Zeke stood there, surrounded by a field of corpses. Dismembered bodies lay scattered, blood pooling on the ground. It was a scene of horror and nightmares, yet Zeke felt an unsettling sense of comfort, as if he was meant to be here. He had never felt as powerful as in this very moment. The feeling was intoxicating.

    No wonder Blood Mages were called the vultures of war. They participated in most of the larger conflicts across the continent, and many of them were likely drawn to the battlefield like moths to a flame.

    Unwillingly, he recalled the stories he’d heard in the empire about Blood Mages—slaughterers, fiends, monsters, butchers. They were called many names, none of them flattering. He had once dismissed those tales as imperial propaganda meant to demonize their enemies, but now, he wondered if there wasn’t a kernel of truth to them.

    Zeke could easily imagine someone with a weaker will getting lost in the euphoria of such power, where indiscriminate slaughter would seem inevitable. It was a terrifying thought, and it brought back the age-old question: Did the Core influence your personality, or did your personality determine the nature of your Core?

    ...Or, in other words, had this fascination with bloodshed always been a part of him, or had it been sparked by his Perfect Blood affinity?

    Zeke took a deep breath, frowning at how much he relished the scent of blood. He quickly channeled a burst of Mind Mana, releasing it without casting a spell. The effect was immediate, like a splash of cold water, clearing his thoughts. This was no time for philosophical debates, not in the midst of battle. His objective was clear: ensure as many of Winter’s Descendants survived the conflict.

    Before the next wave of enemies could reach him, Zeke teleported to the roof of a nearby building. From this vantage point, he could survey the battlefield and plan his next move.

    [Bloodbound Clarity].

    The world seemed to freeze as Zeke’s mental state accelerated. It was the first time he had used his combination spell since his advancement, and the changes were immediately clear. Normally, this state came with mounting pressure on his mind and body, a constant warning of the strain. But now, that burden was almost entirely gone.

    Though his body was frozen in time, Zeke’s mind was not. Using his Sphere of Awareness, he quickly examined himself and was astonished by what he found. The red and blue saplings within him were unusually active. The red sapling, connected to his heart, was working overtime, pumping oxygen to his brain to sustain its vastly overclocked state. With the immense amount of blood in his body, he had plenty to fuel it.

    However, the blue sapling was even more intriguing. He had thought its shell-like form was merely an extra layer of protection around his brain. But now, in use, he saw its true purpose. It acted as an additional layer of brain matter, a web of interconnected pathways that extended his mind and reduced the strain on his physical brain.

    This discovery only strengthened his theory that the saplings'' forms were not random. The real question was: what had influenced their development? Was it the spells he practiced? His thoughts? His desires? Or was it something else entirely? Zeke eagerly anticipated the day he would uncover all these answers.

    However, for now, he shifted his focus to the battlefield ahead, using his Spatial Perception rather than his eyes. With ample time at his disposal, he concentrated on creating a clear picture of the entire situation.

    Akasha had done well directing the troops, and he noticed that most of them were fighting from advantageous positions. However, with his constant teleporting and intense use of his Core, it must have been challenging for her to use [Telepathy] on such a large scale. Casting differently attuned spells simultaneously was difficult enough, but with his reckless fighting style, it must have been a true nightmare.

    Zeke scanned the enemy ranks, quickly identifying new targets to attack. With his newfound ability to control the blood of his foes, he could significantly impact the battle. Combined with his ability to teleport freely, it was nearly impossible for the Frostscale warriors to counter his flanking maneuvers.

    “What do you think, Akasha?”

    [Answer]

    Host did a good job with the surprise attack, but I advice against any further acts of aggression.

    “What? Why?” Zeke asked. “We could significantly reduce the casualties on our side by targeting the ranged attackers, and if—”

    “Host,” Akasha interrupted, materializing on the ledge before him. “Haven’t you forgotten something?”

    [Notice]

    I am done. Host can now undo the spell.

    "Just a moment," Zeke murmured, a surge of giddy excitement rising within him. He focused on a point at the edge of the battlefield, barely within his Sphere of Awareness. His mind was racing so much that he nearly botched the spell, but thanks to his extensive practice with short-range teleportation, muscle memory guided him through the process.

    A moment later, Zeke vanished from his spot and reappeared exactly where he''d aimed. A quick glance confirmed that the world was still frozen, with every warrior moving at a snail''s pace. It worked! It had actually worked!

    However, his success came at a price. Casting spells in this heightened state carried a significant cost. His newly advanced Core, which could typically handle dozens such spells, felt noticeably drained after just this one burst. There had to be a factor at play when casting multiple spells in an instant. Perhaps it was because his Core had no time to recover before rapidly switching between affinities?

    Even so, this was a monumental achievement!

    [Question]

    ...What was that, Host?

    Zeke smiled inwardly. It wasn’t easy to make Akasha speechless, and he relished every instance of it. “I used [Short Range Teleportation].”

    [Notice]

    I am aware, Host. But what made you try something like that?

    "You did, actually," Zeke explained. "I realized that, like the Mind affinity, Space isn’t bound by the constraints of time."

    [Question]

    ...Does Host realize the implications of this?

    “I can think of a few,” Zeke said, excitement building in his chest. By using his Space affinity in this manner, he could likely chain [Short Range Teleportation] to travel a large distance without any time passing. This would allow him to escape from almost any fight if he chose to do so. More importantly, he could move to his allies and bring them to safety if Shassra won the battle.

    And those were just the possibilities he thought of on the spot...

    For the first time in a long while, Zeke understood the true power of his first combination spell. By merging Blood and Mind, he had crafted a spell that could nearly replicate the time-stopping ability the Exarch had used in Tradespire. No wonder Maximilian had scoffed at the idea that single-affinity Mages were superior to those with multiple elements.

    If this was the result, he would have to invest much more time in discovering synergies between his affinities. In fact, wasn’t this the perfect moment to test one of his theories? He had long suspected another potential synergy between his Blood and Mind spells, something he had always hesitated to try. But this situation was ideal for that spell. If it worked, he might...

    Zeke focused on a nearby Frostscale warrior, oblivious to his presence. For the warrior, only a fraction of a second had passed since Zeke had appeared nearby.

    A perfect subject...