The twin moons of Ofratrea hung in perfect stillness, their pale light casting ribbons of silver across the kingdom's broken edges. Stars shimmered above like forgotten memories, their beams spilling over the sleeping city—soft and sacred.
Somewhere beneath their celestial glow, a voice broke the peace.
"Achlys…Achlys… ACHLYS!"
The voice grew louder, more insistent, until it snapped through the veil of slumber.
"ACHLYS, WAKE THE HELL UP!"
Achlys jolted upright in his bed, heart hammering, hair a tangled mess. "Who the hell is screaming my name?" he groaned, barely upright before a warm weight pinned him back down.
Tiabishi lay on top of him, her cheek resting against his bare chest.
"I need to talk to you…" The voice murmured.
Before he could answer, a searing pulse surged through his mind.
"Bellona…" he sighed, exasperated. "You do know you can pull me into the mindscape anytime, right? You didn't have to shout into my soul."
From the mind-realm's edge, her voice replied, sultry and amused:
"I know. But it's more fun this way."
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The mindscape flared to life—an endless void with a floating, burning sphere at its center. Upon that fiery globe stood Bellona, her crimson dress flowing like liquid rage, her black hair gleaming under unreal light.
"You're here," she said simply, snapping her fingers.
Before Achlys, a sword materialized—floating in perfect stillness.
He reached out and grasped it, feeling a strange resonance.
"What is this?"
Bellona's eyes softened as she looked at the blade, then at him. "That... is your heart."
"The flame is… my heart?" Achlys echoed, eyebrows raised.
"Yes," she whispered. "You're different. Your core is saturated with more mana than a normal human could ever hope to contain. You're growing faster than even the gods predicted."
Achlys smirked. "That's what you wanted to tell me?"
Bellona's smile twisted. "That… and this."
Without warning, she vanished—only to reappear mid-air, blade in hand, slashing down at him.
Instinct kicked in. Achlys spun, raising his sword just in time to block. The force of the impact hurled him across the flaming plane.
Bellona hovered above, her red eyes gleaming.
"Good reflexes. But not enough."
She landed beside him, graceful and lethal.
"From now on, I'll train you. Every night. You'll master the Orders."
"Why now?" Achlys muttered, rising to his feet, panting. "Why bother?"
She smirked. "Because I'm bored. And because you're mine to shape."
Her blade flashed again. "First Order: Eclipse!"
She thrust. A wave of compressed air tore through the world, forcing Achlys to dodge wildly.
"How do you know my attacks?!" he gasped, stumbling.
"I'm the goddess of swords, Achlys," she said. "The Orders are me."
Achlys roared, activating his marking. "First Order: Horizon!"
Their swords clashed in an explosion of force. She kicked him, hard. Blood sprayed from his lips as he flew back—again.
And again.
And again.
Even the mindscape felt tired watching him crash repeatedly.
"Achlys!" Bellona called, annoyed. "Create an opening, dammit! At this rate, you're not learning anything—except how to fall!"
He groaned. "Did… did you just call me stupid?"
"No!" she shouted. "I called you a smart dumb sack of potatoes!"
Achlys laughed, despite the pain, then lunged. "Boost! Dash! First Order: Horizon—Half Moon Slash!"
His sword blazed through the air, a shining X-shaped arc forming in his wake.
"Not enough!" Bellona shouted, deflecting it with ease. She dashed forward, striking him down again. "You wasted too much energy."
He collapsed, chest heaving. "I… surrender."
Bellona rolled her eyes, kicked him in the ribs, and pointed her blade at his nose.
"23,000 slashes," she commanded. "No boosts. No support skills. Just your marking. Go."
She leapt onto the flaming sphere and sat upside down, watching him.
Achlys sighed, groaned, and stood—sword in hand.
"Too… many… swings…"
He began anyway.
"45… 55… 56…"
"Achlys! Shoulders higher! Spread your stance!" Bellona barked.
He adjusted. Swung again.
"100… 101… 103—"
A fireball smacked him in the face.
"WRONG COUNT! START OVER!" she yelled, sword gleaming.
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In the real world, Achlys stirred in his sleep.
"Master, can you stop moving?" Cryo mumbled, pressing a cold wing over Achlys's face.
Tiabishi sat up, groggy. "Stupid bird, shut up! I'm trying to sleep!"
Cryo flared. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU FAILED ELF?!"
Mariola appeared at the doorway, arms crossed. "Both of you. Shut. Up. Or I will shut you up."
The two immediately lay back down, glaring at each other from across the room.
Achlys's marking began to glow faintly white. Strange whispers floated from it, curling into the air like mist. A cold sweat broke on his brow.
Then silence.
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Four hundred and fifty kilometers northwest of Loipetras, in a desolate field under star-streaked skies, a boy knelt in the dirt.
He was no more than ten, blonde-haired, with two scars carved across his eyes. He dragged a stick through the soil, carving an enormous rune into the earth.
"Saving my parents… saving my parents… saving my parents…" he chanted, over and over, his eyes unblinking, near madness.
From the dark horizon, a man approached—tall, cloaked in white with yellow sigils.
"How are you, young one?" the man asked, voice smooth.
The boy looked up with reverence. "I'm good, my lord… The light will prevail across this world… for the Line of the World."
The man raised his hand. A luminous orb hovered above the child.
"Keep it up, Euglio. The Radiant Dawn will cleanse this world of all evil magic."
He stepped back. Magic surged beneath his feet.
"Light magic: Lightspeed."
He vanished in a crack of thunder, leaving behind a crater.
Euglio sat in silence. The moons bathed him in white fire.
"It's a bright night," he murmured, smiling faintly. Then he turned and resumed his work.
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Two days passed.
Inside the bustling Adventurers' Guild, the energy was electric. Heroes filled every table, laughter and the clinking of mugs echoing through the great hall.
Doviam stood silently in the corner, tall and watchful.
Nox raised his voice. "ACHLYS! You've been promoted to rank… Mage!"
Achlys received a bronze card with golden trim. "Woohoooo!" he shouted, hugging Tiabishi.
"And Tiabishi? Rank: High Advanced!"
She received a bronze card with silver edges. Nox beamed.
Doviam smiled quietly. "I wish I could join you all… in this little club of adventurers."
Then, in a blink of gold light, he vanished.
Achlys waved. "Thanks, Time Master!"
Everyone froze.
"…Who?" they asked in unison.
"You know—Time Ma—" he began, but was immediately silenced by Persephone and Saria, who yanked him away.
"He doesn't know what he's saying! Haha—drank too much wine!" Persephone blurted.
Behind them, the party resumed.
Saria tapped Persephone's shoulder. "Persy?"
"Yeah, Sar?" she replied, sipping wine.
"Would you… Consider joining Achlys and Tiabishi? As a guide across the open world?"
Persephone hesitated. "I'll… think about it."
She turned and walked away, her expression unreadable.
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In the Demon Kingdom, the throne room was lined with demons kneeling in silence.
The princess entered, her steps slow, deliberate.
"Father… I've returned," she announced.
The Demon King stood, arms flailing with joy. "My dearest daughter! You're back! —I love you!!"
"...Die," she muttered, low and cold.
"Don't be so mean!" he giggled, dodging a dagger.
"Next time, I'll aim for your head."
He blushed. "Oh, please do, my precious daughter~"
She stared at him. "My life is… nothing but weird."
Returning to his side, she bowed. "I haven't found the boy."
"What did you face?" he asked, concerned.
"I fought 'Darky' and a failed elf," she replied, tossing down three severed arms and frozen shards.
"Darky?"
She smirked. "An old man. Dark magic. Axes and halberds."
The Demon King froze. "Was it… fun?"
She nodded. "Also… I learned a new spell. I can't use it yet, but it's called something like… Dense Sphere."
The king stepped back. "Dense Sphere?! You met someone who used that… and you're still alive?!"
He reached for her face. She slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me."
He sighed. "We need that boy. He's the perfect test subject." With a menacing smile, the guards vanished at a snap of his fingers. Alone, the princess approached the cursed tree in the throne garden. Its bark shimmered purple, tendrils of dark magic pulsing from its core.
"I'll find you," she whispered. "No matter where you hide."
The tree pulsed in reply—an ominous wave spreading across the land.
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<| Ability Book |>
Spellbook: Light Manipulation
Spell: Lightspeed
Tier: High Angelic
Strength: Grants unmatched speed; accelerates casting speed of all light-based magic.
Weakness: Raw physical power can outpace it. Vulnerable to anti-speed disruption.
Exclusive: Can only be used with Light Magic—rare inheritance chance.
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