After the warmth and sweetness of the morning settled in, Elara had already left after teasing mira a bit. Shin finally tasted the sandwiches Mira had made.
They were surprisingly delicious. He complimented her sincerely, praising her wholeheartedly. His words immediately earned an enthusiastic response from Mira, whose face lit up with happiness. Her bright smile, full of pride and joy, made her look even more beautiful.
Now let's talk about the things Shin had been wanting to do since yesterday. The moment he realized he was in a fantasy world, he remembered that he could use one or two ice-element spells. At the time he hadn't thought much about it, but now his curiosity had grown stronger. He wanted to understand more about this world and its structure—things the "old" Shin had never really paid attention to because they had once seemed like ordinary, mundane knowledge.
This universe wasn't limited to just one world. There were many worlds where different races lived, each with its own societies and civilizations. In many ways, they functioned similarly to Earth, with their own politics, struggles for power, and constant pursuit of resources and advantage. Yet despite all their differences, they all shared one common truth: power ruled everything. The strongest fist determined the outcome of conflicts. This was the law that applied everywhere.
In this universe, strength could literally change the limits of existence. If someone reached a certain level of power, they could transcend mortality itself and become immortal. Not the symbolic immortality of legends, but true, physical immortality. Some beings had lived for centuries, even millennia. On Earth, people might have called them myths or legendary heroes, but here they were real—powerful figures who stood just below the Gods.
But the most fascinating part of this world was its magic system.
Magic here was not a rare or mysterious phenomenon reserved only for a chosen few. Instead, it was a natural force woven into the fabric of the universe itself. Every living being possessed some degree of magical energy, often referred to as mana. This mana flowed through the body like an invisible current, and those who learned to control it could shape it into spells.
Mana could be used in countless ways, but the most common form of magic was elemental magic.
Unlike many rigid magical systems, this world did not force people to be limited to a single element. In theory, a mage could learn multiple elements at once. Some exceptionally talented individuals could even master several of them. However, each element required years of training and deep understanding, which made mastering many elements extremely difficult.
Magic was not just about having mana—it was about control, knowledge, and imagination.
And then there is Aura or also called Qi in some part of the universe and was followed in this world also. Qi is the energy cultivators absorb from the world and refine inside their body. They then use this energy to perform techniques.
These techniques often look like spells, but they are powered by Qi instead of mana.
However, no matter how advanced magic became, one rule remained the same: talent and effort determined everything.
A person with great natural talent could progress faster, but without hard work their potential would remain unrealized. Meanwhile, someone with average talent but great dedication could still become a formidable mage through relentless training.
Just like on Earth, where someone could become an athlete, a scientist, or a scholar through effort and talent, people here could pursue countless magical paths. But mastering everything at once was nearly impossible. Most individuals specialized in a few areas and refined them to perfection.
However, in order to avoid confusion between the strong, stronger, and the strongest beings, there are artificial levels of power used to classify them:
Mortal
Spiritual
Immortal
Divine.
"Then… should I study everything at once, Big Brother?"
A cute ten-year-old girl with flowing silver hair and big, sparkling ruby-red eyes looked up curiously from her big brother's lap. She was nestled comfortably against Shin in her light floral dress, even though plenty of empty chairs lined the silent library. The vast hall was empty—no one else around, only towering shelves of ancient tomes stretching into the shadows.
"No, little Lucy," replied Saintess Mira with her usual gentle, melodic voice. The fifteen-year-old beauty sat pressed close on Shin's right side, her golden-blonde hair cascading like sunlight and her ocean-blue eyes sparkling with unwavering warmth. She wore a pure white one-piece dress far more daring than her usual saintess robes—thin fabric clinging to her lithe frame, the neckline dipping just enough to hint at her small, perky chest.
"You should focus on your strongest talents and perfect them to the absolute limit before shifting your focus on other elements. That is the proper way to cultivate in this world."
A soft, radiant smile had stayed on her lips all morning as she leaned in, deliberately pressing those soft, modest mounds against Shin's arm. The warm, yielding pressure was unmistakable, her body heat seeping through the silk as if silently claiming her place beside her newly betrothed.
Lucy tilted her head, still waiting for an answer.
"Lucy, don't listen to this vixen," Emily cut in sharply from Shin's left, her voice carrying a possessive edge. The fourteen-year-old black-haired beauty—Shin's own big sister—sat glued to his other side, her ruby-red eyes narrowed with clear irritation after hearing the news of Mira's engagement to him.
She was in a foul mood, and it showed in the way she deliberately pushed her slightly larger, fuller breasts against his arm in open competition, the soft, heavier warmth squishing firmly into his skin as if to remind everyone exactly who had the rightful claim. Her black hair framed a stunning face twisted into a victorious yet tense smile, the kind that said she refused to let the saintess win even an inch of her little brother's attention.
"You should do whatever you want," Emily continued, her tone firm and domineering, laced with that big-sister authority. "Never trap yourself in that boring, orthodox style of magic. Keep some surprise elements up your sleeve—it's the only way to make yourself truly unique and surprise your opponents… and stay free from anyone else's rules."
"'Practice makes a man perfect'. Never forget that. You should learn whatever you want, but at the same time become a master at it. Never do something halfway."
Patting Lucy's head, Shin replied to her, deliberately ignoring both of their friendly—though deadly—competition for him.
Shin had originally wanted to study about the world in the library, but when he arrived there he saw his little sister Lucy sitting alone, reading a general knowledge book by herself. She was preparing for her general knowledge and elemental theory classes. There were tutors who taught them everything they needed to know before joining the academies, and being a noble in itself was very difficult. One had to always strive to be number one among the others.
Even though Elara never forced them, they were smart and responsible children. Elara herself was a very good mother who knew what was best for her children.
Shin walked over to Lucy and gently pulled her onto his lap before taking the book from her and reading it himself. In this way, he was helping her study while also gaining knowledge about the world.
Lucy's reactions were priceless, and the moment her teary eyes met Shin's, his heart almost broke. He immediately began pampering her as best as he could.
At some point, Emily and Mira also joined him. They seemed to want to discuss something important—possibly regarding his engagement.
So, for the moment, he decided to delay them.
""Alright, let's go to the training room and see which elements you have perfect control over."
Shin was practically brimming with excitement. Ever since he realized he could use magic, he had been itching to try it out himself. The thought of casting spells and fighting like the epic battles he used to watch in anime sent a thrill through his chest.
Soon after, they all left the library and headed toward the training grounds.
The open field stretched far into the distance, designed to withstand destructive spells and large-scale training.
Emily stepped forward first. She cleared her throat lightly.
"Since we're here…" she said casually. Then with a faint smirk, she added,
"I might as well show you something."
Emily suddenly leapt into the air. Her figure soared gracefully into the sky above the training field. With the wind brushing against her hair and her robes fluttering behind her, she raised her hand and spoke loudly.
"Glacius."
The moment the word left her lips—
The ground froze instantly.
Ice spread outward in a violent surge, covering fifty meters around her in a blink.Then it kept expanding.
The frost raced across the training field like a living force until two hundred and fifty meters of land had been frozen solid within seconds.
Shin stared in amazement.
He remembered that Emily specialized in fire magic, yet she possessed remarkable talent across multiple elements. In fact, she had been the one who taught him his third spell—Glacius, an area-of-effect freezing spell capable of turning everything within its range into ice.
Emily didn't stop.
With a slight movement of her hand, she whispered another spell.
"Lithos."
The earth trembled. Massive stone pillars rose from the frozen ground like the bones of the earth itself. Their surfaces quickly shaped themselves, forming perfect target points resembling archery boards.
Before anyone could even react—
A bow appeared in Emily's hand, an arrow was already nocked.
Yellow lightning crackled violently around the arrowhead.
"Fulgur."
She released it.
The arrow vanished.
Shin didn't even blink—And yet the arrow had already pierced the center of the stone target.
The sound reached them a moment later. The speed of the arrow was terrifying. It had moved faster than any racing car Shin had ever seen on Earth. Emily smiled faintly. Then she murmured another spell under her breath.
"Pyrodory."
Shin was about to comment on what he had just seen—
But it seemed the real show was only beginning. A one-meter-long lance of blazing fire suddenly formed above Emily's head. The heat from it distorted the air around her. Her bow had already disappeared. She raised her hand and flicked her fingers forward. The blazing lance shot through the air like a meteor. It struck the pillar—Shattering the target and half of the stone column instantly. Flames erupted violently, swallowing the pillar in burning fire.
Emily spun gracefully in the air.
Then she raised her voice dramatically.
"Leviathon."
A massive dragon made of water burst into existence, roaring through the sky before crashing down upon the flames.
Steam exploded outward as the water dragon extinguished the fire and crushed what remained of the pillar into dust and sand.
But Emily wasn't done.
She slowly began to rise higher into the sky.
Her body levitated effortlessly, as if gravity had forgotten her. Spreading her arms wide toward the open sky, she spoke again.
"Ventus."
A violent gust erupted from her position. A roaring wall of wind blasted forward, sweeping across the training grounds and clearing the frozen debris from the entire area. Her lithe form moved through the air, the effortless command she held over every element, the fierce beauty burning in her ruby eyes… she was power incarnate, wrapped in breathtaking grace. His big sister had just turned the entire field into her personal stage, and every spell had been more beautiful than the last.
Before his awe could fully settle, Emily vanished from the sky in a swirl of shadow.
She reappeared instantly behind him, her arms sliding around his waist in a possessive hug, her body pressing flush against his back. Her slightly fuller chest molded warmly against him as she leaned in, lips brushing the shell of his ear in a teasing whisper that carried both pride and quiet dominance.
"How was your big sister's little performance, hmm?"
Shin didn't miss a beat, his voice soft with genuine admiration.
"You are amazing, Big Sister… truly amazing."
"Hehe~… I knew you'd like it," Emily said with a proud smile.
Lucy and Mira also praised her with admiration. Mira had to admit that Emily was truly talented and incredibly powerful despite being younger than her, which somehow irked her a little.
"I'm next, I'll show you the powers of the greatest Saintess!"
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