response was so unexpected, it left me momentarily speechless.
Rose wasn’t someone who often denied my requests, and certainly not with such a sharp edge to her words.
She readjusted the wand she had been holding, which had been aimed at me a moment ago. Her mana flared subtly, causing the air around us to hum with tension.
But rather than releasing the spell she had half-cast toward me, she pointed it upward, firing the magic harmlessly into the air.
“I don’t want to fight you, Riley,”
Her gaze was unwavering, and in her eyes, there was a hint of anger, maybe even disappointment. It was unlike her usual calm demeanor.
Looks like convincing her to accept a duel against me was going to take more time than I had originally thought.
