Reyon's heart pounded as he recalled the ancient legends of the Jewel of Elise—a treasure held as the most important possession of the Royal Family of Elise. It was said that the jewel was the core of an ancient beast that once attacked the kingdom. In those tumultuous days, the Kingdom of Elise had been the strongest, with as many as ten 8th-circle mages safeguarding its glory. Yet, when that ferocious beast emerged, all the mages fought valiantly, and in the ensuing battle, every single one perished. Their sacrifice, however, was not in vain; together, they managed to subdue the beast, but at a terrible cost. From the fallen creature, a core was extracted—a radiant, potent gem that came to be known as the Jewel of Elise. This jewel was not only the pride of the kingdom but a living testament to its previous glory.
As these legends echoed in his mind, Reyon's thoughts grew turbulent. He knew that the Jewel of Elise was revered above all else by the Royal Family. Yet, he had dared to covet it—a decision that would not go unanswered. Even before his mission began, Julie's fierce words against his transgression still echoed: how dare he covet the pride of their kingdom? She had written in her reply, "I won't ever give the Jewel of Elise to you. You should consider yourself lucky; if not for the mana oath, I would have killed you already and exterminated the Classers. But don't be relieved—the mana oath was solely to prevent taking advantage of the fight. After you recover, I won't be bound by it. I would come and crush you and the Classers, and as you now won't even be able to use your tricks with which you defeated berth. There's no way in this world we would collaborate with a criminal organization."
Reyon had read her words and, with a wry smile, mused to himself, Looks like she thinks I used some tricks to kill Berth. Should I just kill every royal of Elise? The thought was fleeting—almost instantly, a sharp stroke of pain tore through his brain, and his sanity jolted back with a violent clarity. No way, what was I thinking? How could I even entertain such madness? The corrupt mana swirling in his mind reminded him that he was teetering on the brink of insanity. He could no longer postpone his mission; the Jewel of Elise was his next and only chance to stabilize the Ring of Ferica and save his sanity.
Without hesitation, Reyon activated his camouflage spell and surged toward the Royal Palace. As he neared the palace, he encountered a maze of magical barriers—each one designed to detect and repel intruders. But Reyon was a master of vector magic. With swift, precise movements, he diffused each barrier by manipulating the underlying energy with calculated gestures. Every obstacle dissolved into shimmering fragments as he pressed forward, leaving a trail of disrupted spells in his wake.
Inside the palace, Reyon navigated its labyrinthine corridors until he reached the treasury. The treasury was a fortified chamber, filled with priceless jewels and ancient weapons. Yet, none of these treasures fazed him. He remembered his visit to the Phoenix Household's treasury the previous year—its splendor unmatched by any other. Now, he was here with one purpose: to seize the Jewel that held the core of an ancient beast.
As he moved stealthily along the corridor, Reyon encountered five elite 7th-circle mages guarding the treasury. His eyes narrowed; among them, two mages appeared as formidable as Cyrus once was. As expected of a kingdom that once was the strongest, their power remains higher than that of the Royal Family of Brook, he thought. In Brook, there are only three peak 7th-circle mages and not a single 8th-circle mage. If it were not for the Phoenix Household, the Royal Family of Brook would have long fallen to the might of the Kingdom of Elise. Reyon recalled that the only reason the Royal Family Brook dared to call themselves an empire was because of the backing of the Phoenix Household. Yet, at least in this generation, they had produced a prodigy Alice, according to my previous life she might have reached 7th circle.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Reyon focused on his mission. He arrived at the entrance to the royal treasury. With practiced ease, he diffused the detection barrier and even nullified the palace alarms with his vector manipulation. The room was dark and silent, save for the glitter of countless treasures arranged in ornate displays. His eyes roamed the vault until they fell upon it—the Jewel of Elise, resting in an ornate pedestal, its aura strong enough to make even 8th-circle mages kneel. Reyon could sense its power immediately: an aura of raw elemental force, a core that could bring mighty mages to their knees with but a glance.
It reminded him of the fearsome beast—a wyvern, perhaps—its calamity captured in this singular gem. Steeling himself, Reyon moved closer and reached out with trembling fingers. The moment his hand closed around the jewel, an alarm buzzed throughout the palace. "Heck, looks like an advanced spell was placed under the jewel—that's why I couldn't see it earlier," he thought, his mind racing. Without wasting a second, Reyon hurriedly activated his escape plan, slipping out of the treasury and moving swiftly through the palace corridors.
Outside, no 7th-circle mage had detected his presence—only the Knight Commander, an 8th-circle mage, had caught a glimpse of him. The Knight Commander pursued, but Reyon's speed was formidable. He moved faster than any mage in the Royal Palace could follow, yet the persistent Knight Commander trailed a dozen meters behind him. Suddenly, a surge of corrupt mana took over Reyon, halting him in his tracks. He stopped abruptly, every muscle tense.
The Knight Commander, seizing the moment, cast a spell—"Song of Wing"—and a couple of wind storms erupted, directed at Reyon with lethal intent. But Reyon's training and mastery over vector magic came to his rescue. He quickly activated his Vector Field, dispersing the wind storms effortlessly.
Not wasting any time, Reyon moved swiftly in front of the Knight Commander. With a burst of raw energy, he cast a physical enhancement spell using his vector field—a spell that barely made contact with his skin yet magnified his strength. In one fluid motion, he lunged forward and grabbed the Knight Commander by the neck, lifting him off the ground with ease.
Knight Commander Phillip struggled and retaliated, casting spell after spell in a desperate attempt to break free. However, Reyon's thin yet potent covering of vector field shielded him perfectly. Spell after spell deflected harmlessly off his protective field—each attack failing to scratch him. As Reyon prepared to break Phillip's neck with decisive force, a sudden, searing stroke of pain erupted in his brain. In that excruciating moment, clarity returned; his sanity fought back from the corrupt mana's encroachment. With a pained groan, Reyon loosened his grip. Knight Commander Phillip, sensing the shift, immediately retreated. He tried to cast another spell, but his mana was nearly depleted.
Without a backward glance, Reyon released his hold and bolted away, leaving Phillip and the remaining guards in his wake.