Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

Priam stared at the figure at the top of the tree in utter disbelief. This world was colossal; what were the odds that the very first person he’d run into would be her?

”Boss! Up here!” Dandara waved enthusiastically.

Priam nodded and leaped across the branches, reaching the treetop in a matter of seconds.

Only then did he realize it was the tallest tree in the entire area. From up there, he could see incredibly far.

To the north stretched a vast lake. Beyond the lake, to the right, a distant mountain range rose into the sky with terrifyingly tall peaks. To the left, a dense forest spread endlessly across the horizon.

Dandara stepped closer with a thoughtful expression. ”Boss... I can feel something. In both directions, not too far from here, there are incredible things. In the forest, I feel like something precious and extremely important is hidden. But those mountains... I feel an even stronger presence there. It’s almost like a calling.”

Priam remembered the Ancient Art of his mother’s race. ”You learned how to communicate with nature? Is that why you’re so sure?”

Dandara shook her head. ”I haven’t even mastered the basics yet... but this is an innate ability of mine. Whenever I’m surrounded by nature, I can sense strange things. I can usually tell where the greatest dangers... and the greatest treasures are.”

”Hmm...” Priam stroked his chin for a moment before nodding. ”Perfect. I was just wandering around blindly, so I got really lucky running into you.”

Dandara’s eyes lit up, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Priam didn’t demand an explanation or dismiss her intuition; he simply trusted her without hesitation.

”I... I’ve never been wrong about something like this. I won’t let you down!”

Priam let out a soft sigh. That girl’s self-esteem really was low.

”You said you feel a strong calling from the mountains, so head there. I’ll investigate the forest. If I finish quickly, I’ll head your way, and maybe we’ll meet again.”

”Understood!” she replied immediately.

Priam looked her straight in the eyes with confidence. Even though her combat strength was quite low, Dandara had been born in the forest and possessed beast blood. Her survival instincts when it came to natural dangers were exceptionally sharp—in that regard, she surpassed the average mage.

So, she’d only be in danger if she ran into the people who had come for the mission.

”I’m heading out. Be careful.”

Without waiting any longer, Priam jumped off the treetop, manipulating the air currents to launch himself forward at high speed.

Dandara watched his trail until it vanished beyond the horizon.

Then she clenched her fists, filled with unwavering determination. Deep down, she felt that this reunion hadn’t been mere coincidence, but destiny. Without wasting another second, she set off toward the mountain range.

---

Priam cut through the vegetation like a blurred streak. The wind pressure around him was so intense that he could barely keep his eyes open, yet he continued accelerating deeper into the jungle.

Suddenly, he came to a stop and leaped onto the top of an ancient tree, using the height to survey the surrounding landscape.

At that very moment, a notification appeared before his eyes:

[A Heroic Relic is nearby!]

Priam’s eyes lit up. Dandara had been absolutely right!

[Find the secret entrance to the Temple of the God of Fists. It can only be seen from the skies.]

Priam raised an eyebrow. This time, the System was providing incredibly straightforward clues, which was quite unlike its usual behavior.

’Hmm... Could it be that when I’m outside my own world, the System becomes more helpful?’

The thought crossed his mind, but he didn’t waste time dwelling on it.

He took a deep breath and activated his Elemental Physique at full power.

In this form, Priam could leap toward the clouds and glide by controlling the winds. True flight was a feat reserved for Sages; ordinary Mages relied on specific Magic Arts that consumed absurd amounts of Ether.

Priam, on the other hand, maintained virtually zero Ether consumption. The only drawback was the physical strain, since his body could sustain that state for no more than three hours.

Tracing a circular route from his current position, he began meticulously scanning the forest from above.

...

...

...

About an hour later, Priam finally noticed a large, yet faint, ”X” drawn on the ground, camouflaged beneath the forest’s dense vegetation. Without intentionally searching from above, it would’ve been practically impossible to spot it.

What were the chances of an ordinary Mage finding that secret temple? Since flying was extremely difficult for Mages, finding the place blindly was almost impossible.

Priam landed firmly, clenching his fists, filled with excitement.

’Temple of the God of Fists.’

The name sounded extremely promising, as it matched his own fighting style. The place had certainly once been an ancient training ground of this universe, so he decided to take the opportunity to see if he could raise his strength.

Priam walked to the exact spot where he’d seen the mark. From the ground, the place looked completely ordinary, except for a rock about one meter tall embedded in the earth.

The stone looked plain, just like any other in the area. However, as he approached, Priam sensed an extremely subtle energy fluctuation inside it.

He reached out and touched the rock. His Ether circulated, flowing into the stone and stimulating that dormant energy...

*Buzz!*

The ground trembled slightly, and the surrounding space distorted.

Everything happened in a split second: he was instantly transported underground. The rock was nothing more than the activation key for a teleportation inscription.

Although the surroundings were shrouded in complete darkness, Priam channeled Ether into his eyes, allowing him to see the area clearly.

He looked around and realized it was an ancient structure, yet perfectly preserved. Massive pillars stood throughout the hall, the floor was covered in white bricks, and even the decorative details carved into the walls were immaculate.

As he advanced through the main corridor, the passage suddenly opened up after several meters.

Priam came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hall as he sensed a change in the air.

Mysterious lights emerged from the void, floating gently until they condensed before him. At the same time, he felt the phenomenon connect to his mind, attempting to assimilate his basic information without causing him any harm.

A few seconds later, glowing words took shape in the air, written in the language of his home world:

”Welcome to the Temple of the God of Fists, one of the Five Divine Temples of the Immortal Realm. This place was personally created by the God himself, who used his highest principles to guide the younger generation along the path of the fist.”

”There are eight difficulty levels available. Choose the one on which you wish to be tested. Once your choice is confirmed, you will face a series of challenges. Your combat performance will be evaluated at the end of each challenge, generating a score that will determine your reward. Your growth throughout the trial will also influence your final score.”

”At the end of the final level lies the complete inheritance of the God of Fists, granting the victor the title of inheritor disciple. Therefore, choose wisely.”

Priam carefully read every instruction. Right afterward, eight floating circles of energy appeared before him, arranged in ascending order of size—the largest one represented the highest-level challenge.

He didn’t hesitate for even a second.

One of the Heroic Relics was hidden within that temple. On top of that, the inheritance of that deity seemed far too valuable an opportunity to ignore.

As soon as Priam touched the largest circle, the space around him distorted once again. Two seconds later, he found himself inside a vast cavern.