“Urgh...[Let the flame hang in the moon- Kyapp!!?”

The mana within the ritual circle has gone out of control once again, and the bright ivory flame in the middle suddenly explodes once again…

I turn into a modern art exhibit on the wall once again, with soot and burn all over.

“Ouch...This is the fifth time already, shit! Why does it keep failing?"

I don’t get it, where did I keep going wrong?

I have all the catalyst and ingredients, I make sure to draw the ritual circle perfectly, I double-checked every single chant in the book, and even kept track of how I move my mana both inside and out, down to the millimeters…Yet it keeps blowing up on my face.

It's like Zeno's paradox at this point; with every step, I feel myself closer to completion, yet at the same time each step I made, I made even less progress than the last. I feel like I just miss one more thing, and that thing is basically everything, and my entire approach is completely wrong.

“Arghhh!! How does that even make sense!? Let me read that fucking book again!”

Diving into the book again, I once again pour over it from the first page, right at the first sentence.

[Story is magic, is the miracle itself. For, the world love story.]

[The world can't tell the truth on its own, so the world needs our help. Per the contract since time immemorial, we must fulfill our obligation to more than our lineage and our ancestors, but to our very time and our space. Most importantly, it must be for our very way of life, our tales and stories.]

[As the Teller, our job is more than just to tell, but to share.]

“Uuu...I thought I got what all this meant, but now I feel like it's all poppycock! This is all just vague sagey bullshit that just all sounds smart instead of being meaningful!"

Uu...But surely, all of this must mean something, right? The feeling behind those words feels way too important otherwise…For example, I know for sure that the story within the book is really really vital, it practically takes half of the book's content.

...And it was strangely detailed as well. They even make sure to mark down the exact time each event happens, and the habit and tick of each individual character within the myth, even though I'm pretty sure half of it isn't important.

In fact, I think half of it doesn’t even actually exist, as strange as it might sound. Like, I know it’s a myth in a fantasy “everything-is-real” world and all that, but I don't think the moon is actually falling just because the flame has a heartbreak…

“Should I take it all as a metaphor, then? But then again, I don’t see much metaphor in “listening to dad, or the flame will get you”… Honestly, even the way they wrote their story is strange in general, in that it feels more like a combination of a fanfic note and an improv script, with a lot of the sentences written all over each other, and I can clearly see trace of multiple authors furiously scribbling over each other, and there is a hidden doodle of the author actually gone physical on someone with the sharp point of the pen…”

Strangely, I found myself absorbed into the story, if only to find the place to poke fun at. The story that looks structured and ordered turns out to be a mess, and despite it being an heirloom that used to be passed down from one generation or another, their members seem to like bickering and fighting over one another, trying to make sure that their version is the best…

The book was flawed, the story was unedited, and the magic itself is incomplete and messy at its core...but, it feels human, I feel like. Even if the one behind it probably isn’t one, their familial bond and shared sense of duty are as thick as blood and strong as stone, despite their disagreement.

After all, no matter what, only the first page remained untouched.

[To guard the flame, to guard our light, we do what we must, we do what we can. So that the truth comes through the night, may our very life burn all in white.]

The words that are written in red, drenched deep, tenaciously.

“...I think I am getting something from this. Let’s try one more time, Hifrit.”

“Coo.”

Following my order, my trusty partner once again lit the flame right in the middle of it all, its ivory color unchanging.

I still don't really understand how this magic actually works even after all that...but I think I get it now. Even if what I feel is just a mere delusion though, I still want to go through with this.

Following that, I once again cut my palm, and let my blood drip into the flame. The ivory flame licked the blood, and then immediately turned brighter and whiter.

“[The fire first started with blood. For blood are lifes, are wings, are chains, are hearts…]"

I feel like I comprehend what this means now, even if only slightly.

For, even if what I felt is but a mere fraction of what the man and woman behind this book held so dearly and bitterly, I want to respond to that call, that resonance.

“[Consume our blood, and fuel the flame, and let the primal ember flare forever. Let our body be kindling, and our spirit be air, and let our mind be seared with the truth of countless moons!]”

I jumped into the flame, trying to match that burning soul, against my better judgment. The flame burned upon my skin, its heat boiled to the inner of my soul.

Yet, it doesn't hurt. Yet, it only feels more invigorating.

“[O Sacred Phoenix Of The Moonlit Night, Please Watch Over Me! Please Let Me Be Your Witness, And Your Guardian!]”

“[Let Me Play Out My Tale, So That You May Judge! Please, Let Me Call Out To The Story Of My Soul, Amidst The Truthful White!]

Yet, instead, it was as if I had actually connected as last, as the light washed over me, delivering unto me their wisdom and knowledge.

However, it’s just the start.

It’s merely the first step, to the primordial miracle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The first step, is [Recall].”

“For obviously, in order to tell a story, you have to [Remember] it first.”

Speaking of which, where does the fire come from, you may ask?

Why, Dragon set it up beforehand of course. After all, you can’t have a camp story without a campfire.

To place everyone together under the brilliant flame, listening to tales under the cover of the night... It's a tradition hailing from a long time past, ever since the first time people discovered how to light a fire.

“For example, to tell the story of the flame, it’s good to remember how it's made, for starters. Some said a dragon first taught the people how to make it, after roasting their hair with their breath as a joke. After having kindled on their bristled lock, they brought it back home to help light more flame, until everyone is as fuzzy as their cave is bright.”

Upon hearing that, everyone then immediately looks at Dragon, their eyes locking on her shining grinning teeth, with white flame licking on her white molars.

Sometimes, it’s better not to ask, no matter how disappointed that mischievous dragon looks.

"Well, remember how it starts matters, but it isn't the most essential...What matters more is remembering how it [feels]."

Once again, Marigold calls toward everyone's attention, and involuntarily their eyes stare straight at the bright white flame, as pure as snow, yet as hot as the sun.

Then, she suddenly dug her hand into the flame and scooped it out like it was a scoop of ice cream. Under everyone's surprised eyes, the flame continued to burn dazzlingly white and clean, contained so neatly inside her little palm.

“How it warms the skin on your face, how it heats up the palm of your hand as you bring it closer, how you involuntarily retracted your arms after accidentally touching it, the pain reminding yourself never to touch it again carelessly…”

And then, to further surprise everyone even more, she takes a small bite out of it, chewing it so casually. The flame briefly looks so unusually solid and chunky, before returning back to its airy shape.

“Hmh...And sometimes, how it tastes within your tongue, mm… Dra-kun, why is this edible?”

“Kyuku~ (Because I feel like you could eat it, duh~)”

“Because it just looks so delicious...Mou, now you're making me look weird."

(((… Is that way too late for that joke??)))

Once again, everyone’s mind unitedly retorted, looking completely unamused. The peanuts in particular shout out the loudest within, as if afraid their straight-man instinct will break otherwise.

Sweeping her gaze over their reaction, she smiles relaxedly at them, undeterred and unfazed. Accounting for their reaction, she swiftly led to her next point, without breaking a sweat.

“Fufu...even such small whimsy are also part of what you should remember, as it tends to stick the longest… Your anticipation over the stove, waiting for the stew to rise; your surprised reaction, watching your first firework lighting up in the sky; your relief over the warm hearth, as it frees you from the winter cold within your safe abode…"

“Memories and experiences of a person are just as much of a tale as the tales themselves. Even if you don't know the exact composition of a flame or the exact temperature from which everything ignites, or knowing the origin of the first fire… just your own experience, no matter how light, no matter how whimsy, is enough."

“For even such small and transient moments, bring [meaning]. As long as you recall such [meaning] and weave it into a story, it's enough for the universe to respond...Though of course, the more vibrant the meaning, the more they like it."

Slowly, she gestured for everyone to stand back, before flicking her hand which held the bubbly flame. Flinging around with a great and sudden force, the flame quickly turns into a swift whirl, burning a perfect circle surrounding the campfire.

The circle glows mystically, emitting the same color of white, as if invoking an ancient ritual of old.

“Meaning can come through more than just thought and feeling, it can also come through patterns. A circle, for example, has always been invoking a sense of gathering.“

“A tune would work as well, of course...[♫~O Universe, Come. O World, Listen. Where I Stand Is The Place, For All To Gather~♫], something like that.”

[ [Perfect Pitch] Skill Activated]

A heavenly song arises, reverberating through the air with an otherworldly melody, impossible to be ignored. Calling out more than just the soul of all living beings, it beckons the essence of the world, and draws in even the void between stars.

A compelling force beyond the divinity of song…it’s simply a heartfelt beautiful tune, drawing on an enthralling greeting, from one world to another.

In exchange, the universe rushed in. In response, the world dances.

Countless waves of countless formless forces of nature slip through the crowds, and gather themselves into the white-glowing circle, and from within a microcosm is made. Separated clearly by an invisible border, a heavenly world of primordial miracles swirls around the open flame, stoking it higher and higher among the circling luminous lights.

Once again, it captivated their eyes and robbed them of speech. Only the sound of condensing nature and of stars align filled the shifting air.

Even the great sage, diligently taking note just a moment before, feels stunned against the immense density of mana and element weigh heavily upon the space, thought to only be found at the center of the world. No living being, sentience or otherwise, should have been able to survive at such depth…

“Hm… this should be more than enough, I think. Thanks for the help, World-san. Now, let us continue."

Unbothered, and unburdened, she walked freely among the dancing stream, even more natural than ever. It was as if she found herself more alive on this unthinkable ground. At the same time, they're reminded that a ritual was still ongoing, still at the beginning.

Something this monumental and life-changing, and she hasn't even started...It boggles the mind of the possibility, and this inherent absurdity.

“After [Recalling] is made, and the universe is invited to join, next up is [Resonate].”

“To [Resonate], is to repeat. To recall the story again and again, until you’re in harmony and resonance with the world’s flow.”

“For this though, some preparation needs to be made… Universe Style: Hollow Body Transformation."

Raising her hands up in front of her, it then slowly turns transparent, until it's as clear as water. From the outside, it was as if her hand became the delicate limb of a glass statuette, slowly moving her fingers gently and elegantly.

Hollow Body Transformation is, as its namesake, a technique to hollow out the body of its content. Originally used to forcefully expel all the poison and impurity within the body, this technique has been modified to empty out the body of its "properties", returning them to a blank slate.

In short, it's a technique to reset the state of the body, into a form that's as pure and malleable as possible, a blank empty canvas, on which any inks can be painted.

As if on cue, soon enough the formless forces started rushing in, filling up the space that had been left open. Almost immediately after, the forces began to make countless marks inside her body, though chaotic and non-uniformed.

It was as if, waiting for her cue, they were waiting for her brush.

“Alright, preparation is complete…[♫~I call upon Air, I call upon Aether~♫].”

Soon enough, she began to sing again, and her melodic voice silently moved the colors within. Within the two hollow limbs, complicated patterns began to take shape.

First is as free-forming flows. First is an encompassing fluid.

“Oh yeah, before I continue, I should keep up with the explanation… So basically, to [Resonate] is to gain a deep budding comprehension and understanding of the story you want to tell. From the actor to the setting, from the background to the foreground to the nitty gritty details, every single thing that makes the story work...”

Casually explaining how it works while she's at it, she swiftly moves her arms around, running her hands and finger over, under, and within each of them, now so clear they could be phasing through. Sometimes adding a little touch, sometimes adjusting the contour, sometimes just shaking it to smear and mix up the blends…

It was so mesmerizing and surreal, people ended up paying more attention to the weaving dance than to her voice. It caught so much attention, they didn't even notice that they were sitting completely still, and not realizing that Dragon was lightly afro-ing up all of their hairs one by one.

“And upon studying each of the elements one by one and seeing how they fit with each other, you...Look like nobody's paying attention, mou. Dra-kun is once again messing things up as well.”

“Can’t be helped then… [♫~I call upon the dust of stars (Hydrogen), I call upon the air of life (Oxygen)~♫]”

To put things back on track, she continued her divine melody, snapping people back to attention.

At the same time, Rose snatched away Dragon on time and gave him a stern choking to, after she nearly roasted their hair up while holding a pack of marshmallows on her side.

Usually, she should be the first one to notice this sort of egregious shenanigans, but Marigold's performance was just so wonderful in her eyes, that she was busy taking a million screenshots...Either way, looks like Dragon will get another week of punishment or so.

Anyway, after that, the endlessly complex patterns on her two arms end up differentiated from each other. One is of the Milky Way extending toward infinity, chock full of twinkling stars and nebulae deep within the mist of stardust, while the other is a wind carrying the energy of spring, filled with leaves and petals, along with a faint chirping of countless songbird.

“And there, that is the end of the [Resonance] step for now. Keep in mind that I am simplifying things a lot here, and that in a usual magical storycrafting, all those steps I will be mentioning later on don't necessarily have to go step-by-step in sequences, just so you know.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

(((...That is simplifying thing???))) The peanuts all thought out loud.

“Yes, believe it or not. I basically abridged and shortcutted a loooot of the process here for the sake of presentability, so don’t try this at home, ehe~.”

“You said as anyone can actually do like even a fraction of what you show all this time…" Headmaster grumbled loudly, strangely feeling even more tired than ever. The same can be said for the Great Sage as well, though she is way too busy filling out grimoires after grimoires to retort.

“Ahaha...Ahem, next up is [Reinterpret], this step is when things really start moving and changing.”

“? What do you mean, doesn't all the stuff earlier haven't changed and rearranged all of our beliefs and common sense already?" Headmaster sarcastically asked.

“Aha...Well, what I mean by that…I think it’s better if you all experience it for yourself."

To show what she meant, she now began to circulate mana within her body, and consequently, she started moving it within her two transparent arms. Perhaps, to describe this more concretely, it's better to describe how everyone feels within their mind first.

First, they feel the sound of repeated clicking, as if countless gears are linking their teeth one after another.

The moment anyone, with even the faintest sense of magic, sees her circulating her mana, they are struck with a pure, instinctual, almost raw feeling of everything falling into alignment. It was almost like clockwork, or perhaps like a transmission box shifting through its metal teeth, or like that of countless metronomes synching its beat.

It was like the start of the world’s turning, and everyone could feel it coming before they all saw it happening in front of their eyes.

[♫~Stars dance, dust whirls. Air sing, life bloom~♫]

[♫~Stars stop, dust sit still. Air froze, life goes to sleep~♫]

Then, a soft lullaby comes by next, gentle and fluffy as the cloud above, slowly floats.

Yet, paradoxically, the song slowly churns the two worlds within two hands. On the left, the stardust that was slowly flowing came to a stop, and began to swirl into countless chunks, and on the right, the season of spring slowly turned its wheel, until winter came with its frigid cold.

[♫~And turn, and spin, and revolve, and dance! The stars swirl in its endless waltz ~♫]

[♫~And round and round and come round again! Life keeps cycling by~~~♫]

The two worlds keep spinning, until they coil into themselves. The swirl of milk slowly rearranges itself into a helictical shape, while the seasons stretch and connect its two ends together, forming a mobius band.

The two worlds, in a constant cycle, formed into a superstructure bigger than itself. Through its constant and repeated motion, the superstructure maintains its shape, depicting an unchanging, stable, and eternal event. Essentially, the two worlds are now the manifestation of "totality", a higher-dimensional structure that describes all possibilities within a grand view.

Yet, that isn't the most unimaginable thing the Grand Sage sees.

(...Just what the heck is that endless amount of mana, flowing so finely??)

While everyone has their brain stuck on head-empty spectacle mode, Merlis gets herself stuck in endless analyzing mode, trying to make sense of this terrifying density of magical force gathering and running through Marigold's formation. In her view, it’s like squeezing lead the size of a moon through a pinhole as small as a pores. Not only that, it also has to travel through the chamber and manifold, filling the gap barely perceptible even to her own magically enhanced eyes.

Leaving aside what sort of impossible thing she’s doing right now, the fact she can even exist in that environment that would have popped a regular mage a million times over in the first place is fucking scary. It’s like she’s looking at some kind of hideous deep-crustal organism draped in human skin, barely keeping themselves together through sheer pressure from the depth of hell…

(Wait no, that isn’t fair for that hell creature’s sake. It already loses out on the Weirdest Creature Alive award on this wonderfully eldritch thing…)

That comment aside, the twin structure Marigold makes inside her arms that's acting as some sort of conduit is shockingly simple, is her impression. Not in terms of execution, mind you (like hell a 5th-dimensional hypertube structure is easy to construct), but in terms of concept.

Essentially, it’s there to contain the element she tries to invoke as completely as possible. Even down to its individual component, and up to its holistic beginning and end, it’s basically like trying to prove and construct their existence through sheer mathematical proof.

(And to do it on both sides at the same time as well, I really want to dig inside her brain to see what it looks like...Anyway, the question is why, hm...the structure doesn’t have any formula or function to execute any spell, so the structure itself is what is important. Then, is the ritual itself the functioning part-No, the scope is too wide, so would it be open-ended instead-)

As expected of the Grand Sage, Merlis already is trying to read the intent and direction of the spell, even as it’s rapidly unfolding with each gentle sway of her hand. For each of Marigold's waltz, she actively jostles down hundreds, if not thousands of significant transformations happening through each second of movement.

If one were to check on one of her countless sprawling notebooks right now though, they probably only see what appears to be a jumbled mess of line and arrow, words and numbers, and graph after graph after graph. Look like the habit of making their work unreadable through the naked eye is shared across all eccentric researchers and geniuses, no matter what their profession.

[Dum-di-da-ta-da-ti-dum! And all moveee around~~~]

After moving around the campfire for one whole loop, she momentarily stopped in place. The revolution of the two fundamental worlds also slowed down for a bit.

"When all move around, they inevitably bump into each other, the world is small like that."

"And when two different elements bump into each other, a new thing is born. When a new thing arrives, a new story arrives as well."

"Welll, this isn't quite the next and final step yet...but what the heck, I can do both! Usually it's the case anyway."

Fingers interlocking with fingers, Marigold slowly clasped her hands together, and in between the palm of her hand, the two worlds collided. Dust of stars above start to mingle with the air of life below, and slowly they mix and combine.

But if she just leaves it like that, it's going to literally take a hundred million years until she gets what she wants. That would take way too long, and only the universe itself is that patient.

“To reinterpret, ultimately, is to [Retold]."

"To remember the tale, to learn it in your own way, and in the end, to tell it all over again in a way that you understood. The tale would change as the result, and it may deviate from the original's intent...but it also, in turn, adds on new meaning, and evolves."

"Through retelling, then, tales [Reincarnate]. To be reborn again in a new form.”

So, to accelerate the process at a reasonable pace, she once again plunges her hands into the rising flame.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hah, hah… [And As The Moon Run From The Sun, The Moon Held A Small Light…]"

Continued to be baptized by sacred flame, a certain bookworm mage continued their chant, as if word of ancient knowledge forcefully burst out of their mouth. They do it, even while they're barely standing, and their face getting paler by the second, exhaustion slowly creeping into their hollowed eyes.

Even if the flame doesn't hurt, the flame still sears into one's soul.

The truth is painful, the truth is heavy, the truth is demanding, the truth is sacrifice. Hence, the flame both drains upon the spirit and keeps its light forever bright.

To hold the flame of the moonlight, is to hold the burden while forever awake. To never be under the cover of the kindly night, and take refuge in the shade…

"...Bullshit on that! Why the hell would I follow on that!"

It has been like, hours, since I start combusting myself and succeeding, for some fucking reason.

The spell work and all, and countless knowledge and wisdom throughout the age is pouring into me and all that, but it’s exhausting! It feels like I'm on a 37-hour read-a-thon bender while downing 1 ton of Redbull per sip!

Screw all that duty and responsibility stuff to withhold the truth or whatever, is all of this torture even a sane thing to do in the first place?

“Uuurghh… [The Light, Though Small, And Flickering, Held Within A Searing Heat, Hot Enough To Light The Surface Into White...Argh, I can’t take this any longer. I quit! Keep all that truth to yourself, I’m leaving the flame.”

Perhaps not liking what I said, the flame intensified its heat, and it actually began to hurt. As my skin began to turn red, I really began to think that they weren't too appreciative of my insolence.

However, it's not like I have given up on quitting that easily. After all, I have the upper hand.

"Hmph, burn me all you want, if you even have the ball! After all, you would already reduce me to cinder if you were actually mad."

The flame heated up even further, boiling away the moisture of my skin. However, that was the extent of it, and no further.

Yeah, I knew it… I'm basically the only one qualified for millennials now, so they have to step in line for this. The fact that the flame still kept pouring in on me all the theory of ancient magic further proved my point.

(Still, though, that was pretty close. If my bet was wrong, I would be forced to log out, and there goes all of my progress for the past month.)

As I breathed a sigh of relief, I smiled confidently, before making further assertion against the flame.

"Okay, now that we’re on the same pages- [However, Even The Moon Get Tired.]"

I [Recall] to the flame an established truth, the one that has always been ignored before.

"[Even The Moon Waxes And Wanes Through The Tides Of Time. Though Ever-Watching, The Moon Must Sometimes Rest Their Eyes.]”

Then, I [Resonate] that truth, with my feeling of deep exhaustion, deep indignation, and deep resentment. For the unjustified torture before, I pointed their justice against the flame.

"[If Even The Celestial Need To Rest, Why Then Must The Flame Demand Otherwise. To Demand Eternal Vigilance, To Keep The Flame Against The Kindly Night.]"

"[The Flame Demand Pain, The Flame Demand Will, Yet The Flame Denied Comfort Within Its Warmth, To Rest In The Friendly Shade, And Thus Be Eternally Weary And Worn?]"

"[Nay, That Is Not Truth, That Is Obsession. That’s Selfishness, That’s Hypocrisy!]"

The flame blares up in red against the accusation, its heat rising by many folds. In anger, the flame boiled, and they intended to take my skin and bone along with it, reducing them to charcoal…

"Hii!"

Fortunately, Hifrit came and saved me in time, wrapping me in his feathers, and absorbing the flame's burden for me. He also began to burn as well though, as the flame marred his clean white wings.

“Tsk...[See What You Have Done, To Harm Innocents In Your Anger? How Can You Be Called Justice, If Your Flame Is Blind? And How Can We Serve In Righteousness, If Your Flame Is Cruel?]"

"[Your Flame, Ever-Greedy For Devotion, Have Charred The Path! Your Righteousness, Have Pave A Path In Hell!]"

Accusation after accusation, the truth that has been laid out stands against the wanton judgment, shooking it to its very core. Through the examination of its own action, the flame is forced to temper its anger and look upon itself.

As such, the flame died down. As such, my own indignation has successfully [Resonated] to the flame's very essence.

As such, then, next should be to [Reinterpret]. To change the essence through the opening made with their own code.

“[Oh, Your Flame Is Warped, Your Purity Is Polluted. That Stem From Obsession Eternal, Without A Chance To Cool And Rest.]"

"[If so, then, what’s wrong must be righted.]”

“[In Accordance To The Ancient Law, “What Have Worked Need Sleep.”]”

Taking the chance, I jammed a bunch of spells from my right hand into the flame. It's basically just all the healing spells I could imagine, especially one with the intent of "relaxation" and "sleep". Honestly, I have no hope that all of those meager chicken scratches would do something directly, but I hope this stubborn flame will remember the concept.

Surprisingly, it does. The flame that used to burn so blindingly bright gradually turns mellowed, and finally, it doesn't hurt the eyes to look at it directly. Moreover, instead of pure white, it starts to take on a soft, sunny-like color as well, glowing so warmly and comfortably.

This means the flame has changed.

“Okay, [Reinterpret] completed. Now for the next and hopefully final step….”

I dived into the flame again, and this time the heat didn't seem so overwhelming. Instead, though still overbearing, it hugs along my skin more gently, and even the rate of transference is more slower and deliberate, as if consciously matching my pace.

I would like to make some snide comments over this now, but it has been a long day. Let's just finish this.

“[Now, With New Fact Established, It’s Time To Retold Everything From The Start.]”

“[The Story Of Truth, The Story Of The Moonlit Flame. The Tales Of How The Moon Chases After The Sun…]”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this world, there is nothing hotter than a dragon’s flame.

Brighter than the brightest stars, and more intense than a thousand nova, against the stream of a dragon’s breath, even quasars seem as bright as a candle flame.

Against its tyrannical heat, even the universe burns.

Within the heat never felt since the beginning of creation, the two elements rapidly churn and mix, and eventually combine into one.

“[The Dust Of Stars, The Air Of Life. In The Inferno Of The Greatest Flame, Two Universe Combined.]"

"[Within The Union Of The Churning Swirl, A New Story Emerge.]"

A new element emerges, quickly absorbing all the energy of the ceaseless hearth, growing and expanding exponentially. The flame soon converged into the center between her palm, at a rapid pace.

It was as amorphous as the celestial dust, as colorless as the life-giving air, and as fluid and flexible as both combined.

“[Clean and Pure, As Like Celestial. Lively and Boundless, As Like Life.]"

"[From the Endless Bosom, Spring Out The Endless Waves. Of Refreshment, Of Fluidity, Of All-Encompassing And Of Almighty.]”

“[The New Story, Hence Forth, Will Now Be Known As "Water"]"

"[The Lively Water That Reach The Cosmos.]”

Exploded out of her hand, the new element reached out toward the sky, endlessly spreading out at all angles, as if thirsting to catch all the stars in the sky.

In response, the stars answer, and gently they fall down into its lap. Like snow, they landed softly into its transparent palm, and slowly they sank into the center, floating aimlessly.

“[Oh, With The Blessing Of All The Stars, Please Let This Newborn Tale Be Of Happiness And Joy.]"

"[Please Let Them Be Of Brilliance, To Be Of Endless Possibility. To Be Part Within All Life, And Be Joining Within All Tales.]”

As all the stars joined in one by one, finally the sky returned to blue.

Within the coalescing mass, the star slowly swirls into a galaxy of its own, and within the center, something is forming.

What that something is, not even Marigold is quite sure. For as she said, it contains endless potential.

“Hm, this looks good enough. Now let's just tap this into a bottle…"

With the remaining storm of elements around, she whipped them up along with the sand on the ground, and quickly she made a makeshift potion bottle. Putting all the water inside, she sealed them up with a cork, and after adding a little more flair to the bottle itself, the item is basically complete.

[Lively Water That Reach The Cosmos

Type: Special

Rank:???

Description: A pure primordial water that has received the blessing of the universe. Its potential and usage is endless.

Effect:???]

"Humu, now that all this is done, let's put this inside my inventory and...Well, that concluded this learning experience, thank you for joining."

With a graceful and polite bow toward all the people below, Marigold finally ended this on a good note. And with that, class is dismissed for everyone, all of whom still haven’t managed to pop their eyes back into their skull.

Not like they entirely get what has happened earlier (or like, all of this, really), but all the peanuts understand that they have witnessed something monumental. At the very least, it should be on the news and get famous on social media for a week straight.

Either way, it's all stuff that would leave most people to stand still for quite a while, as they reorganize what the heck just happened in their head...Most people, except Merlis that is, who's already barging upon Marigold's face with a stack of notes filling her arms.

In a sense, this respectable sage has a gut of steel.

“Marigold, Marigold! Can you show me what that liquid substance is, how it looks, how it works? What's the mechanism for that whole spell earlier by the way, can you show it to me again? Waitno, that should take a lot of tolls...Can you at least show me the formulas of it, especially where the super-dimensional model is involved-"

"A-Ahaha, thank you for asking, Mer-sis...Can you leave me for later though, I gotta log out soon."

"Wait, why, it’s still early in the day, no? Come on, I will lead you back into my place, there’re a lot of magical treats over there~.”

"Sounds tempting, but I have to pass. After all, my thick-faced meters have dropped to zero."

"? What does that mean?"

"That means...Uuuuu~, I'm really embarrassed right now, okay~!?"

Immediately answering her question, Marigold instantly became as red as a tomato, and her face quickly dropped her confident facade, leaving behind a flustered mess. Adding on to that, steam steadily rises up from her head so obviously as well, which leaves her even more of a shelled-in turtle.

“Erghh~, can’t believe I messed up like that. I should've known that revealing too much story detail could end up with this mess, muuu~~."

"Wait, what interesting things are you talking about? Can you leave behind some detail on that-."

"Later, okay!? I'm jumping back to my bed and hugging my head against the pillow!"

Still desperately hiding her face away, she immediately pressed the logout button and instantly disappeared into the pixelated light.

"Oh dear, Marigold really does be pushing herself...Come on, Dragon, let's log out as well."

"Kyu! (Sure sure, need to check out Mari-sis and all that, and be the adorable plushies!)"

“More like, be cleaning up all the house as the first thing in the morning, for you. Don’t forget that you’re on cleaning duty for a month.”

“Kyuu~(Aw~, and thought I can get away with all this…)”

And just as quickly as well, both Rose and Dragon leave the game as well, in order to check in on Marigold. And then, things suddenly return back to normal again, all quiet in the wind.

With a million questions in mind, and no one left to ask, Merlis is now left among the peanuts with nothing else to do, as she stands there frozen with a dopey face.

“...Or rather, it’s me who doesn’t know what the fuck to do here!” Headmaster retorted. “How the hell am I going to explain to Her Majesty about any of whatevertheheck happened earlier!!?”

As the final, final note to this whole long magic class session, his agonizing scream once again is hanging in the clear blue air.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[!!!You have achieved a feat that has never been done before since the dawn of creation!]

[You have achieved the title [One Who Moved The Cosmos]!]

[You have achieved the title [The Cosmic Alchemist]!]

[You have achieved the title [Universe’s Beloved]!]

[Your Affinity with the Water Element has reached an unimaginable level!...You have achieved the title [Pura Aqua Regia]]

[You have written a tale most monumental! You have achieved the title [The Greatest Cosmic Teller]!]

[You have created a brand new magic of unimaginable scale! You have achieved the title [Grandmaster of Miracle Supreme]]

[...]

[...Once again, due to the weight of your achievement, it cannot be recorded within the local Hall of Fame. The construction of the new Hall of Fame will be done at a latter date]

[We’re hoping for your understanding]