I slipped through the silent mansion in the dead of night and stepped out into the garden.
Out here, whatever happened, I wouldn't risk causing any major damage.
I looked up at the heavens; a canopy of stars shimmered with breathtaking clarity.
I took a deep breath and focused.
The methods for circulating mana through my body and converting it into raw power flooded my mind with effortless clarity.
As I began the practice, a shiver ran down my spine.
The logic behind this was fundamentally different from the Modern Magic Claude had taught me. Something more—a fathomless concept—was stirring within me, manifesting a power that defied comprehension.
My right hand reached toward the sky of its own accord, as if to seize the stars themselves.
The incantation was already etched into my brain.
"O Thunder Emperor seated in the heavens, show unto me a fragment of thy judgment!"
A small orb of lightning materialized in my palm.
It was a beautiful sphere of pale-blue light. It crackled and hissed as if it were a living thing.
"This is... Ancient Magic...!"
A surge of excitement electrified my body.
"Thunder Emperor's Flash!"
I unleashed the orb toward the heavens.
A searing brilliance tore through the darkness.
A deafening roar shattered the midnight calm.
For a fleeting second, night became day, only for the world to be plunged back into darkness and silence an instant later.
Yet the image was burned into my retinas, the sound echoed in my ears, and the memory was seared into my mind. That sheer, raw intensity.
The lingering ache in my right arm was proof enough that this was no dream.
"Haha, hahahaha... I did it... I did it!"
Presumably, that was Ancient Magic.
I say "presumably" because it differed from what I knew of the game. In the original lore, the power of the Imperial Book of Weather Control was a wide-scale lightning spell that incinerated entire battlefields.
I had a feeling why it was different, though. This was likely merely a "fragment of power" granted to me by that mysterious entity. A mere scrap of Ancient Magic.
Was I disappointed? Far from it. I was ecstatic.
Even a low-tier spell granted out of pity possessed such terrifying might! It couldn't even be compared to the Modern Magic I had learned from Claude. It was power on an entirely different dimension. As I suspected, my decision to bet everything on Ancient Magic had been the right one.
I wanted to burst out laughing; the absurdity of it all was intoxicating. I wanted to revel in this triumph—to collapse onto the grass and sleep until morning with a satisfied grin.
But I didn't have that luxury.
"What in the world was that?!"
"Lightning just struck the grounds!"
"Was that magic? Is it an attack?!"
Panicked voices erupted from the mansion as lanterns flickered to life one by one.
I had just unleashed a spell of that magnitude in the dead of night; anyone who stayed asleep would have to be dead. It was only a matter of seconds before the servants arrived.
I quickly ducked into the shadows of a blind spot.
Before long, guards brandishing weapons swarmed out from the estate. They shouted to one another, scanning the area with sharp eyes.
Well, this has turned into quite the scene.
"The explosion came from around here, didn't it?"
"Is there anything suspicious?!"
People gathered in the garden one after another. I even spotted Claude. He looked completely disheveled, having only thrown a robe haphazardly over his shoulders.
"Just what on earth has happened?!"
"We don't know! Suddenly, there was a bolt of lightning—"
Naturally, I couldn't exactly say, "I did it." In this age, the study of Ancient Magic was considered a taboo. Legend had it that the previous civilization was wiped out because of its unchecked magical research. Therefore, the very act of mastering it was a crime.
Not that I cared. I was working to master it for my own survival—and because I had a penchant for being the strongest.
While the servants were in the midst of the confusion, I emerged with a carefully practiced look of innocence.
"Ya, what’s all this? That was quite a noise, wasn't it?"
I spoke as if I had only just arrived.
"Oh, Lord Albert! Are you safe?!" one of the guards asked.
Having already repaired my reputation with the staff over the last few years, they all seemed genuinely concerned for my safety.
"I’m perfectly fine, but what about all of you?"
"We’re safe, milord! Please, leave this to us and get back inside! There’s no telling what else might happen!"
"Thank you. I’ll do that."
After offering them a grateful smile, I retreated to my room.
I sank onto my bed. Whew, managed to talk my way out of that one. Since I still needed to train my control, I would likely need to conduct several more experiments. I would have to be a bit more discreet next time.
However, I didn't want to dwell on that now. I wanted to savor this moment.
I stared at my right hand—the hand that had birthed the lightning orb just moments ago.
The memory alone sent joy racing through my body. The corners of my mouth twitched, and a laugh threatened to spill over.
I did it. I really did it. Ancient Magic was in my hands! That overwhelming power, that strength so far beyond Modern Magic... this was the true power I had been seeking!
I flopped back onto the bed and laughed out loud.
But the laughter didn't last long. I suddenly remembered my meeting with that mysterious woman.
The will of Ancient Magic.
She possessed power beyond measure—enough to easily suppress me, even though I was a prodigy who had surpassed a master like Claude. I could still vividly recall the terror I felt in her presence.
But I couldn't just scurry away with my tail between my legs forever. If she was the guardian of this power, then I would simply have to make her submit.
"One day, I’ll show you."
I would obtain enough power to speak to her on equal terms. To do that, I had to become much, much stronger. I had to master Ancient Magic perfectly.
Once I possessed the power to defeat that woman, no one would be able to stop me.