NOVPUBRaegar watched as Rune finished with his food while answering, and all eyes were on him. ''She's attending Dawnfire Magic Academy, thanks to having three elements like Zahara and Dominique.''
The whole group started talking with him about his lover, whom the giant boy happily gushed about her and Vienna backed it up. She said the two of them were a match made in heaven and that they were waiting to come of age before taking things further. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
'Good for him,' he thought, glancing at Caspain. 'It looks like he gets on with Luna and Vienna well.'
While the group chatted, he quietly listened to them question the giant about her and why she was attending the best school in the empire. As this happened, he glanced at Selene, who was frowning.
'She has two elements like most of the talented students here,' he mused, knowingly. 'But three of the girls are Triarch's.''
Moments later, Raeger grabbed her soft red hand, causing her eyes to widen as he reassured her. ''You're no different from Za or Domi, and I would love to fight beside you in the future.''
When the Demoness heard this, her yellow eyes widened in surprise. Soon, a big smile appeared. ''Damn right, I will be there fighting Devils and monsters for years to come.''
Following that, the two of them started speaking about the creatures they've killed, and when he told her about the ones he's Selene got even more excited, catching Zahara and Dominique's attention.
''I can be your healer, Rae!'' the blonde exclaimed, beaming. ''I'll learn rare spells to aid you in fights and such.''
Dominique nodded in agreement. ''I can use a sword and summoning magic, I could protect the rear alongside Za here,'' she said.
Raegar couldn't help but smile as the Zahara added. ''Then we have Caspian, who can be a mage alongside Vienna, and Luna will be our support with Domi.''
''Sounds good to me,'' he replied, chewing on some of the sweet Forest Deer meat. ''Maybe after the Summer Break, we can start exploring the F Rank Dungeons that the school owns? They aren't too hard.''
Everyone agreed, and Rune quickly reassured him. ''I'll protect you because of your injuries, so the monsters or Devils can't get you.''
When Raegar heard this, his eye locked onto the giant, laughing. ''I'm not doing any fighting until my grandmother heals me. Zahara here is studying all kinds of healing magic to help wake her up.''
His friends turned toward the blonde, who was blushing thanks to the sudden attention, prompting her to nod. ''Yes, I spoke with Nurse Kitsunia and she said the library is full of thousands of tomes that specialize in healing, so I've started there.''
Following that, the group continued eating as Raegar finished his meal, only to feel Earth and Water Aether pouring into his body. He grimaced thanks to sudden pain shooting through his body like a shock.
Selene heard this and her head snapped toward him, a concerned expression on her face as she asked. ''Are you okay, Rae? Why did you just grunt?''
''Water Aether hurt my pool,'' he revealed, breathing heavily. ''When I fought the assassins, it damaged my Aether Pools thanks to the overload on my core, but it's slowly healing, so it's not that bad.''
The Demoness put her hand on his and sent some Aether into him, which eased the pain somewhat. Raegar let out a sigh, causing Selene to look at the other two. ''Come on and give him some of your energy, it helps the pain.''
Zahara and Dominque happily complied and touched his hand. Raegar felt Light, Chaos, and Death Aether seeping into him. His eyes met the vampire's glowing green ones as her cheeks were red.
'She's a necromancer?' he mused, smiling. 'Interesting, it could be useful in the dungeons and gates.'
After the three girls gave him some of their Aether, they continued eating and fussing over him. He chuckled and thanked the trio, who beamed at his thanks. Once the group was done eating, they said their goodbyes, leaving for the last class of the day.
Exhausted and alone, he trudged back to the Western Dragon Tower seeking rest. His body ached with every step, and upon arrival, he collapsed onto a balcony overlooking the Siren's Sea, desperate for relief.
Before him, towering waves crashed against jagged rocks, their frothy crests glowing faintly under the stormy sky. Lightning split the darkness, illuminating whirlpools that spun like ravenous beasts, while eerie wails echoed from the depths.
Each gust carries the promise of peril. His eyes, weary but sharp, traced the horizon where the sea seemed to claw at the heavens, a restless, untamed force daring any soul to challenge its wrath.
Time passed as Raegar sat on the balcony's edge, the Siren's Sea roiling below, a strange sensation stirred within him. The air carried a faint hum of Water Aether seeping from the chaotic waves.
It flowed into him like a tide, slow at first, then surging through his veins. His body, battered and worn from days of relentless strain, began to mend. Cracks and fissures in his inner pool, the reservoir of his strength, knitted together under the Aether's touch.
Yet, the healing was not without cost. Each pulse of energy brought sharp stabs of agony, as though his nerves were being rewoven thread by searing thread. He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached, fighting to endure the torment.
Despite the pain, a warmth spread through his chest, his breathing steadied, and the fog of exhaustion in his mind began to lift. Minutes stretched into an eternity as he remained there, perched above the sea's fury.
The storm raged on, but he felt a flicker of renewal, and a tiny bit of strength returned. Eventually, he rose, his movements better. ''This is annoying,'' he muttered under his breath, his voice rough but tinged with awe. ''But it feels… good, somehow.''
Raegar cast one last glance at the sea before making his way to his dorm room. By the time he got there, he noticed his bedroom window was covered in strange eel monsters trying to break the glass.
His eyes widened in shock as he started thinking in surprise. 'Their Tier Eight! So strong but looks harmless.'
He crept closer while studying the strange, luminescent creatures. Their sleek, eel-like forms pulsed with an otherworldly glow, and as the group sensed him, they erupted into a frenzy, their movements erratic and frenzied.
Intrigued, Raegar extended a tendril of Aether, the shimmering energy coiling from his fingertips and seeping through the glass. To his astonishment, the creatures lunged, their jagged maws snapping at the energy, consuming it with voracious hunger.
His pulse quickened, fascination warring with unease. Suddenly, everything erupted as massive tentacles surged out of the darkness. They smashed against the glass with bone-rattling force, coiling around the glowing eels and yanking them into the abyss.
Raegar staggered back, his breath catching as the creatures vanished into the inky blackness, leaving only ripples of disturbed water in their wake. His gaze darted across the enclosure, searching for answers, when something else caught his eye.
It was a jagged tear, one he could have sworn wasn't there moments before, its edges glinting faintly in the dim light. A chill ran through him. How had he never noticed it? And what manner of monstrosity lurked beyond, powerful enough to shake the tower?
''Damn monsters always something stronger out there,'' he muttered.
Raegar settled onto the soft rug that was in front of the fireplace, grunting thanks to bending down. Moments later, he used Fire Aether and guided it into the pile of logs, coaxing them to life with a soft whoosh.
Flames leapt up, casting a warm glow across the room and banishing the evening's chill that came from the deep sea. The heat washed over him, soothing his weary muscles and drawing a contented smile to his lips.
Reaching into his ring, he retrieved a small iron pan, its surface scarred from countless meals. He set it over the fire, the metal humming faintly as it warmed. he pulled out a simple mixture of flour, water, and salt, kneading it into a rough dough.
With practiced ease, he shaped it into a flat round and placed it in the pan, the dough sizzling as it met the hot surface. The rich, toasty aroma of campfire bread soon filled the air, mingling with the scent of burning wood.
As the bread cooked, Raegar took out a slab of monster meat, harvested from a beast he'd collected from the journey north. He sliced it into thick strips with a hunting knife, the blade glinting in the firelight, and laid them in the pan beside the bread.
The meat hissed and sputtered, releasing a savory, slightly gamey aroma that made his mouth water. His stomach growled loudly, a testament to the hours spent training and exploring without pause.
''Damn I'm hungry even though I had dinner recently,'' he mused with a smile.
