When I woke up—or rather, when Raphael woke up in me—the world was different. I got up from the ground, staggering, blood dripping from my forehead and arms, but my movements were precise, almost mechanical. My eyes, now red like embers according to the reflections in a nearby puddle, glowed with an intensity that wasn't mine. It was Raphael, taking control through Battle Mode, my body turned into an extension of his relentless logic.
—"Evaluation: Critical state temporarily stabilized. Magic core at 24% thanks to [Source of Life], absorption increased to 3.1% per second due to the overloaded environment. Injuries: Controlled, but structural damage limits mobility by 17%. Dragon: Minimal damage, but its right eye is compromised, reducing its accuracy by 29%. Possible outcomes: Prolonged distraction, probability of success: 41%; neutralization, probability: 0.9%; survival beyond 5 minutes, probability: 33%. My core is adapting to the excessive magicule flow. Absorption optimized, recovering reserves at 1.8% per second." —I said, my voice neutral, devoid of the emotion Eidel would have shown. It was Raphael speaking, analyzing, calculating.
I channeled a small fireball, barely the size of a walnut, floating in my palm. The dragon, still in the air, roared and turned toward me, its healthy eye glowing with hatred. I felt the magicule flow stabilize, my body—or rather, Eidel's body—adjusting to the rhythm that Raphael imposed.
—"Adaptation in progress. The overload from [Source of Life] is under control. The dragon is preparing another area breath. Strategy: Create a multi-fire curtain to block its vision, then move to the structure 22 meters northeast. Continuous spheres, 0.9% flow each, directed at its left wing. Objective: Force a descent. Warning: Battle Mode consumes 4% of Eidel's mental stability per minute. Time remaining before collapse: 4 minutes, 12 seconds." —I said, my voice flat as I raised both hands, preparing the spheres.
The dragon opened its jaws, the white glow of its breath building again. I threw three fireballs at the ground in front of me, each one exploding into a curtain of flames and smoke that rose like a burning veil. I ran—or rather, Raphael ran—my body moving with inhuman precision, dodging debris and jumping over a smoldering crater. The dragon's breath hit behind me, incinerating the fire curtain and leaving a trail of molten rock. I stopped at the new structure, a half-collapsed stone arch, and channeled another sphere, aiming at the dragon's left wing. I threw it, followed by another, and another, each one hitting with small bursts that made the beast roar and stagger in the air.
Civilians were running in the distance, some shouting my name—or maybe just shouting—while the mages kept casting desperate spells. The dragon, now closer to the ground, turned toward me, its tail destroying a nearby tower with a strike that sounded like a cannon blast. My body, under Raphael's control, prepared for the next move, but the clock kept ticking, and the limit of Battle Mode was approaching.
Under Raphael's control in Battle Mode, my body moved with a precision that Eidel had never achieved. Every step was calculated, every gesture optimized, as if I were a machine designed for survival amidst chaos. Eldoria's plaza was a field of ruins: marble buildings reduced to smoking rubble, crystal towers melting like giant candles, and the air filled with ashes swirling in vortexes every time the dragon beat its wings. Its black scales gleamed with an infernal red glow, and its healthy eye —the left one, since the right remained closed, dripping blood from my earlier attack— followed me with a fury that promised vengeance. But Raphael, in my body, felt no fear, only a cold analysis of probabilities and strategies.
While preparing another fire sphere, my red eyes caught movement to the side. Among the debris of what had once been an enchanted fountain, a human mage was kneeling, his white robe torn but still glowing with healing runes. He was young, perhaps my age, with messy brown hair and a short staff that emitted a faint green glow. He was helping an injured civilian, but looked up when my gaze —or rather, Raphael's— fixed on him. I observed him from head to toe, my expression neutral as steel, and spoke with a voice that lacked Eidel's warmth, each word precise and authoritative.
—"You. Healing mage. Identified by the runes on your staff and the flow of restorative magicules. Cast a healing spell on this body now. Priority: Fracture on the third rib, forehead hemorrhage, multiple contusions. No time for hesitation."
The mage blinked, clearly unsettled by my tone and red eyes, but nodded quickly, raising his staff with trembling hands.
—"Y-yes, okay… Hang on!" —he stammered, and a green aura burst from the staff, enveloping me like a luminous mist. I felt a warm tingling as the wounds on my body —or Eidel's body— began to heal. The cuts on my forehead closed, leaving only stains of dried blood. The rib fracture fused with a dull crack that Raphael registered without flinching. The contusions on my arms and legs faded, and although the pain did not completely disappear, my mobility improved significantly. The mage was panting from the effort, his face pale, but I did not stop to thank him.
—"Analysis: Healing completed at 82%. Fracture stabilized, hemorrhage stopped, contusions reduced by 67%. Mobility restored to 94%. Magic core at 27%, [Source of Life] absorbing at a rate of 3.4% per second. Optimal state to continue distraction. Survival probability for the next 3 minutes: 49%." —I said, my voice flat as I turned my head toward the dragon, now descending in a slow arc, its jaws open and a white glow building in its throat.
Wasting no time, I channeled a fire sphere in my right hand, maintaining magicule flow at 1.6% per second to maximize efficiency. The sphere grew, the size of a ball, its surface rippling with a controlled heat that reflected my improved mastery. I launched it with a precise motion, aiming for the dragon's left wing, where the membranes were most vulnerable. The sphere flew straight, cutting through the smoke-laden air, and exploded against the wing in a flash that made the beast roar and stagger, its flight becoming erratic for an instant. But it didn't stop. Its eyes locked onto me, and with a flap of wings that sent a gust of debris flying, it dove straight toward my position.
—"Movement detected: dive attack, probability of direct impact: 71%. Dodge left in 1.9 seconds, then roll forward to avoid the tail." —I said, my voice neutral as my legs tensed, ready to act.
I jumped left just as the dragon crashed into the stone arch, its claws pulverizing what remained of the structure in a cloud of dust and fragments. I rolled forward, feeling the displaced air from its spiked tail, which passed inches from my head, smashing a nearby pillar with a deafening crunch. I sprang to my feet, my breathing steady despite the chaos, my red eyes scanning the dragon as it rose again, roaring with a fury that shook the ground.
—"Strategy adjusted: Create a sequence of multiple spheres to saturate its vision. Flow at 0.8% per sphere, interval of 0.4 seconds, total of 5 spheres. Aim for the head to maximize irritation. Then move to the crater 18 meters southwest for cover." —I said, raising both hands as I channeled the magicules. One after another, I launched five small fire spheres, each flying in a precise arc toward the dragon's head. The explosions were quick, flashes that made it shake its head and roar, though they didn't seem to cause real damage. I ran toward the crater, leaping over fallen mage bodies and burning debris, and crouched at the edge, using the depression as temporary cover.
The dragon responded with another breath of fire, a wide torrent that swept across the plaza, incinerating everything in a thirty-meter radius. The flames roared over the crater, but my natural resistance —enhanced by Velgrynd's essence— kept me functional, though the heat felt like swimming in lava. My cloak was in tatters, and the air burned my lungs, but Raphael kept my body moving, ignoring what Eidel would have felt as agony.
—"Status: Body temperature elevated to 39.2°C, resistance mitigating 81% of thermal damage. Magic core at 22%, [Source of Life] absorption stabilized at 3.7% per second. The dragon is recalculating its attack; probability of direct physical strike: 62%. New action: Fire whip to entangle its left foreclaw, then sphere to its healthy eye. Executing." —I said, emerging from the crater in a fluid motion.
I channeled a fire whip, extending it four meters long, and lashed it toward the dragon's left foreclaw as it approached, its claws extended to crush me. The whip tangled around its claw, not strong enough to stop it, but enough to divert its trajectory. It roared, shaking the claw to free itself, and at that moment I hurled a fire sphere at the left eye, the only one still functional. The sphere struck, exploding in a flash that made it recoil, its wings faltering as it roared in pure rage.
—"Impact confirmed. Dragon's visual accuracy reduced by 44%. Its next attack will be an area breath due to frustration. Cover at 12 meters north, partially intact steel structure. Moving." —I said, running toward a steel framework that had once supported a dome, now twisted but solid enough to protect me. The dragon opened its jaws, and a massive breath of fire swept the plaza, a burning wave that melted the ground and turned the rubble to ash. I ducked behind the steel, the metal heating until it glowed red, but holding long enough to save me.
—"Continuous analysis: Magic core at 19%. Battle Mode consuming 4.3% of mental stability per minute. Time remaining: 2 minutes, 47 seconds. [Source of Life] adapting to environment; absorption increased to 4.1% per second. Replenishing reserves faster than projected. The dragon is losing patience; probability of reckless attack: 53%. Strategy: Force a descent with an amplified fire curtain, then aim spheres at the wing joints. Executing." —I said, my voice expressionless as I channeled another sphere, this time larger, preparing for the next move.
The dragon roared, its wings beating with a force that stirred whirlwinds of ash. Civilians were still fleeing, their screams barely audible over the noise, while the remaining mages cast desperate spells that unraveled against the dragon's scales. My body, under Raphael's control, was at its limit, but the battle was not over, and every second I bought was another second for Eldoria.
Under Raphael's control in Battle Mode, my body moved as an extension of her relentless logic, every action calculated to squeeze out every second of resistance against the dragon devastating Eldoria. The plaza was hell: smoldering craters marked the ground, marble and crystal buildings lay in ruins, their remnants glowing under the blaze. The air was thick with ash and magicules, so dense that each breath was a struggle, but Raphael kept my body functional, my red eyes scanning the dragon with a coldness Eidel could never have achieved. The beast, now blind in one eye and with the other damaged by my fire spheres, roared with a fury that shook the sky, its wings beating clumsily as its precision crumbled.
As I prepared the fire curtain Raphael had commanded, a strange wave ran through my magic core, a hum that almost made me stagger. Raphael noticed it instantly, her voice resonating with a tone of logical surprise.
—"Alert: Change detected in your magic core. Forced adaptation confirmed. [Source of Life] has increased its absorption to 5.3% per second due to the overloaded environment. Magic reserves recovered to 34%, an unprojected 12% increase. Your core is evolving under extreme pressure; probability of collapse reduced to 41%. Updating strategy."
I didn't respond—or rather, Raphael didn't allow me to, as she controlled every word and movement. The dragon, now closer to the ground, roared and unleashed a disordered breath of fire, a wide blast that incinerated what remained of a nearby tower. I shifted sideways, dodging with inhuman precision as the flames licked the air inches from my body. My natural resistance mitigated the heat, but my cloak was in tatters, and sweat mixed with dried blood covered my skin.
—"New strategy: Exploit the dragon's partial blindness. Action: Channel a massive fire sphere, 1.2-meter diameter, 7.8% per second flow. Target: Direct impact to the head to completely disorient it. Followed by a fire whip to the wing joints to force a permanent descent. Probability of success: 57%. Executing." —I said, my voice neutral as I raised both hands, the magicules flowing like a raging river.
The dragon turned to me, its healthy eye shining with hatred, but its flight was erratic, wings faltering from accumulated damage. I channeled the sphere, visualizing a dense core as Raphael had perfected in me. The spark grew rapidly, expanding into a huge fireball, so bright it lit the plaza like a miniature sun. Its heat was searing, burning my hands despite my resistance, but Raphael kept my stance firm. I launched it with a motion that made my shoulders crack, and the sphere roared through the air, leaving a trail of sparks and smoke. It hit the dragon's head directly, exploding in a burst of flames that engulfed it completely. The beast roared, a sound of pure agony, and its body tilted, falling several meters before stabilizing with a desperate flap of wings.
—"Impact confirmed. Structural damage to the head: 14%. Total blindness estimated at 88%. Continuing with fire whip." —I said, extending my left hand as I channeled a five-meter fire whip. I lashed it toward the right wing joint, wrapping it with surgical precision. The dragon roared, shaking the wing, but the whip held, burning the membrane until a visible tear appeared. I repeated the attack on the left wing, and this time the dragon lost altitude, its claws grazing the ground and shattering cobblestones with each attempt to stabilize.
—"Status: Magic core at 21%. [Source of Life] absorption at 5.7% per second, compensating for expenditure. Injuries stable, mobility at 92%. The dragon is at its limit; probability of forced descent: 79%. New action: Multiple spheres to wing joints, 1.1% flow per sphere, total of 6. Then, final attack with amplified sphere to the chest." —I said, my voice flat as I ran to a higher position, a mound of rubble that had once been a statue.
I launched six small fire spheres, one after another, each impacting the wing joints with precise explosions. The dragon roared, its wings collapsing under the accumulated damage, and finally crashed into the plaza, the impact raising a wave of dust and debris that forced me to shield my eyes. But there was no time to rest. The dragon, though on the ground, was still alive, its claws scraping the ground as it tried to rise, its breath gathering again in a deadly white glow.
—"Final action: Amplified fire sphere, 1.5-meter diameter, 9.2% flow per second. Target: Center of the chest, estimated vulnerable point due to exposure. Probability of neutralization: 62%. Executing." —I said, planting myself firmly as I channeled everything I had left. The magicules roared from my core, a torrent that made my entire body vibrate. The sphere grew, larger than any I had ever launched, a burning orb pulsing with power that felt like an extension of my own will—or Raphael's. I hurled it with a scream that wasn't mine, and the sphere struck the dragon's chest, exploding in a burst that lit up all of Eldoria.
The dragon's roar broke, turning into a guttural moan. Its body convulsed, black scales cracking at the point of impact, and finally collapsed, the ground trembling under its weight. The glow in its jaws faded, and its wings fell limp, raising clouds of dust. The plaza fell silent, broken only by the crackling of flames and the distant screams of survivors.
I approached the dragon's body, staggering, my red eyes fixed on the dead beast. Blood and ash covered my skin, but Raphael kept my posture upright.
—"Confirmed: Dragon neutralized. Structural damage: 94% to the chest, vital functions ceased. Eldoria preserved, kingdom damage estimated at 67%. Status of this body: Magic core at 8%, injuries stable but critical. Battle Mode ending in 17 seconds." —I said, my voice still neutral as I scanned the corpse.
But then, a new sensation ran through my core, a hum that wasn't just exhaustion. Raphael detected it instantly.
—"Alert: Evolution detected. Your magic core has broken barriers under extreme pressure. Processing…" —I said, and before I could continue, a voice echoed—not in my mind, but in the very surroundings, deep and ethereal, as if the entire world was speaking.
Individual Eidel von Kreutz has broken mental and physical barriers. Initiating forced evolution. Evaluation in progress.
I stopped—or rather, Raphael did—my red eyes blinking as I processed the declaration. The Voice of the World, something I had felt before with Velgrynd, was intervening directly.
—"Request: New unique skills to compensate for evolution. Proposal: Upgrade of [Source of Life] to transcendental level or offensive skill based on pure fire." —I said, my logical voice trying to negotiate with the entity.
Request denied. The core does not meet the requirements for transcendental skills at this time.
Responded the Voice of the World, its tone unappealable.
Silence. Raphael processed the rejection, and for a moment, I felt a void in my mind, as if even she was unsettled. But she didn't give up.
—"Reprocessing. New request: Force acquisition of unique skill through optimization of current core. Calculating viability…" —I said, but the Voice of the World intervened again.
Forcing denied. The core cannot withstand additional alterations without collapse.
Raphael didn't waver. Her logic was relentless, and I felt a determination that wasn't mine surge in my body.
—"Offer: Sacrifice unique skills [Will] and [Aura] to stabilize the core and obtain a viable unique skill. Estimate: Sacrifice reduces mental load by 39%, allows integration of new skill with 81% probability." —I said, my voice firm.
The Voice of the World remained silent for a moment, as if evaluating the proposal. Then it spoke, its tone resonating in the ruined plaza.
Offer processed. Unique skills [Will] and [Aura] accepted as sacrifice. Granting unique skill: [Spiritual Control]. Allows conscious regulation of the magic core and manipulation of external flows within a 10-meter radius. Full integration.
Before Raphael could respond, the Voice of the World continued, its voice now deeper, almost resonant.
Due to forced evolution, additional unique skill granted: [Guardian of Purity]. Allows creation of purifying barriers that repel hostile magic and restore allies within a 15-meter radius. Power scales with magic core. Evolution complete. Status: Enlightened.
The hum in my core intensified, and a wave of energy ran through my body, healing the last wounds and stabilizing my breathing. My red eyes blinked, and I felt Raphael retreat, Battle Mode deactivating as my consciousness slowly returned. I staggered, falling to my knees beside the dragon's corpse, its immense body still warm beneath the dust. Eldoria was in ruins, but still standing, and I… I was something new. An Enlightened, with abilities I was only beginning to understand.
—"Raphael… what just happened?" —I muttered, my voice trembling but mine again.
Silence. Then her voice resonated, softer than usual.
[Evolution complete. Your core has transcended. [Spiritual Control] and [Guardian of Purity] are integrated. Eldoria is safe, but your body needs recovery. Don't force me into this again.]
I smiled weakly, looking up at the smoky sky. I had won, but at a price I still didn't fully understand.
My eyes slowly closed. I would never fight again. Now I would always listen to Rafael.