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After completing the ceremony of adulthood, the two lay together, wrapped in each other's warmth—wrapped in the warmth of love.
Happiness was simple, but not something easily obtained. Two sincere hearts moving toward each other amidst the vast sea of people—it was a rarity.
"You're probably hungry," Ronen gently pinched Meteria's cheek. "The delivery should be here already. I'll go get the food."
The church had no kitchen or cooking equipment. They always ordered out. If the door was open, the food would be brought in. If not, it would be left in sealed containers outside.
"It's still early. I'll get up too," said Meteria, rising from the bed, her body revealing alluring curves. Though slim, her figure was well-shaped—gracefully proportioned and soft.
"Let's clean up first, otherwise it'll feel uncomfortable," said Ronen with a smile.
"I'll leave it to you, then," Meteria replied, a playful glint in her eyes.
Seeing her act coy made Ronen's heart stir deeply. He quickly threw on some clothes and soon returned with a basin of warm water. Wetting a towel, he began gently wiping her body.
Her skin was slightly flushed, faint red marks scattered across her delicate frame. Even though Ronen had tried to be gentle, her body was simply too fragile.
"Sorry… My body's just too weak," she said shyly.
"It'll get better later," Ronen replied calmly.
"That's not what I meant… I mean… maybe I didn't satisfy you?"
Ronen paused, then chuckled softly as he looked at her bashful expression. "Meteria, you're too cute. Emotional connection matters far more than physical satisfaction. I'm not some beast."
"But," he added with a mischievous grin, leaning close to her ear, "if you really feel bad, next time we can try some techniques that are a little easier on the body."
His whisper sent her entire face crimson. "You know too much…"
She hid her face in his chest, her cheeks bright red from embarrassment.
"The wisdom of an entire world isn't to be underestimated," Ronen said proudly.
Though it had been both of their first times, Meteria could tell Ronen's movements were initially awkward, though his theory seemed incredibly polished. (T/N: All hail internet!!!!)
"What else is in that brain of yours?" she murmured as she slowly bent down.
"Meteria?"
He felt her gentle movement and shifted into a more comfortable position for her.
They tangled together for another half hour before finally dressing. Once Meteria brushed her teeth, they brought the food back inside.
"It's all cold," Ronen muttered, inspecting the dishes. "And it doesn't look good either. We'll have to make do."
"Still doesn't seem like a bad deal," Meteria said with a mischievous smile.
She looked a little like a playful devil when she grinned that way—and clearly, someone had corrupted her. Not that Ronen minded; he was rather proud of it. Corruption of a Saintess is one of his*cough* nevermind...
After dinner, Ronen resumed studying magic theory. Progress was slow. He had only managed to outline three broad directions and develop a dozen or so conceptual spells.
The first direction was the simplest and least effective—creating magic that could suppress skill effects, using sacred tree branches as a medium. Even top-level magicians struggled with this.
The second was sealing magic, meant to bind or nullify negative skills. However, Ronen had limited experience in this area.
The third direction was dispel magic, akin to the highest form of purification magic—by far the most difficult.
If he relied solely on research, he wouldn't succeed for years—possibly decades. Fortunately, he had a shortcut: the "Indefinite Magic Grimoire." Once he clearly defined a magical direction, the grimoire could help him awaken spells based on his understanding.
Just like the legendary sage Fels, who used the grimoire to invent necromancy and resurrection magic—occupying two entire spell slots—Ronen could use the same method to define and trigger the birth of a new innate spell.
In this world, even blessed adventurers often went their whole lives without learning a single spell. But the Indefinite Magic Grimoire could forcibly awaken and imprint magic, provided the user was an adventurer. Otherwise, two outcomes could happen:
1. The magic awakening fails entirely.
2. The magic is awakened but cannot be used without receiving a divine blessing.
Of course, this was all theoretical. Ronen didn't yet have the grimoire, nor enough magical knowledge. For now, he could only "mooch"—but even mooching came with risks. A divine figure like Hera would hardly tolerate freeloaders.
If he tried to "reap where he hadn't sown," he'd probably be chewed out by her. So before he made such a request, he needed to prove himself. At least two conditions had to be met:
1. Provide valuable intel, like news of the Black Dragon.
2. Deliver visible achievements that would earn respect from her followers.
After poring over magic texts, Ronen resumed his mana control training.
Two days passed. Through constant refinement, his "Vacuum Blade" spell had finally stabilized.
"Origin Slash," he intoned.
Mana condensed in his hand, forming a fast-spinning circular blade. When released, it sliced through a rope hanging in midair. The blade dissipated only when its mana ran out further away.
Besides Origin Slash, Ronen had also created other forms:
Air Slash
Mana Slash, which traded defense for overwhelming offense
In traditional spellcasting, even minor changes in a spell's shape or elemental nature would classify it as a different spell. But Ronen's innate spell was actually an entire magic series.
Once infused with elemental properties—fire, wind, light, or thunder—it would evolve into advanced variants. This wasn't too difficult, as mana itself wasn't bound to any element but could trigger elemental phenomena.
Despite not being from a magical race, Ronen's mastery of innate magic rivaled that of those born with such abilities. His custom Vacuum Blade was more practical and adaptive than the basic spells of other innate users.
Moreover, his precise mana control now possibly surpassed even Riveria Ljos Alf or also know the Nine hell Princess Hela of the Loki Familia. This gave him a natural edge in learning even higher-level elemental magic.
Still, he felt there still more room to grow.
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