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Azura
Chapter 1: A Chained Soul?

Chapter 1: A Chained Soul?

Certainly, here's an edited version of the text:

Before we proceed, allow me to introduce myself. I am Isaac, Isaac Hill, son of no one, at least as far as my knowledge goes. The name Hill was bestowed upon me by my master, and while it's not particularly imaginative, I had no reason to object at the time.

My master, Jade, doesn't possess a last name. Being an immortal, her memories of such things have faded over her three-thousand-year existence. When a human attains a certain level of power, they embark on the path to immortality, often referred to as the path of the gods. Even magicians of lesser strength experience extended lifespans.

I, on the other hand, was a novice magician, expected to live for over two hundred and fifty years. Most who knew my age assumed I would significantly enhance my power before the end of my life.

Despite having the abilities of a novice magician, my knowledge was severely lacking. Aside from the most fundamental magic and magical principles, I was virtually ignorant. Many people could perform basic magic but wouldn't qualify as novice magicians due to their lack of power. Hence, it's considered more critical to comprehend universal laws and bolster one's own power.

My life was largely dedicated to training and rigorous experimentation. I always knew that my end would likely come as a result of my master's experiments, but I hadn't expected it to take this long.

I'd like to say that this is where our story begins, but sadly, it isn't. This is merely the point where I'm granted a fresh lease on life.

When I awoke, I began to wonder if what had happened was merely a dream or if my master had somehow saved me from death. Regrettably, that wasn't the case. As I looked around, the room was shrouded in darkness, and I couldn't make out any discernible details.

Nevertheless, I could make out the presence of a bed, desk, chair, mirror, cabinet, and a door. After a moment to collect myself, I heard the sound of breathing and turned my attention to the bed, where a muscular man and a young girl around my age were sound asleep.

Slipping out from under the covers, I noticed something familiar—a spirit bond! Following its ethereal trail, I finally comprehended my situation.

Where my legs should have been, there was instead a genie's smoky trail connecting me to the sleeping woman. Reliam had bonded my soul to another person!

Moving about in a manner similar to astral projection, I exited the house through a window. As I surveyed my surroundings, I found myself in a log cabin village.

To dispel any thoughts of a rustic retreat, I noticed a small stone tower, and the town itself was enclosed by a two-meter stone wall. As I made my way toward the tower, I could see torches mounted at intervals along the wall. Along the way, I passed a staircase that appeared as though it were intended to be collapsed.

Flying faster, I swiftly arrived at the guard tower. I refer to it as such due to the presence of two men standing outside in armor. While they didn't wear full suits of armor, they did sport metal chest plates and leather coverings for most of their bodies. They seemed more prepared for agility than heavy defense.

From these observations, it became evident that Reliam had cast my soul far from Earth. Fortunately, I had already accepted the inevitability of my body's destruction, so this transition did not trigger overwhelming panic.

Taking a moment to compose myself, I resumed my exploration of the town—or perhaps I should call it a village, consisting of seventeen houses. Four of these houses featured only two bedrooms and accommodated families of four or five. Ten houses boasted three bedrooms, while the remaining three had four bedrooms.

Oddly enough, despite my host possessing a four-bedroom house, only two of the rooms were in use: one for herself and her husband, and the other for a servant girl.

Having thoroughly explored the village, I decided to return to my host. With the sun rising, I arrived just in time to follow her down the stairs.

The servant girl was already awake, preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Madam," said the brunette in her maid outfit as she skillfully made pancakes.

With better lighting now, I could discern that my host stood at around five feet tall. She had striking deep blue hair and captivating blue eyes. Being a fifteen-year-old boy, I couldn't help but scrutinize her appearance closely.

"Morning, Sam," I greeted her. Despite appearing to be my age, she emitted an aura of maturity, possibly due to her status as a magician, preserving her youth.

However, I couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't noticed my presence yet. If I truly were bound to her, any respectable magician should have detected my existence by now.

Upon closer inspection, the soul trail originating from my legs was now more visible. Previously, I had assumed it connected to her heart or soul, but I was completely mistaken. Instead, it traveled downward, leading straight to the girl's ankle before turning ninety degrees upward from the floor.

Not one to be bashful, I was more of an eccentric and curious individual. Like any other young genius, I followed the soul trail to investigate further.

As the young lady sat down, it made it easier to bypass her ankle-length skirt. All she might have felt was a cold breeze as my spirit passed by.

Upon reaching my destination, the world around me turned black. I felt as though I was entirely restrained. To counter this, I began employing magic to strengthen and maintain my current vessel while retreating into my soul.

Inside my soul, there lay an immense mana ocean. I say "was" because now, in the midst of it, stood a substantial mountain composed of a more tangible energy. If I had to venture a guess, I'd call it Chi.

It was a well-known fact that some individuals were born with copious amounts of mana, while others possessed significant reserves of Chi. Although they followed different paths, they coexisted in the same world. Ultimately, both paths led to either death or immortality. Considering my inner world had not been like this just a few days ago, I attributed this transformation to Reliam.

Now equipped with an idea of how to contact my master, I swiftly soared towards the mountain. After an indeterminate period of searching, I discovered it—or, to be precise, what seemed to be a doggie door adorned with magic circles and draconic decorations. This door symbolized our soul bond.

When I opened the door, it drained over half of my mana reserves, but it finally brought Reliam into view. He appeared before me, shrunken to the size of a puppy and covered in wounds.

I couldn't conceal my smile, for I could only assume that my master was responsible for inflicting such pain on him. However, my smile vanished when Reliam caught sight of me and the gate he had come through.

Instantaneously, anger, resentment, and rage painted his face. In a split second, Reliam launched an attack on me. I was compelled to defend myself, employing ice magic to pierce his flesh and immobilize his legs.

Refusing to relent, he started gathering mana for a dragon's breath attack. In a bid to prevent this, I swiftly enclosed him in an ice box, fortifying it with the last remnants of my mana.

As he unleashed his acidic breath, I doubled over in agony. Although it hadn't directly hit me, an enormous amount of mana had been expended inside my soul, combined with my complete depletion of personal mana just before the attack.

With both of our mana reserves depleted, I collapsed shortly after, while Reliam remained trapped within the ice.

Upon awakening with my mana restored, I immediately focused on Reliam. As he was not within his own soul, his power regenerated more slowly than mine, granting me the advantage.

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With my magic, I confined his soul, rendering him incapable of anything but speech. Had we not been within my soul, I would have perished in our initial encounter, despite being his master.

Surviving had taught me the importance of avoiding such confrontations. Therefore, when Reliam regained consciousness, he was even more furious than before.

Using his soul as a link, I seized control of Reliam's body to convey a message to my master via possession. Afterward, I departed the area, allowing him time to cool down.

Leaving my soul, I once again found myself in my dark prison. After spending around four months inside my soul, it felt different to inhabit a physical body.

Now, I was slightly less constrained, with the ability to move my arms and legs. Gradually, I recognized the sounds around me as those of the girl and her servant.

With a glimmer of hope, I attempted astral projection, and fortunately, my mana was no longer restricted.

Emerging from the gap between her thighs, I passed through her skirt once more, observing that the blue-haired woman appeared to be seven to eight months pregnant.

I had been reincarnated! That dragon had thrown me a curveball, reincarnating my soul into another world to evade servitude and death.

However, in the end, he only suffered torment at the hands of both my master and me once I had a chance to confront him. Having realized this, I knew I would have to return and exact my revenge.

Over the next week, I observed my new family: my parents, Aura and Magnus Grace, and the maid, Samantha.

Aura was an emperor-class mage, while my father and Sam were merely master-level combatants. My father was the sole warrior in the household.

Breaking down the power hierarchy in this world was straightforward: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master, King, Emperor, Saint, Angel, Immortal, Demi-God, Lesser God, and God.

Though this is the simplified version, each tier contained nine levels and had distinct titles for various professions. For magicians, the breakdown was as follows: Beginner = Magician, Intermediate = Wizard, Advanced = Arch Mage, Expert = Witch/Warlock, Master = Sorceress/Sorcerer, King = Magical King, and Emperor = Elementalist.

Saint, Angel, Immortal, Demi-God, Lesser God, and God retained their respective titles without embellishment. Those who could not meet the basic requirements for this ranking were known as mages, or practitioners if they lacked Chi.

Returning to my soul, my initial action was to freeze Reliam solid, then thaw him with intense light magic before freezing him again.

Afterward, I allowed him to calm down, checking on him roughly every twenty-four hours to see if he was willing to engage in conversation. After about a dozen attempts, he stopped cursing me on sight.

Having long since decided to use this as a gauge of his temperament, I approached him while simultaneously weaving defensive magic.

"In your infinite wisdom, dear master, what new form of torment have you chosen to grace me with this time?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, but I refrained from launching any offensive spells.

"Would you like your freedom, Reliam?" After subjecting him to months of torture at my hands, I had hoped he might plead for his release.

"Like hell you'd ever release me, just so I can return and end you!" He bellowed as loudly as my restraints allowed.

Regrettably, since he doubted my intentions, I was compelled to reveal my true purpose to capture his attention and progress our conversation. "I desire your offspring, Reliam."

Instantly, the air around him heated up, nearly causing my original ice prison to melt. This time, I resorted to an elemental binding.

By overlapping multiple elements, the strength of this new prison was exponentially enhanced, despite its modest mana consumption. It used only a fraction of the mana, yet the initial desperate defense was still four or five times more potent.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRRRRRR!!" He violently shattered my original ice prison, crashing against the elemental cage with full force.

Recognizing that it would take him at least a month to break free, he finally calmed down. Once again, I was thankful for the advantage of being in familiar territory and having the upper hand as his master.

"All I seek is to soul-bond with the most powerful of your offspring from birth. In return, I shall release you from your bond, and my master will grant you your freedom."

Upon hearing this, the light gradually returned to his eyes. It was evident that I had finally captured his attention after his months of absence.

With that, I released Reliam, returning him to his own body, and securely sealed the door. It consumed a significant portion of my power, but I imprisoned the door itself as an added precaution.

Afterward, I dedicated the remainder of my day to refining my Chi control, utilizing techniques I had previously learned from my master and extracted from Reliam.

Conveniently, I could perceive through Reliam's eyes, hear what he heard, and even cast magic through him. Using this method, I had been telepathically communicating with Jade.

Unfortunately, the difficulty had increased since Reliam's soul had been returned to his body. I could no longer exert full control over him, although I retained the capability. However, attempting to control him would only incite his anger, and he would fiercely resist me.

Throughout this period, my magical and Chi abilities improved at an astounding rate. Although I had yet to reach the intermediate tier, the progress was undeniable.

Unable to increase my abilities further, I concentrated on mastering control over these two energies, with a particular focus on refining and purifying my Chi.

My progress had been notable, advancing from beginner level one to beginner level two in just a month—a respectable achievement, considering the relatively short duration of my training.

However, my training session was abruptly interrupted. I lost track of time and was shaken out of my focus. The once-calm mana ocean churned with waves, creating a turbulent sensation.

Fierce winds whirled around, and the Chi-infused earth quivered intensely. It was evident that something significant was occurring within my new body.

Leaving the sanctuary of my soul, I opted to bypass reentering my physical body. Instead, I focused on extending my soul outward.

During this attempt, I found myself face to face with someone. If my memory served me correctly, it was the servant girl, Sam.

Glancing behind me, I spotted my new mother lying on the bed, her lower body uncovered. Drawing upon memories from my teacher's health class, I comprehended the situation.

Today marked the official beginning of my life in this world—the true start of my story.

I couldn't help but chuckle at my earlier thoughts. After all, what could one expect from a newborn, a one-year-old, a toddler, or even a three or four-year-old? They were all just children, with their main job being to grow and learn.

In my case, I anticipated at least another five years of training while simultaneously enhancing my magical abilities as my body matured. It was also crucial to reserve some power to sustain myself, as I would require more energy than usual.

Shifting aside in my ethereal form, I adopted a bird's-eye view. Letting my physical body function on autopilot was the most prudent choice.

Getting involved in my own birth could lead to unnecessary complications, and I had no desire to disrupt my development due to asphyxiation. So, I simply observed.

The experience was undeniably strange, watching my own birth. It wasn't bad, just profoundly unusual. After hours of listening to Aura's cries of pain, my tiny head finally began to emerge.

Even though I wasn't inside my own body, my senses remained connected. I now understood the initial cries a baby made upon entering the world. "Cold hands! Cold hands!"

"Whaaaa, whaaaa, waaaa," I cried, and with that, Sam announced my arrival as a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Upon hearing this, the first thing I did was to double-check what she said. Even though it only took moments for Samantha to clean me, I managed to catch a glimpse of myself before being swaddled in a soft, warm blanket.

After confirming that I had indeed been reborn as a girl, my mind was flooded with thoughts. "Genderbender Tensei" was the first that flashed through my mind, followed by countless others.

Once my mind had calmed, I channeled a surge of mana into my soul, crashing it against Reliam's gate. I could hear his screams without even entering my soul.

Reliam was exceptionally vulnerable to his master's magic applied through the master-servant bond due to the circles on the gate itself. This magic also allowed me to communicate with Master Jade.

Now that I was fully integrated into this world, it felt as though a veil had been lifted. My vision improved, becoming sharper and more vibrant.

Suddenly, things that weren't there before became visible, like translucent, paper-thin wings on my mother's back and slightly pointed ears.

I would later discover that she usually concealed this appearance from others, with it only having slipped out due to pain. Samantha, on the other hand, did not hide her unique features.

Even though she didn't conceal the bunny ears now atop her head or the fluffy tail sticking out of her dress, my earthly eyes couldn't perceive them.

Fortunately, the language remained English, allowing me to understand what they were saying. It appeared that I was considered a miracle child.

My parents had been trying to conceive for the past 50 years, and they had only just now welcomed their first child. My father was 187 years old, and my mother, well, she was over 300 years old. As far as I knew, my father didn't even know her true age. One day, while I was floating about, I overheard Sam asking about her age.

Still cradled in Sam's loving embrace, my newborn self let out cries of hunger, the sound echoing in the room like soft melodies. Samantha swayed gently as she carried me towards my awaiting mother.

As I approached, Aura, my mother, began to undress the top half of her body. Remarkably, despite having just given birth, her stomach had already regained its toned form. Her graceful limbs and modestly sized, perky breasts formed a harmonious ensemble, a picture of petite beauty.

With a tender touch, she took me from Samantha's arms and nestled me against her bosom, prompting a subtle gasp of discomfort.

My newborn instincts took over without hesitation as I latched onto her breast, eager to drink her nourishing milk. I approached the task with an instinctual determination, drawing the milk into my mouth and swallowing rhythmically.

As the first cries of discomfort emanated from my mother, Samantha quickly began to cast a healing spell, soothing her pain. In tandem with this, I adjusted my technique to make the feeding more comfortable for her.

Once her breast had returned to its natural size, I was gently moved to the other side, allowing me to continue my meal. As I drank, the soothing sensation of milk and the gentle presence of my mother gradually lulled me into sleep.

With my tiny belly satisfied, I drifted into slumber, my consciousness retreating to the depths of my soul, ready to embark on this new journey of life.