The forest clearing was alive with golden light.
Cards shimmered like scattered leaves, stacked high into a very large pile that glowed faintly with different images. Lucky stood before them, arms crossed, his small frame casting a long shadow in the twilight.
He raised his hand, and he stored all the cards that were somewhat useless for the Lucky's roulette and some useful items for later.
Lucky sat cross-legged, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees
Before him, the clones stood in perfect formation with anticipation in their eyes.
"Alright," Lucky said, voice steady. "As planned. A thousand OL… into one EP."
The air shifted.
The clones his army of veterans who had returned from the Calamity Gate scarred but unbroken watched in silence. They knew what this meant. Infinite memory had given them permanence. For the first time since their existence, death no longer meant true disappearance. Now, they could exist, die, and be reborn without their essence ever fading except if the main body dies then they can all say GG to themselves.
The scientist clone, glasses still cracked from the other side, adjusted them with trembling fingers. and stared at Lucky "This is the foundation," he whispered. "This is what will let us exist forever. .... and for this all of us... Thank you"
Lucky nodded once with a smile on his face "You are me but i am not you but this doesn't mean we are the same as you guys should know some of you guys have a slight difference of thought or personality trait which means ultimately you are all different but at the end we are all the same so... dont thank me"
which caused all the clones to nod.
Then Lucky closed his Eyes to ready himself.
He opened his eyes.
"Convert."
With a thought, he converted 1,000 OL into 1 Evolution Point (EP).
The number blinked in his mind:
[+1 Evolution Point]
EP: 1
Lucky let out a slow breath. "One step at a time."
Lucky clapped his hands. "Alright. I'll save some up first, then we'll use them. No point rushing when the real gamble's coming later."
The clones didn't cheer.... they celebrated
They were happy.
Because now, with Essence of the Great Mage active, infinite memory storage was real.
They weren't just temporary copies.
They were permanent.
Even if they died.
Even if they dissipated.
Their memories, their experiences, their 'souls' all would be preserved.
They could live forever.
And for the first time, they didn't fear the end.
For the first time, they looked… happy.
——————————————————————————————
Lucky sat cross-legged, the clones still celebrating behind him. In his hands glowed the newest card he had drawn
Lucky took a deep breath.
Then, he activated the skill.
——————
Tier: 3
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Skill: Physical body training Technique
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Type: Technique (Passive/Active)
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Level: 1 / 99
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Description: Allows the user to use any type of energy within himself to slowly temper the entire body which cause the body to grow stronger permanently.
Each type of Energy give different effects.
—————————————
Training Speed efficiency: 10%
Mental Consumption Reduction: 0%
Mana Consumption Reduction: 0%
HP Consumption Reduction: 0%
Type of Energy: 1
(Each level increase Training Speed efficiency by 1% )
(Each level reduce mental consumption by 0.5% )
(Each level reduce the mana consumption by 0.5%)
(Each level reduce the HP Consumption by 0.5%)
(Level 25 = +1 Type of Energy)
(Level 50= +1 Type of Energy)
(Level 75= +1 Type of Energy)
(Level 99= +1 Type of Energy)
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Note:
1) Each Energy can only go to the limit of your current body Current potential limit : Peak Human condition (Normal human)
2) it cannot break Physical Limit
3) it is very Painful
4) the closer you are to the limit the slower it will be
5) Every time New Energy is used it will double the difficulty of the previous difficulty (so 1 energy is 1 times the speed 2nd energy 0.5 the speed 3rd energy 0.25 the speed extra)
————————————
Lucky tapped the card against his chin. "So basically… magical gym membership. With extra torture."
The clones didn't laugh. They'd seen the notes: Very painful.
Lucky squinted at the description. "Energy options… ."
Lucky exhaled.
He listed them off with his fingers. "Mana, Life force, Soul Power, And good ol' Ethernano."
He had four types of energy:
1 Mana – His primary magical energy.
2 HP & Stamina – His life force.
3 SP (Soul Power) – His spiritual energy.
4 Ethernano -Ambient magic energy, always converted to mana (Becasue the skill panel is from the Gamer)
He hesitated.
Which to use first?
The scientist clone stepped forward. "Mana is safe option. SP is rare but you are trying to increase your physical attribute it will be weird to use SP for it and Ethernano could reshape your body like Fairy Tail mages, which is ideal for our current situation but this option is not guaranteed to fix the issue."
Ethernano? It might give him a body like the mages of Fairy Tail strong, resilient, magically attuned.
But no.
He looked inward.
He could feel it.
The strongest energy in his body wasn't mana.
It wasn't SP.
Lucky hummed. His gaze lingered on Life Force. The word itself pulsed with weight
It was life force the raw, pulsing energy of his own existence.
And in the long run?
That was what would sustain him.
He hesitated.
Then after some resolve. "If I'm gonna bet, I'll bet on life itself."
He made his choice.
"Life force."
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and activated the technique.
————————————————————————
He sat straighter, legs folded.
"Alright. Life Force it is."
He activated the technique.
The change was immediate.
At first, it was… pleasant.
A warm current spread through his chest, then his torso, then his limbs and head. It wasn't just on the surface.
It went deeper.
Into His bones hummed faintly.
Into His blood vessels pulsed.
Into His eyes tingled as if someone had wiped fog off glass.
He felt it everywhere.
And the pain?
It wasn't there.
He opened his eyes, confused
Lucky exhaled. "...Huh. This doesn't hurt at all."
The clones tilted their heads. They'd been waiting for screams.
A medic clone frowned. "Strange. The notes said very painful."
One of the scientist-clones stepped forward. "I think it's because it's life force," he said. "It sustains life. It shouldn't hurt or maybe it is lower pain ?."
Lucky's grin widened. "So I chose right."
The warmth grew, rising toward heat. Not burning. Comforting. Like a hot bath after days in the cold. His body relaxed into it, sinking deeper and deeper.
For one minute, he felt absolute comfort.
But then
Drip.
His mana bar plummeted.
Lucky frowned. "Eh?"
He tried again.
Life Force drained.
Mana instantly converted into more Life Force.
Then drained again. A cycle.
In less than a minute, his reserves were empty.
The clones leaned forward.
Lucky collapsed backward, staring at the sky. "…Oh. So that's the catch."
He'd been using Universal Core to convert mana into life force But the drain was insane.
The scientist clone sighed. "Conversion rate For life force is the Highest. Universal Core forces mana into Life Force, but the drain is catastrophic."
Lucky stood. "I need to rest. And recover."
He looked at the clones. "You guys train. When my body can handle it i will dissipate, I'll absorb your progress."
The clones nodded.
What Lucky didn't know or what no one in this world knew was that no being had ever used Life Force as a tempering medium. It was too precious. Too finite. rare treasure could restore life force but they were scarce. Lucky was truly lucky to have Universal Core made the attempt even possible.
That night, Lucky returned to Magnolia.
He didn't use portals. He didn't summon a beast to ride. He just walked. Slowly.
By the time he arrived, the sky was black and stars faint. He slipped into bed and let the warmth of the day's experiment fade into exhaustion.
——————————————————————
The next day, 4:30 AM.
The next morning, he stood at the portal again, chainmail clinking faintly. With a flick of his fingers, the rift opened.
Lucky opened a portal to the forest.
Erza was waiting, armored in steel as always. But this time, she wasn't alone.
Gray was beside her, arms crossed.
But today, two new figures stood beside her.
Millianna.
Sorano.
The moment they saw Lucky, both girls bowed low deep, respectful, trembling.
Millianna spoke first, her cat-like eyes soft with gratitude. "Thank you for saving us."
Lucky scratched the back of his head. "It wasn't just me. Everyone there helped. I just… played my part."
Sorano said nothing. She stared. Her gaze was deep, unreadable.
Erza crossed her arms. "They'll be training with us."
Lucky nodded. "Fair enough. It's not my forest."
Just as they were about to start, Sorano looked at Lucky.
Her eyes were deep. Quiet.
Lucky felt… weird.
She hadn't spoken since the rescue.
Then, after a long silence, she bowed again.
"I heard… you have summons for traveling."
Lucky blinked. "Yeah. I do."
"Can I… borrow a flying type one please?"
Lucky froze.
Gray and Erza exchanged glances.
Sorano's voice cracked. "I… I need to find my sister. Yukino. Please… I'll return it to you."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Millianna hugged her.
They both cried.
The forest was silent.
Lucky smiled softly.
"Let's train first. Then we'll talk."
———————————————————————
They ran.
Lucky, still in his chainmail, struggled to keep up.
Millianna and Sorano, despite their trauma, were fast.
They beat him.
Again.
And again.
Lucky collapsed at the end, gasping, face red.
"Okay… okay… I see how it is…"
Erza sighed. "You're weak."
Gray laughed. "No kidding."
Lucky groaned. "I'm not weak. I'm...."
After training, Lucky dusted himself off and turned to Erza. 'I won't be coming tomorrow. I found a way to handle my… issue
Erza narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Really sure?"
He gave her a rare serious look. "…Yes."
The girls looked confused.
Then Lucky turned to the girls. "So… what guild are you joining?"
Millianna and Sorano didn't hesitate.
"We already joined Fairy Tail."
Lucky grinned. "Welcome."
He reached into his inventory.
For Millianna: a Protection Talisman A-rank defense, one use.
For Sorano: his A-Level Golden Eagle summon card.
"Use it well," he said.
They hugged him, tears in their eyes.
"Thank you."
Lucky waved it off. "Don't mention it."
Then Lucky left using as portal
which caused them to stare in awe at the spot where Lucky had stood.
———————————————————————
He opened a portal to the clone camp.
The battlefield was a mess craters, scorched earth
But the clones had started repairing it.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
They stopped when they saw him.
Lucky sat again in the clearing. The clones surrounded him, their gazes sharp.
He activated the technique once more.
Warmth filled him. One minute. Two. Ten.
At thirty minutes, sweat drenched his brow.
At thirty-two, his breath came ragged.
At 33 minutes and 1 second, the warmth shifted.
Heat.
Not soothing. Not comfortable. Boiling. His veins felt like molten iron. His skin screamed. His bones cracked.
And Lucky screamed with it.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
He broke the technique instantly, collapsing forward. Desperation flared he scrawled glowing words into the air: [SOLID SCRIPT: WATER – COLD].
A waterfall of icy water crashed over him. Steam rose as his body cooled.
The clones stared in confusion.
The scientist clone adjusted his cracked glasses. "This… should be the real beginning. maybe The first thirty minutes were adaptation. At thirty-three, the tempering starts for real."
The scientist clone continued with a smug look. "…Figures. You Should've paid attention to the skill note."
Lucky groaned, shivering under the water "Then why didn't you warn me?!"
The scientist clone "i am just giving my theory which i feel it have some truth in it"
Lucky glared.
But he understood.
this was most likely the case
Looking at the cooldown for the day to refresh to Get OL it still couple of minutes left.
He waited for the cooldown.
Then, he converted 1,000 OL into 1 EP.
EP: 2
———————————————————————
A week passed in brutal rhythm.
Each day, Lucky sat cross-legged, enduring the technique. Sometimes he lasted 33 minutes and 2 second. Sometimes 33 minutes and 4 second. Never more. The moment thirty-three struck, the pain ignited, and he broke it wasn't just pain from one area he felt his entire existence is extremely slowly changing.
The clones kept watch, taking notes, recording data, analyzing every twitch and scream.
And every day, Lucky converted more OL into EP.
By the week's end, he sat in the clearing, sweat dripping, eyes burning faintly with new light.
[EP: 9]
He stared at the number.
Then smiled.
"…Time to gamble."
The clones leaned forward.
The gamble was about to begin.
———————————————————————
AN: just to make it clear Lucky's luck will not increase when he spend OL to gain EP simply because the reason he was getting Luck is because the mechanism using His Original talent Lucky draw effect mechanism so this is why he can increase his luck just putting out there if someone decided to ask