At first, it felt chaotic. The solidity of earth, the growth of wood, and the freedom of air spun together in a messy spiral. His whole body tensed as if it might rip apart. But slowly, almost painfully, he forced them to align soil-supporting roots, roots swaying with the breeze.

He hadn't reached for it, yet fire answered anyway—a sudden, hungry surge that pressed against him like a beast demanding to be let in.

Rowen's eyes snapped open in alarm, but it was too late. The crimson threads rushed toward him, slipping past his defenses and forcing themselves into the incomplete ring.

The warmth quickly grew into a searing blaze. His veins burned, his chest felt tight, and every breath came with heat like swallowing smoke. He tried to push it back, but the fire element locked into place, claiming its spot beside earth, wood, and air.

His stomach growled, breaking the tense silence. With a shaky hand, Rowen pulled a sack from his storage space and took out a few potatoes. Unlike the refreshing tang of tomatoes, potatoes carried a different effect—one he knew could help steady his body for sustained focus.

He boiled them quickly in the small pot he kept for emergencies, the steam filling the room with a simple, earthy scent. Once softened, he ate them slowly, letting the grounding warmth spread through him. Compared to tomatoes' sharp focus, potatoes gave him something sturdier, like a quiet wall holding him upright.

Rowen exhaled deeply. "Alright… no mistakes this time."

He sat cross-legged again, his fingers pressed together, his thoughts narrowing to a single point. This wasn't just about forming a ring anymore. The appearance of fire had convinced him of something, something he had only read in scraps and theories posted on M-NET.

Most believed that mana rings could only stabilize when built around a single or double element, not more than that. But buried in the forums was a wild theory: that balance among all five basic elements could form a foundation stronger than any single path. It had sounded impossible, just a rumor spread by desperate low-talents.

But fire forcing itself into his body… that wasn't coincidence.

Rowen clenched his fists, his pulse quickening. "If the last element shows up… I can prove it's real."

He closed his eyes and began again. This time, his approach was calmer and steadier. He pulled earth first, letting its heaviness settle in his core. Wood followed, its green vitality weaving naturally around the soil. Air slipped in next, lighter than breath, balancing the roots and ground. Then came fire, uninvited but expected now. The blaze flared the moment his focus touched the growing ring, searing but somehow fitting in place beside the others.

The four elements circled within him, their flickering outline unstable but holding. His heart pounded as he steadied them, his mind sharper than ever.

"Come on…" he whispered. "If this is real, then water should appear."

And in the silence of his concentration, as his mana ring trembled on the edge of collapse, he reached for the final piece.

Rowen's focus sharpened.

He steadied his breathing, every inhale drawing in mana, every exhale releasing the noise in his head.

He reached.

At first, there was nothing. The earth, wood, air, and fire wavered dangerously, as if mocking his attempt. His heart thudded in his chest. Failure here would mean losing everything he had built.

But then, like a drop falling into a still pond, something stirred. Cool, steady, patient. A ripple spread through him, not blazing in like fire or pressing down like earth, but flowing in quiet persistence.

Water.

It seeped into the flickering outline of his ring, a gentle yet undeniable presence. Where fire had roared and threatened to tear everything apart, water soothed, balanced, and filled the cracks. The trembling outline steadied, for just an instant, as if the circle had been waiting for this final piece.

Rowen only recognized Marn and Talia among the group. The other two—a sharp-eyed mage with a trimmed beard and a broad-shouldered man in a knight's uniform—were strangers to him. Their presence caught him off guard. For a moment he thought about stepping forward to introduce himself, but Marn's startled expression stopped him.

"Rowen? You… What are you doing here?" Marn blurted out, clearly not expecting to find the boy inside this shabby little shop.

Marn froze as soon as his eyes landed on the boy behind the counter. Rowen.

He remembered him well, one of his sharper students, back before the boy suddenly left school. Marn had urged him then to pursue the scholar's path, to use his mind in service of humanity's survival, perhaps even to help advance the technology that kept the fragile world moving. But Rowen had refused, walking away from the classroom without looking back.

Now, to see him here of all places, inside this shabby, nameless shop where people came and went as if buying treasures, left Marn speechless.

Alric leaned closer to Cedric, his eyes drifting over the stacked crates of tomatoes and potatoes. "This is it? This is what had the students worked up?" His tone carried open disbelief.

Cedric's frown deepened. He watched a pair of townsfolk leave with bulging sacks and faces lit as if they'd won a prize. "Doesn't make sense," he muttered. "Vegetables shouldn't draw that kind of reaction."

Talia said nothing. Her gaze lingered on Rowen, calm but thoughtful. She already knew what they would soon discover: that the goods here weren't ordinary crops. But she kept that to herself for now, letting the others wrestle with their confusion.

Marn finally broke the silence. "That boy," he said quietly, "he was one of my students. A sharp mind, wasted when he left. And now… he's here, of all places."

Alric's brows lifted, his interest caught. "Your student?"

Cedric crossed his arms, still studying Rowen as though trying to read something beyond the boy's plain expression.

The small shop suddenly felt heavier, as if all eyes were measuring Rowen for answers.

Alric's lips curled in a half-smirk as he leaned toward Cedric. "So this is it? A former student of yours selling common vegetables at ridiculous prices?" His voice carried enough for Rowen to hear. "Looks more like a scam than anything else."

Cedric gave a short grunt of agreement. "Exactly. Look at those signs: tomatoes for focus, potatoes for energy recovery. Tricks to squeeze coins from gullible townsfolk." His gaze settled on Rowen, sharp and accusing.

Rowen didn't flinch. His expression stayed calm, his thoughts steady. If they don't want to buy, they don't have to. I'm not forcing anyone.

Instead of rising to their provocation, Rowen stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. "Teacher Marn," he greeted evenly, then turned toward Talia, "Teacher Talia. It's been some time."

Marn blinked, taken aback by the boy's composure. Talia inclined her head in return, her face unreadable.

Alric's brow furrowed. He and Cedric exchanged a look, irritation flickering between them. To be ignored so casually by a mere shop boy, especially one they suspected of deception, was a slight they weren't used to.

"This boy," Alric muttered, his tone tightening, "doesn't even have the manners to acknowledge us."

Cedric's jaw set as he took a step closer to the counter. "And he dares call himself honest while peddling lies. Someone should put him in his place before he tricks more people."

The tension in the air sharpened, though Rowen remained still, his eyes level, waiting.

Marn raised a hand, cutting off Cedric before he could speak further. "Enough. This isn't the place for accusations." His tone was calm but carried the weight of a man used to having his words obeyed.

He turned his gaze back to Rowen, studying him. The boy hadn't changed much in appearance, but there was a steadiness in his eyes now, a quiet strength Marn didn't remember from the classroom.

"So," Marn said at last, "this is what you've been doing since you left school. A shop." His words weren't scornful, more curious than anything. "When you refused my guidance, I thought you'd disappear into obscurity. Yet here you are, running a business that has the whole town talking."

Rowen met his former teacher's eyes and nodded once, not defensively, simply affirming.

Alric scoffed quietly, but Marn didn't let him interrupt again. "Alric, Cedric," he said firmly, "don't be so quick to dismiss what you don't understand. If people are willingly paying, perhaps there's more to these vegetables than meets the eye."

Talia, who had been silent until now, gave the faintest smile. She had already confirmed the truth for herself, though she said nothing; her silence only deepened the mystery for the two doubtful teachers.

Talia finally stepped forward, her expression steady. "I've already bought from this place," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "And I can confirm the effects are real. Those tomatoes sharpen focus, and the potatoes restore energy faster than anything I've seen sold in town."

Alric and Cedric exchanged a look, their frowns deepening.

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