The Cold Heir

When Ved opened his eyes, the dim glow of the captain's quarters greeted him. His body felt... different. Stronger. Every fiber of his being buzzed with a quiet, restrained power, like a blade honed to perfection.

He stood, his movements fluid and precise, and turned toward the mirror on the far wall. His reflection stared back at him, his icy blue eyes glinting with a newfound sharpness.

As he adjusted the cuffs of his coat, a faint notification blinked in front of his eyes.

[Welcome back, Ved Flack. The System is now fully operational]

"Fully operational," Ved repeated under his breath. His lips curled into a cold, satisfied grin. "It seems I'm the one I've been given more than just a second chance."

Stepping out onto the deck, Ved was greeted by the sight of his crew, their gazes turning toward him in silent expectation.

Ralf approached, his expression wary but loyal as ever. "Sir, are you… feeling well? You were unresponsive for some time."

Ved's gaze swept over him, his smile never faltering. "Better than ever, Ralf." He gestured toward the horizon. "Prepare the crew. We set sail immediately. There's work to be done."

"As you command, sir," Ralf said, bowing deeply.

As the crew sprang into action, Ved stood at the helm, his eyes fixed on the horizon. With the new System at his command, he felt invincible. The world would come to know the name of the Flack family once again.

"Let's see what this new system can do," he murmured, his voice low and full of promise.

Ved Flack went back to sit alone in his cabin, the dim light of a single lantern casting long shadows across the room. His sword rested on the desk beside him, its icy aura a reflection of the cold magic still thrumming in his veins. 

Ved's icy blue eyes narrowed in thought as he stared at the faint, flickering notifications that had appeared moments ago in the corner of his vision.

Ved leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as the notifications continued to cascade in front of him.

[Analyzing Host Soul...]

Ved frowned. His soul? That was unusual. 

[Host Attributes Updated.]

[New Elemental Affinity Detected: Time.]

Ved's eyes widened slightly. "Time?" he muttered, his voice low and thoughtful. He sat forward, resting his elbows on the desk as he read the notification again.

His first instinct was disbelief. Time manipulation was an affinity so rare that most magicians dismissed it as theoretical. He'd heard of only a handful of cases throughout history, and even then, those wielders were said to have short, unstable lives due to the strain it placed on their bodies and minds.

And yet, here it was, listed alongside his familiar Ice affinity.

[Elemental Affinities:]

Ice - (Mastery: Advanced)

Time - (Mastery: Beginner)] New*

Ved's fingers tapped the desk rhythmically as he considered the implications. He always had one affinity which is ice like the rest of the flack family members, his mastery over the element honed through years of relentless training. Ice magic was precise, calculated—perfectly aligned with his nature. But Time…

"That's not mine," he murmured, the realization dawning on him.

It had to be Nagi.

When Ved had absorbed the fragments of Nagi's soul, he'd expected to only take back full control of his body, mind, and memories. What he hadn't anticipated was absorbing part of Nagi's essence—his talents.

"Nagi… You truly were more than you seemed," Ved said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "To think you carried such a unique gift, buried beneath all that weakness and self-pity."

Ved activated the System's status screen, his focus sharp as he examined the new status.

========================================

Status Screen:

Name: Ved Flack

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Talent: Legendary1

Affinities: Ice (Advanced), Time (Beginner)

========================================

Core Attributes:

Strength: 80

Agility: 75

Endurance: 60

Intelligence: 90

Mana: 88

========================================

Skills:

Frost Surge: Unleash a wave of freezing energy to immobilize and damage foes.

Temporal Flick New*: Momentarily distort the flow of time, increasing personal speed or slowing an enemy for a short duration.

[System Feature:]

Soul Domination – Control and assimilate fragments of defeated souls to enhance your own power.

========================================

Ved's smirk widened as he read the description of Temporal Flick. His mind immediately began calculating the possibilities. A time affinity could change everything. The ability to manipulate time, even in small increments, could give him an edge in battle that no opponent could anticipate.

He reached out and channeled his mana experimentally. The air around him shifted, a faint ripple distorting the space in front of him. For a moment, the lantern's flame seemed to slow, its flickering motion lagging unnaturally.

The effect was brief—barely more than a second—but it was enough to confirm the System's assessment. The power was real, though his control over it was rudimentary at best.

Ved exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair once more. His expression was one of satisfaction tempered with calculation. If Nagi's soul fragments had truly granted him this new affinity, then it was both a gift and a curse. The power was undeniable, but it came with a lingering reminder of the boy's existence—a stain on his pride as Ved Flack.

He closed the status screen and stood, pacing the room. His thoughts turned to the implications of this new power. Time magic could make him untouchable, unstoppable.

But it also raised questions. Why had Nagi possessed such an affinity in the first place? Was it a latent gift, or something more? And had Ved truly absorbed all of Nagi's soul, or were there remnants still lurking within him?

"All that preparation and time I spent for the forest dungeon paid off more than I was expecting, but I guess I'm the only one who knows that."

"Let's keep it that way," Ved said with a smirk.