Chapter 7: Sorcerer Overmagic
For the past five months, Kai Xiusu had lived deep within the Bokala Forest, hunting increasingly powerful Beasts. The Red Dragon consumed them as nourishment for growth, and absorbed their essence as Experience Points—raw, primal energy that fueled his evolution.
Caution was essential. Kai Xiusu would not recklessly challenge any creature without near-certainty of victory.
Now, he had reached Level 2. He had learned the ability Magic Spring Surge, unlocking the latent power of sorcery within him.
And during this time, the young Red Dragon—still in his formative stage—had grown significantly. From snout to tail tip, his body now stretched six meters long. His scales gleamed with a brighter, more vivid crimson hue. Along his spine, faint bony ridges had begun to rise, though they had not yet coalesced into a full dorsal fin—clear signs he was nearing the next evolutionary phase.
His head, once merely large for a dragonet, now carried a more fearsome presence. His brow horns had lengthened, hardened, and new rings had formed along their surface. A jagged, keratinous spurs jutted from his jawline. His eyes, once dark and intense, had lightened slightly in color.
Of course, the Red Dragon still bore the telltale traits of youth—oversized head, slender body—his proportions still somewhat comical.
Kai Xiusu gulped down a chunk of meat in one swallow, then lifted his gaze to his Character Sheet.
> Choose to increase Sorcerer Level.
> [Your Sorcerer Level Up to Level 3]
> [The arcane power suppressed within your body, mind, and soul is unleashed. With your willpower, you may now twist your spells beyond their natural form, shaping them precisely as intended—acquiring the ability Metamagic (Matamagic).]
> [You may select two Metamagic effects.]
> [You have acquired Metamagic: Instant Spell and Metamagic: Twin Spell.]
> Metamagic: Instant Spell
> By expending a portion of your spell power, you can forcibly distort your spell through sheer will. Spells are cast instantly, without preparation.
> Metamagic: Twin Spell
> By spending the required spell power, you can duplicate a prepared spell, allowing it to affect multiple targets simultaneously.
Kai Xiusu immediately chose the most straightforward, brute-force Metamagic combination from his past life—famed for its simplicity and overwhelming utility.
Though Sorcerers didn’t need to construct spell matrices like Mages, they still had to sense the weave of the Weave, channel magic through focus and intent. But with Instant Spell, that process vanished. Spells obeyed him instantly—like an extension of his own arm.
And Twin Spell? Even more valuable. In battle, having not just one, but two spells at once—half a spell could change the tide of war.
> [You have gained 1st-Level Spells: Charm Human, Thunder Wave]
> [You have gained 2nd-Level Spells: Invisibility, Enhance Attribute]
In terms of spell selection, Kai Xiusu prioritized utility over raw damage. After all, as a Red Dragon, his early-level spells did little compared to his natural claws, fangs, and Fire Breath. And he already had Scorching Beam—once per day, a devastating beam of solar fire.
But invisibility? Charm? These could turn enemies into allies, or render him unseen in the chaos of battle. The strategic value far outweighed a few extra points of damage.
With the choices complete, the Red Dragon slowly closed his eyes.
A torrent of arcane energy surged from deep within his core—like a spring bursting open, flooding his being. It poured forth with unstoppable force, binding itself to his will like a living current.
No calculations. No spell matrices. No need to “build” anything. Just the raw power, twisted by intent, reshaped without reason—because that was the nature of the Weave.
The Weave—order and chaos intertwined, a system both logical and wild.
And then, the spells emerged from within his mind, etched into his soul. They settled into place with perfect clarity. For the first time, he truly felt the Weave—no longer just a tool, but a living reality. He now understood it on a deeper level than ever before.
"It’s about time I left this place," he murmured.
"My next destination… will be Storm Ridge."
Having eaten his fill, the Red Dragon carelessly abandoned several old, half-ruined nests scattered through the forest. With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the open sky.
The heavens were clear—endless blue, unbroken by clouds.
Below, the world unfolded in vast green. Towering trees formed dense forests, where deer darted between trunks. Beyond lay the vast, desolate highlands—barren and windswept, dotted with distant city silhouettes. And far beyond, the endless snow-covered mountains stretched into the horizon, their peaks lost in the mist.
This was the Anzeta Great Wasteland—nestled in the northwest of the Alerzage West Continent, ringed by the mighty Anstica Mountains. Known as the Land Without Spring due to its perpetual cold, it had endured for centuries.
For millennia, the resilient Scandran people had built dozens of cities here, eventually forming the Northern Union Kingdom under the leadership of Duke Bosk. And in this harsh land, creatures of all kinds thrived: orcs, giants, goblins, and yes—dragons.
The wind howled past the Red Dragon’s scales, drying the last traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Every sensation—crisp air, the weight of wings, the warmth of power within—was so vivid, so real.
It was a relentless reminder to Kai Xiusu… or rather, to Lin Kai:
He was alive.
Truly alive.
Under this sky.
This was not a game.
Not a dream.
The Red Dragon gazed down at the endless earth, whispering into the wind:
"I am Kai Xiusu…"
The rest of his words vanished into the howling gale above the mountains—
"...and I am Lin Kai."
Deep within the heart of the mountains, in the coldest, most forsaken reaches of Anzeta, stood a black tower—ancient, silent, and utterly alien.
No one knew its origin. No one dared approach it.
From its windows, the cries of unknown beasts sometimes echoed—screams of agony, never ending. Thus, the people called it the Tower of Eternal Night.
At the summit, a man cloaked in black stood motionless, face obscured. On his chest, a rusted badge bore the image of a fire—burning fiercely upon the claws of a dragon, its flames sprouting countless eyes.
Then, without warning, a portal tore open in midair.
From within, a grotesque creature began to crawl out—slow, unnatural, its body twisted like a failed experiment. It was over three meters tall, even kneeling, still towering above the man.
Its form was a patchwork of raw, pulsing flesh—fused together with no regard for anatomy. White scales covered parts of it, but most of its body remained exposed, oozing and twitching. Thick, matted hair hung from its skull, giving it a repulsive, animalistic look.
The creature struggled to speak, its voice ragged and strained.
"Master… it… it’s a Red Dragon."
It raised a mangled, blood-smeared limb, presenting a charred, blackened bone. Though scorched beyond recognition, its shape still hinted at the skull of a Fangwolf.
"A powerful Red Dragon?"
The man’s voice cracked with sudden, ecstatic delight.
"Perfect! Perfect!"
"It’s cunning. I haven’t found its nest yet."
"Hahahaha! Don’t worry! I know these beasts well. Arrogant. Greedy. Furious. They love violence—hate thinking."
"They’ll grow strong, then they’ll go mad with power. Like barking dogs in heat—marking territory, roaring their dominance. Spreading their strength like wildfire."
The man laughed, wild and unhinged, drunk on the vision of control.
"Then… I will take their power. I will own it."
"Yes, Master."
The creature lowered its head. Its matted hair fell over its face, hiding its glowing, pale-blue eyes.
The man stepped forward, gently stroking the creature’s jagged skull—unbothered by the sticky, unknown fluid coating his fingers.
His voice was soft, almost a prayer.
"I won’t fail again. Never. Not this time."
Whether he spoke to the monster… or to himself… no one could say.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
