Ten years had passed since I arrived in this strange, magical world. The challenges I faced had been relentless, pushing me far beyond my limits. There were times I thought I wouldn't make it, times when exhaustion and pain almost broke me. But I endured.
And now, today was the day—I would finally reunite with Ignis. I missed her more than I cared to admit. She had always been by my side, my closest companion, my greatest ally. But for years, we had been apart, each forced to undergo our training.
The old man, too—I hadn't seen him since the day I was thrown into this hellish training. Meeting him again would be… interesting.
"And tomorrow, I'll return to the real world," I muttered, my thoughts drifting to my family. My father, my mother, and even Lucia… I hadn't seen them in so long. Were they safe? Had anything changed? "I hope they're all okay. I need to hurry—I can't let them suffer."
With that thought weighing on my heart, I started walking toward a familiar cave. As I approached, I spotted the old man sitting cross-legged, that ever-present smug grin still plastered on his face.
"Oh? You made it back," he said with an amused chuckle. "I half-expected you to fail. But it seems that dragon of yours was right about you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Of course, I made it back. Did you think I wouldn't?"
The old man simply shrugged before adding, "Now, let's see if she shows up, too."
I frowned. "What do you mean if she shows up? Ignis is strong—I'm sure she'll come."
The old man let out a small cough, rubbing his beard. "I don't doubt her strength, but the cave she was sent into isn't an ordinary place. To escape, she must defeat a Rank 7 magician."
I froze. "...What?" My fists clenched. "A Rank 7 magician? That's insane! How is she supposed to—? Wait a minute, old man. Are you training us, or are you trying to get us killed?"
The old man smirked, his sharp eyes gleaming. "I take no sides. My only purpose is to forge you into something greater." He stood up, stretching his arms. "But enough about that—let's see how much you've improved."
I took a deep breath, suppressing my frustration. "Fine, but give me a moment first."
Before anything else, I quickly completed my daily tasks and asked the system to allocate all my remaining points into Mana.
The old man raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Your mana just surged… You're hiding something, aren't you, child?"
I shrugged casually. "You'll see soon enough." Then I stepped forward, rolling my shoulders. "Alright, old man, I'm ready for your challenge now."
Updated Stats (After 10 Years in the Magical World / 5 Years in the Real World)
STRENGTH: 20 (1000/1000)
STAMINA: 20 (1000/1000)
DEFENSE: 20 (1000/1000)
MANA: 20 (1000/1000)
CHARM: 10 (MAX)
BODY: 20 (1000/1000)
Just then, the system's voice echoed in my mind.
"Host, you have 200,000 unused points. You can upgrade the system to Level 4, which will increase your stat cap to 40. Additionally, my intelligence will upgrade, and new features will unlock—ones that will be very useful for you."
I stiffened. 200,000 points?! I didn't expect to have that many saved up.
"Wait, old man—my head hurts," I said, feigning discomfort to buy myself time.
"System, how long will the upgrade take?" I asked mentally.
"One day. During that time, you won't be able to use my functions."
"Fine. Do it."
The moment I gave the command, Lili vanished, and the upgrade process began. I took a deep breath and turned back to the old man.
"Alright, let's continue. I'm ready now."
The old man burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Do you think I'm the one fighting you? Child, you may have reached the 7th circle, but you're still too weak for me. A hundred Rank 7 magicians wouldn't even be a warm-up for me."
His eyes glowed as he raised his hand. A swirling mass of energy formed beside him, taking the shape of a humanoid figure—an exact copy of me.
"I'll send a clone at your current level to fight you instead," he said, smirking. "Let's see if you can handle yourself against an opponent of equal strength."
I clenched my fists. "Old man, you're underestimating me." A confident smirk spread across my face. "I'll crush this thing. I won't lose to anyone."
The clone suddenly vanished. My senses sharpened—behind me!
I twisted my body just in time to see it lunging at me mid-air, wind magic swirling in its hands.
Instead of dodging, I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, steadying my breath. Feel the mana. Feel the movement.
At the perfect moment, I conjured a spear of light and hurled it forward.
The clone dodged effortlessly—but that was exactly what I wanted.
Without hesitation, I raised my hands, summoning a fireball in one palm and a waterball in the other. The two elements crackled as I forced them together, merging them into a volatile sphere of pure energy.
Before the clone could react, I fired it straight at him.
A thunderous explosion erupted, shaking the ground. Smoke filled the air as the clone was sent crashing into the dirt.
I exhaled, turning toward the old man. "Hah, how was that? Still think I'm weak? Maybe you should fight me directly instead of using a clone."
I barely had time to celebrate before I felt it—a surge of raw mana pulsing through the air.
My eyes widened as the clone, seemingly unfazed, slowly rose to its feet once more.
This time, its hands weaved a spell at terrifying speed. A 7th-circle spell.
"Damn it—!" I braced myself. There was no time to counter-—
But then, without warning, a massive fireball, far larger than anything I had ever seen, roared through the air.
It swallowed the clone's attack—and the clone itself.
A familiar voice echoed through the battlefield.
"You're as careless as ever. Even after all these years, I still have to save you."
My heart skipped a beat. That voice—!
I turned toward the source, and a wide grin spread across my face.
"Tch. I could've handled it myself," I muttered, crossing my arms. Then I smirked. "But… since you're my companion, I guess it's fine to let you help me every once in a while."