The sky in that consciousness remained blue, flawless. Yet the air now felt different—denser, more meaningful, as if it contained an ancient message from the world itself.
Ddraig lowered his head toward Issei, who had just risen, his eyes narrowing in assessment.
"Good. Now we enter an important phase—Ether Flow."
Issei, still sore in his spine despite recovering, raised an eyebrow. "Ether... what is it? Another type of magic?"
"No. Ether Flow is the stream of pure energy. Not Mana. Not magic. It's... the breath of the world. The pulse of reality itself."
Ddraig growled softly and extended his wings. The grass around them began to tremble, as if welcoming something invisible.
"Look around you. Feel it. Open your second eyes—the ones beyond logic."
Issei steadied his breathing, focusing his mind. And slowly... the world changed.
The air became 'luminous'. Faint threads floated like transparent strands, gently flowing in spiral patterns and rhythmic waves—not wild like Mana, but calm like a baby's breath. That… was Ether Flow.
Issei swallowed, then carefully raised his hand to touch one of the threads. A soft sensation surged through his entire body—cold, pure, and... neutral.
"In that case…"
Issei closed his eyes, and with a will and dragon's imagination etched into him, he envisioned a weapon that froze chaos—a sword of transparent ice crystal, formed purely from his desire, slowly taking shape in his right hand.
SHHHHIIINGGG
An ice sword formed, with a silvery-blue aura, reflecting the world around it.
"If Mana is the rainwater you gather, then Ether… is the rain itself. You can't 'control' Ether. You can only harmonize with it. Like dancing with nature."
Issei looked at the ice sword in his hand, then shattered it with a single motion.
"If that's the case… could I attack the enemy without them realizing it? Through the Ether Flow? Even if they don't know it's coming?"
Ddraig nodded. "That's the point of 'seeing'. When fighting, open your eyes. Not just to your opponent—but to reality itself. A moment's lapse, and you'll die without knowing why."
Ddraig then lowered his head, his breath heavy.
"Next, we talk about Mana Intent."
The sky seemed to hold its breath. The field fell silent.
"Magic without intent is fireworks. But strong intent… can shatter reality. Mana Intent is the fusion of emotion, will, and absolute focus that you pour into energy."
Ddraig stared at Issei. "Try… forming your own Mana Intent. No chants. No words. Just... you."
Issei closed his eyes. He knelt on one knee, hand on his chest. Like a Saint in prayer. He recalled one thing that brought peace to his soul—a warmth that enveloped him, like a mother's hug he hadn't felt in so long.
The wind stopped.
A gentle light descended slowly. A golden 'halo' appeared above Issei's head, and two divine wings shimmered from his back. Holy Aura. Warm. Calm. Nearly divine.
Ddraig flinched. "...Interesting. I thought you'd choose fire or lightning. But this? Holy Magic? Let's hope Heaven doesn't see this. They might think you're mocking them."
Issei opened his eyes. "If I can use holy magic… does that mean I'm 100% immune to it?"
"...I don't know. Let's try it."
Ddraig formed a spear from sacred magic claw energy.
ZRAAK!
The spear was hurled straight at Issei—and struck his chest.
Issei staggered back a few meters. "Ughh... It's like being pierced for real. But... it didn't hurt?"
"Congratulations. You're not burned by holy magic. Heaven might panic if they found out a human with no faith... can manipulate holy power."
Issei shrugged, releasing the holy aura. "Forget it. I prefer flexibility."
"Alright... on to the next phase."
Issei sat down. "Still theory?"
"No. This… is heart replacement."
Issei froze. "…You're joking, right?"
"Do you want to Boost up to 1024x? With no stamina limits? Then you need a new Mana core. The human heart won't survive."
Issei took a deep breath. "Okay. But… will it hurt?"
"Even if I didn't answer, you should know."
Issei swallowed. "How long will the procedure take?"
"Less than an hour. But…"
Issei squinted. "But?"
SHLAKK!
Suddenly, magical chains snared Issei's body, binding his arms and legs. He was laid atop a dragon ritual circle, as if being sacrificed.
"DDRAIG!! WHAT IS THIS?! THIS IS PREMEDITATED MURDER, YOU SADISTIC DRAGON!"
"Relax. It'll be quick."
"I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A GIRLFRIEND YET!!"
Ddraig's massive claw glowed, channeling blazing red Mana Pulse.
"Wait—YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY MY HEART?! NOT SURGERY?!"
"If it were surgery, you'd need anesthesia and a medical team. This is dragon training. Not a hospital."
The claw slammed into Issei's chest.
CRACK!
"GgghhHHHH—!!"
Issei coughed blood. His body writhed, and slowly—his heart was destroyed. No more pulse. No breath. His mouth hung open, blood dripping freely.
"Hang in there…"
Dragon aura flooded Issei's body, restructuring his circuit network, forming a new energy core. But…
No sound. No movement.
Issei's body lay still, like a cracked stone statue. Dragon aura leaked from his pores.
But he… did not wake up.
Ddraig slowly lay down his body, exhaling deeply.
"If he really dies… it means he wasn't worthy."
Silence enveloped the dimension of consciousness.
…Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen…
Then a single sound was heard—
DOOM.
...DOOM.
...DUM-DUM.
The new heart beat.