The warm afternoon sun bathed Hage Village in a soft glow as the small chapel bell chimed faintly in the breeze. From the dusty path leading out of the forest, a cloaked figure appeared — tall, composed, and unmistakable to those who had been waiting.
"Nova!" cried Aruru, her little voice bright as she dashed across the square, with Recca squealing after her. Hollo tripped over his own sandals in his rush, while Nash hung back with his arms crossed, though his eyes betrayed excitement he'd never admit.
The chapel doors opened. Sister Lily stepped out, her expression brightening instantly. "Nova! It's been too long. You've returned safely." She moved closer, her voice softening. "The children have been talking about you nonstop. You've made quite an impression on them."
From behind her, Father Orsi followed, his robes a little dust-stained, but his smile genuine. "Welcome back, lad. This village doesn't often get visitors who bring hope instead of trouble. It's good to see you on our doorstep again."
The children swarmed him before another word could be spoken. Aruru threw herself at his waist, while Recca clung to his arm with surprising strength. Hollo scrambled up his back like a determined squirrel, laughing as he perched triumphantly on Nova's shoulders. Even Nash, trying to maintain his scowl, found his sleeve seized by Nova's free hand and pulled gently closer.
"Easy, easy," Nova laughed, rocking slightly as the four of them tugged from every angle. "If I fall, who's going to hand out the candies?"
That got them squealing. Recca gasped. "Candies?!"
"You brought some again?" Aruru asked, eyes wide.
"Of course I did," Nova said, fishing a small pouch from within his cloak with theatrical flourish. "But only if you let me stay upright long enough to share them."
The promise of sweets bought him just enough peace for Hollo to slide down from his shoulders, though not without planting his small hands firmly on Nova's head and mussing his hair in triumph. The others clustered eagerly around as he knelt, holding the pouch high above their grasping fingers just long enough to make them jump for it, laughing the whole time.
When at last he let them snatch the treats, the square rang with laughter and shrieks of delight.
Then, with a faint flick of his fingers, Nova conjured a small illusion — a glowing bird of light that fluttered in the air, wings trailing sparks. The children gasped and darted after it, clutching their candies in one hand while trying to catch the shimmering creature with the other.
Nova leaned back on one knee, watching as dust rose beneath their feet, their laughter echoing against the chapel walls. For a moment, their joy pressed against him like sunlight, warm and unguarded, and he allowed his smile to soften.
And as the glowing bird danced just beyond the children's reach, Nova closed his eyes for a moment.
Suddenly, the village vanished from his senses.
He saw himself seated casually beside Jean, leaning in with that sly grin of his. She was trying to keep her composure, eyes flicking away every time he teased her with some shameless line. But the pink at the tips of her ears betrayed her. Her voice faltered, her lips tugging into a smile she couldn't quite suppress as she muttered something sharp back — only making him lean closer, enjoying the way she blushed harder.
Then the image shifted. Another clone of him was back at the island, sleeves rolled to the elbow, working over the wardstone embedded at the heart of the castle's foundations. The air shimmered with layered glyphs as he etched new arrays into the stone, strengthening barriers, adding redundancies. Every stroke of the chisel and every thread of power was precise — not just building walls, but weaving safety, permanence, control.
And then, without warning, the last vision slammed into him — so visceral he almost lost his footing. Narcissa, skin glistening with sweat, straddled him, her pale hair sticking to her damp shoulders. Her breasts swayed with every rise and fall of her body, soft moans spilling from her lips as she moved faster, riding him with abandon. The sound, the sight, the heat of it was so vivid it nearly drowned out everything else.
Nova's eyes snapped open, his throat tight. Bloody hell.
He dragged in a breath, forcing the memory down before his body betrayed him in the middle of the village square. Not now. Not in front of kids. Please don't let me pop a boner here. I don't want this sin on me.
He gave his head a small shake, forcing his gaze back onto the glowing illusion-bird and the laughter it stirred, as if the visions hadn't clawed their way up from his mind at all.
Taking slow, steady breaths to calm himself, Nova let a smile creep across his face. He really did love his system.
Previously, when he created clones, he'd bound them with a shared consciousness — fragments of his mind puppeteering each body. Unless he actively focused, he had no awareness of what those other selves were doing. So his clone isn't cucking him, as it's his soul that's fucking Narcissa.
His soul acted as the master control, threading into each clone's brain and making them function. With a soul already pressing against the peak of 3rd Rank, he could easily direct five bodies at once, even in the chaos of combat, weaving them through a battle like pieces on a living chessboard.
But there was a flaw, or more like a limitation.
He couldn't control clones in different worlds. If his true body was in Marvel, he had no link to the one stationed in the Potterverse — and vice versa.
Then, just when frustration was beginning to eat at him, the system had chimed in.
[Notification: Host limitation detected. System can provide solution.]
Its answer was simple, yet carried a sting. Yes, the system could patch the gap, let him direct clones across different worlds. His consciousness could stretch from one reality to another without snapping.
But there was a catch.
The clones would lose system access.
Before, they'd benefited from it as naturally as he did — since it was his soul, threaded through them, was the one operating their minds. Now? They would be blind to the system's panels, quests, and rewards. Tools of his will, but stripped of his greatest edge.
But then again — we can't have the best of everything, right?
He would manage, system or no system. After all, his greatest weapons were his Wish power, his reality-altering ability, and the gifts granted by Soulless. That foundation alone already placed him leagues above most beings he had ever met.
Omnitrix is also one of the major pillars of his foundation, but his clones don't have it, so let's keep it aside.
Anyway, so what if the clones lost access to the system's perks? Contracts, trades, balance enforcement — those would just take a bit more of his direct attention. At worst, it meant he would have to step into a world himself when it came time to draft and seal a deal.
An inconvenience, yes. But not a crippling one.
If anything, it simply reminded him: the system was an amplifier, not the root of his strength. His own soul — vast, sharpened, nearly at the peak of 3rd Rank — was the true core. The system added edges, shortcuts, and polish. Without it, he was still a force that bent reality, a will that could turn "impossible" into routine.
He smirked faintly at the thought. A little extra travel won't kill me. Besides, what's a Trader worth if he won't show up to close his own contracts?
Nova came out of his thoughts as the soft sound of footsteps reached him. He opened his eyes just as Sister Lily approached, holding a clay jug and a cup in her hands.
"You must be thirsty," she said warmly, pouring clear water into the cup and offering it to him.
Nova accepted with a small nod. The cup felt cool against his fingers, and the water slid down his throat in an easy rush, washing away the dry taste of the road. He let out a quiet breath of relief before handing the cup back.
"Thank you," he said simply.
Sister Lily smiled, the kind that made her eyes soften. "It's been a while, Nova. The children wouldn't stop talking about you after your last visit."
Nova gave her a polite smile, then glanced around the square. "Where are Asta and Yuno? I thought they'd be here causing noise by now."
"They're out training," Lily replied, her tone carrying both fondness and a trace of worry. "The Magic Knights Entrance Exam is near, and both of them are determined not to waste a single moment."
Nova hummed in acknowledgment. He wasn't surprised — if there was one thing those two had in common, it was their stubborn drive.
Then Nash's voice cut in from nearby, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the curiosity in it. "Big brother… did you give that v–vv… whatever that thing is… to Asta?"
Nova tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You mean the Ven-Drive?"
Nash nodded quickly, still pretending to scowl. "Yeah. That."
Before Nova could respond, the other children burst in, their words tumbling over each other in excitement.
"I saw him turn it into a sword!" Recca shouted, throwing her arms wide. "Bigger than he is!"
"No, it was a stick!" Aruru argued, stamping her foot. "It looked like a staff, all shiny and metal!"
"You're both wrong!" Hollo jumped in, puffing his chest out proudly. "It turned into a thing that shoots! Like a stick with a handle, but smaller. He pointed it and it went bang! Bang! It blasted holes in the dirt!"
The square filled with their voices, all of them tugging at Nova's cloak, eager for him to take their side.
Nova let out a laugh and raised his hands. "Easy, easy! One at a time, or I'll never understand what you're saying."
But of course, that only made them louder, each swearing their version was the truth.
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CHAPTER:- [119 - MAGIC KNIGHT EXAM] IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON