Julian did not know how to feel when a mysterious man suddenly kicked his door open. Only a short while ago, Gojo had left him behind. The reason was simple, or at least that was what Gojo had said. He had achieved his own goal and could no longer stay. Yet for Julian, everything felt unfinished. Abrupt. Like a sentence cut off halfway through.
At first, Julian had wanted to follow Gojo for practical reasons. He had been given shelter, clean water, food, and the basic necessities required to survive.
However, as time passed and his desire for revenge slowly cooled, something else took its place. Under Gojo's guidance, he had learned things he never would have imagined.
He learned when to relax and when to be serious. He learned that sweets were perhaps the greatest invention humankind had ever produced, though even he admitted that was debatable. More importantly, he learned magic. Not the structured, textbook kind taught in academies, but strange, unconventional methods that defied common sense. That was only natural. His teacher was anything but average.
Gojo had been a source of comfort for him. A constant presence. The light in the darkness that had once defined his life. The flame that pushed back despair. To have that presence vanish so suddenly was devastating.
Despite the short time they spent together, Gojo had changed his fate completely. Julian had gone from a powerless victim to someone capable of defending himself. He had been taught magic, basic combat techniques, and practical survival skills. Gojo had even left him with a large sum of money, enough to survive for a long while if used wisely.
Now, Julian stood alone in the room, practicing magic. He repeated a few tricks Gojo had shown him, spells he understood in theory but could not yet execute properly. That was when the door burst open.
It was not an attack in the strictest sense, but the sound was violent enough. The wooden door flew off its hinges and slammed against the wall.
"Well… hello there. You are certainly not Satoru Gojo."
The man was tall, his body concealed beneath a black cloak. His face was hidden in shadow, making his features impossible to discern.
Julian froze.
Questions flooded his mind. Had Gojo made enemies? Was this man here for him or for Gojo? How did he know about this place? What was the correct way to respond?
His body moved before his thoughts could settle. Julian grabbed his staff and the pouch of money Gojo had left him. He turned toward the window, ready to jump and run.
He collided with something invisible.
A barrier.
The man had prepared it from the beginning. Julian realized immediately that this was not an ally of Gojo.
"Calm down, will you."
The cloaked man walked over and casually dropped onto Julian's bed, slouching in a familiar way. The sight made Julian's chest tighten. It was the exact same posture Gojo used when he pretended not to care.
Julian stayed alert. Anyone capable of deploying a barrier without him noticing was dangerous.
"What are your intentions?" he asked, his voice steady despite the tension.
The man laughed softly. "Using such serious words with a squeaky voice like that doesn't suit you."
He pointed at Julian, then sat up properly, his tone shifting slightly.
"My actions are motivated by curiosity. I expected to find someone else here."
Julian swallowed. "Then how do you know I am not Gojo Satoru? And how did you know he was here in the first place?"
The man sighed. "A secret source. And you are not him because you do not match the description."
"What did you want with him? What are your motives?"
"You ask a lot of questions for someone weaker than me."
The man's eyes glowed red as his mana flared. The pressure flooded the room. Julian jumped back instinctively, already preparing a spell to escape.
The man chuckled.
"Are you really trying to use offensive magic against defensive magic?"
Julian did not hesitate. He cast the spell.
The barrier shattered.
Julian ran.
"Tch. Looks like he did not fall for the bait," the man muttered.
Normally, defensive magic barriers were designed to withstand almost any direct attack. However, they required an enormous and continuous supply of mana. The cloaked man had deliberately flared his mana to intimidate Julian, proving he could sustain the drain.
Julian noticed the flaw.
The moment the man released that burst of mana, the barrier weakened. Just enough.
"I heard from Bernard's report that he was traveling with a child," the man said, smiling beneath his hood. "He is not half bad. His ability to think under pressure is impressive."
In the next instant, the man vanished.
He reappeared a few hundred meters ahead of Julian, still running desperately through the streets. The cloaked man tapped Julian lightly on the shoulder.
A burst of magic struck.
Julian was slammed into the ground, the breath knocked from his lungs.
.
.
.
So yeah, I still had not managed to get the technique down.
I had been trying for hours. Limitless simply refused to cooperate. It was almost impressive how stubborn it was. Still, it was fine. Failure was a new sensation for me, uncomfortable but not unbearable. I had learned long ago that adaptation mattered more than pride.
There were always alternatives. Always other paths.
I just needed something I could show that old but cute elf.
Think. Think. Think.
I had been obsessing over recreating Limitless in its original form, but that was the problem. I was trying to sprint before I even learned how to walk. Magic in this world did not respond to instinct the way cursed energy did. It required structure. Logic. Intent made explicit.
Then it hit me.
I had been thinking too narrowly.
"I've got it."
This new technique would not be Limitless. It would never replace it. Instead, it would stand beside it as something entirely different.
"But I'm not sure if Frieren will be able to do it," I muttered.
Still, the idea of teaching Frieren about atoms sounded strangely appealing. Magic through science. Or perhaps science filtered through magic.
I grabbed a pen and began scribbling furiously into my handbook.
The theory was simple in concept, even if terrifying in execution.
Infinity functioned by endlessly dividing distance, or more accurately speed, so that no matter how close something came, it would never actually reach me. But magic did not handle abstract concepts like time very well. It preferred tangible systems.
So instead of dividing distance, I would divide matter.
The closer an object came, the more its atomic structure would be disrupted. Not explosively, but selectively. Bonds weakened. Structures destabilized. Matter slowed not because of distance, but because it could no longer maintain cohesion.
I scribbled diagrams of atomic lattices, airflow regulation, and density thresholds. Air itself needed to remain stable or the technique would suffocate the user instantly. That alone took several pages of notes.
Splitting electrons outright was too dangerous. The energy release and unpredictability were not something I wanted to deal with. Instead, I focused on delocalizing electrons or severing atomic bonds at a controlled rate. Enough to destabilize, not enough to annihilate.
The implications were fascinating.
With sufficient control, this technique could analyze substances simply by observing how their structures responded. Poison detection. Material analysis. Potion composition. Even identifying impurities in metals or enchantments.
Of course, it had combat applications too. Plenty of them.
I just did not have the time to write all of that out.
Night passed quietly as I continued working. At first, I told myself I was doing this for Frieren. Somewhere along the way, I realized I was lying. I was genuinely interested. The possibilities spiraled endlessly, and I made sure to record every detail carefully to avoid catastrophic side effects.
"Teehheee. She is going to be so confused," I muttered, finally setting my pen down.
In the end, I learned something important about magic.
Creativity was everything.
When I stepped out of the inn, I was immediately greeted by smiling faces. Only then did I remember that I had apparently become famous overnight.
Right.
I spotted Helga again. Her hair was down instead of tied in her usual ponytail, and she waved energetically when she saw me.
"Hello, Gojo! I know you are hungry. Do you want breakfast? It's on the house," she said.
Lucky me.
It seemed the free food method was still unpatched and working better than ever.
Honestly, I could get used to this. Being treated like the honored one instead of a suspicious blindfolded stranger. Some villages really did discriminate against people who were too good looking.
"Appreciate it, Helga. Are we going to that same tasty place?" I said, patting her on the back.
She blushed and nodded. "Mhmm."
I was not exaggerating when I said the food was good. Still, the first thing I am going to order is everything on the dessert menu. My brain needed stimulation. Sweets were essential for research. Completely justified.
As we walked, people greeted me again. An old lady even blessed me in the name of the Divine Goddess. I found that slightly awkward considering I was apparently mentioned in one of her divine texts.
When we entered the restaurant, we skipped the line entirely. Naturally. Someone like me had that privilege.
I ordered every dessert available. Helga stared at me with visible concern.
"Erm… Satoru. Don't you think you should take it a little easy on the sweets?" she asked, sweating.
Excuse me. Was this not your idea?
I held back my internal complaints. She simply did not understand. I had monsters or demons to fight later. Heiter had been vague, disappearing to reunite with old friends after dropping hints. Honestly, I did not mind being sidelined. They probably had not seen each other since Himmel passed two years ago.
"Don't worry, Helga. I can pay if you want. But that would mean breaking your promise," I said, forcing disappointment into my voice.
"Oh no no no. Take whatever you want. Don't feel pressured at all," she said quickly.
Perfect.
Another successful day of robbing innocent girls and their dad's restaurant.
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A/N: Was the chapter worthy of your stones?
Sorry for taking so long to update, I keep on failing you guys... Remember when I used to post twice a day due to bonus chapters lol. Either way let's try for third time to fix this update schedule.