If someone unfamiliar with Mira saw her for the first time, their impression would likely be that she was a cold individual.
In reality, however, the truth was far from how she appeared.
Mira had been a problematic child who loved to fight.
She never attended public school at the start, instead studying in private schools, yet her combative nature caused her to change schools every year.
Her penchant for fighting made it impossible for her to stay in one place for long.
Everything changed when her father died. Her mother fell into debt and depression, and her father's already small business was snatched away by relatives.
In a world unlike the one before the Dark Age, owning a personal business was a rare privilege for the average person.
Mira's world collapsed, and it was then she decided it was time to get serious—not just for her own sake but for her mother's as well.
Determined to take responsibility, she began suppressing the violent tendencies in her heart.
In this new world, cultivators and Awakeners were the most respected professionals, and Mira aspired to join their ranks. However, like most people, she lacked the talent for cultivation.
While her talent was slightly better than Michael's and his cousin Lily's, they were still nothing remarkable.
Accepting this reality at a young age, Mira didn't place her hopes on the slim chance of becoming an Awakener. Instead, she focused on excelling in her studies, channeling her efforts into academics and further burying her wild side.
Year after year, she failed to awaken, growing calmer with each passing ceremony.
That was until her third awakening ceremony when, against all odds, a panel suddenly appeared before her eyes.
In that moment, the wildness she had buried deep within her heart began to resurface.
Unfortunately, her awakening didn't do much to help her control it.
[Class: Alchemy Apprentice]
[Attribute Points: 0]
[Talent: Damage Maker]
[Unlocked Formula (Unlock 1 every five levels)]
[Gift: Mark Of Origin]
Mira was one of the few Awakeners to possess a Talent.
Her Talent was also… quite special.
If not for Brian, she wouldn't have understood what it was about. While she was suspicious of how Brian had knowledge beyond what his membership level should allow, she had no choice but to believe him after crafting the only potion she could make.
As an Alchemist, Mira unlocked a formula every five levels, and the one she awakened with was the Red Mushroom Potion, an offensive-type potion.
Thanks to the mysterious nature of Awakeners, the knowledge of the formula was already in her head.
However, the potion's success rate depended heavily on the {Mastery} level of her only skill, {Crafting}, and her understanding of the formula itself, which was even more crucial.
Unfortunately, while the materials for the potion were available in the real world, even the money she got from the Association wasn't enough to cover the cost of a full set of ingredients.
It wasn't until her return from the corrupted goblin world crack yesterday—after annihilating all the goblins there, thanks to Lilian's brutality (Awakeners are ruthless)—that she was finally able to afford the materials to make some.
She tested the potion on the outskirts of the city, in the mountain ranges.
The resulting explosion and destruction reignited something within Mira.
However, for Lilian—who had been invited to join Mira since she was an orphan living alone—the explosion startled her fragile heart.
For the wild girl, she had found her true love yesterday.
Unfortunately, she was still too weak to unlock more formulas and too poor to create more of the one she had, leaving her hungry for both money and power.
Though she wasn't certain, Mira believed that if she could gain admission to an academy, she'd gain access to more explosive formulas.
Not only would this allow her to revel in her newfound passion, but it would also make her mother proud.
After all, unlocking a new formula every five levels didn't guarantee another explosive one like the Red Mushroom Potion. She needed to extend her connections, and the academy was her best chance.
Additionally, her Talent relied on formulas like the Red Mushroom Potion.
According to Brian's description of her talent:
You have an aptitude for highly destructive creations. Any creation related to destruction will have its effects boosted by 200%.
If Michael knew about this, his eyes would have popped out.
Though he wouldn't trade his own Talent for anything, he would have to admit that hers was something exceptional—one that would only grow stronger over time.
What would happen if she could create a nuclear-like weapon, with its destructive power qualitatively boosted by 200%?
It was an incredibly powerful Talent, but its drawback was equally obvious.
It was a profession that burned through money.
Of course, Michael knew none of this and continued to eye Mira with skepticism.
It wasn't until a moment later, after using {Detect} on a potion she was holding, that he finally spoke.
[Red Mushroom Potion]
A special liquid that becomes explosive after a brief, intense vibration for two seconds before being thrown.
Though confused by the vague description, Michael felt a bit relieved knowing the potion required deliberate action—vibration or throwing—to explode.
At least it wasn't an instant hazard.
Besides, he trusted that Mira wasn't crazy enough to kill herself.
Still, he wondered why she hadn't placed the potion in her storage space but chose not to comment on it.
"As long as you keep it on you. We've spent enough time here—let's enter the crack."
"Okay," Lilian added.
After exchanging a quick glance, the three of them leapt into the crack, with Mira volunteering to take the lead.
A/N: Please don't read the next three chapters—they're all under heavy editing. Instead, wait for my next upload notification, and by then, all the chapters will be ready to read.k
Thank you for your patience and support! Starting next tomorrow, we'll also return to three chapters per day.
As always, I'd love to hear your opinions about the novel. I may be the author, but you're just as important in shaping the story, so don't hesitate to share your thoughts!