When my eyes opened again, I found myself standing within my inner world. The air was still, yet alive with a faint hum of energy, and the castle loomed above me in all its timeless glory. Its white walls shimmered faintly, as though every brick pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat. No matter how many times I saw it, the place never failed to take my breath away.
But today, it wasn't silent.
A low, resonant noise echoed through the halls—like a living heartbeat magnified a thousand times. Curious, I followed the sound through winding corridors until I emerged on the far side of the castle grounds.
What I saw made me stop in my tracks.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of beings made entirely out of mana were at work. Their forms shifted like living flames, silhouettes that almost resembled people but flickered with the glow of raw energy. The moment their gazes found me, the entire swarm dropped to one knee in perfect unison.
"Master" one of them spoke, its voice vibrating like chimes in the wind. "We did not expect you to return so soon."
Then, as if obeying some unspoken cue, their shapes twisted. The glowing figures condensed, hardening into flesh and fabric, until what stood before me looked entirely human. Or nearly so. Their smiles were too symmetrical, their movements too precise, their eyes gleaming just a bit too brightly, as if some part of their essence refused to hide.
I tilted my head, still cautious, but their reverence felt genuine. My voice softened. "What are you all doing here?"
The nearest one bowed slightly. "Your mana and divine energy have recently grown. In response, we are expanding the castle to reflect your new strength—adding training halls, vast libraries, armories, and more. Furthermore…" it paused, its eyes glimmering with pride "…since you completed the tutorial dimension, it has been preserved within the Memory Lane. Every dimension you conquer will be stored there. You may reenter them freely, though upon return they function in sandbox mode—editable at your will."
As I spoke, I noticed the air was alive with motion. Wooden planks and stone blocks floated by on invisible currents, clicking neatly into place as though guided by unseen architects. Every archway carved itself, every door polished itself. It wasn't simple construction—it was artistry in motion, absurdly detailed and flawless.
Drawn forward, I wandered until I saw her.
The goddess.
She was seated beneath a blooming tree, its petals glowing faintly blue, her legs crossed elegantly as though she had been waiting for me. Her golden hair shimmered against the soft shade, and she looked entirely at peace, like a queen overseeing her kingdom. When her eyes met mine, her lips curved into a playful smile.
"It's turning out amazing, isn't it?" she said, gesturing at the castle walls stretching ever higher. "I've been overseeing the construction myself."
I chuckled softly. "So you're the one giving orders to mana beings now?"
Her grin widened, and she leaned back against the tree trunk with mock pride. "Of course. Who else could coordinate something this perfectly? I am doing an excellent job."
A small grin tugged at the corner of my lips before I vanished, the world folding around me as I teleported away. When my vision cleared, I stood in a room I hadn't seen before—one of the newly built training chambers.
The place was vast, the ceiling high enough to swallow echoes, its marble floors gleaming like polished ice. The air smelled faintly of mana, sharp and alive, as though the room itself waited to be tested. I ran my palm along the wall and invoked [Analyze], my vision overlayed with runes and glowing text.
Material: Eternal Marble
Durability: Absolute – unbreakable
Properties: Mimics environmental reactions to preserve combat realism.
Observation : any cracks or breaks are illusionary it will be instantly fixed upon combat completion.
A perfect place to test myself without fear of truly destroying it.
I exhaled and raised my hand, sending out a ripple of mana like a beacon. It wasn't long before the air shimmered, and Igami stepped through, already bowing as if the gesture was second nature. Her eyes swept the chamber, sharp and calculating.
"I suppose you want to train?" she asked softly, reading the room—and me—without hesitation.
"Spot on" I said, taking a few measured steps backward. My feet slid into a stance, body coiled like a spring ready to be unleashed.
Igami tilted her head, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "Well… just don't kill me."
I smirked, flexing my fingers into a knife-hand position. "Can't promise."
And with that, I dashed forward. The marble floor cracked beneath my step as I closed the distance in a heartbeat. My hand sliced downward like a blade, colliding with the ground. The impact triggered a blast of mana, creating the illusion of an explosion—light, dust, and the tremor of force. The walls held firm, exactly as the analysis said, yet the effect was convincing enough to make it feel real.
Igami was already moving. She dropped low, her stance flawless, then lunged. Her fist, cloaked in shimmering mana, shot forward like a cannonball. The blow slammed into my chest, forcing me back several steps, the sting of raw power radiating across my ribs.
She didn't pause. Her hands flared with light as she condensed mana into a searing orb, thrusting it toward me.
I twisted, deflecting it with my forearm, sparks scattering from the impact. My palm shot down to the marble floor, channeling power as I roared the command:
[Bind!]
The ground beneath Igami stirred like it had come alive. The once-perfect marble rippled, tendrils twisting upward with serpentine precision. In an instant, they lashed around her wrists, tightening, locking her in place.
She glanced at the bindings, testing their strength, and for a split second, a small, mischievous smile spread across her lips.
Igami's expression sharpened as the bindings around her wrists shuddered. Her lips moved softly, and the word carried like frost on the wind.
[Permafrost.]
The marble floor around her shimmered blue, then cracked violently as if the very molecules were being torn apart. The unbreakable stone froze solid, then shattered like fragile glass. Before I could even react, her hand snapped downward, releasing another pulse of the same spell—this time onto my leg. Ice crawled upward with terrifying speed, locking me in place, every breath misting in the frigid air.
Her eyes narrowed. "[Ice Shot!]"
A sharp ball of compressed ice, no larger than a golf ball, launched from her fingertip. It pierced my frozen leg clean through, carving a hole with surgical precision. Pain flared, but I didn't falter. Instead, I grinned, channeling heat into my wound. Steam hissed as the ice melted away, the flesh knitting back together in seconds until the injury was nothing but memory.
"Not bad" I said, raising my hand as divine energy flared. The light condensed, pure and deadly, into a glowing arrow. I loosed it in a single motion, the projectile whistling across the space between us.
Igami tilted her head at the last instant, the arrow grazing her cheek and leaving a shallow cut. She didn't even blink.
Instead, she called forth her signature weapon—a spear of ice forged with the goddess's seal glowing faintly along its length. It pulsed with divine resonance, unmistakable and terrifying. She lifted her arm in a throwing motion but didn't let go. Instead, a perfect duplicate of the spear materialized and shot forward on its own.
I leaned back, barely dodging, but even the faintest graze was enough. The tip brushed my shoulder, and immediately frost spread across the flesh. My movements grew heavy, sluggish, the world dragging at my limbs.
[Status inflicted: Frosting.]
I cursed under my breath, then forced mana into my body. Heat surged outward, burning the ice away as I layered in a [Debuff Clear] spell to strip the condition. My limbs loosened, strength returning, and I raised my bow again. Another arrow of pure light formed, crackling with power.
I loosed it. Igami dodged effortlessly. Her focus returned to me—only to see not one, but ten more arrows spiraling through the air.
She flowed between them like a phantom, ducking, weaving, the arrows slicing past her by hairs' breadths. When the last one fell behind her, she smirked slightly—until she realized I was no longer there.
Her head jerked, too late.
I erupted from beneath the ground like a phantom, mirroring the infamous headhunter technique that Kakashi uses. My fist shot upward, slamming into her chin with bone-rattling force. The impact snapped her head back, and before she could recover, I thrust my palm forward and unleashed a torrent of mana into her stomach.
The force exploded outward in a shockwave, crushing her insides under sheer pressure. For an instant, the illusion of victory hung heavy in the air as her body buckled.
Then her wounds sealed before my eyes. Her chest rose as if nothing had happened, her body glowing with a cold, furious vitality. She raised her hand, and the air detonated around us.
A shockwave of raw wind blasted outward, tearing me off balance and forcing distance between us once again.
Her eyes, clear and merciless, locked on mine.
"Igami, that is enough."
The single command was all it took. She bowed once, precise and obedient, and the spear in her hand dissolved like frost under sunlight. The training chamber stilled; the marble smoothed itself, scratches and cracks knitting closed with a whisper of mana. In moments, we were restored—healed to pristine condition, our clothes mended as if no battle had ever occurred. The room smelled faintly of ozone and cooling stone, and an easy calm settled over us.
"That was an excellent session" I said, stretching my shoulders and letting a satisfied smile creep across my face. Igami's own expression softened into the almost-imperceptible pride she kept for herself. "You are as strong as ever, Master" she replied, eyes bright with quiet certainty.
My grin widened. "Very well — inform the cooks that I desire a cake. Make it enormous. Make it extravagant." I added the order offhand, half for whimsy, half to reward the effort but I didn't even know if we had cooks
"Yes, Master. As you decree." With a graceful flare of mana she vanished—her ice-teleportation always had a way of feeling elegant rather than crude. I watched the place where she'd stood sparkle for a heartbeat and then go still.
Curiously, my system chimed and, without my further will, a handful of names scrolled into being beneath the request for bakers:
Tonio Trussardi.
Sanji Vinsmoke.
Soma Yukihara.
Komatsu.
I snorted, incredulous and amused. The best cooks of fiction summoned at my offhand command — a ridiculous, deliciously perfect touch. They arrived in a blur of motion and confidence, each taking command of their station the way generals might take command of a battlefield. Ovens roared to life, knives flashed, pans sang; the castle kitchen filled with the heady, sinful perfume of sugar caramelizing and butter sizzling. The sheer scale of the cake grew by the minute—layers upon layers, fillings of custard and fruit, icy trims and molten centers—constructed with a speed and artistry that would be criminal if it could be measured.
When at last the masterpiece was placed before us, it towered like a confectionary monument: golden crust, cloud-soft sponge, dripping with glazes and crowned in sugared flowers. The goddess herself leaned forward, eyes widening in a way that made me sit up straighter. Igami arranged a plate for each of us with the clinical grace of someone who has served kings.
One bite, and the room dissolved into shared, simple bliss. The cake was absurdly, sinfully perfect—textures and temperatures playing across the tongue in a choreography of pleasure. Even the goddess closed her eyes and sighed, a sound half-approval, half-disbelief. "That is an incredible cake" she murmured, voice warm as honey.
After we ate, polite bows were exchanged, and the summoned chefs—satisfied, proud, and perhaps a little bemused at being called forth into our little pocket of reality—were unsummoned as promptly and cleanly as they had been conjured. In their wake remained only crumbs on the table, a lingering sweetness in the air, and the soft, contented hum of two companions who had trained hard and been well rewarded for it.
-- FAAH
small subchapter just to say that I am officially back