BNHA: Lioren

Leon's week with his grandfather had come to an end, but something inside him had changed. For the better.

Since the day he was born, goodwill had been a rarity. His parents had never shown him warmth, and society at large had given up on him the moment he was labeled quirkless. The stares of disappointment, the whispers, the silent yet suffocating weight of exclusion—it had all blended into the background noise of his life.

But his grandfather had been different.

Thaddeus cared. Maybe not in the conventional, doting way a grandparent might, but he had acknowledged Leon for who he was. Not for what he could do. Not for his potential. Just him.

"Well... Golden Sight probably played a role in that too, but I'll take what I can get."

Now that he was back in his parents' house, the contrast was glaring. The cold detachment in their gazes, the dismissive way they spoke to him—if they spoke to him at all—made the warmth he had felt over the past week seem almost surreal. It made him want to leave. To escape. But that wasn't an option. Not yet.

For now, all he could do was focus on what was within his control.

That meant training.

That meant pushing himself.

That meant understanding his ability.

Class Wheel was his greatest secret. It was a power unlike anything he had ever heard of—a system that allowed him to embody four distinct combat classes at will. But how deep did it go?

There was a question that had been bugging him for a while.

What would happen if I tried to activate Class Wheel again without disengaging the first one?

Would it simply override the current class? Would it reject the attempt outright? Or… was there something more?

There was only one way to find out.

Leon sat cross-legged on the floor of his dimly lit room, back pressed against the wooden frame of his bed. The silence was thick, interrupted only by the faint hum of electronics and the occasional distant sound of life beyond his closed door.

He took a slow breath. Centered himself.

Then—

[Class Wheel: Damage Dealer.]

[You have acquired the skills: Quick Slash and Combat Instincts.]

The moment the ability took hold, his body reacted.

His muscles tensed, his senses sharpened, and an undeniable surge of precision coursed through him. His reaction time felt heightened, almost as if his nervous system had become more efficient at processing information. His body felt lighter, faster, more attuned to movement.

A shift in neuromuscular coordination? A temporary increase in muscle fiber recruitment?

Either way, it worked.

So far, nothing unusual.

Now came the real test.

Without disengaging Damage Dealer, Leon activated Class Wheel again.

The moment he did, he felt it.

A sudden, sharp pull on his mana reserves.

His breath hitched as exhaustion crept in—not unbearable, but noticeable. A third of his total mana vanished in an instant. The sheer weight of it was enough to make his hands tremble for a brief second before he steadied himself.

Then, something new happened.

In front of him, the usual class wheel spun, but now, within it, a second wheel appeared—smaller, nested within the first. The inner wheel rotated before slowing to a halt, highlighting Mage.

[Class Wheel: Damage Dealer → Mage.]

[You have acquired the skills: Mana Missile and Mana Attunement.]

Leon's body shifted again. The raw agility and instinctive battle awareness of the Damage Dealer class faded, replaced by something else. His mind felt clearer, more attuned to the subtle pull of mana in the air.

It was as if his sensory processing had adapted—his brain shifting focus from motor function to cognitive function, prioritizing control over raw speed.

And then—

[A combination has been detected.]

[You have acquired the hybrid skill: Mana Edge.]

Leon's eyes widened slightly.

"A hybrid skill?"

That was new.

Instinctively, he focused on the name, trying to understand its properties. His mana reacted immediately, flowing to his hand as if pulled by an unseen force. A faint, shimmering glow formed around his fingertips before extending outward into a thin, translucent blade.

This wasn't just a simple projection of energy—it behaved like a solid object, yet carried no discernible weight. The energy density had to be incredibly high, packed into a stable form that responded to his intent.

It felt different from a normal weapon—less solid, more like a concentrated manifestation of energy. Yet, as he gripped it, it responded to his will, subtly shifting in length and density.

"A weapon formed from condensed mana... is it altering the atomic structure of the air around it? No... it's probably self-contained energy, maintaining cohesion through controlled oscillations..."

His grip tightened. He took a slow breath—then slashed.

The air hummed as the blade cut through it, leaving behind a faint ripple.

Leon's lips curled into a small grin.

"Now this… this is interesting."

…

Leon's breathing slowed as he examined the glowing blade in his hand. It was unlike anything he had seen before—neither purely magical nor strictly physical. It felt real, yet weightless, existing in a strange middle ground between solid matter and raw energy.

"Mana Edge..."

The system had labeled it a hybrid skill. Meaning it wasn't something that belonged purely to either class but instead was a fusion of both. Damage Dealer and Mage working in tandem.

That was huge.

Up until now, Class Wheel had functioned as a straightforward system—select a class, gain the corresponding abilities, and that was that. But this? This was new.

If his assumption was correct, then that meant his abilities weren't just limited to picking from pre-existing classes. They could evolve.

He flexed his fingers around the blade, feeling how it pulsed slightly in response to his grip. It wasn't just a weapon—it was an extension of his will, formed through an intricate balance of magic and physical reinforcement.

Which begged the next question:

What were the limits?

He moved to stand, feeling the slight drain of mana still lingering in his core. The dual-class activation had taken a noticeable toll—about a third of his reserves in an instant. If he wanted to experiment further, he needed to understand the cost-benefit ratio.

"Alright. Let's test this properly."

Leon grabbed a small pocket knife from his desk and flipped it open, holding it parallel to the mana blade. If he was right, Mana Edge should be comparable to a normal edged weapon—maybe even sharper.

He set up a simple test.

Taking a piece of paper, he first sliced it with the pocket knife. It cut through, albeit with some resistance. Not the cleanest, but effective.

Then, he tried the same with Mana Edge.

The result was... different.

The moment the blade touched the paper, it didn't slice it—it disintegrated it.

"What?"

A thin, glowing residue of energy crackled along the cut edges of the paper before it turned to dust, vanishing into the air like embers fading in the wind.

Leon narrowed his eyes. That wasn't a normal cut.

"Is it burning the material at a microscopic level? No, that wouldn't explain the clean disappearance... It's almost like it's disrupting the molecular bonds holding it together..."

He frowned, grabbing a pencil next. This time, he carefully touched the mana blade against the wood. Instead of cutting through, the point of contact vibrated before splitting apart without resistance.

Leon exhaled slowly.

"It's not just an energy weapon—it's breaking things down at a structural level. Almost like a high-frequency oscillation mixed with mana compression."

Which meant this wasn't just a simple fusion of two classes—it was creating entirely new properties.

Now the real question was: Could it go further?

Leon sat back down, resting his forearms on his knees as he considered the implications.

If combining two classes resulted in a hybrid skill…

What would happen if he combined three?

His pulse quickened at the thought. If two classes already had this level of synergy, then adding another could push it even further. But at what cost?

The mana drain from just two was significant. Adding a third might push him past his limit.

Still… he had to know.

For science.

Taking a deep breath, he activated Class Wheel once more.

The dual-layered wheel appeared again, but now, within the second layer, a third ring began forming. The instant it appeared, he felt a heavy pull on his core—far stronger than before.

His body tensed. His breath hitched.

"Damn. This is... heavy."

The strain wasn't just magical—it felt like his entire nervous system was struggling to adapt. Like it was trying to rewrite itself in real-time to accommodate the conflicting instructions of multiple combat disciplines.

The wheel slowed.

A choice appeared.

Tank.

The moment he selected it, his entire body froze.

Then—

A shockwave pulsed through him, forcing him down to one knee as a surge of dense, immovable energy flooded his limbs. His muscles locked up momentarily before an unfamiliar weight settled into his frame.

Then—

[Class Wheel: Damage Dealer → Mage → Tank.]

[You have acquired the skills: Hardened Body and Defensive Stance.]

[A combination has been detected.]

[Hybrid Skill Acquired: Mana Armor.]

Leon gasped.

For a moment, everything felt wrong.

His body was caught between three different instincts—speed, magic, and defense—all trying to coexist at once. His movements felt both too fast and too sluggish, his perception shifting between heightened awareness and reinforced durability.

Then, his vision flared.

A faint glow spread over his skin, a translucent layer of mana forming a second skin around him, flickering between tangible armor and raw magical force.

Mana Armor.

It wasn't just external protection—it was woven into him. A hybridization of physical reinforcement, magical adaptability, and defensive resilience.

And it felt powerful.

Leon let out a shaky breath.

"This… changes everything."

He deactivated the ability, and immediately, a wave of exhaustion crashed over him. His body felt heavy, like he had just run a marathon with weights strapped to his limbs.

The mana drain was immense. If two classes took a third of his reserves, three had nearly emptied him.

But the result?

Worth it.

He now knew two things for certain:

Class combinations weren't just possible—they created entirely new techniques.There was a limit to how much his body could handle.

"For now."

Leon leaned back, staring at the ceiling as a tired grin crept onto his face.

He had only just begun scratching the surface.

And he was going to push it much further.