In the stillness of his dim hideaway, Kuzan let out a breath, his voice breaking the silence. "Finally."
The room around him, the only place he'd called home in the last three days, was packed with an assortment of relics, tools, and trinkets—each more mysterious and powerful than the last. Glittering minerals, arcane talismans, medicinal potions, rare magical incantations, and ancient artifacts lay strewn around him. Some of these items were priceless, rumored to reverse death itself or shift the very laws of the universe; others seemed laughably mundane. But Kuzan knew the old saying: one person's trash was another man's treasure.
In the past, any one of these treasures would have been more than enough to drive Kuzan's excitement to fever pitch, but now, it was overwhelming. Three days had passed since he'd concluded his discussions with the Emperor, and he'd been thinking nonstop about how to use this bounty to its full potential.
That was seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred and twenty minutes, every second poured into one pursuit: preparation.
Training used to mean something different. "Before, training like a madman might've been enough," Kuzan thought, clenching his teeth until the taste of blood filled his mouth. But that wasn't enough anymore. He felt it in his heart, his gut, his blood—a restlessness that made him feel like a dormant volcano, its eruption inevitable.
It was time to evolve.
With a deep breath, Kuzan pushed aside the noise in his mind, organizing the mental avalanche of information he'd gathered. He'd sectioned off his thoughts, painstakingly sorting through what was necessary for strength and what was not, then compartmentalizing it all. The process had honed him, even gifting him a new skill, though he couldn't spare time for celebration. There were things he needed to accomplish. Paths he had to walk. Projects he had started.
The first of which was fundamental.
[Project Evermind]
Kuzan's first project was a quest for knowledge. After all, as the saying goes, knowledge endures even when power fades. This drive pushed him to absorb every fragment of wisdom he could get his hands on: historical manuscripts, alchemical recipes, and arcane spells. Fiana had done more than enough, gathering an entire library's worth of resources in a single space, and Kuzan was set on making the most of it.
But knowledge alone would not suffice. Kuzan needed more than facts; he needed understanding. And so, Project Evermind was born. Towards this persuit, he poured himself into deciphering texts on strategy, magical theory, and techniques that could push him further. At every turn, he kept only what could serve him in battle and dismissed the rest, forcing his mind into relentless focus. The hours wore on, his eyes bloodshot from endless reading and furious study. And while the process was exhausting, the results were undeniable. Knowledge became his edge, his armor.
[Project Art]
Once Project Evermind was underway, Kuzan turned to his second endeavor, Project Art. His goal here was to refine his combat skills to match his growing physical strength. As his power increased, the disparity between his raw strength and his actual skill became impossible to ignore. He needed to catch up.
The objective of Project Art could be summed up in a single word: simplification. Kuzan began by gathering all of Alkavia's martial arts manuals and records. The plan wasn't to master each one but to distill the core principles from every fighting style. Each night, he pored over stances, movements, applications, his mind cataloging and integrating what mattered most. Again, his recently aquired skill that was on track to becoming his most favourite [Knowledge Extraction]—was his ace.
Reading was never his strong suit; he learned by doing, by feeling his way through each motion, each strike. But with [Knowledge Extraction], he could skip ahead. The skill allowed him to break down techniques with unnatural speed, adapting their essence to his own style without the usual drudgery. Kuzan didn't need to know every move Alkavia's masters had perfected—he only needed the moves that would save him in battle.
[Project Arcane]
Kuzan's third project was centered on magic, the mysterious force exclusive to this world, and he'd never been more frustrated. Magic was a potent pathway to power, but it was also one he had no experience with—and the project, which he'd titled Project Arcane, was proving to be an agonizing series of dead ends.
Despite having a physique fine-tuned for magic due to his dragon assimilation, along with knowledge both theoretical and practical, something seemed to actively block his progress. No matter what he tried—potions, incantations, complex theories—it was as if fate itself was holding him back from accessing magic. This wasn't due to a lack of talent; that, he was certain of. Kuzan's body was already well-adapted to wielding magic, so he turned to the knowledge he'd amassed to uncover what might be missing. But there, too, he hit a wall.
From the endless troves of information he'd acquired, Kuzan realized just how fragmented and shallow this world's understanding of magic truly was. Even the most renowned magicians barely grasped the nature of what they were wielding. They could 'produce' simple spells like making some fireballs, but they were simply unable to explain the underlying principles. For the most talented among them, their achievements boiled down to conjuring larger fireballs, but little more. And as for Kuzan, he couldn't even spark an ember. What he needed was a clear, foundational understanding of magic—a systematic structure upon which to build.
After extensive research, he began piecing together that true magic in this world functioned by drawing on elemental energies to fuel spells. Some referred to this energy as "mana," while others called it "the will of the world."
Spells, Kuzan deduced, were little more than incantations—a way to "speak" to the mana around them and shape it to their will. Mages' ability to wield magic, the affinities for certain elements, and their capacity to channel mana were all superficial matters, things that did not concern him.
Because of his dragon's assimilation, Kuzan held an affinity for all elements, and his mana capacity was beyond measure. If any mage were to glimpse his potential, they'd likely be driven to jealousy or despair. But while many mages spent their lives struggling to increase their mana or broaden their elemental reach, Kuzan's problem was different: he was starting at such an advanced level that he was missing the most fundamental step. It was like knowing every advanced answer on a test but being unable to solve Question 1—the simple, essential question on which all others hinged.
The irony stung. He'd already devised a theoretical path to becoming a Magi, one that would bring him power leagues beyond his current self. But until he cracked the basics, he was locked out. The frustration was maddening.
[Project Play]
Kuzan's fourth endeavor, Project Play, was distinct from his other pursuits. In the royal treasury of the Alkavian Empire lay five unparalleled relics—legendary artifacts whose value could rival that of the entire kingdom. These weren't merely rare treasures; they were mythical objects, capable of challenging fate itself. Only the ruling family knew their true nature, hidden away to keep their allure from provoking greed or ambition. Even Fiana, with her close ties and influence as Azuleth's friend and as the daughter of the empire's most esteemed duke, had only caught faint whispers of these artifacts' power.
Yet here they lay before him, spread out on the table, all his for the taking. To his utter surprise, Azuleth herself had presented these to him, the five treasures wrapped in what appeared to be the most frilly, whimsical paper she could find—adorned with hearts, bunnies, and rainbows. But the childish exterior was irrelevant. Each artifact represented a different, uncharted path to power, a function no one but Kuzan would ever think to exploit.
He would play with these artifacts till kingdom come.
Once again, the Queen had somehow given Kuzan precisely what he needed, without him having to ask. Her insight baffled him. She was the one puzzle he hadn't managed to solve, the enigma that defied every plan and prediction he had made. It wasn't her actions that intrigued him—it was her restraint, her unwavering trust. Of everyone who knew of his ambitions, she alone understood and, crucially, did not interfere.
'To think the one person I thought would be easiest to fool turned out to be the only one I couldn't,' he mused, realizing he'd underestimated her from the beginning.
He'd only grasped this when Fiana informed him of Azuleth's unexpected "gift." Initially, his reaction was a blend of shock and mild frustration. But looking back at their encounters through this lens, he couldn't stop a smirk from forming.
"I even fooled her father," he chuckled, "but Azuleth…". The one variable he hadn't anticipated had been Azuleth's silent understanding, and now he felt a rare sense of gratitude for her unspoken support.
Perhaps, he thought, in another time and place…
He allowed himself a rare, reflective sigh. Perhaps, his last Project would give him more than just a path forward—it might even offer him the closure he hadn't realized he was searching for.
[Project Scour]
Serving as a continuation of Project Evermind, Project Scour was, by far, the simplest of Kuzan's endeavors, primarily because it required little beyond the resources already at his disposal. For him, what was easy turned out to be a headache for his assistant, who had to fabricate a credible reason to gather the greatest talents of the kingdom—all for Kuzan to get a mere "peek" into their minds. Fiana had played her role flawlessly, setting up everything Kuzan needed without a single question. After all, "why" and "why not" weren't in her job description—if he'd ever bothered to give her one, that is. With the ideal setup orchestrated by Fiana, all Kuzan had to do was claim his rewards.
So far, Project Scour had given him knowledge and skills of unparalleled depth, exposing him to the expertise of masters in fields he'd never dreamed of exploring. Techniques for complex scrying, secrets in metallurgy, and ancient medicinal formulas were all his to recall at a whim. His mind's value doubled overnight. Yet, he was keenly aware of the critical difference between knowing something and truly understanding it. Merely memorizing a potion recipe, for instance, didn't equate to mastering the craft itself.
But Kuzan's terrifyingly rapid learning curve made this distinction less of a barrier. His experience in manipulating the body with surgical precision meant that, while he might need a few practice runs, he'd soon perfect the subtle micromovements required in any craft. He could go from novice blacksmith to producing works of masterful quality with shocking speed, embodying the knowledge he'd gained to reach the original skill level in no time at all.
[Project Peace]
Project Peace was the last item on Kuzan's agenda, one he'd long relegated to the backburner. But with calamity fast approaching, he knew that leaving his mind in turmoil would only invite disaster. Deep within him, the ever-present lake of lava encased in ice still smoldered—a blazing instinct for battle, restrained only by sheer will. Without it, he would descend into raw, primal fury, becoming a beast more than a man. His mastery of Ultra Instinct was all that kept him from giving in to his darker impulses—a prospect that would surely terrify Fiana if she ever learned of it. As for Azuleth, well, he wasn't entirely sure.
'Perhaps she might perfer chaining me up herself?'
Then again, maybe that wasn't it at all. Perhaps her power lay not in what she did but in the spaces she left for him, gaps that lured him closer.
A knowing smile spread across his face as Kuzan exited his secluded quarters, thoughts sharp and body ready.
It was time.
"BANG!" The doors swung open with a thundering crash, like a lion finally released from its cage.
And the Kingdom grew still, as if awaiting its judgement.