The Youngest Son of the Phoenix Household
Reyon Phoenix, the youngest child of the Patriarch of House Phoenix, was born into the strongest magic household in the world. A lineage of unparalleled mages, the Phoenix family had stood at the pinnacle of magical society for centuries, producing archmages, war heroes, and even legendary figures who reshaped the course of history.
Yet, despite being part of such a prestigious family, Reyon was different.
He was the son of a concubine, a position that inherently placed him at a disadvantage in the hierarchy of the household. In many noble families, birthright dictated status. However, in the Phoenix family, there was only one measure of worth—strength. It did not matter if one was born from the main wife or a lowly servant; only magical ability determined one's place.
When Reyon was born, there was hope. His grandfather, Leywin Phoenix, was the greatest magician ever to exist, a pioneer who introduced a new way of using magic—Vectors. Like Reyon, Leywin had possessed low magical reserves but had made up for it with absolute control over mana. He had defied conventional wisdom, proving that magic was not just about raw power but how well one wielded it.
The elders of the Phoenix family watched Reyon closely. Would he inherit Leywin's gift? Would he become another miracle?
A Child of Expectations, A Magician of Control
From a young age, Reyon was tested. He had superior control over mana, a trait eerily similar to his grandfather. At first, the family nurtured him, guiding him with high expectations. If he could grasp Vector Magic, he might become the next Leywin Phoenix.
And so, Reyon devoted himself entirely to mastering Vectors.
Unlike conventional magic, where a magician draws mana from within their core, Vectors allowed a magician to manipulate external mana. Normally, raw mana from the surroundings was too dense and chaotic to be used directly. However, Leywin had broken this limitation, creating the Vector System, which enabled him to guide, amplify, and redirect surrounding mana at will.
It was an unprecedented breakthrough—but only Leywin had ever succeeded in fully utilizing it. Many magicians studied his methods, but none could reproduce his perfection. Even in the Phoenix family, countless descendants tried to replicate Vector Magic, but none had achieved true mastery.
None—except Arthur Phoenix, the eldest son of the patriarch, who could control Vectors to some extent but still lacked something crucial. Even he, a prodigy, couldn't bridge the gap to Leywin's level.
As for Reyon?
Despite his talent for control, he faced an insurmountable wall.
He trained relentlessly, refining his mastery over Vectors, and eventually reached the 5th Circle—an achievement considered impressive, but far from enough. Thanks to Vectors, he could fight against 7th Circle mages, but that was his limit.
Leywin had only been a 5th Circle magician as well.
But unlike Reyon, Leywin was so powerful that even 9th Circle magicians—the absolute peak of magic—could not match him.
This was the cruel reality Reyon faced. No matter how much he improved his Vector Magic, he was not Leywin.
He lacked something.
The Catastrophe—The Return of the Dragons
Despite his frustrations, Reyon continued pushing forward. However, time was against him. At the age of 25, he had still not broken past his limits. Meanwhile, the world was on the verge of destruction.
One day, without warning, the dragons returned.
For centuries, the world believed dragons were extinct, eradicated by the powerful magicians of the past. But that belief was shattered when a colossal, black-scaled dragon emerged from the heavens. It was the apocalypse incarnate, bringing forth flames that devoured cities and winds that tore apart kingdoms.
In just three months, civilization collapsed.
The world burned.
The strongest magicians gathered in a desperate effort to stop the dragon, but none succeeded. The only hope was a 9th Circle magician—an existence so rare that only one person had ever reached it in history: Reyon's grandmother, the Matriarch of House Phoenix.
But she had died five years ago.
With no one left to stand against the dragon, humanity fell into despair. Even the mighty Phoenix family was powerless.
And so, Reyon fought.
Despite knowing he had no chance, he stood on the battlefield. He had nothing left to lose. Even if his Vectors were incomplete, even if he was not Leywin, he refused to run away.
He fought until the end.
And in the final battle, he died.
As he lay in the ruins of the Phoenix manor, watching the world crumble, a single thought consumed him:
"If only I had been stronger…"
"If only I had found the missing piece of Vector Magic…"
"If only I had more time…"
Then, in his final moments, a light enveloped him.
Rebirth—A Second Chance
The next thing Reyon knew, he was in a bed. His body ached, wrapped in bandages, but his heart pounded in disbelief.
His hands trembled as he reached for a mirror.
And what he saw shocked him to his core.
A face that belonged to his seventeen-year-old self.
He had returned to the past.
Before the dragon's arrival.
Before his failures.
Before he reached his limits.
This was not a dream.
This was a second chance.
As realization dawned upon him, his fists clenched.
"This time… I won't fail."
"This time… I will surpass my limits."
"This time… I will reach the 9th Circle."
And above all—
"This time, I will stop the dragon."