[Ascendent has successfully activated his ability - Multiverse Record]
[Withdrawing the Omni-King's Blessing ~ Try not to die anymore.]
— Regards, World Memory.
As the message faded, the card dissolved into light. A radiant symbol flared on El's forehead, illuminating the treasury for a brief second before vanishing as if it had never existed.
"Woh… this is the same phenomenon that happened the night those Spade devils killed you," the dryad muttered in astonishment.
'So I am on my own from now on.' El barely heard her. His focus was locked onto the second card floating before his vision.
[Congratulations on successfully activating the Unique-Grade ability: Multiverse Records, by the grace and blessing of the Omni-Kings.]
[Ability Description:]
The Ascended will receive missions from the Omni-Kings like any other Ascended or Conqueror. Rewards may include Xeni Coins, artifacts, and ability cards originating from other powerful beings, each containing a single ability.
[Rules:]
• First activation of any acquired ability card is free.
• Reuse requires Xeni Coins. Cost depends on the card's rank and increases with each activation.
• To permanently acquire an ability, the condition set by its original Conqueror must be fulfilled.
[Error:] The drawn ability has disrupted the balance of the selected world and Game Format. Corrective limitations are being applied.
• Ability cards may occasionally fail to activate. Xeni Coins spent will not be refunded.
• The Ascended will lose all memories of his previous world. (Memories after arrival in Xeni Space remain intact.)
• Only seven abilities may be made permanent before Ascension to Conqueror Rank.
• Reincarnation location set to the most chaotic region of the planet. (Removable at Omni-Kings' discretion.)
El's expression stiffened.
He was reminded once again of the ability he had greedily chosen during his meeting with the Omni-Kings—a draw he had regretted ever since.
"Hey, El! Congratulations!" the dryad said excitedly. "What does your grimoire do?"
He hesitated before replying calmly, "It's… complicated. It says I'll receive missions from a higher being. If I complete them, I'll gain abilities."
"Oh? That sounds extraordinary," she praised without doubt.
El reopened the grimoire, but nothing new appeared. No cards. No missions—yet.
Still, he understood one thing clearly. While others would wait until fifteen to receive a grimoire, he had awakened at five. A ten-year head start.
But unlike normal mages, his power would not grow immediately.
It would depend entirely on missions… and survival.
El had barely stepped out of the dryad's abode when the floating card beside him trembled and lit up again. New text formed before his eyes.
[Instant Transmission: Conqueror Son Goku has granted you a one-time-use ability.]
Card Rank: B
Ability Holder: Son Goku
Spell: Instant Transmission
Effect: Instantly teleport to any location previously visited, anywhere within sight, or directly to a person whose Ki can be sensed.
Weakness: Limited to 100 uses per day until Ascension to Conqueror Rank.
Condition to Make Permanent: Accept one request from Conqueror Son Goku upon meeting him in the future, or provide equal compensation as determined by World Memory in forms of Xeni Coins, artifacts or ability cards.
El narrowed his eyes.
Didn't the Grand Minister say other Conquerors would rarely interfere because of the cost involved?
Why would this conqueror Son Goku hand over such a useful ability so easily—and even allow him to reject the future request in exchange for fair compensation? The involvement of World Memory ensured balance. It wasn't a trap. It was a calculated investment.
After hours of silent analysis and finding no loophole in the condition, El accepted.
[Congratulations on successfully acquiring your first permanent ability (01/07)]
The card shimmered and fused into his body. A flood of foreign knowledge rushed into his mind. It took several minutes before he steadied himself and understood the technique.
"Let's try it…"
He focused on a tree branch in the distance. In an instant, the ground beneath him vanished—
—and he appeared midair above the branch.
His concentration wavered.
He fell.
Before hitting the ground, he panicked and focused on the lake nearby—
Flash.
He reappeared above the water and dropped face-first into it with a loud splash.
The nearby elves rushed over at the sound of screaming.
Just as quickly, El focused again—
Flash.
He reappeared safely on the shore, soaked but grinning widely.
"Wohhh… this ability is amazing. Thank you, Son Goku…" he muttered under his breath.
By then, the dryad had also arrived, her expression a mix of shock and curiosity.
El excitedly began explaining his first ability to everyone around her alongside the grimoire he had received today.
The days passed quietly as El immersed himself in training. Under Dryad's guidance, he learned the concept of Ki—a technique humans of the past had once mastered but the current generation had long forgotten. With it, he refined his instant transmission ability and could sense Ki of living beings within 100 meters radius.
He also showed a growing interest in swordsmanship, spending hours studying ancient scrolls and battle records preserved by the elf elders, carefully practicing stances, footwork, and sword control until his movements became precise and efficient. Using his newly mastered Instant Transmission, he explored areas near the strong magic regions and the Heart Kingdom border.
Three years slipped by like this.
Having exhausted all that Elysia Sanctuary could teach him, El finally decided it was time to step beyond its borders and explore the world outside.
During those three years, El cleared three B-rank dungeons. From them, he received two ability cards. The first belonged to [Mega Darkrai], while the second, [Ninja Sasori], which only contained minor spells.
The third dungeon did not grant him an ability card, but the wealth he obtained from it would prove useful in the outside world.
Before his departure, Dryad briefed him about the nearest kingdom he intended to visit—the Heart Kingdom.
Unlike aristocratic nations, this kingdom was nature-centric. Its culture and people lived in harmony with mana, much like Elysia itself.
At the kingdom's center stood a vast lake. Within it resided the Guardian Water Spirit—a great spirit like Dryad—and the Queen of the Heart Kingdom. Surrounding the capital were five major regions, protected and governed by the kingdom's strongest mages, known as the Spirit Guardians. The entire land was rich with natural mana.
Dryad warned him not to sneak into the kingdom. The entire domain was under the Water Spirit's surveillance, and relations between the spirit and Dryad were far from friendly.
After explaining his plan to infiltrate the Heart Kingdom, she sneakily agreed to become his partner in crime, letting out a quiet snicker. "It serves her right."
She also admitted she did not know who the current Queen or Spirit Guardians were, meaning El would have to adapt on his own.
Before leaving, dryad formed a spirit contract with El. Through it, they would be able to communicate with each other.
The bond wouldn't be of much help to him as he had zero nature element affinity but he could summon her whenever he needed help in healing which she was most adept in.
The bond greatly enhanced his affinity toward nature mana, allowing him to control it more smoothly. However, since he did not possess true nature elemental affinity, he couldn't access her other spells.
After bidding farewell to everyone, El left Elysia at the age of eight.
It wasn't as though he would be gone forever—he could return with a mere thought—but this time, he intended to stay away for long.
***
Transferring mana into his eyes, El perceived it clearly—an invisible barrier of mana standing just a few feet ahead of him.
Physically crossing it would trigger immediate detection, alerting the entire military force of the Heart Kingdom. And as Dryad had warned, every puddle of water within the kingdom functioned as the Queen's eyes and ears, making unauthorized entry nearly impossible.
Yet the child within him stirred.
He wanted to challenge the so-called impenetrable defense of the Heart Kingdom.
El bent down and picked up a few small stones. Slowly, carefully, he began pouring mana into them. At the same time, he raised his gaze toward the sky.
Using instant transmission, he leapt upward—again and again—appearing higher each time until he stood far above the kingdom, overlooking the vast dome of mana encasing it.
From this vantage point, the capital, the lake, the palace, and even the surrounding regions were visible beneath him.
Without hesitation, he hurled the three mana-charged stones toward different points on the barrier. They struck with force and detonated like small bombs upon impact, sending ripples across the protective dome.
A fake emergency.
Before the shockwaves settled, El used instant transmission once more—this time appearing directly above the palace dome, concealed in the blind spot.
"Darkness beneath the lamp…" he murmured softly.
"Let's see how true that idiom is."
Inside the palace, a fifteen-year-old girl lay behind the throne, resting against a gentle current of water.
Beside her floated Undine, the Water Spirit who had recently chosen her as the next Queen of heart kingdom.
The new queen, Lolopechka, had ascended only a few days ago.
In Undine's opinion, she was perhaps the most naive—and to some degree, the weakest—queen in the Heart Kingdom's twelve-hundred-year history. Yet she was also the purest, most innocent, and most hardworking.
For two days straight, Lolopechka had assimilated the knowledge of all previous queens and familiarized herself with the kingdom's defense systems without sleeping, determined to resume her duties as soon as possible.
Only after relentless insistence from Undine had she finally agreed to take a short nap.
Undine had resolved that not even the gods themselves would be allowed to disturb her rest.
But fate had other plans.
Three explosions reverberated across the mana barrier, and Undine's water magic reacted instantly.
This was no natural phenomenon.
Someone had attacked the Heart Kingdom.
And at the worst possible time.
"Uwahhh… what was that, Undine?" Lolopechka stirred awake, fumbling around for her glasses, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"Nothing, Lolopechika. Gaja must be experimenting with some new lightning magic of his. I'll be back shortly."
After gently easing her back into sleep, Undine dissolved into water and vanished from the throne room, reappearing near the training grounds where Gaja was practicing.
Gaja turned immediately.
"What was that explosion just now? Are we under attack?"
"I'm not certain," Undine replied, her expression tense. "I sensed someone striking the barrier, but there was no breach. That is why I need you and the other guardians to investigate this anomaly."
Gaja's brows furrowed.
"Then why would someone mess with the barrier…?"
Undine and Gaja froze.
Realization struck them like lightning.
"Who is with Lolopechika right now?"
Before she could respond, Gaja's body transformed into a streak of lightning and vanished. Undine instantly dove into nearby water, reappearing inside the palace.
As Undine's vision cleared inside the throne room, the sight before her stunned her.
A boy—sat calmly on the floor in front of a fully awake Lolopechika. They appeared to be in the middle of a serious discussion.
"Hmm, hmm… you are correct, El was it," Lolopechika said thoughtfully, adjusting her glasses. "Thank you for informing me about the weakness in our kingdom's defense. I will definitely upgrade it once Undine returns."
"By the way," El added smoothly, "becoming queen at such a young age… you're truly an inspiration to the younger generation of mages and thank you for hearing me."
He extended his hand.
She shyly accepted the handshake.
But then—
El's expression shifted.
His Ki screamed in warning.
A sly smile curved across his lips.
In an instant, both he and Lolopechika vanished.
A streak of lightning tore through the spot where he had been standing.
They reappeared on the far side of the throne room.
At the entrance stood Gaja, lightning crackling violently around him, his expression filled with fury.
"Stay away from Lolopechka!" he roared, his killing intent flooding the room.
El tilted his head slightly, still holding Lolopechka's hand.
"Is that your boyfriend?"
Lolopechka's face turned bright red.
"W-What?! No, no, no! It's a misunderstanding!" she cried, flustered. "He is one of the Spirit Guardians of the Heart Kingdom! Gaja, stop attacking him! He's not an enemy!"
Her voice echoed through the throne room, halting the escalating tension—if only slightly.
"Then why did he infiltrate the kingdom like a thief?"
At Undine's sharp remark, Lolopechka instinctively stepped away from El, her expression turning wary.
"You… lied to me?" she asked softly, fear flickering in her eyes.
"Okay, okay," El raised both hands in surrender, offering a sheepish smile. "I was just messing around a little. I don't have any ill intentions toward you or the Heart Kingdom. I only wanted to show that your 'airtight' defenses have major loopholes. If I truly wished to kidnap the queen or harm her, I had plenty of chances. But that was never my goal."
Before he could say more—
A streak of lightning shot toward him.
In less than a heartbeat, he vanished.
He reappeared behind Gaja, casually placing a hand on his shoulder.
Both disappeared again.
A millisecond later, El returned alone.
He dusted off his sleeve.
'Ah… I really love this instant transmission ability,' he thought lazily. 'Annoying enemy? Just send them far away.'
Undine's aura trembled, but she did not attack this time.
"Where is Gaja?" she demanded.
"I sent him somewhere far from the Heart Kingdom. He'll return shortly," El replied calmly. "I simply wanted a few peaceful minutes to talk."
Undine floated protectively behind Lolopechka, her gaze sharp.
"Why don't you start by explaining who you are? And speak only the truth."
El lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the floor, deliberately placing himself in a non-threatening posture.
After a brief exchange of glances, Undine and Lolopechka sat opposite him.
"Queen Lolopechka," El began gently, "I did not lie. I am indeed a messenger… but I am also a rogue mage. I do not belong to any kingdom."
"I am El, an 8 years old orphan and I have lived and grown up in Elysia." El explained truthfully.
He pulled back his sleeve slightly, revealing the faint symbol of his contract with the Dryad.
Undine's eyes narrowed instantly.
"That loser Dryad sent you here?" she snapped.
Lolopechka blinked in surprise and closed her eyes, her grimoire floating before her revealing everything the previous queens knew about the dryad.
"Undine… you shouldn't speak ill of your friend like that," she said innocently.
"W-Who said Dryad is my friend?!" Undine stammered.
"It's mentioned in the previous queen's records," Lolopechka giggled.
Undine coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem. Let's not deviate from the topic," she said quickly, regaining composure. "That does not explain why you are here."
"As you both may know, Dryad possesses the ability of divine revelation."
He paused, allowing the weight of his next words to settle.
"She has foreseen that in the near future, devils from the Spade Kingdom will launch an attack on the Heart Kingdom."
Silence filled the throne room.
He let the revelation sink in.
"W-What?! Why would they attack our kingdom? Undine, what should we do? I'm not ready for—"
"Calm down, Lolopechka," Undine cut in sharply. "It's just a prophecy from that unreliable Dryad. Don't panic over uncertain possibilities."
"But what if it's true?" Lolopechka's fear replaced the last traces of sleep in her eyes. "What if we aren't prepared?"
El felt a slight twinge of guilt watching her panic—but suppressed it.
Undine turned back to him. "Other than Dryad's claim, do you have any proof?"
"No concrete proof," El admitted. "But Dryad has been watching the Spade Kingdom since the coup eight years ago. They've been preparing for war. And the Heart Kingdom is their closest."
He paused, then added calmly, "Even if the prophecy is wrong, didn't I just prove how easily your defenses can be bypassed?"
Undine narrowed her eyes. "How did you cross the barrier without detection? Even spatial magic..."
"My ability doesn't rely on mana," El replied.
He vanished—and instantly reappeared behind the throne. Not a ripple of mana escaped him.
The demonstration silenced the room.
El stepped forward. "My role as messenger ends there. As I said, I'm a rogue mage—curious, unaffiliated. I've long been fascinated by the Heart Kingdoms mana method and wish to stay for a time to continue my research."
"That won't be isu—"
"Lolopechka," Undine interrupted softly, "we need to consider this carefully."
At that moment, thunder roared outside. A streak of lightning crashed through the entrance as Gaja returned, breathing hard. He scanned the room—no battle, no damage.
Lolopechka adjusted her glasses, surprisingly composed.
"I don't fully trust him," she admitted. "And that is why Gaja will accompany him at all times. Undine may monitor him freely. If he proves harmless, he may earn citizenship. If he harms the kingdom, he will be expelled immediately. Do you agree?"
El bowed slightly. "As the Queen commands."
Gaja nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him."
Undine crossed her arms. "I'll be watching you constantly. Don't try anything."
El grinned. "The pleasure would be mine… though perhaps spare me during private moments?"
"Undine wouldn't do that!" Lolopechka protested innocently.
Undine flushed. "What do you take me for?!"
She then studied him carefully. "How did you even convince Dryad to stay in Elysia? Last time I saw her she disliked humans."
"She found me in the Spade Kingdom during the massacre 8 years ago," El said evenly. "Saved me as an infant."
Lolopechka's expression softened. "That must have been painful…"
"I don't dwell on it," El replied. "But I do have unfinished business with the Spade Kingdom. So this warning… was personal as well."
After a few more exchanges, El took his leave disappearing into the unknown.