I took another potion, and this time I noticed a new, faint light beginning to appear near the previous one.
I picked up the fourth bottle. There was no dramatic reaction, but I could still feel my strength increase slightly.
Then I took the last bottle. There was an improvement, but it was far smaller than before. My perception sharpened as well, though not by much. It seemed that if I drank another potion, the increase would be extremely small—or maybe there wouldn't be any increase at all.
This time, I gathered all the magical power I had and began forming lines of light, connecting one glow to another.
In an instant, the first and second lights linked together. The second light immediately flared brightly, signaling that I had entered Radiant Stage Two.
"Was it really this easy?"
I was honestly surprised. According to the book, this process was supposed to drain all of the user's magical power. If it was stopped midway, the line of light wouldn't disappear. It could be continued later, but it would leave defects that would make future growth much harder. And if someone forced it, they could die from complete magical exhaustion.
Maybe because my soul had already evolved, I could control my magical power perfectly and efficiently, without even the slightest leakage. On top of that, this body was already at Radiant Stage Three, so I could clearly feel how massive its magical reserves were, along with how much faster its recovery speed was compared to my consumption.
I hadn't expected to reach Radiant Stage Two this quickly.
Because of that, I returned to the Arcana Lumineth Apothecary to buy tier-two and tier-three potions. The clerk there looked a little confused. I simply said the potions were for another one of my nephews—and for myself.
After that, I hired some people to move and sell my furniture, which earned me a decent amount of extra money. As for the paintings and other art pieces, I sold them at the Astralyth Trade Center. I also asked around for affordable lodgings nearby and eventually found one that cost 10,000 Orialis per month.
"Finally…"
I dropped my body onto the single bed with white sheets after spending the entire day running around. The ceiling looked plain, and the walls were painted a simple white with no fancy decorations.
I took out the potions from my storage ring. The ring had about one cubic meter of space. After reaching the Radiant stage, I was finally able to access it and found several valuable items inside—along with a bank card that was now completely useless.
I got up and sat cross-legged on the bed, then drank a tier-two potion and focused on digesting it. After an hour, I decided to stop and let the potion be absorbed naturally.
"Just as I thought. The higher the potion's tier, the harder it is to digest."
I lay back down and turned my head toward the bookshelf, where the books I had bought earlier were neatly arranged. With a flick of my hand, I lifted one of the books into the air above me.
Casually, I flipped through the pages with nothing but light movements of my fingers.
"So efficient. Bookworms would lose their minds if they had this ability."
I muttered softly while reading to pass the time.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in my mind—one where Lucian was harassing a girl working part-time at a bar. He gave her a drink and started groping her. When Lucian tried to take her upstairs, Alfred, the prince of the Kingdom of Celestra, appeared out of nowhere and beat him up. It didn't stop there—Alfred even burned Lucian's clothes, exposing him before Lucian fled with only a cloak to cover himself.
A wave of shame washed over me.
"Please don't let anyone recognize him… if they do, I'll literally die socially."
I rolled around on the bed from embarrassment that wasn't even mine.
After calming down, I turned my gaze toward the open window, where the night sky was visible. The clock showed eight o'clock, and the noise outside told me the city was still wide awake.
With a wave of my hand, I closed the window and returned the book to the shelf. I took off my clothes, which still smelled faintly of medicine, and changed into my sleepwear.
"Right… I don't think I've showered today. And I haven't eaten either."
I sniffed myself. All I smelled was medicine—nothing unpleasant at all.
Since I wasn't hungry and felt too lazy to go downstairs—especially after changing into sleepwear—I decided to just sleep. I lay down, pulled the blanket over myself, closed my eyes, and relaxed my body.
I inhaled through my nose, held it briefly, then slowly exhaled. I repeated this several times before drifting into deep sleep.
…
Cold air brushed against my body.
I slowly opened my eyes. My blanket had slipped off and fallen onto the floor. When I turned my head, I saw that the window was wide open, letting the cold wind pour in.
I rubbed my eyes and raised my wrist. The clock showed 4:20.
My stomach growled softly.
I quickly got up and approached the window. A few people were already starting their day. In the distance, I spotted a street vendor with a cart selling what looked like skewers.
I closed the window and went outside, planning to buy some skewers to fill my stomach.
But as I got closer, I noticed someone in a robe, clearly trying to hide their identity, standing in front of the cart. From their presence alone, it was obvious they had special status—maybe even a powerful mage.
"Wow… I never imagined someone who looks like an archmage would be lining up to buy street skewers."
I muttered quietly and walked over, standing beside them.
"I'll take five skewers, extra spicy."
The vendor glanced at me briefly, then smiled.
"Certainly, sir."
I waited next to the robed man. We were about the same height, around 5'9". Standing in line with him felt strangely surreal—like watching someone cosplay Radahn while buying street food. It wasn't wrong, just… really weird.
Before long, my skewers were ready. I started eating right away. They tasted pretty good—honestly, I enjoyed them. Meanwhile, the person next to me seemed to be ordering a large amount. The vendor was still grilling more skewers even though ten had already been wrapped and set aside.
"Sir, you seem to be enjoying it a lot. Is this your first time eating orc skewers?"
My face stiffened. The bite in my mouth froze.
"Orc skewers… what kind of orc?"
"Of course, it's orc meat. Very high quality, sir. You don't need to worry."
An image of an orc flashed in my mind. My stomach immediately churned—not because of the taste, but because my brain completely rejected the reality.
I searched my storage ring for money, but found none. In the end, I took out a luxurious ring and handed it to the vendor.
"Keep the change."
I immediately turned around and left.
Back at the inn, I rushed to the bathroom and threw everything up.
"Urgh—"
I grabbed some tissue and wiped my mouth.
"Damn it… next time I really need to be more careful about what I eat."
"Urgh—"
…
After feeling better, I decided to take a shower since I hadn't bathed since yesterday.
Once I was done, I ate the food sold by the inn—this time making sure it was normal food, like chicken and fried rice. After that, I returned to my room and began putting on my uniform.
The academy uniform looked simple but refined: a neatly tailored black coat with a deep crimson vest underneath, accented with thin gold lines along the collar and sleeves. On the shoulder was an ornament bearing the academy's emblem, connected by a thin gold chain across the chest. A black cape lined with red draped lightly from one shoulder, swaying gently with each step. The engraved metal buttons reflected a faint shine, and the entire outfit—without being excessive—radiated the dignity of nobility and the authority of an elite student.
It was now 5:30—about an hour before the academy gates closed.
I fastened my sword at my waist and stepped outside, heading toward the academy.