How long had it been? Rael gradually regained consciousness.
Am I… not dead?
He lacked the strength to open his eyes. The last thing he remembered was a blinding flash of white light, followed by agony worse than death itself—his body scorched and torn apart by the blast. His consciousness had wavered from unbearable pain to a strange numbness, until he felt nothing at all.
Now awake, he had no idea how much time had passed.
Rael forced his eyes open. Exhaustion weighed on him, but he focused, carefully sensing the changes in his battered body.
The conclusion was grim: a complete wreck. The fact he was alive at all was a miracle.
But I am alive. What about Yueya and the others? They're so strong, they must be better off than me.
Following memory, Rael tried to recall the spells he had learned—basic, uncomplicated ones, easy to remember and perfect for testing his current state.
Just as he was about to silently chant and cast one of these worthless spells, a string of intricate, esoteric runes suddenly lit up in his mind.
It was like a complex, profound script that replaced the incantation for the simple "make a fingertip glow" spell. It generated automatically, incomprehensible yet feeling innately familiar.
…What is this?
The moment Rael's consciousness touched the runes, a voice resonated in his head:
"The power of the Dragon God awakens within you. O bearer of the bloodline, go forth and command all magic between heaven and earth!"
"Ten-thousandfold potency, ten-thousandfold comprehension, ten thousand spells may fuse as one. For you are a scion of the noble Dragon Tribe…"
Rael was stunned. He couldn't even begin to process how real this was. The mere translated meaning of the runes left him speechless.
If what the voice said was true—ten-thousandfold power, fusion of ten thousand spells—then didn't that mean…
Invincibility?!
This is too awesome!
He immediately wanted to try casting a spell, to see if it was all talk or truly as incredible as claimed.
Imagining a scene of punching Lily and kicking Yueya, Rael couldn't help but grin widely. Anyone seeing him now would think he was having a very pleasant dream.
But when he tried to recite the handful of spells he actually knew from memory, he realized:
Rael knew barely any spells!
"Light Cantrip"— make a part of your body glow.
"Gleaning Technique"— automatically gather loot of a certain tier from the ground.
"Super Sack"— reduce encumbrance when carrying a backpack.
And so on.
Was there a single one usable for combat??
A wave of agonized mental screaming, worse than being hit by the Black Dragon's blast, washed over him. The best analogy was guarding one's virtue for half a lifetime, only to discover impotence at the moment of union with one's beloved.
In this continent, learning any spell or scroll was restricted. Freedom existed only within prescribed boundaries. Even private tutors had to be registered, ensuring important knowledge didn't leak.
Thus, the legitimate path to learning magic was to register with the Mage Guild between ages thirteen and fifteen, becoming a First-Circle Apprentice, then climbing the ranks to learn more advanced spells.
What filled Rael with despair was that he was already past the registration age.
And not everyone who registered could enter the Mage Academy. Rael remembered his placement: second-to-last in a group of five thousand, with over four thousand ahead of him having abandoned the exam.
Forget it. Let's just test if this thing actually works.
After some thought, he tucked his hand into his roomy robe, focusing his eyes on the index finger pressed against his chest.
After the mental chant, a faint glow appeared at his right fingertip, just as usual.
Good. Step one successful.
He struggled to sit up. In the dimness, he began painstakingly deciphering each character in that string of mysterious runes.
The first character alone tied his tongue in knots—the pronunciation seemed to require the tongue, gaps between teeth, even the grinding of molars. Was this a sound humans could even make?
Muttering internally, he still diligently tried to sound it out slowly.
Moments later, his eyes widened in disbelief.
It's glowing! It really is getting brighter!
The dark space within his robe gradually brightened from his fingertip. The light grew stronger, within seconds becoming as luminous as moonlight, banishing the darkness completely.
And he hadn't even finished reading the first phrase of the runes.
A genuine cheat, no doubt about it!
"Hey, you."
A firm, clear woman's voice came from above.
Crap.He'd been so focused on testing the cheat, he forgot to check his surroundings. What if someone saw that?
But… why did the voice sound so familiar…?
Rael struggled to his feet.
Lifting his head, the glaring sunlight stabbed into eyes long sheltered by his hood, blinding him momentarily. He squinted.
Even so, the sight before him was unmistakable.
Yueya, clad in her blue Direwolf armor, her ponytail flowing from behind an elegant yet sturdy mermaid-style helmet. Her youthful face was radiant in the sun. Though expressionless, an intangible, inviting vitality emanated from beneath the armor—the essence of youth.
Yueya at sixteen, wearing her best armor from that age, leaned forward slightly and asked:
"Excuse me, are you a Supporter? I saw some light here, so I came. We've accepted a quest and need a Supporter to join before we can form a party. Well? Are you willing?"
It's Yueya!
The moment Rael heard the familiar voice, an excited impulse to respond immediately surged, but his movement froze abruptly.
Why did her tone sound so… unfamiliar?
Shocked, his gaze instantly shifted to her companions.
Standing behind Yueya was Lily, holding an ordinary staff, not yet blessed with the holy water granted by the Pope, looking somewhat timid. And the other… was just Lily, unchanged, still carefree as ever.
In a flash, Rael's memory surged back. Isn't this… the exact scene of my first meeting with the three of them?
They didn't seem to be pretending not to know him. Could it be—
Had he truly… reborn?