"Hey, you're that Mimosa girl, right? You haven't slept since yesterday. Why don't you go get some sleep…?"
"Uh—where is that coming from?" Mimosa startled, looked around.
A light tap landed on her head.
A tiny spirit fluttered into view.
"Hi, Dryad. It's nice to meet you. I'm fine. He should be waking up any time now, and I want to be here when he does." Mimosa said softly, still holding El's hand—something that did not escape Dryad's notice.
"I healed his body completely. He should have woken up already. His physical body is fine but his spirit is unstable," Dryad murmured, studying El. It had been two days. His body had recovered, yet he remained in a coma-like state.
"I hope he wakes up soon. We've been called back to the Clover Kingdom after the devil incident… my family…" Mimosa's voice broke.
Her hand glowed faint green again, gentle healing light flowing into El's body—just as it had dozens of times over the past two days.
It did nothing.
"Hey, hey—don't cry," Dryad said quickly. "I understand how you feel, Mimosa. But I've seen him come back from worse. He'll be up and running soon."
As she spoke—
El's fingers tightened around Mimosa's hand.
Both of them froze.
His heartbeat quickened. Faster.
His body tensed as if trapped in a nightmare.
Then his eyes snapped open.
He shot upright, breathing heavily, sweat clinging to his face.
"Elllll—!"
Dryad and Mimosa lunged at him, tears spilling freely. He steadied his breathing, forcing the memories back down, burying the lingering trauma beneath.
"How long was I out?" El asked quietly, looking at Mimosa.
"Two days, you idiot! You had everyone worried," Dryad scolded, her tiny fists thumping against his head.
"I'm fine now…" he replied.
He had no clear memory of what happened after Megicula twisted his technique against him—when darkness had nearly consumed him. If not for Gaja's intervention… much worse would have happened…
He suppressed the thought.
"What happened after I blacked out? How is everyone?" El asked, his gaze shifting slightly as his Ki sense spread outward, scanning as far as it could reach.
"Everyone's alive. You're the last one to wake up," Dryad said.
She settled on top of his head, continuing.
"Lolopechka is still cursed, but she's handling things well. The Spirit Guardians are rebuilding and helping the citizens recover. They've been praying for you to wake up—their savior."
"That's good to hear…" El replied absently.
But even as he spoke, his expression remained distant.
Because deep down he knew how close he had come to not waking up at all, the fear and threat still lingering.
"El, you can't blame yourself for this…" Mimosa whispered, tightening her hold on his hand.
Nothing irreversible had been lost.
He only needed to grow stronger. Break the curse. Kill every demon involved.
That had already been on his list but now it was personal.
'You're feeling restless, aren't you?'
he thought coldly, imagining the Grand Minister and Omni Kings warning.
'That I've been slacking off… not entertaining you enough?'
'Fine. I'll give you the show you want, but if you touch those close to me again…'
Even if his thoughts never reached the Omni Kings, he was certain the Grand Minister was listening.
Three cards materialized before him—his overdue rewards.
His expression twisted between gratitude and disbelief.
Rewards Acquired
[Card Rank: S]
Ability Holder: Escanor – Lion Sin of Pride
Effect: Dominion over solar power. Strength and durability output scale with the sun's presence.
Weakness: Become mortal at night.
Condition to Copy: Relinquish all other abilities and techniques. Have some PRIDE.
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
A powerful first S-rank card.
But the weakness… Mortal at night?
And relinquish all his other abilities to make it permanently?
"Like hell," he muttered internally.
The sun-reliant scaling was inefficient. The condition is unacceptable. He would not throw away everything he had built for a single ability—no matter how overwhelming it was at noon.
His gaze shifted to the next card.
This one… was different first of his kind, not suitable to him but to others.
He had tried granting ability cards to others, but it had failed to activate. A limitation he deeply wished he could remove.
If others could use them…
He wouldn't need to stand alone.
His eyes flickered briefly toward Mimosa. Then Lolopechka surfaced in his mind—the sister he had claimed in a moment of emotional vulnerability.
If they could fight without depending on him—
[Card Rank: A]
Spell: Future Projection (Altered Ability)
Original Ability Holder: Future Trunks
Effect: The soul of the user's future self temporarily inhabits their body, granting skills, instincts, and combat experience they will gain within the next six months. The body moves with perfected mastery, guided by its future self. Afterward, only the battle's memories remain.
Duration: 15 Minutes
Weakness:
The Multiverse Record Holder cannot use this card on himself. Each user may activate this card only once.
Condition to Make Permanent: Not Possible.
One-time use.
But for fifteen minutes… they would fight as their future selves.
El leaned back slightly, mind racing.
Below the card, the system displayed:
Xeni Coins Earned: 7,540
Current Balance: 20,760 Xeni Coins
The first use of the Avatar card had been free.
After that, he had spent 2,000 Xeni Coins to activate the Avatar state—yet even then, the return far outweighed the cost.
Overall, the A-rank Avatar card had exceeded his expectations.
And yet the devil had only used fifty-one percent of its power.
Which meant El had not won but survived, because of his comrades and Luck.
'I need to grow stronger.' His grip tightened unconsciously and a soft moan escaped Mimosa.
Her face flushed bright red as she realized he was still holding her hand—and squeezing it.
"Oh—I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" El quickly withdrew, equally embarrassed.
"El! You're awake!"
A familiar voice rang from the entrance.
He turned to see Lolopechka rushing in, Undine resting in miniature form upon her shoulder.
"Queen Lolopechka, you didn't have to—"
Before he could finish, she threw her arms around him.
"You didn't have to fight that hard… And don't pretend to be formal now. Everyone heard you call me sister."
Her voice trembled, relief washing away days of worry.
"I… I'm sorry," El said softly. "I should have been stronger. But I'll find a cure for your curse. No matter what, Sister Lolopechka."
The words felt unfamiliar, warm.
His eyes stung as he returned the hug.
Dryad floated nearby, pretending not to look emotional.
"Well, well. If it isn't our minor water spirit," Dryad teased. "How's recovery going, Undine?"
Undine bristled immediately.
"Wh-what do you mean minor?! I am the Great Water Spirit! Even if I am weakened! And you are banned from entering the Heart Kingdom indefinitely, you coward who ran away from battle!"
"Hey! My magic isn't offense-type, and I don't have a host, unlike you!"
Dryad enlarged herself slightly and wrapped Undine in playful vines, tickling her until the water spirit burst into laughter.
The tense room finally felt light again.
"Wooooah! Is it really true? Are you two the Great Spirits? What are your names? Can I get your autograph?"
A middle-aged man in Clover Kingdom robes suddenly appeared in the room as if stepping out of thin air, staring at the spirits with childlike fascination.
El's expression sharpened instantly.
"Who are you?"
A sword summoned in his hand from his rune storage. He vanished and reappeared beside the stranger, blade ready to strike.
But the moment he moved a transparent blue sphere enclosed him.
Time Magic: Chrono Stasis.
El stood suspended mid-motion inside the blue bubble, unable to move, speak or even think but something felt wrong to him.
"Young man," the middle-aged mage said calmly, adjusting his robe, "you have not fully recovered. You shouldn't move so recklessly."
The ease with which he immobilized El stunned everyone present.
Then, with polite composure, the mage turned and bowed slightly toward Lolopechka.
"But it is my fault as well. I simply couldn't restrain myself after seeing two Great Spirits at once."
He cleared his throat lightly.
"Ahem… I am the 28th Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom—Julius Novachrono."
With a casual gesture, he released the spell.
The transparent blue sphere dissolved and time resumed for El.
El landed lightly on his feet—but remained frozen for a different reason.
"Why are you here?" El asked, studying him carefully. His Ki sensed no hostility. No deception. No killing intent. But the timing of the visit—right after a national catastrophe—still rang alarms in his mind.
Julius smiled gently.
"I apologize for being unable to provide support during your emergency. I understand if you feel resentment. However, the Clover Kingdom intends to assist the Heart Kingdom in these distressing times—and in future battles against the devils."
Every word carried sincerity.
For a brief moment, he questioned whether his Ki perception had dulled… or whether this man simply excelled at lying.
Soon, Julius and Queen Lolopechka stepped outside to speak privately, leaving El to rest. Though healed, the exhaustion lingering within him ran deeper than physical wounds.
Later, Mimosa stopped by to inform him she and Kirsch would return to the Clover Kingdom.
"Once you've recovered… come visit," she said shyly, reminding him of the conversation they left unfinished before.
By evening, Mimosa and Kirsch departed.
The Wizard King, however, remained in the Heart Kingdom for several days, and somehow, the responsibility of escorting him around fell to El.
To his surprise, Julius was nothing like he had imagined.
Curious. Friendly. Almost childlike at times, and occasionally terrifying.
Sparring with him confirmed one thing without doubt—he was the most powerful mage El had ever encountered.
When Julius finally returned to the Clover Kingdom, El also visited Lolopechka.
"I want to travel," he told her honestly. "To explore more of the world. To grow stronger."
He knelt slightly.
"But I will always remain a citizen of the Heart Kingdom."
Their farewell was emotional.
Before leaving, El handed Gaja the A-Rank card—Future Projection.
"Only use it when it's a matter of life and death," he warned.
Gaja accepted it solemnly. Despite once viewing El as an outsider, he now raised a drink beside him as a comrade.
They promised each other to become stronger than ever.
As Queen Lolopechka worked toward forming an alliance with the Clover Kingdom, El set out alone.
He first traveled to the Diamond Kingdom, having heard that Spade kingdom forces were attempting to extend their influence there.
But any thought of alliance vanished the moment he witnessed the corruption and atrocities rampant within its borders—cruelties rivaling the Spade Kingdom itself, and that too without demonic interference.
After spending a year observing the Diamond Kingdom from within, El came to a decisive conclusion.
It was walking a path of self-destruction.
Corruption had rotted its core so deeply that reforms were no longer a possibility. Any idea of alliance died there.
So he returned north, back to the Spade Kingdom as a shadow.
Together with Nacht Faust, he began quietly sabotaging Spade operations—destroying supply lines, eliminating mid-tier devil hosts, disrupting rituals before they could summon demons.
More than once, they came dangerously close to capturing the elusive twin brother Decan and the scientist Morris—only for both to slip through their fingers at the final moment.
Their inevitable confrontation came with the Spatial and Bone Magic wielder, Zenon Zogratis of the Dark Triad which they barely survived working together.
Although El's negotiations had failed, his sister Lolopechka succeeded where he could not—an official alliance with the Clover Kingdom was formed.
The first step of that alliance, however, came in a way he did not expect.
A mission.
One he had not triggered.
After discussing it with Queen Lolopechka, El prepared to depart once again—this time toward the Clover Kingdom.
He was fifteen years old.
⚔️ [Mission Interface]
Mission: Master of Manipulation
Rank: S
Time Limit: 6 Months
Objective: Eliminate the highest Ranking devil Zagred hiding within the Clover Kingdom.
Failure: ???
Rewards:
• S-Rank Card
• A-Rank Card
• Xeni Coins ???
• ???
Without further hesitation, El stepped toward Clover Kingdom.
***
Author Note:
I know the last part feels rushed, but I plan to properly explore the Diamond Kingdom arc and several smaller side events in future volumes, blending them naturally into the main storyline.
This concludes the introductory arc 'Volume 1'. It turned out longer than expected, but I wanted to build a solid emotional foundation before escalating into larger conflicts.
I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and critiques.