Moments later, under the morning sun, sunlight slanted across the dorm room. Shattered glass lay in scattered heaps, furniture reduced to splinters as though a razor had torn through. Amidst cracked walls and drifting dust, a black-haired boy with medium-length soft hair sat in one of the room's only two intact chairs, staring in horror at the boy opposite him—his peer.
"You're saying... you just awakened a new Crest and set of Circuits?"
"Second awakening?!"
Lucan winced. Waver's voice was loud enough to rupture his ears. But he couldn't blame the guy.
In the world of Magecraft, everything—talent, circuits, mystery—was set from birth and revealed during one's first contact with the supernatural. To awaken again after that was almost unheard of.
Yet Lucan had done just that.
He hadn't expected the Crest and Circuits to materialize like this, but now that he felt the doubled circuits flowing through him and the newly embedded Magecraft Crest, he had to admit—it felt... right.
'Awakening' was too simplistic. This wasn't something new. It had always been his.
The simulation had been a projection of his real self. The body was the same.
That was why, despite being caught off guard, Lucan had been able to restrain the magical eruption and compress it back within. If he hadn't, the damage would've gone far beyond a single room—the entire dorm building might have gone with it.
"This is insane," Waver muttered, still reeling. "Absolutely insane. One minute I think you're just another commoner like me, and the next—turns out you've got some terrifying lineage?"
But there was no denying it—Waver Velvet had a resilient heart.
He exhaled slowly and sat up straight. "So… which family did you inherit that Crest from?"
"If it's a line that's even remotely documented, I might be able to trace it and help you acclimate faster."
"You're accepting this?" Lucan raised an eyebrow, amused. "Didn't expect that. Thought you'd throw yourself out the window instead."
"Don't be an ass. I'm not that fragile—and besides, so what if you awakened new Circuits and a Crest? Rare doesn't mean impossible. Recessive genes exist, even in magical bloodlines. And as for the Crest—if it was implanted during gestation, it could functionally awaken like it's innate. High compatibility and all."
"Not bad, Professor Waver," Lucan smirked. "You're already sounding like the theorist you're destined to be."
"As for what I've awakened—" Lucan raised his hand.
A flicker of flame sparked to life in his palm.
Waver blinked. "Okay... and?"
Fire magic wasn't rare.
It was foundational, elemental. The flame of civilization. Plenty of magi could use it.
But Lucan wasn't done.
He focused. That which thou desirest, so too shall it be thy law.
The flickering fire—froze.
Waver's eyes widened. This wasn't simple fire Magecraft.
The flame was just a medium.
"Stasis."
"Flow."
"Catalyze."
"Bloom."
"Smother."
The flame faltered. Smoke curled into the air. Lucan waved it away with a breath.
It worked.
Mental Magecraft had taken root in this world.
This demonstration wasn't just for Waver's benefit—it was Lucan testing his control. And he could feel it: the seventy-six simulated years of mastery weren't gone. His soul—his divine core—resonated with his mortal form.
He had shown true Mystery.
While his current body lacked the mana reserves to match his simulated self, he would reach that level again. Especially if he could recover the 103,000 tomes stored in Academy City back in Fuyuki...
"I know what this is!"
Lucan was startled.
Waver sprang from his chair. "That's the Mental Magecraft from The Book of Law—Luvist Edition!"
Lucan blinked. "You actually recognized it?"
With a sheepish grin, Waver puffed up. "Hey, don't underestimate me. My theory grades are perfect. I've read every obscure text in the archives. And The Book of Law? That's not obscure. After Luvist's death, the Astronomy Department Lord recovered it—it sparked a wave of obsession! Unfortunately, no one could reproduce the mysteries inside..."
"But you..." Waver squinted. "Wait a second. Luvist? Lucan Luvist? Even your names sound alike! How'd I not notice before?"
His excitement was palpable—he practically vibrated in place, dust scattering again in the ruined room.
Lucan felt... odd.
"You're not seriously a fan, are you?"
"Fan? That word's an insult!" Waver coughed, realizing he was overexcited. Smoothing down his hair, he said solemnly, "I'm a follower of his path in Mystery. He was demonized, sure—called the most evil man of his era. But I think he was a pioneer. A visionary! He achieved what ancient families needed generations to build—in one lifetime!"
Waver was getting fired up again.
Lucan scratched his head. Of all outcomes, he hadn't expected the simulation to turn his one Clock Tower friend into his biggest admirer.
He shifted awkwardly.
Still... Changing history didn't feel so bad.
And getting a chance to meet Anastasia again...
That felt even better.
Lucan smiled to himself.
Yeah… this isn't so bad at all.