As the goddess Uzakia stretched and sat up on Benjamin's bed, she noticed Ivan and Clard frozen in a screaming position — mouths wide open, eyes shaking, souls practically leaving their bodies.
With an exhausted sigh, she lazily flicked her fingers.
**Uzakia**: *"3rd Circle Magic: Arcane Thread."*
Thin rainbow-colored strings shot toward their mouths, moving like playful snakes.
But before the threads could seal them shut—
**Benjamin**: *"5th Circle Magic: Domain of Elements — Fire & Earth."*
A circular sigil instantly formed under his feet, glowing like molten stone. Flames erupted upward, burning the colorful threads to ash, and the floor cracked open as a pillar of earth launched Uzakia toward the ceiling.
Ivan and Clard fell backwards from the shock.
**Ivan**: "BRO—HE CAN DO *THAT?!*"
**Clard**: "WHY IS THE FLOOR MOVING LIKE IT'S BREATHING?!"
Uzakia didn't even look worried. She raised a finger.
**Uzakia**: *"9th Circle Magic: Null Arcana."*
A transparent pulse expanded from her palm, instantly erasing Benjamin's spell. The flames died. The earth crumbled. The magic circle under Benjamin shattered like glass.
Benjamin stumbled back, clutching his head as new knowledge flooded his mind.
**Benjamin**: "Ugh—my brain—too much information—"
**Clard**, nearly slipping on a piece of broken floor:
"ARE WE EVEN SAFE RIGHT NOW?! SHOULD WE RUN?! PLAY DEAD?! WHAT'S THE STRATEGY HERE?!"
**Ivan**, dragging Clard back so he doesn't interrupt the clash:
"DON'T MOVE! THEY'RE FIGHTING ON, LIKE—A GOD TIER LEVEL! IF YOU GET HIT YOU'LL TURN INTO CONFETTI!"
Uzakia rubbed her eyes with a lazy expression.
**Uzakia**: "Kid, chill. You're not even trained. How are you throwing 5th Circle spells like candy? Your brain wasn't built for this yet."
Benjamin lowered his hands, still dizzy.
**Benjamin**: "You're… different from before. The last time we met, you were smiling."
The goddess's eyes dimmed.
Her shoulders drooped.
**Uzakia**: "…The Seven Demon Lords have begun invading worlds like yours. I've been fighting nonstop."
She swayed, her voice cracking from exhaustion.
Without thinking, Benjamin cast another spell.
**Benjamin**: *"5th Circle Magic: Fatigue Breaker."*
A warm red-gold mist wrapped around her, easing the tension in her body — but the moment the spell finished, Benjamin collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
**Ivan**: "BENJAMIN!"
**Clard**: "NOOOO THE PROTAG DIED EARLY!"
Ivan smacked him.
Clard accepted this.
They rushed to Benjamin's side.
Uzakia raised a hand, still unsteady.
**Uzakia**: "Don't touch him. If you idiots interrupt my healing, the entire house might explode."
Clard froze mid-step.
**Clard**: "NOTED. VERY CLEAR. WILL NOT MOVE."
Ivan dragged him back by the hoodie.
Uzakia began gathering mana — her fingers weaving slow, deliberate signs.
Even the air vibrated.
**Uzakia**: *"9th Circle Magic: Greatest Blessing."*
Green magic circles layered throughout the entire house, spinning like gears. Light rained down, coating all three boys.
Ivan's muscles firmed.
Clard's bones strengthened.
Their mana cores awakened like roaring engines.
Benjamin's breathing softened.
His eyes fluttered open.
**Benjamin**: "How long… was I out…?"
He smiled tiredly.
Ivan and Clard instantly hugged him — full-on bear hug.
**Ivan & Clard**: "Only a few minutes, man…!"
Benjamin awkwardly patted their backs, unsure what to do with their tears.
Benjamin awkwardly pushed Ivan and Clard away after their emotional bear hug, still a bit dizzy from almost nuking his brain with too much magic.
Before anyone could breathe, Uzakia snapped her fingers aggressively.
**Uzakia:** "Alright, enough hugging! Listen—your world is in danger."
All three idiots straightened up instantly.
Well, Benjamin tried.
Clard saluted even though nobody asked him to.
Ivan simply nodded while still wiping away tears he pretended weren't there.
Uzakia crossed her arms, wings drooping slightly.
**Uzakia:** "You three idiotic heroes must save seven different worlds overrun by the Seven Deadly Sins."
The room fell into dead silence.
Benjamin blinked.
Ivan processed.
Clard's brain sent up a white flag.
**Clard:** "…What's a deadly sin again? Is it like when you eat someone's lunch in the fridge?"
Uzakia threw a pillow at his face.
**Uzakia:** "NO. These are world-destroying Demon Lords! Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Gluttony, and Envy."
Clard nodded like he understood.
He absolutely did not.
Benjamin, however, stepped forward.
**Benjamin:** "Why us? There must be better candidates."
Ivan elbowed Clard and whispered loudly.
**Ivan:** "Bro that was my line! Benjamin stole my dramatic moment!"
Uzakia sighed, rubbing her temples.
**Uzakia:** "You three were chosen because your destinies are intertwined. If one of you dies… all of you die. Shared fate."
All three froze.
Benjamin swallowed.
Ivan's face went pale.
Clard raised his hand like a student.
**Clard:** "Question—can we return ourselves for a refund?"
Uzakia's wings flared.
**Uzakia:** "NO!"
Benjamin and Ivan instinctively pushed Clard behind them like he was a shield.
Uzakia continued.
**Uzakia:** "You have three days. After that, a Demon General arrives here. Strong enough to wipe out a continent."
Ivan and Clard both screamed internally.
Uzakia flicked her wrist casually.
**Uzakia:** "Oh right—your gifts."
She pointed at Clard first.
A bow materialized in mid-air, shimmering with gold and black patterns, humming with power.
**Uzakia:** "Clard. This is the *Bow of Infinite Flight.* Unlimited arrows. Every shot hits its target, unless you purposely miss. Your mana core is awakened too."
Clard stared at the bow like it was holy scripture.
**Clard:** "I am now… unstoppable."
Uzakia immediately corrected him.
**Uzakia:** "No. You are still very stoppable. Don't get cocky."
Ivan burst out laughing—until Uzakia turned to him.
A wand and a spellbook floated into his hands.
The spellbook pulsed with a soft blue glow, and the wand buzzed like it was overflowing with power.
**Uzakia:** "Ivan. *Arcana Codex* and *Wand of Resonance.* Both will help you control your mana. You have a stupidly large mana reserve but zero control. Try not to explode yourself."
Ivan nodded seriously.
**Ivan:** "Got it. No exploding."
Clard raised his hand again.
**Clard:** "Can *he* explode *me* though?"
**Ivan:** "Bro I promise nothing."
Benjamin watched from the side, confused.
**Benjamin:** "What about my gift?"
Uzakia shook her head.
**Uzakia:** "You don't need one. You have no mana. Instead, you have amplified senses — you can see magic circles with perfect clarity. You're basically a spell savant."
Benjamin looked down at his hands.
**Benjamin:** "So… I'm the only one who can't use mana?"
**Uzakia:** "Correct. But that's precisely why you're dangerous. You're immune to mana overload. You can process high-tier spells faster than anyone. Don't underestimate that."
Clard leaned in to whisper to Ivan.
**Clard:** "Translation: Benjamin is still the main character."
Ivan nodded.
Uzakia flapped her wings once.
A gust of wind filled the room.
Her voice shifted to a softer tone.
**Uzakia:** "I know this is sudden. And terrifying. But… please. Do this. Not just for your world. For all of them."
The boys exchanged glances.
Benjamin's expression steadied.
Ivan clenched his wand.
Clard gripped his new bow with determination.
Uzakia began dissolving into shimmering particles of light.
**Uzakia:** "Three days… Train hard. Survive. Save what you can."
She disappeared—
—then instantly reappeared.
**Uzakia:** "…Forgot my sandals."
She grabbed them, nodded, and vanished again.
The house fell into complete silence.
The three boys stared at each other.
Then Benjamin broke it with a single question.
**Benjamin:** "So… save the worlds or ignore everything and live normal lives?"
Clard answered instantly.
**Clard:** "Ignore."
Ivan smacked him again.
Benjamin smiled faintly.
**Benjamin:** "…Let's save them."
Ivan nodded.
Clard sighed dramatically.
**Clard:** "Fine, but if I die, both of you are dying with me."
**End of Chapter 9**