The layout was hauntingly familiar. The bed by the window, the computer desk with the monitor in the same spot, and the two-seater sofa where he used to sit while playing console games.
This is too weird, Alistair thought. My past life and this world are overlapping in ways that shouldn't be possible.
He shook his head and pulled out his phone to read his grandfather's message.
It was the Dragonflame. But it wasn't a weapon he could just pick up. It was a "Seed."
According to the message, this was the flame of a Mutant Fire Dragon from the peak of the Ancient Era. This dragon had a "broken" ability: its fire didn't just burn flesh; it burned Mana.
In an era where magic was everything, this dragon was a nightmare. Getting hit by its breath meant your internal energy reserves would be incinerated like dry straw. It was eventually hunted down by a coalition of heroes, and its heart-flame was preserved as a seed.
Grandfather wanted Alistair to assimilate this flame into his own mana. If he succeeded, his energy would carry that "Mana-Burning" property.
However, the flame was volatile. If he tried to absorb it directly, it would use his own mana as fuel and detonate his body from the inside out. He had to use a special medicine left near the flame to stabilize the process. Furthermore, the flame's presence had attracted "Mana Beasts"—wild animals that had mutated into monsters by basking in the flame's aura.
So, I have to clear out a nest of monsters and then undergo a dangerous ritual. Great.
Alistair unpacked his things, preparing for the task ahead. He decided to head downstairs for lunch and try to pump Uncle Takai for more info.
"Alistair, come meet my daughter," Takai called out as Alistair reached the lounge.
Standing next to Takai was a girl with long, pale violet hair and soft, serene features. She looked like the quintessential "quiet beauty," though her figure was unexpectedly curvaceous under her conservative grey school uniform.
"Hello. I'm Alistair," he said, extending a hand.
"I'm Chitose Takai," she replied, looking up at him. At 5'5", she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. She looked intrigued—Alistair was easily the most handsome guy she'd ever seen in this sleepy town.
As their hands met, Alistair noted how soft her palm was. She's a total knockout, he thought. But I really don't need another complication right now... especially not with my uncle's daughter.