The Elder gazed intently at both Harold and Arriane, his expression inscrutable.After a moment of heavy silence, he finally spoke. "Interesting," he mused.Harold's brow furrowed. "What's interesting?" he demanded."I believe one of you genuinely crafted this magic formula," the Elder replied. "I wanted to observe your reactions. Someone who toiled to recreate such an ancient spell would feel pride, joy, a sense of accomplishment. Yet both of you seem incredulous." He scrutinized their faces. "I may be old, but I've witnessed much in my time. Neither of you drew this diagram."Harold's eyes involuntarily flickered toward Arriane. She looked down, recalling the pride on Alex's face when he completed the formula for *Forest Rebirth*. The confidence and certainty he exuded were qualities she realized she lacked.Taking a deep breath, Arriane met the Elder's gaze. "You're right, Elder. The diagram was made after I commissioned it from a powerful Rank 8 magician. Through my connections, t
Alex was in a carriage returning to the Academy after two months.His carriage was empty since no one was willing to share it with him after his troubles with Arthur Fairhaven.Only Tanya accompanied him.When their long carriage reached the outer gate of the Academy, there was a commotion at the front, causing the whole procession to slow down.People were yelling loudly."Lord Alex! Where is Lord Alex?""Lord Alex, please answer!"A group of people kept calling his name.Alex opened the carriage door and found a group of people with the Emberleaf insignia."Are you Lord Alex?" they asked."I am indeed Alex, but not your lord," he replied.Some people were already yelling to the larger group when Arrianne rushed to Alex and quickly knelt before him."Lord Alex, it is great to meet you here," she said.Suddenly, the whole Emberleaf group—about a hundred people—bowed down to Alex, causing all the carriages to stop and people to open their doors to see what was happening.Arthur was amo
Arthur Fairhaven worshipped Zeus, the King of the Gods, with fierce pride.He relished the honor of being one of Zeus's chosen, as the god accepted only the best of the best as his followers.As the firstborn of Duke Fairhaven, Arthur always knew he was destined for success and respected by all.But recently, rumors had begun to swirl. Whispers echoed in the halls that he had been beaten in betting by the outcast, Alexander Leonhart.People were starting to question his status as a worshipper of Zeus, and news spread that Alex also had even bested him at the auction house.The humiliation ate at Arthur, leaving him with only one regret."That I didn't kill Alex sooner."Arthur's butler had died during a mission to steal Alex's belongings, and there was a strong possibility that Alex had someone backing him to commit the murder.Alex was supposed to be a worthless rat, but now Duke Mirestone and even the Emberleaf family had aligned with him.Arthur's fists clenched at the thought. If
Alex stood in the arena, the sunlight glinting off Natania’s full armor as she gripped her gleaming sword.“I demand an honorable battle under the god of Ares,” Natania declared, her voice strong.“Oh, bullshit,” Alex shot back, unfazed.“Why do you always need your god’s permission? All he does is make you a slave, ordering you around.”“Silence!” Natania roared, charging at him. “They are gods, more powerful than us!”Alex swiftly parried her attack with his wooden sword, redirecting the strike away.“The True Source created gods, us, and demons, putting us all on the same level. We don’t have to be their slaves! Even the True Source doesn’t see us as servants, but as children.”With a powerful kick, Alex sent Natania flying out of the arena.“We are children of light, created by True Source, while you’re all enslaved by these fake gods!”Ian Mirestone, a devoted follower of Thoth, the god of wisdom, stood watching nervously.Though a duke, he felt his heart race hearing Alex challe
As they watched Natania convert safely to the True Source God, even Ares, the God known for his hatred of betrayal, did nothing.Ian and Elder Emberleaf knew one thing: this True Source God was greater than Ares.They were two old men who had seen much throughout their years—witnessing the fallout when gods and goddesses clashed because of their followers.Humans like them always became the victims.Sometimes they died instantly, other times, they died miserably. Nothing good ever came of it.But looking at Natania, now healed despite her wound, it was clear—the True Source was a kind God, one unafraid of Ares.If even Ares couldn't challenge this True Source, then the lesser gods and goddesses of Mirestone and Emberleaf had no chance either.Ian couldn’t hold back anymore.Stepping forward, he asked Alex, “What kind of sacrifice does the True Source demand? Human blood? Animal blood? People’s lives?”Alex laughed. “The True Source owns everything. He doesn’t need anything from you. T
Alex had prepared everything for this fight, knowing the hardest attack he would face was Zeus' lightning strike.They said it came in a flash, and for thousands of years, no one had survived that sure-kill attack.In history, Arthur was supposed to use this devastating power against the Demon King who would threaten their world.But now, with Alex stepping in, everything had become more complicated.Alex anticipated that Arthur wouldn't unleash the final attack, knowing that Alex posed no real threat to his life.This was why Alex adopted a defensive stance, leading to a stalemate. However, Arthur’s desire to kill him was real.For Arthur, the mere fact that he had to duel someone as lowly as Alex—and end in a draw—was already a death sentence in itself.As Arthur grabbed his small Zeus token, ready to unleash the legendary strike, Alex activated his overthinking ability, making everything around him slow.He knew Arthur would launch the one-time attack, and quickly opened his emblem
When Alex woke up, he was already back in the Archlion Empire.He looked around and realized only a few hours had passed.The months he spent living as Alexander Lionhart in the other world were merely moments in his real life.Suddenly, his smartwatch buzzed with a notification.His master had sent a message: “Come to the academy.”The next morning, Alex boarded the fastest plane and flew straight to the academy."Master," Alex called out, knocking on the old master’s door.“Come in,” a voice answered from within.As Alex entered, he saw his master sitting cross-legged in meditation on the balcony, gazing at the valley, hills, and wide sky.“Do you have a question?” the master asked, eyes still closed.“Yes, did I mess up in the system, or did I succeed?”The old master opened his eyes slightly, gazing at the blue sky, and said, "Remember, Alex, when people pray to the True Source, their souls will go to the place they are destined to be when they die. But when people worship false g
Five hundred years ago, a virus tore through Earth's seven billion people, turning some into zombies and mutants.Soon after, animals began to change as well.A hundred years later, the zombies were gone, but humanity had shrunk to a fraction of its former numbers.The survivors built massive walls around their cities, creating safe zones to protect themselves from the new world.Meanwhile, the infected animals grew into terrifying beasts, and within two hundred years, these creatures had taken control of most of the planet.Then, the gods intervened.They chose certain humans, gifting them with divine powers to fight the beasts and the demons that controlled them.Humanity soon discovered that these demons were the true creators of the virus, and with great risk, some learned how to steal the demons' power for themselves.Society began to adapt, relying on both the gods and demons for survival.But with each city destroyed, human numbers dwindled further, until most dared not step ou