"The so-called Natural Runes draw upon the stray magical particles that flow within nature itself. To wield them properly, one must first…"
Deep within a dense forest, Gaja spoke patiently, his tone like that of a devoted teacher.
Before him sat Noelle, Asta, Mimosa, and even Ethan, listening carefully.
Ethan's body was already surrounded by faint, translucent glyphs, floating around him in perfect harmony. Gaja nodded in satisfaction.
"See? Lord Ethan has already taken his first steps into Runic mastery. His progress is remarkable."
"Who could possibly compare with him…?"
Asta muttered under his breath. Though he didn't finish the sentence, everyone thought the same thing—a monster.
It had only been seven days since they arrived in the Heart Kingdom. For seven days, they had been learning this unique art of Natural Runes.
But progress was slow.
Unlike the magic they had always known—channeled purely from one's inner reserves—the Natural Runes required merging one's mana with the volatile, wild magic in the environment. These raw particles were like borrowed weapons: unstable, unrefined, and dangerous to wield.
For most, it was nearly impossible to control. But for Ethan…
Seven short days, and he had already grasped the fundamentals.
"Truly… he cannot be measured by common sense."
Gaja thought bitterly as he watched Ethan.
Natural Runes had three stages: Manifestation, Formation, and Transcendence.
He himself had taken nearly two years just to reach the first step—Manifestation. Even among the Spirit Guardians, his progress was considered fast.
And yet, Ethan had achieved it in one week.
"Impressive… this Natural Rune system really is something else."
Ethan studied the glyphs dancing around his body with a faint smile.
Though as a Zero Domain mage he had no need for training like this, he never stopped learning. What others called the pinnacle, he treated as nothing more than a starting point.
By fusing his power with nature through these Runes, he could harmonize with the world far more easily than before. It reminded him of a certain sage oil from another tale, one used to commune with toads atop a mountain…
"The method is yours now," Gaja concluded. "How far you go will depend on your own effort. But remember—training must be balanced with live combat."
At his signal, four massive figures emerged from the shadows beneath the trees. Each radiated mana equal to Gaja himself.
"From here, they'll spar with you. Do your best."
Ethan waved casually, dismissing the glyphs that swirled around him.
For him, sparring against the Guardians was no longer useful. With his command of the World's Flow, fighting them felt like an adult bullying children.
Instead, he withdrew alone to a quiet waterfall.
With a sweep of his hand, countless grimoires spilled forth, hovering around him. Each glowed with a different color, each belonging to a different element.
Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples.
"So many… I was too ambitious back then."
The World's Flow—that was his true path forward. But to master it, each element had to be pushed to its absolute peak.
Though he had learned many attributes, only a handful could be called his specialty. Worse still…
"Every new element I fuse into the Flow increases the difficulty exponentially."
He had discovered this when merging the twelfth element—Space. Its resistance was so overwhelming he had nearly failed. And that was the last attribute he had fully mastered. Any further would require his understanding to be twice as deep as before.
"Zephyra, Ignis—how are you two progressing?"
As he spoke, a streak of green light and a streak of red descended before him—the Wind Spirit and the young Fire Spirit.
"Master, the natural energy here is perfect for us. It will help us grow stronger, though not quickly… But don't worry! I'll never lose to that Water Spirit!" Zephyra huffed, her tiny face puffing up adorably as she floated in the air.
Ethan smiled, then turned to the Fire Spirit.
"And you… oh right, you're still in your infancy. You can't even speak yet."
He sighed.
Compared to the others, the Fire Spirit was pitiful. Too weak to manifest a proper form, unable even to communicate. Ethan couldn't help but wonder whether it was male or female. If female… well, that would make things interesting in the future.
Before he could dwell on it, the water in the pool rippled.
"You two little ones, you're centuries too young to surpass me."
From the waves, the Water Spirit appeared, her voice lilting and proud.
Zephyra pouted, cheeks puffed out.
"Little? You dare call me little? I'm an ancient Wind Spirit! You don't even measure up to a fraction of my age!"
"Is that so? Then why are you still stuck in your growth phase?"
"You—!"
Ethan chuckled helplessly at their bickering. He had once worried that spirits might fight out of rivalry. But watching them now, he realized it was closer to playful banter than true hostility.
"Enough," the Water Spirit said at last, glancing at Ethan. "I didn't come to quarrel. I bring word from Her Majesty. The Queen wishes to see you, Lord Ethan."
Ethan raised a brow but nodded. With a single step, he folded space. By the time his other foot touched the ground, he was already standing in the Heart Kingdom's throne hall.
From her throne, Queen Lolopechka applauded softly.
"Such precise spatial magic… I must admit, this is the first time I've seen it performed so flawlessly. Lord Ethan, you are truly extraordinary."
Ethan smiled faintly. "Just practice, nothing more."
There was a time he had dismissed spatial magic as weak—a support tool at best. After all, even mages like Finral and Langris never made it shine.
But once he had refined it into a power worthy of the World's Flow, he realized how wrong he had been.
Space is dominion. Time is supremacy.
Though time magic stood above all, true space magic was far stronger than most other arts—if one could break through space itself, rather than merely borrow it.
Lolopechka's expression grew solemn. She leaned forward on her throne.
"I was unsure whether to ask this of you. But after witnessing your mastery of space, I must."
Her tone carried both gravity and resolve.
"Lord Ethan… will you go to the Spade Kingdom, now?"
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