The silence around the dungeon was broken by the subtle sound of approaching footsteps. Lincon and Leopold stood alert, senses sharpened. The presences Lincon had detected were now moving directly toward them, no longer bothering to conceal themselves.
— "They're coming." — Lincon murmured, his chains sliding across the ground like serpents ready to strike.
Leopold grinned, his fists wrapped in flames.
— "Perfect. I was getting bored!"
Two mages emerged from the shadows. One was a tall man with silver hair, manipulating a thick mist around him. The other, a slender woman with sharp eyes, conjured wind blades in her hands.
— "You're our targets." — the mist mage said, a cold smile on his lips. — "Surrender, and we'll spare you the suffering."
Leopold laughed loudly.
— "Do you really think you can intimidate us? Let's see who ends up suffering here!"
Without further words, the battle erupted.
Fire and Chains vs. Mist and Wind
Leopold moved first. With a roar, he unleashed a "Scorching Flame Burst" toward the mist mage. The explosion illuminated the area, but the mist quickly thickened, forming a barrier that dissipated the flames.
— "Dense Mist: Obscuring Wall!" — the mage chanted, as the mist advanced like an opaque sea.
Lincon didn't stand idle. He launched his chains in multiple directions, aiming to ensnare the enemies. However, the wind mage reacted swiftly.
— "Cutting Blades: Tempest Dance!" — she spun in the air, releasing multiple wind blades that severed the chains before they could reach her.
— "They're no amateurs." — Lincon thought, retreating to Leopold's side. — "But neither are we."
— "Lincon, I'll clear the way. Cover my flanks!" — Leopold shouted, dashing forward with speed.
Lincon nodded and activated his "Chain Magic: Triple Rush." The chains slithered along the ground, aiming for the enemies' feet while Leopold unleashed a continuous barrage of flames.
The mist mage tried to obscure the vision once again, but Lincon, anticipating the move, used his inert transfiguration magic to sense the enemies' souls through his chains. This allowed him to guide the chains directly toward the targets, ignoring the mist.
— "What?!" — the wind mage exclaimed, leaping to avoid the chains. But that moment of distraction was enough for Leopold to close the distance.
— "Scorching Fist!" — Leopold shouted, landing a flaming punch on the mage's abdomen, sending her crashing into a nearby tree.
The mist mage tried to cover his companion's retreat, but Lincon gave him no chance.
— "Now! Link Bind!" — Lincon shouted, activating his strongest magic at the moment.
A pitch-black chain emerged from Lincon's shadow, connecting to the mist mage's shadow, creating a magical link between them. The enemy's body stiffened instantly, mirroring Lincon's movements like a puppet.
— "What the hell is this?!" — the mage shouted, struggling in vain.
Lincon moved his arm, and the mist mage was forced to do the same, unable to break free. With a swift gesture, Lincon made the mage turn against his ally.
— "Leopold, finish it!"
Leopold didn't hesitate. A circle of flames formed around the wind mage, blocking her escape.
— "Explosive Flame: Fire Prison!"
The explosion knocked both enemies down, leaving them stunned. Lincon quickly used his chains to bind them against a sturdy tree.
— "Chain Magic: Unbreakable Prison!" — the chains intertwined like a cage, immobilizing the two mages.
Panting, Lincon and Leopold exchanged glances.
— "That was more intense than I expected." — Lincon admitted, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Leopold, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, clearly drained from the continuous use of mana.
— "You… don't seem that tired." — Leopold observed between gasps. — "How are you still like this?"
Lincon frowned, noticing the difference for the first time. He felt like he still had half of his mana reserves, while Leopold seemed to have only a third left.
— "My mana… seems greater than Leopold's." — Lincon thought, surprised. "This isn't normal. Not even Leopold, a member of the Vermilion family, the royal house of the Clover Kingdom known for their vast mana reserves."
It was then that a startling realization struck him.
— "My mana amount… it rivals the royal families of Clover. Maybe… it even surpasses them."
Lincon quickly connected the dots: "My inert transfiguration magic… During the six months of training, despite focusing on chains, I still practiced this ability a lot, as it's the most useful. I always felt that after using it, my mana increased slightly."
Now that he stopped to reflect, Lincon noticed something even more peculiar. "There's no common method to increase mana aside from external items, a near-death awakening, or extremely rare methods unknown to most. Of course, demons and spirits also count as external means, at least according to what I remember from the anime. But in this real world, there might be a method not shown but extremely rare."
Lincon furrowed his brow, thinking deeper. "So… I'm one of the few people who can truly increase their own mana through training?"
This realization made him regard his second grimoire with more caution. "If this ability comes from transfiguration magic… maybe this Inert Transfiguration Grimoire isn't as simple as it seems. What if it's something beyond a mere rare grimoire?"
At that moment, Lincon heard a low, chilling laugh echo in his mind. Before he could react, his Inert Transfiguration Grimoire began vibrating within his soul, changing before his eyes. The pages darkened, and the once-simple cover now bore numerous scar-like stitches.
— "No… this is…" — Lincon murmured, shocked by what he saw within his soul. The grimoire, now appearing like human skin stitched together, clearly revealed a fourth and then a fifth leaf on its cover.
The world around him seemed to freeze for an instant. In the blink of an eye, Lincon found himself in an ethereal space, a spiritual plane where time didn't exist. Before him, a familiar figure slowly materialized, a sadistic smile plastered across his face.
— "Finally, we meet, Lincon." — Mahito said, tilting his head like a predator analyzing its prey. — "I don't know how I ended up here, but this world is so fascinating, filled with wonders. I plan to have plenty of fun here. I hope we get along as good roommates… I'm sounding like Sukuna trapped inside you now, aren't I?"