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CHAPTER THREE
Al sat quietly in the isolation cell, the faint, cold light filtering through the narrow window above and casting long shadows across the damp stone floor. His mind, however, was far from calm. The last few days had been a blur of uncertainty, pain, and strange discoveries. If only he had been able to draw mana from his environment—what a different story it would have been if he had possessed that power back then. He would have never allowed himself to be killed, never been betrayed by his fellow heroes and those he once called friends, and never would have faced the cruel fate that awaited him. But instead, he had squandered time, allowing himself to be a mere spectator in his own life.
Al slapped his cheeks with his palms, echoing in the small cell. "Snap out of it," he thought, forcing his thoughts into focus. He had the power now, and more importantly, the wisdom about the future. These gifts could be used to his advantage, but first, he needed to prepare himself. His body wasn’t fit enough to hold the mana that surged through him. At most, he could only hold onto a small trickle before his limbs grew weak and trembled. In the past, when he had first learned this technique, his body had been broken down and rebuilt over and over again, strong, and capable through hellish training and battles to refine his abilities. Now, he felt frail and incomplete.
With determination, he stood up and stretched his stiff muscles. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he couldn't afford to wait. He needed to build up his strength and train his body to withstand the mana and control it.
A sharp thought pierced his mind: he had to be cautious. He couldn't let anyone know about his newfound ability. The return of magic to the Alcateens would surely raise suspicions—especially in this forsaken place, where magic had long been thought to be almost extinct among his people. The Alcateens, who once wielded powerful magic, had lost it centuries ago. Now, the only magic that remained was the ability to conjure a flicker of flame for festivals, a laughable mockery of what had once been.
A strange urgency grew in him. He needed to be careful, but he needed to grow stronger, and faster. The thought of the arena—where he needed to be, the arena a place where any slave could become free through the tournament of champions, also a place where anyone could make a name for themselves—brought a grim smile to his lips. "Let them come."
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As Al settled back down, his gaze scanned the cell. He remembered a spell that had aided him during his training: the body refinement spell. His eyes fell on a dried piece of clay in the corner, and he instinctively began to work with it. He had memorized the old runes he once used—an ancient spell, forgotten and lost to time, that had been utilized to enhance a person's body through magic. The text he discovered inscribed on the dungeon walls was written in the language of the gods, an old tongue he had spent months transcribing. However, the text also warned that once the spell was used, it couldn't be invoked again. But he had been reborn, and he hoped his body could withstand the pain—that it had been ingrained in his very soul.
Pain was nothing new to him; it was all he had known in his past life. Slowly and carefully, he began sketching a magic circle on the ground, inscribing the runes. He had made a few adjustments to the spell specifically for this moment, as if he had anticipated needing it—this spell was designed to accelerate his body’s ability to hold mana, allowing it to adapt and grow stronger. This was the key to surviving the trials ahead.
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Once the circle was complete, he sat at its center and muttered the activation word under his breath: "Rigmun corpori." The runes began to glow, faint at first, then brighter and brighter until a blinding light erupted from the circle, filling the room with intense heat.
The sudden surge of light and energy startled Shid, who had been asleep on the other side of the room. In a panic, he scrambled to his feet, rushing toward Al, his face contorted in fear. “Al! What are you doing?!” he shouted, not realizing the danger.
Before Al could react, Shid leaped into the circle, attempting to stop the spell. In an instant, the magic locked onto him, too—trapping both of them in its powerful grip. The pain was immediate. Shid screamed in agony as his body began to twist and contort, the spell beginning to reshape him. The light was overwhelming, searing his skin, pulling at his very essence.
Al's heart raced as he turned to face his friend, who was writhing in pain. He couldn't let Shid suffer; he couldn’t lose his friend again, especially after just finding him. Al reached out, grabbing Shid by the arms and pulling him close. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he began drawing mana from the surrounding air, refining it within his body, and channeling it into Shid. His mind raced as he focused on stabilizing his friend and easing his pain. The mana flowed between them like a river trying to bridge two separate worlds.
Time dragged on, and the pain persisted. Gradually, the light from the spell started to fade. Both of them collapsed to the floor, exhausted and drained by the immense energy they had used. Al’s vision blurred, and eventually, he succumbed to unconsciousness.
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Al found himself once again in the abyss. The first thing he noticed was the oppressive silence. His head throbbed, and his body felt heavy, as if he had been dragged across a battlefield. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was greeted by the same red humanoid figure—a blurry, hazy form that appeared before him once more. This time, however, it was different. The figure seemed to be trying to form words, but the sound was distorted, as if it were coming from underwater. He strained to make sense of it, but before he could understand, a loud, jarring noise shattered the dream—bells ringing in the distance.
Startled, Al shot up from the floor and found Shid sitting beside him, now awake. The younger man was tugging at the bandages wrapped around his body, removing them with a look of disbelief on his face. “What happened?” Shid muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse. “I—I feel... better than I’ve ever felt.”
Al watched, still groggy, as Shid stood up and walked over to the wash tub. He looked at his reflection in disbelief. His body had changed—more toned and defined. He had grown a bit taller, and the once faint white streaks in his hair now stood out in stark contrast. The changes were undeniable.
“Al!” Shid exclaimed, turning around. “What happened to us last night? Why do I look like this?” His friend looked so unrecognizable; he had a certain glow, as if he had been reborn, with his body altered and firm. But his eyes remained the same—Al had light crimson eyes.
"All I can remember is seeing you sitting in a strange position surrounded by a magic I've never seen before."
"I thought you were under a trance, so I rushed in to pull you out, but I got stuck too. That's the last thing I remember."
".....What happened, Al?" Shid asked, confusion lingering in his voice.by a magic I've never seen before."
"I thought you were under a trance, so I rushed in to pull you out, but I got sucked right in too. That's the last thing I remember."
".....What happened, Al?" Shid asked, confusion lingering in his voice.
Before Al could respond, a sudden chill swept through the room. The two boys froze, a sense of foreboding washing over them. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the stone hall, heralding the approach of a presence that felt both unfriendly and unfamiliar. The footsteps grew louder, each thud like a hammer striking steel, until they came to a halt just outside the door.
The door creaked open, revealing a tall man with golden hair. His expression twisted into a wild, manic grin, and his eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity as he scanned them both.
“What did you do?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Al’s blood ran cold. Something about this man—his presence—made the air around them feel heavy, as if an unseen pressure was building up. They were no longer alone. The worst thing he had feared had come to pass.