《A Second Wind》 Chapter 1: The Last Star Long ago someone once said that the brightest stars in the night sky were the ones that would fade away the fastest. If that were true, then the stars we see today are the stars that were outshined and left behind, who themselves have also begun to fade. What purpose did they serve besides leaving remnants of what once was? By extension, as the lone star that remained within my sky, what was my purpose? ¡°Former Squad captain Arata Eos, I have come for your head,¡± The sound of footsteps echoed through the silent halls of the rift. Staring down my attacker it was obvious what organisation he was from. A mere glance at his purplish black robes and the checkerboard-patterned masquerade mask covering his face gave away everything. ¡°What could the Legion want with a retired soldier like me,¡± ¡°You may be retired, but the damage you have caused us is quite severe I¡¯m afraid,¡± He took off his hood and mask to reveal his rugged and war-torn face, which had a small scar underneath his left eyelid. However, the most striking aspect was a large burn mark covering the right side of his face. ¡°I had always wanted to clash against you in your prime, especially after you had done this to me,¡± he began, pointing to his burns. ¡°But rest assured, that was not the reason for your sentence. Arata Eos, I Zaven of the legion, hereby sentence you to death for the failed protection of the dragon heir.¡± Dragon heir? What the hell was this guy on about? Before I had any more time to think, Zaven hauled the scythe stored on his back, pointing it at me. As he ran his fingers across his scythe it ignited, coating itself in a mantle of flames that burned a deep crimson. Spinning the scythe around in his hands, a dissatisfied look grew on his face. ¡°No no, this won¡¯t do. How could I ever hope to defeat the great Arata Eos with such simple flames?¡± he jested, letting out a deep breath before muttering his next words. ¡°Contract Release¡± His flaming scythe erupted into a plethora of colours, and the fire in his eyes took on similar shades, an eerie mix of blue and violet. He stared me down in pure bloodlust as sparks of energy danced between the strands of his spiked blonde hair like lightning. A demonic contract huh? This is gonna be a pain. Two main forms of magic existed in our world, derived from two conflicting sources of power mana and aether. Old legends and fables claim that these two forces were once the very lifebloods of two gods, wielding the powers of creation and destruction respectively, yet if those ancient texts were false, then the true origins of these powers have long since been lost to time. Mana is imbued with the ability of construction, and when correctly allows for life¡¯s biggest fantasies to be brought into reality. On the other hand, aether is derived from the idea of destruction, leaving behind trails of corruption in its wake. Very few beings can tame such devilish power, with the most common being demons due to the abundance of aether within their territories. Dashing towards me, Zaven swung his scythe at me as I drew my blade to parry, our two flame-covered weapons collided, the force intense enough to push both of us back, yet we both clung on, the demonic energy coating his weapon beginning to eat through my own. But it wasn¡¯t just neutralising my flames, no Zaven¡¯s mana was also being devoured, with pitch-black aether oozing out to take its place. Mana and aether were conflicting forces, cancelling each other out when they came into contact with each other. In most cases, humans cannot manipulate aether on their own, but due to aether''s superiority in raw destructive power, some humans choose to form contracts with demons, sacrificing something valuable in exchange for temporarily harnessing its power. In any case that meant that right now, by continuously imbuing aether into his weapon, Zaven is effectively nullifying the mana present within his spell, substituting it with aether to increase its power. However he¡¯s likely not able to control aether as efficiently as mana if he¡¯s using such a roundabout way to cast aether arts, and combined with the fact that his contract has a strict time limit, as long as I stall him out for long enough, I would win. [Flare burst] I shot out a ball of fire from my left hand, which collided with Zaven¡¯s chest causing him to lurch back. I had caught him off guard. In the brief moment of time, before the opening disappeared, I delivered a swift kick to his side, sending him crashing into the wall. Though our blades were locked together in a fierce clash, I freed my left hand and quickly conjured a ball of fire which collided with Zaven¡¯s chest causing him to lurch back. Feeling the force from his scythe begin to ebb, I continued to press my weapon forward, carrying the momentum as I spun around to deliver a flame-enhanced slash on the left side of his body.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The two of us both created some distance between us, but I knew that I had to continue aggressively before the brief opening I had created disappeared. Not giving him a moment to recover, an orb of flames formed in my hand as I drew it out into the shape of an arrow, a typically weak technique, yet one that I had spent years perfecting which had allowed me to improve its mana density and destructive power several times over. [Flame Arrow] As I released my spell, it let out a deafening roar as it soared through the air, and with its eruption, showered its fiery brilliance upon our surroundings like a volcanic eruption. Soon, the debris around us began to settle and I locked eyes with Zaven¡¯s visage, his blood-red eyes no different from that of a demon¡¯s glaring daggers at me through the thin veil of dust. ¡°Man you really are something,¡± emerging from the smoke, his scythe was resting on his shoulder, as he wiped the dust off his face with his spare hand. Apart from a slightly tinged robe and the slash I had landed on him earlier, it seemed that he had sustained no damage from my spells. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my control over the aetheric arts, you would have greatly wounded me. You truly are one of the continent''s greatest fire mages, when it comes down to it your control over fire surpasses even my own. But I can¡¯t just let Lady Third¡¯s blessings go to waste. Forgive me but I rarely get a chance to go all out, so indulge me for a bit.¡± Cracking his neck, he took a few steps towards me before he stopped. I sensed the shift in his presence immediately as he gripped the handle of his scythe with both hands. By now Zaven¡¯s ¡°flames¡± began to burn a pitch black, as if the night sky had gilded itself upon his weapon. In the instant he swung, a crescent wave of black fire flew outwards in my direction, with every part of my body telling me to move, and my instincts kicking in before I even processed what was happening. I was already trying to dodge, but I knew I didn¡¯t have enough time to evade completely, nor gather mana quickly enough to launch a counterattack. Instead, I began channelling mana rapidly into my sword, swinging the inferno I held in my hands to meet Zaven''s attack head-on. As his black flames met my weapon, I felt the aether beginning to eat away at my fire. It was heavy, my arms felt like they could snap at any moment and I felt my legs being driven into the ground as if I were some stake. Before I had finished defending against his attack, Zaven had already closed the distance, capitalising on the fact that I wasn¡¯t focused on him right now to sneak up on me. He swung his scythe ferociously, carving two large lacerations in the shape of an ¡°X¡± across my chest with the seams instantly set ablaze by his flames. Zaven was relentless, continuing his assault with a swift kick that hurled me into the rock walls of the rift, followed by two more ranged crescents of black fire that cleaved across my shoulder. The wounds inflicted by Zaven had caused aether to seep into my body, which acted as poison whilst also making it difficult for me to gather mana. Everything hurt as if my whole body was on fire, the foreign aether rampaging through my system, and the cuts and wounds oozing with crimson blood. My body collapsed onto the ground, I could feel my limbs growing more and more limp by the second, and the edges of my vision began crawling inwards, and the air around me seemed to get heavier and heavier. I tried to get up, commanding my body to move yet it wouldn¡¯t budge. I attempted to channel mana through my system to aid my movement but as soon as I did I felt an unbearable pain in my abdomen as blood erupted from my mouth. Shit Aether Poisoning. ¡°You were certainly an admirable opponent Arata Eos, however for someone who was rumoured to be one of the strongest fire mages in all the lands, I have to say I expected a little more¡± So this was the end, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be joining you guys in a bit,¡± I muttered, staring upwards. I had missed them all, not a day went past where I didn¡¯t ask myself why I was the only one who was left behind. The time we spent together studying at Lexion, the brief yet fun times we spent as adventurers, raiding tombs to claim long-lost treasures, the times we stood united on the frontlines as the last line of defence against the legion, all the memories that I had spent years suppressing seemed to come into my mind. But if I died now, then the final star would fade away, and those who look up at the night sky would have never known the memories and traces of the brighter stars that preceded it. When all of them gave up their own lives and fought to their very last breath so that I could live on, could I really bear to face them if I died such a cowardly death? In those moments a voice seemed to ring in my mind, it was deep like the sound of echoes in an empty cavern, yet its tone was eerily melodic. ¡°Do you wish to die?¡± The voice wasn¡¯t coming from Zaven. It felt as if it were everywhere yet nowhere at the same time, I felt my heart drumming in my chest, my veins pulsing rhythmically as my mana circuits began to tingle as if they were alive. ¡°Do not fight against the aether, for those who deny the abyss have no right to claim its power,¡± the voice commanded, yet it sounded paradoxically soft and gentle at the same time. I complied and in that instant, the aether in my body seemed to surge to life. It hurt, no, that couldn¡¯t even come close to describing the pain I felt at that moment. It felt as if my very essence was slowly being torn apart, disintegrating with every passing second. My body screamed in agony, but beneath the pain was something raw, something alive. I tried to think logically as I leapt towards Zaven. Channelling aether would damage my circuits, meaning I should focus on the quality of my attacks rather than their quantity. Yet that brought up a whole other set of questions about how I could even use aether. Were its characteristics similar to pure mana, or should I treat it the same as my elemental mana and shape it into fire? But before I had any time to come up with answers sufficient for any one of those questions, the purple energy had already clad itself around my fist, with my body already preparing to drive it into Zaven¡¯s face. I quickly drove my fist into his face, sending him crashing into the stone wall. An almost indescribable feeling was pulsing through my veins, adrenaline mixed with whatever side effects demonic power coursing through my body entailed, but strangely I felt so alive, as if my soul had been torn apart and stitched back together. Zaven threw his scythe at me in frustration as he tried rushing me down, his thrown weapon forming a vortex of flames as it flew towards me. By now, the duration of his contract had expired, and the flames coating his scythe were comprised purely of mana, the very energy whose antithesis I now possessed at my fingertips. I reached out with my hand and effortlessly managed to catch his weapon, the mantle of flames being quickly devoured by the aether on my hand as a dumbfounded expression fell upon Zaven¡¯s face. Zaven continued to charge towards me, but he was quickly met with the blade of his own scythe which plunged itself deep into his chest. His body lurched over as blood gushed out from the wound. I calmly walked towards him, my fingers straightened into a gun as aether began gathering on my fingertips. I poured everything into that attack, the rage, the hunger, the pain, as the purple energy began coalescing into a bullet. [Aetherious Shot] ¡°Bang¡±, I exclaimed the bullet of aether burst off my fingertips, and in the next moment, the left side of Zaven¡¯s chest, alongside his heart and left arm vanished alongside the flash of violet light. I couldn¡¯t remember what his dying expression was if his final moments were spent showering me with curses, or accepting his fate, for I too soon found myself at the gates of death. Well, at least I thought I did. Chapter 2: Rebirth Cold. When I opened my eyes the next time, I found myself floating in a pool of liquid. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was liquid or not, but as I slowly stood up, drops of e6shadowy black void dripped down my body. I glanced around at my surroundings, and vast stretches of emptiness seemed to span endlessly as far as my eyes could see. Was this really the end? Everything felt so strange, like that feeling you get when you wake up after not sleeping enough. It felt like I had a splitting headache, yet the second my hand touched my forehead, the discomfort seemed to vanish. ¡°Well well well, it looks like someone¡¯s finally awake,¡± A solemn voice uttered as ripples of the abyss formed below my feet. A shadowy figure soon came into view, like the sun rising above the sea of darkness at the break of dawn. With each step the figure took, the space around me seemed to warp as objects filled the once-empty void. What started out as ruined structures, bits of debris that seemed to materialise randomly quickly coalesced into gigantic, grandiose marble pillars that held up the ceiling of an equally elaborate hall. The figure now unveiled, sat casually before me on an intricate gilded throne, with his predominately black outfit, a robe, long trousers and a top hat similarly inlaid with gold. It was the first chance I had got to get a good look at the man, but there was just something about him that felt off about him which I couldn¡¯t put my finger on. Was it the overall vibe of his outfit somehow managed to look sleek yet ancient at the same time, or maybe how a cup of tea seemingly materialised into his hand from thin air? No, those weren¡¯t the reason. To me, the man felt strange because I couldn¡¯t sense him. Sure I could see him just fine but he had no presence sitting in front of me, as if he could simply vanish the next moment without realising. Yet deep down I knew that this man was no ordinary being, whether I was in the afterlife or not, he was either the gatekeeper to the other side, or perhaps a deity who resides in the gap between the living and the dead. ¡°Take a seat,¡± he gestured, and in the next moment, I found myself sitting on a similarly elaborate throne, roughly ten meters away from him, with a long wooden table between us. ¡°Greetings Arata Eos. I think that I am quite well-versed in your history, yet I believe you lack that same familiarity with mine. There¡¯s some quite important stuff I want to get to so I¡¯ll keep my introduction brief, I am Kairos the Timekeeper¡± As Kairos told me his name, I immediately began thinking if I had heard it somewhere before, yet I couldn¡¯t think of any historical figure, mortal or god that matched his name or appearance. Perhaps it was the name of a God from a legend long since lost to time, which meant that the being before me had predated all of known history. ¡°So what do you want with a dead man like me Kairos?¡± ¡°Ahh, cutting right to the chase, I¡¯ve always liked that side of you Arata,¡± Kairos remarked before clearing his throat. ¡°There¡¯s something a bit wrong with your statement, you are no dead man Arata, in fact you are quite precious to me.¡± ¡°Not a deadman?¡± I looked at Kairos, scanning his appearance. Sure he didn¡¯t exactly look like the angels or gatekeepers commonly depicted in folklore, but if he was a primordial being, what business would he have other than sending me to the other side? ¡°Arata Eos, I have to come to offer you a contract,¡± Kairos began, sitting up slightly as he rested his teacup in the air around him. My eyes widened upon hearing his words. A divine being contracting with someone like me? In simple terms, a contract is a binding force between two entities built upon a set of agreed rules or conditions. Failure to uphold the terms of the agreed contract means giving up all benefits gained and being subject to potential repercussions from the other party. The most common types of contracts were those where there is a severe difference in power between the two parties, oftentimes the more powerful of the two lends the weaker one a portion of their strength in exchange for them carrying out their will.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I have left a certain impression on you in our meeting thus far, and you are probably wondering why I would go to such lengths as to choose you as my incarnation, but rest assured that all will be revealed when the time is right. As I have said before Arata, you are special, it has certainly been a while since someone could wield both mana and aether,¡± Kairos lifted his hand up and out of thin air, streams of what appeared to be molten gold, shining brilliantly in the otherwise dimly lit room began gathering at his fingertips until the liquid metal bubble seemed to morph into a simple golden ring. It seemed to dance in the air, gently floating over towards me before it mysteriously stopped, suspended by nothing. ¡°Now, contracting with me, or gods in general is a little bit different than contracting with other beings. It¡¯s difficult for us to directly imbue you with our power which most other contracts do in the form of a stigma. Instead, I have instilled this ring with the slightest bit of my essence which will help prepare your body for when you eventually become ready to accept my power,¡± ¡°So I gain nothing from accepting the contract now?¡± I asked. Kairos laughed at my words, ¡°Look at you, focused so much on what you have to gain, yet you fail to see what it is you can lose, though I suppose you mortals are always like this. I suppose that''s why he turned out the way he did. Or maybe, deep down, you already know what I am going to offer you. After all, why else would someone capable of turning back the clock come to you at the time of your demise?¡± ¡°Regression¡±, I muttered. It was the obvious answer. A second chance, a way for me to correct the mistakes I made in the past, to walk down a different path to the one I chose. ¡°Ahh, a smart one aren¡¯t you, indeed I will offer you a chance at regression. You have no idea what it''s like being able to see all the alternate futures and realities, endless possible outcomes, some more realistic than others. I am curious about you Arata Eos, your futures are quite, let¡¯s say, exciting, and I hope that you will choose to realise a more extravagant future this time around.¡± ¡°Any terms?¡± ¡°Oh wow, I knew you were going to ask that but still, at least try to be less predictable,¡± Kairos scoffed before the corners of his mouth curled up into a wicked grin. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of an organisation from your worldline called ¡®The Legion¡¯ right?¡± My blood seemed to boil at his words. Was this guy trying to annoy me? The Legion was a group of people who quickly rose to the top of the criminal underworld. They were scum, no maybe even worse than scum for the crimes they had committed against the Zonian Empire. Their goals were often mysterious and the only way you could trace them would be to follow the path of chaos and destruction they left in their wake. But most importantly to me, they were the ones who took everything from me. By now, it had been probably five or six years since that fateful day, yet it still branded itself deep in my memories. Hellfire cascaded down from the night sky as if the gates of hell had been unleashed upon our world. The putrid air was congealed with jet-black smoke, and you couldn¡¯t even hear yourself over the cacophonous screams of innocent civilians, as the entire capital of Zion was set ablaze. As one of the many mages who called the capital our home, each one of us fought till our very last breath, till the last drop of mana had run dry, till the final swing of our weapons before they shattered. Until I was the only one who remained. On the ash-stained ground, pools of blood seeped through the cracks, and broken weapons; blades, axes, hammers, littered like tombstones. I remember limping through that graveyard, half dead, mentally drained, insides gripped and choked by the hideous smog searching for my party members. But I would only ever find their corpses, rather, what was left of their corpses. ¡°What about the legion?¡± I snarled. ¡°I want you to aim towards their destruction, and rest assured that I will provide you the means to bring about their annihilation. Those are all the terms I have, if you agree with my conditions, then put on the ring and you will be regressed. Otherwise, I have no trouble with bringing you over to the otherside.¡± I smirked slightly as I slipped the ring onto my right index finger. ¡°I was planning to do that anyway¡± Chapter 3: A Familiar Self The next time I opened my eyes, I saw a sight that I never thought I would see again, the gates of Lexion. Nestled in the heart of Zion, the capital city of the Kingdom of Zonia, Lexion Academy was the most prestigious academy for magic in the entire Kingdom. Everything was the same as before all hell broke loose, from the intricate spires that towered in the distance, to the shiny golden gates that stood before me. I had really regressed hadn¡¯t I? I patted myself down and pulled out a small mirror from my pocket. As I stared at my reflection, a strangely nostalgic face looked back. Gone was the sad, gloomy face that had been ravaged by battle. Instead, I looked much more alive, frankly, and dare I say even a bit handsome. I was leaning against a tree, with a large bag beside my leg, probably carrying all my belongings inside. I was going to wander around for a bit, but before I could go anywhere I felt something touch my shoulder. ¡°Your Arata Eos right?¡± As I turned around, I was greeted by a neatly dressed student, wearing a pair of black glasses. He was holding what appeared to be an old book, its leather binding looking like it was about to fall apart. ¡°Yes I am, and you are?¡± I asked, but I already knew who he was. A slight smile found itself on my face after all, who wouldn¡¯t be excited to be face-to-face with one of the greatest mages of the modern age? A man who would not only pioneer countless advancements in the field of artifacts and their decryption but also become perhaps the most talented anti-mage of modern times. Lucas quickly extended his hand before introducing himself. I had vague memories of my first day at Lexion but as the two of us began walking through the courtyard, more and more came back to me. As a transfer student joining my cohort at the beginning of the second year, Lucas was assigned to make the transition process a lot smoother by being my companion. I had gotten there early that day, I sort of remembered being sent a letter saying that Lucas was going to be giving me a tour of the school before classes started that day, which had been mailed to me alongside the uniform I was currently wearing to one of the many taverns I had temporarily stayed at. ¡°So, what¡¯s being an adventurer like?¡± Lucas asked, clearly eyeing the bag I was carrying. He probably thought it was filled to the brim with powerful artifacts. I didn¡¯t blame him for being interested, from what I recalled Lucas was a diligent scholar during his time at Lexion, practically obsessed with anything magic-related yet lacking the experience with all the artifacts or weapons he read about. To him, I was like a goldmine of information waiting to be used, which explained why he had practically been bombarding me with questions, as the two of us made our way towards the school''s main building. ¡°It¡¯s not as glamorous as you probably imagine it to be. These days, many wannabe adventurers have begun clearing any easy quests the guilds let them get their hands on, so if you want to put food on the table for yourself, then you have to do some of the more dangerous quests. For me, I usually accept rift-related ones but even then most of the entry-level ones get snatched up too quickly so I¡¯m forced to do a lot of the higher-tiered ones,¡± ¡°Ehhh? You¡¯ve managed to clear such difficult rifts before?¡± ¡°I mean it''s not like I did them alone, I had a good party with me,¡± I quickly replied. Rifts were gateways that bridged the gap between worlds, appearing randomly in abandoned areas that had abundant mana or aether. They were one of the many sources of income for adventurers as valuable artifacts, powerful objects imbued with magical power, were often able to be recovered from them. But the dangers that lay in rifts, were equally as tough, as the relics humans sought to get their hands on would be guarded by otherworldly creatures, monsters drawn to the power the artifacts emitted. As we made our way around the school, I felt a sense of nostalgia bubbling up inside me. After the destruction of Lexion and the death of my comrades during the first round, I never thought that I would be able to live in peace after the Legion plunged our world into unending chaos. But now I had been given a second chance, and the world was as peaceful as it got. Lucas continued showing me around the school, explaining its rich history and occasional remarks about its elaborate design and architecture. Eventually, the two of us made our way up the spiralling staircases that led to the student dormitories, which marked the end of the tour. ¡°Here we are,¡± Lucas announced, gesturing to one of the rooms which lined the balcony. He pulled out a small silver key from his pocket inserting it into the keyhole before swinging the door open. ¡°This is your room from now on, room 237,¡± he said, passing me the key as I walked inside. To my mind, it was a familiar feeling yet it felt foreign to my hands. I looked around the empty room, remembering all the memories I made that I¡¯d make again. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°There''s still some time before classes start so you can probably unpack your stuff and make yourself at home. You know where our first class is right?¡± Lucas asked, preparing to leave the room. I gave a quick nod and after a few moments, he had left the room, leaving me with just my thoughts. I quickly turned my attention to the bag I had been carrying with me, and curious as to what could be inside I emptied its contents onto my bed. There wasn¡¯t much, mostly books, writing equipment and other miscellaneous school supplies, though some clothing from my adventuring days also tumbled out. It was quite a refreshing sight, seeing the old leather tunic and the beat-up pair of boots that had managed to keep me out of trouble numerous times. However, what surprised me the most was the distinct sound of metal hitting the wooden floor. I quickly looked down and picked up a silver ring with a blue gemstone affixed to it. It was a stealth ring, an artifact that temporarily concealed the user¡¯s presence. I instinctively went to put it on, which was when I realised I still had the ring Kairos had given me. I had completely forgotten about it, and as I took it off to get a better look at it, the words exchanged during our brief conversation began replaying in my mind. The ring was supposedly instilled with a part of Kairos¡¯ power, albeit a minuscule part, but it was still strange to think that the object I was casually twiddling in between my fingers contained the power of a god. As I examined it, I noticed four symbols that were engraved into the ring, they were some kind of runic script that looked unlike anything I¡¯d seen during my years exploring rifts. Considering that the ring had been forged by an ancient deity, I doubt that any tangible traces of the language even remained at this point, much less anyone who could decipher it. I slipped the ring back onto my index finger to see if I could draw any power from it. Usually, if an artifact had an ability its wielder could activate it through mental cues. I thought back to my encounter with Kairos, how he had said that the ring was meant to prepare my body for his power. Were the powers of the ring sealed? The more I thought about that idea, the more things seemingly fell into place. From our conversation it seemed that Kairos had been watching me for a while, and if he was going to give me some of his power, why didn¡¯t he do that before my regression? The most obvious answer was that my body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the powers of a god, and if that were true about my pre-regression body, then there was no way my teenage self would either. The four runes were then likely some incantation which was part of the seal, nothing more than decoration now that the seal was in place. I stood up from the bed, extending my right hand in a clawed position as I gathered mana into my hand and began channelling it into the ring, hoping to get a response from it or the seal. However, after doing so for a few seconds I stopped, dismayed that nothing seemed to have happened. Is the seal irresponsive to mana? I thought, briefly contemplating the idea of channelling aether into the ring before quickly dismissing it. It wasn¡¯t that I doubted my ability to do so in fact, my audience with Kairos had sort of confirmed that it had been some sort of dormant ability within me, yet why I possessed such a power was still unknown. As of now I mostly feared the repercussions of doing so, there was no way I would be able to get stronger if I destroyed my mana circuits by prematurely channeling aether through my body. Putting the thoughts of the ring and its seals away, I glanced at the clock which hung about a meter or so above my bed, noticing that classes would be starting soon. After putting the equipment I thought I would need for the day in my bag, I took a quick look at myself in the bathroom mirror, making sure I looked decently presentable before heading out. The walk from the student dormitories to Lexion¡¯s main campus was alot more lively then I thought whilst walking past rows of neatly pruned foliage accompanied by my peers. As I turned the corner to enter the main school building, I had found myself in the midst of a sea of white, gold and grey, the colour of Lexion¡¯s school uniform. Everywhere I looked I saw students dressed in button-up shirts with gold-rimmed white blazers, dark grey trousers for the guys and gold-lined grey skirts for the girls, with the occasional black and gold blazer in the mix which was reserved for my third-year upperclassmen. I slowly walked through the crowded halls, looking at the intricate marble pillars and fancy lights hanging from elaborate wooden ceilings. There had been a few whispers from people passing by, presumably second-year students, asking their friends if they had just walked past the new transfer, though no one had directly approached me and asked. I smirked slightly, thinking of the terrible job Lucas had done as my guide. It would have been a total nightmare for any new student to find their way to class unless that student happened to have memories of the two years of schooling they had here from their past life. In all fairness, Lucas had asked if I knew where my first class was and he had never been much of a ¡®people person¡¯, though I still found it funny that he was ok with me navigating through Lexion¡¯s massive campus alone. Eventually, I had successfully made my way to one of Lexion¡¯s lecture theatres where my first class of the day Magic Theory would be held. It wasn¡¯t my favourite class: learning about magic circles; the transmutation of pure mana to elemental mana; the uses of organs in the human body that allow us to manipulate mana; blah blah blah, had never exactly appealed to me. It was then that the image of a person flashed into my mind, a tall and slim man who should be in his forties, though looking much older, who held himself in the image of a classical ¡®professor¡¯, my Magic Theory teacher Francis Paraveral. Seems like regression isn¡¯t all that great if I have to sit through that guy¡¯s lectures again, I groaned mentally as I entered the auditorium. Chapter 4: Downsides of Regression The room was made up of five rows of long wooden tables, each row elevated half a meter or so from the previous, that curved around an elliptical platform in the front of the room. On the wall closest to the platform were three large chalkboards which despite looking quite old were cleaned spotlessly, each one housing a row of neatly placed white chalk at the bottom. Looking around, I was greeted by the familiar sight of faces that I thought I would never see again, engrossed in books, hurriedly revising notes presumably from any studies done during the holidays or chatting with peers. However, my eyes were scanning the crowd for the face of someone I had longed to see for a very long time and when I finally laid eyes on her again, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Her lavender hair was partially styled into twin tails that ran down to her shoulders leaving the rest to fall down the back of her head, her pair of azure eyes sparkled with the beauty of the sky, everything about her was as mesmerising as I remembered. She was Evelyn Rumil, a lightning affinity mage, vice-captain of our adventuring party, and most importantly my partner. I must have been looking in her direction a bit too long, as the red-haired girl sitting on Evelyn¡¯s right, I believe her name was Iris or Eris had gently nudged her to get her attention before leaning over and whispering something in her ear. Evelyn then looked at me briefly before giving me a quick wave which I echoed before I began walking up the auditorium to find a seat. There were many empty seats but I decided to sit next to Lucas, who was sitting at one of the tables that made up the back row, engrossed by a book he was reading, so engrossed in fact that he didn¡¯t even notice me until I had already sat down. ¡°The Tales of Providence huh?¡± I remarked, pointing at the old dilapidated leather book which seemed as ancient as it was big, sprawled out across the table in front of Lucas. ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re familiar with this book?¡± he replied, not even bothering to look up at me. The book he was reading was a collection of historical documents and recounts from various warriors involved in the subjugation and defeat of the first Demon King Laplace, notably the five heroes who now branded themselves in modern legend and folklore. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I¡¯m sure most people know of Laplace¡¯s defeat at the hands of Zonia¡¯s strongest warriors, even if their battle happened a millennia ago.¡± ¡°Well technically, the Zonian empire was only truly established after Laplace¡¯s defeat so it would be inaccurate to refer to them as Zonia¡¯s strongest heroes as most of them never fully regained their full strengths after that battle, but I digress. I never exactly took you as the sort of person to care about historical accounts,¡± he replied matter of factly, though now at least looking at me when he spoke. ¡°Thanks for correcting me,¡± I sighed, rolling my eyes slightly as I took out my notebook and writing equipment. ¡°Why are you sitting so far back? I would have thought that someone as studious as you would want front-row seats to learn all about magic theory,¡± ¡°Well, Professor Paraveral isn¡¯t exactly the most exciting lecturer, and the stuff he rants on about isn¡¯t even interesting. Like if he¡¯s gonna give a two-hour talk about magic theory he should at least talk about cool things actually worth ranting about like Lost Magic or the Elysium Series right?¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I replied sarcastically, though I was somewhat surprised that he felt the same way as I did about our professor. I was about to continue my conversation with him when a loud bell sound rang through the auditorium, and the curtains began to rhythmically fall shut one by one. I had almost forgotten that this guy loves his dramatic entrances. Soon, the distinct k''duh, k''duh of leather shoes echoed over the now-hushed whispers of the students as Professor Paraveral entered the room. Whilst his efficiency and effectiveness as a professor had often been questioned by his students, it was impossible to argue that he didn''t look the part, dressed in a pristine grey suit, a pair of brown shoes that looked like they had just been polished, with a white dress shirt and black tie peeking out from under his blazer. ¡°Now class, while I would like to welcome you back from your holidays I¡¯m afraid that our lecture today is rather content-heavy so I would not like to waste precious time on such trivial things,¡± he began before turning to the chalkboard. The professor began to draw an intricate magic circle on the chalkboard, consisting of two main circles, a hexagram inscribed within the inner circle which was bordered by a ring of runic characters, the outer circle circumscribed by geometric lines that zig-zagged along its circumference with the outermost protrusions joined to form the edges of a twelve-sided polygon. ¡°Now class, today we begin our study on magic circles and the process and principle behind how mages are able to inscribe their spells onto the environment to be cast at their will. As you are all aware, mages oftentimes use magic circles to assist their visualisation and thus casting of a spell, which leads many to assume that they are nothing more than an abstract tool. However, that way of thinking is entirely incorrect as the magic circle actually encodes the caster¡¯s will and intentions for the path the mana must take in order to perform the spell¡± ¡°Now class, if you would kindly turn your attention to this example I have drawn up on the board here, it is important to note that drawings of magic circles are not themselves magic circles but mere templates to form them when imbued with mana,¡± he explained, extending his hand out slightly as he began to infuse mana into the chalk drawing, which propagated a replica of itself, this time made out of mana, a couple of centimetres in front the board. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As the magic circle illuminated the slightly dim auditorium with its yellowish-white light, there were a few hushed whispers from the rows of students in front of me, probably regarding what the professor would do with the projection. ¡°Now, now, settle down class,¡± the professor exclaimed, turning to face the rows of students frantically trying to scribble down a sketch of the magic circle in their notebooks. As he did so, the magic circle seemed to move with his hand, now being held out an inch or so in front of his right hand, which was pointing in our direction. ¡°Now class, as you can see in front of me this magic circle here is ready to be cast. I¡¯ve held it out like this so that each and every one of you, and yes I do expect you to be copying this down, can clearly see the intricate detail housed within this inscription. Now, while I don¡¯t expect any of you to be able to read or gauge the nature of the spell based on just its¡¯ magic circle, a key attribute I want you to take away from this is that they do not have to be cast right as they are formed,¡± As the professor explained this, he suddenly rotated his hand in the air slightly, the motion akin to turning a key in a lock, and almost instantly the magic circle disappeared, which caused a few gasps, some puzzled head turning, and more confused whispers to arise from the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that geezer actually used the magic circle of a half-decent spell,¡± Lucas whispered. ¡°An Elysium right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you recognised it,¡± ¡°Well a seasoned adventurer like myself should at least be able to do that much right? I even know a couple of mid-tier Elysiums if you wanted to see them,¡± I joked, managing to catch a glimpse of awe and excitement flashing across Lucas¡¯ face before he recomposed himself. ¡°I might have to take you up on that offer. After all, who could resist seeing the remnants of the last Great Mage first-hand?¡± he laughed, before turning his attention back to the professor. The Elysium Series was a collection of a hundred spells containing the wisdom and teachings of a man who existed during the Golden Age of Magic over a millennia ago, the Great Mage Elysia. Someone so gifted and knowledgeable on the properties of mana manipulation that he was said to be able to freely interchange between any element despite not possessing the affinities required at birth, an ability long since lost to time. I had turned my attention back to the lecture briefly, as the professor began to explain to the students how despite the visual absence of the magic circle, it still lay there dormant in the air. ¡°So you see class, when a magic circle is made dormant it will automatically activate when tampered with, with the exception of a very skilful and precise application of mana known as a countercast, which we¡¯ll explore more in-depth at a later date,¡± the professor explained, flamboyantly raising his left hand in front of him, with his index and middle fingers kept extended whilst the rest of them curled around his palm to make a gun shape. To prove his point, the professor gathered mana at his fingertips and prepared to release a bullet of mana towards the direction of the class. The students watched as the bullet of mana flew off the professor''s fingertips and flew straight towards them, with their initial shock being quickly replaced by surprise as the magic circle reappeared in front of the professor, dissipating the bullet of mana that had collided with its surface. Almost instantly, golden chains of mana began to shoot out of the magic circle, wrapping tightly around the professor¡¯s arm. The professor however gave no signs of surprise and stood there motionless like a statue before he slowly raised his right hand into the air, with only the first two fingers extended like he had down with his left earlier. With one swift motion he ¡®cut¡¯ through the air with his right hand and moments later the sound of shattering glass rung throughout the room as the magic circle collapsed. ¡°For your information class, what I did just then was in fact a countercast,¡± he uttered rather elegantly, before quickly dipping into a stylish bow as the students began to applaud him in unison, showering him in cheers. ¡°That was rather flashy wasn¡¯t it?¡± I asked Lucas who I was surprised to see actually paying attention instead of reading his book which he had done for most of the lecture. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one of the many annoying things you have to get used to if you want to sit through one of Paraveral¡¯s lectures. Though I suppose seeing the 23rd Elysium and its countercast in action makes it somewhat worth it,¡± he quickly replied before he started to read his book again which amused me slightly. After that somewhat exciting demonstration, the Professor began to ramble on and on about how small alterations to the magic circle of a spell can significantly change the produced effect, which led to more ramblings about ancient runes and the impact they have on spells until the whole lecture devolved into a history lesson about the origins of the runic alphabet, runestones, glyphs and everything that you wouldn¡¯t find in a Magic Theory Lesson. For the most part, I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the stuff Professor Paraveral had been saying, I mean most of the stuff he was lecturing on about I had already known, but apart from me most of the other students had also drifted away from the professor¡¯s ramblings in favour of doing their own things, Lucas included. Instead, I began considering my plans and goals for this regression. I had come with the knowledge of the Legion¡¯s actions yet I possessed no means to thwart them. Little was known about the Legion, no one knew where their base of operations was, nor what the high-ranking members even looked like, which meant there was little I could do to directly jeopardise their plans. However, what I could do was dedicate everything to empowering myself and those around me, so that when the Legion made a move, we would be ready for them. The images of several powerful relics flashed into my mind, which was when I realised that as of now there could be artifacts that only I knew how to command, seeing as I witnessed them in action in the future. If I could get my hands on even one of such relics or better yet stop them from falling into the hands of the Legion, I could rewrite the fate of the world itself. Chapter 5: Unlikely Bonds ¡°- And that concludes our lecture for today,¡± Professor Paraveral¡¯s loud voice echoed through the otherwise silent lecture theatre. ¡°Now class, I do expect you all to revise and familiarise yourselves with the concepts and ideas we explored today as they are imperative if we are to delve deeper into the theoretics of magic,¡± At the professors¡¯ dismissal of the class, the rows of students began to get up as they filed out of the auditorium. Lucas and I had been sitting near the back of the room so it would be a little bit before we got out, which made the perfect opportunity for some light conversation. ¡°What do you have there?¡± he asked, pointing at my open notebook which was now scribbled with a jumbled mess of ink, roughly drawn sketches and diagrams of artifacts with arrows seemingly connecting one incoherent blob of writing to the next. ¡°Uh nothing important, just some random stuff I drew out of boredom,¡± I dismissed, quickly shoving the notebook back in my bag. I had managed to narrow down my sights to only a handful of artifacts to hunt down, but it was still way too early to let anyone else in on the plan. While I would eventually have to find a party, and Lucas would likely be included, there was no benefit in letting him on early. After our Magic Theory Lecture, our only other class for the day was a combat-related class in the afternoon, so Lucas and I decided to grab some lunch at the school cafeteria before we figured out what to do next. ¡°The workload here is surprisingly little compared to what I remember,¡± - I quickly cut myself off - ¡°I mean compared to what I heard,¡± ¡°Well the second-years have it somewhat easy,¡± Lucas replied casually, seeming not to pick up on my slip of the tongue. ¡°You take fewer classes a term than first-years and the stuff you learn isn¡¯t as advanced as the things the third-years do,¡± Lucas continued his face grimacing slightly. ¡°Just the thought of having four or five classes a day like I did in first year and having to juggle all that homework? No thanks.¡± A slight smile crept onto my face. ¡°I thought someone as studious as you would like having more classes,¡± ¡°Uh Huh, as if anything they could teach me in the first year was actually useful. They mostly just give you a sampler of everything so you know what you want and don¡¯t want to continue studying in the higher years. Besides the spare time, the higher years offer has definitely been a blessing,¡± ¡°Oh really? I don¡¯t see you clearing rifts,¡± I taunted. ¡°It¡¯s not just about clearing rifts you know? Not everyone¡¯s excited about being an adventurer,¡± he responded defensively. He shook his head slightly as the two of us turned a corner. As we did the hallway expanded into a massive hall, an exquisite chandelier lined with gemstones illuminating the hall from above. The pearlescent brick walls of the hall housed elaborate golden sconces that held up decorative torches beside grandiose marble pillars, sculpted with various designs, which seemed to wrap around the pillars and embed themselves slightly within the walls. Four long gilded ebony tables spanned the length of the halls, each one having ornate repeating decorations that spanned across the length of their sides and down to their legs. There probably wasn¡¯t a shared finishing time for all classes as the dining hall was relatively empty despite the see of students I saw this morning ¡°Not bad for a school cafeteria, huh? I¡¯ll go grab us some food, so just find us some seats, okay? " he asked, walking off once I gave him a wordless nod. With Lucas gone, I began scanning the long rows of tables for a place to sit. The cafeteria was decently empty, so I had originally intended on sitting away from the other students, an idea quickly dismissed when I caught a group of students waving at me from my peripheral vision. "Hey! Over here!" one of them called out. As I got a better look, I recognised her as the red-haired girl who had been sitting next to Evelyn in class. Intrigued by what they might want, I made my way over and took a seat, leaving space for Lucas to join us when he returned with our food. The group consisted of two girls and a guy. The girls sat across the table from me, chatting amongst themselves between bites of their meals as if they were the only two in the world, whilst the guy, seated on my left was silently indulging in his own food. ¡°So what did you guys want with me?¡± I asked, feeling slightly awkward that I was the only one at the table that didn¡¯t have any food. ¡°What''s wrong with trying to get to know our new transfer?¡± The red-haired girl quipped, her tone laced with playful teasing. She was about half a head or so shorter than the blonde-haired girl on her left, who was roughly the same height as Evelyn. She had a petite frame, emerald eyes and a mop of fiery red hair that dipped slightly below her shoulders. I couldn¡¯t quite seem to remember what affinity she had, though it would be quite fitting if she had an affinity to fire like me, seeing as her messy hair seemed to dance through the air like flames. ¡°That reminds me,¡± She continued, leaning across the table, though having to lean slightly upwards as well due to our difference in height. ¡°I saw you eyeing Evelyn earlier. She might have tons of guys going after her but I¡¯m sure someone as handsome as you would be a nice break,¡±¡ªShe leaned closer¡ª ¡°So what me to set something up?¡± Before I could muster up a response, or lack thereof, the blonde-haired girl who had been sitting on her right hit her on the side of her waist, causing her to lean back in mock pain. Her build was a lot more mature than the red-hair which I assumed to also be reflective of their personalities. She seemed sort of reserved and a bit tom-boyish, though it was quite easy to make the second assumption due to her short hair and the way she presented herself. ¡°That''s enough out of you Iris, stop teasing him,¡± The red-haired girl, Iris, turned her head back to look at her friend briefly, rolling her eyes as she sat back down. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re ruining the fun, Chloe,¡± she sighed dramatically, turning her attention back to me with a mischievous smirk plastered across her face. ¡°And you¡¯re no fun Mister ¡­ Arata was it?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. She tilted her head slightly, before briefly glancing away. "They wasted such a good face on you," she muttered, just loud enough for me to catch, as if daring me to play along. ¡°I guess they did,¡± I replied sarcastically. ¡°Anyways, Iris and Chloe right?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Iris cooed playfully. Meanwhile, Chloe just gave a wordless nod, her facial expression composed and almost unreadable like a mask. I turned my attention to the boy sitting on my left. He looked a bit like Lucas, minus the glasses, brown hair instead of black and a slightly shorter and more muscular frame. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Damian,¡± he replied courteously before shaking my hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Arata. I¡¯m a friend of Lucas, we¡¯re in the Relicography club together,¡± ¡°See, at least someone here gives me a normal introduction,¡± I laughed, looking at Iris. Iris smirked, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a way of saying I¡¯m unique,¡± she chuckled, ¡°After all it¡¯s good to be memorable isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± I continued, ignoring Iris¡¯ antics which caused a pouty expression to form on her face, ¡°What was that about Relicography? It sounds interesting,¡± ¡°Well, that depends on the person. It is basically the decryption and study of artifacts that have been retrieved from rifts, among other things. Most schools wouldn¡¯t have something like this. Still, Lexion is a pretty hands-on school regarding rifts, so many students will privately ask us to help with any artifacts they¡¯ve recovered from their own expeditions. Still, we also work with the school to help decrypt and categorise artifacts for the benefit of the whole kingdom. In fact, these days Lucas and I are working on cataloguing a collection for the school. You should stop by sometime if you ¨C¡± Damian¡¯s explanation was cut short by the sight of Lucas, who had walked up behind me carrying a tray of food. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve made some friends already.¡±, ¡°Something like that,¡± ¡°Welcome to the club. They¡¯re not so bad once you get used to them.¡± he laughed, setting down a tray of food in front of me as he took a seat to my right. Iris grinned slightly ¡°Oh, Lucas, don¡¯t scare him off. We¡¯re delightful, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Delightful might not be the word I¡¯d use,¡± Lucas said mockingly in between bites of his meal. ¡°Anyways Damian what were you saying before?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just telling Arata about that catalogue of relics we¡¯re making for the school.¡± Iris groaned loudly and leaned back in her chair, throwing her hands in the air. Ugh, Damian! Some of us are trying to enjoy a meal here so cut you it out with the nerdy talk about relics? You¡¯ll put Arata to sleep here on his first day! She gave a dramatic roll of her eyes before turning to face me again. ¡°Besides, Mister Arata here is quite the seasoned adventurer if the rumours about him are true. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s had more hands-on experience with relics, among other things, of course, than someone like you. Damian sighed but didn¡¯t do anything in response to Iris¡¯ comment. "As I was saying, if you¡¯re interested in learning more about rift-related phenomena or the stories behind these relics, it¡¯s worth a visit. Don¡¯t let Iris scare you off. She¡¯s never set foot in the Relicography room, so she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. I think that all of our club members are also quite friendly and welcoming..¡± ¡°Yeah for a bunch of nerds,¡± Iris muttered under her breath. Chloe, who had been silently observing the whole situation unfold, finally spoke up, her voice laced with an edge of playfulness. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be calling them nerds after you begged me to teach you about runic script last week you know,¡± Iris froze for a moment, her smug grin faltering slightly as a faint flush crept up her cheeks. ¡°Chloe! You promised you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± she pouted. ¡°B-Besides I was¡­ looking at the practical uses of runes and glyphs in combat,¡± she stammered her usual confidence seemingly disappearing by the second. Damian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wow I¡¯m surprised you even know the difference between those two,¡± he laughed. ¡°Must have studied a lot huh?¡± ¡°Oh shut up Damian, you can laugh all you want, but I didn¡¯t spend more than, like, an hour looking at those stupid things! Not a second more!¡±, she retorted defensively. Chloe, not one to miss an opportunity, smirked as she chimed in. "Didn¡¯t you say you spent three hours last week trying to decode a rune you found in Damian¡¯s notes? What was it you called it¡ª ¡®mind-blowingly cool¡¯?" Iris¡¯ face turned bright red, her mouth opening and closely wordlessly like a fish out of water. "That was¡­ I mean¡­ I just was¡­¡± she fumbled hopelessly, her usual sass and playfulness nowhere to be found. Lucas and I couldn¡¯t contain our laughter anymore, and both started to laugh uncontrollably, which earned us both ¡®death glares¡¯ from Iris, though the effect was significantly diminished by her crimson cheeks and inability to meet our eyes. "Okay, fine!" she finally blurted, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Artifacts aren¡¯t totally nerdy and useless. Happy now?" She crossed her arms and sank lower in her chair, as if wanting to melt away and disappear forever, muttering under her breath, "You guys are the worst." "Don¡¯t worry, Iris," I said with a small grin. "I¡¯ll make sure to bring you back something extra ¡®cool¡¯ from the Relicography room." Her eyes narrowed at me, though her flush hadn¡¯t faded. "Watch it, Arata. I don¡¯t need you joining in on this." But the damage was done, and the table dissolved into laughter as Iris buried her face in her hands, clearly mortified yet unable to escape the teasing. After that, the five of us began to discuss various topics as we ate our food. My plate had been piled up with various cuts of meat which had been drowned in sauce, with a couple sides of carbs for good measure. I slowly cut off a chunk of meat from one of the massive slabs on my plate before eating it. The sensation was unfamiliar yet nostalgic. How long had it been since I¡¯d enjoyed food as delicious as this? The soft texture, combined with the rich decadent sauce was a perfect match, incomparable to the dry bread and meat scraps I¡¯d eaten day after day during my time in retirement in the first round. Things had already taken a slightly different turn, I had never gotten close to these people before, so a part of me wanted to keep things as close to how they were in the first round as possible. Yet looking around at their smiling expressions and hearing the sound of their laughter, I found myself relaxing more and more. This group was far from ordinary, but maybe that wasn¡¯t such a bad thing, it''s not like my original friend group had been all that different.. The faces of two students popped into my head, one of them I knew would be unwise to seek out as of right now, yet I had already been contemplating whether of not I should befriend the other one this early on. They were also a member of the Relicographer club, so it wouldn¡¯t be that strange if I approached them under the guise of Damian¡¯s invitation. Still I decided to think about it a bit longer, and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. Right now, I had more urgent matters to attend to, finishing this delicious food.