Kaelen awoke to the warm sunlight peeking through his curtains, his body feeling completely refreshed. No signs remained of the injuries he had suffered from the debris caused by Velgrynd's attack the previous night. Thanks to the extra skill [Regeneration], which he had gained after activating Dragon Form v1, all his wounds had fully healed.
He sat up in bed, flexing his fingers and rotating his shoulder. No pain, no stiffness... everything's back to normal.
With time to spare before breakfast, Kaelen crossed his legs and closed his eyes, slipping into meditation. He hoped to meet Veldanava again in his unconscious world. However, upon arriving in that serene soul-space, he found only silence. No trace of the divine presence.Tch... not here again, Kaelen thought, standing alone under the endless sky of his inner world.
"Guess I'll make good use of the time here."
Realizing that time flowed differently in this dimension, he took the opportunity to experiment with ice magic, his strongest elemental affinity. Starting simple, he created a sharp and streamlined Ice Arrow—a basic projectile spell capable of inflicting freezing effects upon impact. It was fast and precise, but it wasn't his end goal.
What he truly wanted to create was a sealing-type spell: an arrow that, upon striking a target, would sprout magical ice chains to freeze and bind the opponent. Stronger enemies would require more magicules to hold them even for a few seconds, while weaker ones would be sealed quickly.
His first attempt failed miserably.
So did the second. And the third.
He kept trying—over twenty times—refining the control over chain formation and freezing timing. If needed, I can try fusing Cardinal Ice into the spell, he considered, wiping sweat off his brow. But this needs to work without burning too much magic.
He didn't stop there. Between trials, Kaelen created a few new basic ice and light-based variations, then turned to swordsmanship. He practiced forms, footwork, and counters, replaying techniques he'd seen from Allaric, and attempting to incorporate his own flair.Suddenly, a gentle voice echoed around him.
"Master, it's time to wake up."
Kaelen snapped out of his inner world, blinking as he returned to reality. He was sitting at his desk, a book on empire history open in front of him.
Sophia entered with a warm smile. "Oh? Reading already? I'm glad to see you behaving like a normal boy."
He closed the book. "Just catching up on things."
"Breakfast is ready, Master Kaelen. Please come," she said, bowing politely.
On their way to the dining area, they met Lyra, who greeted them with her usual bright energy. The three of them walked together, and Kaelen couldn't help but feel a rare moment of peace.After the meal, Renaldor set down his utensils and spoke in his usual composed tone. "The representatives from the Empire will arrive shortly. Be on your best behavior."
A few hours later, they arrived.
Kaelen recognized one of them instantly—Velgrynd, the Scorch Dragon, now disguised in her humanoid form. No one else knew her identity, but her overwhelming presence was unmistakable to Kaelen. The other representative appeared to be a knight clad in ornate armor, walking calmly beside her.
But something felt... off.
Kaelen narrowed his eyes and quietly activated [All-Seeing Eye: Chrono-Dissector].In an instant, layers peeled away from the knight's body in his vision—revealing a disguised spell cloaking their true form. While Kaelen didn't identify them immediately, he made a mental note to stay cautious.
Training Grounds: Demonstration of Power
The training session began with Allaric stepping up first. He infused magicules into his body, activating a Body Enchantment technique he'd devised after observing Kaelen's own version weeks earlier. His movements were swift and calculated, blending family-style techniques with refined swordsmanship.
Velgrynd nodded in genuine surprise. The disguised knight beside her muttered, "A child devised that on his own?"
Then it was Lyra's turn.
Before stepping forward, she turned to Kaelen with a grin. "I might use your Photon Bullet."
"Go ahead, sis."
She gave him a thumbs-up and rushed onto the training field. She opened with three family-exclusive holy spells, casting them in rapid succession. What amazed everyone—Kaelen included—was how she shortened the incantations, cutting off unnecessary phrases while retaining power.
"She figured out how to optimize casting...? "Kaelen watched with wide eyes.
After blinding the knight with Light Ball, she launched into an incantation—and released Photon Bullet.
The sheer force and brilliance of the spell exceeded Kaelen's own base version, shocking both Velgrynd and the knight.
"She turned a support spell into a destructive attack..." the knight said under their breath.They exchanged brief combat with the knight, who held back but provided a solid test of their skills.
Then came Kaelen's turn.
Velgrynd leaned forward slightly, observing him with curiosity. "Why does he look different from his siblings?" she asked a nearby maid.
Sophia stepped forward. "Master Kaelen is... the adopted son of Lord Renaldor."
Velgrynd frowned slightly, about to call off the inspection.
But the knight halted her with a telepathic message. "This boy... he's interesting. Let him continue."
As the spar began, Kaelen launched a Fireball toward the knight, who casually sliced through it with a vertical slash.
The moment the flames parted, Kaelen vanished.
Godspeed, now enhanced thanks to his altered body constitution and refined magicule flow, activated silently.
Velgrynd's eyes narrowed." That speed... could it be—? But the boy's presence felt subtly different. She let the thought go."
Allaric, watching from the side, clenched his fists. "He's even faster than before."
Kaelen reappeared mid-air and conjured multiple Ice Arrows, launching them with precision. The knight dodged or deflected them with fluid, graceful swordplay. As Kaelen landed, his eyes locked onto the knight's movements.
"This sword style... Holy Sword: Astra. Rudra likes testing people in disguise, huh?"
Determined, Kaelen conjured a Light Sword and rushed forward.
with Rudra holding back.Kaelen was able to match Rudra's speed. With [All-Seeing Eye: Chrono-Dissector], Kaelen could anticipate faint glimpses of Rudra's movements, but it wasn't enough. A swift kick landed squarely in Kaelen's ribs, sending him flying..
He gritted his teeth, recovering mid-air. Multiple Light Balls formed and flew around as distractions, and while the knight deflected some, Kaelen took the chance to unleash his prepared spell.
Chains of ice erupted from the ground and coiled around Rudra's arms and legs—Ice Seal.The knight was frozen, albeit briefly.
Kaelen dropped his sword. The sword of light began to morph, compressing into a sleek, glowing arrow. Holding it with his bare hand, he aimed.
For the first time, he began chanting aloud—something he had never done before.
Lyra's jaw dropped." He's using an incantation? Since when!?"
The arrow shimmered as fire wreathed it, lightning sparked around it, and wind gathered to amplify the flames.
As Rudra broke free from the restraints, Kaelen took aim and released the arrow. The arrow soared, trailing fire and lightning like a divine comet. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. All eyes watched