Chapter 273

Volume 2 Ch 16: Restored, But Not Fully Restored

“I’ve ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍recovered,” he said calmly. “But not completely.”

“What ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍do you mean?” Iruya’s heart tightened. Could it be that, after that nerve-racking ritual, they had still failed in the end?

Ryan ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍did not explain. He simply raised his other hand, palm up.

A ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍fist-sized fireball of orange-red flame gathered soundlessly above his palm.

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was the simplest and most ordinary variation of the zero-ring cantrip Light spell’s fireball form, something any apprentice with even a little magical talent could cast.

Iruya ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍looked at him in confusion, not understanding what that was supposed to prove.

Then Ryan lightly curled his fingers shut.

The stable, burning fireball vanished in his palm as though a pencil mark had been erased from paper.

No explosion. No scattering sparks. Not even a trace of residual Mana fluctuation.

It was simply... gone.

Iruya’s pupils contracted slightly.

That was absolutely not the normal way a spell dispersed.

Mana was energy. It objectively existed. It needed time to dissipate, or else it had to be guided, transformed, or canceled out.

To have it deleted out of thin air like this was something she had never even heard of.

Ryan lowered his hand, looked at her calmly, then raised his other hand to undo the top two buttons of his everyday clothes. He pulled the collar open slightly, revealing a small patch of skin beneath his collarbone, along with the black jade-like scale embedded high on his chest.

Iruya’s gaze was involuntarily drawn first to the line of his exposed collarbone and the outline of his chest muscles, and the heat that had only just faded from her face threatened to rise again. She forced herself to focus on the scale instead.

“It’s probably because of this.” Ryan lightly touched the cold scale with one finger, his brows faintly furrowed. “After the ritual ended, the way Mana moves inside me... changed. It’s become very slow. Or rather, very heavy. It doesn’t flow and release the way it used to. It feels like something is restraining it, or maybe... digesting it more thoroughly.”

He seemed to search for the right words. “Also, both your spell just now, and my own spell, seemed to be absorbed by this scale as soon as they entered a certain range around my body. I could feel that tiny bit of Mana getting eaten by it.”

Iruya silently stared at the scale, then at Ryan’s now-normal eyes, which somehow seemed deeper than before. Neither of them spoke, yet the air between them grew heavy with a shared understanding.

The torn manuscript fragments Serandil had left behind, along with those passages describing the Law-Devouring Ancient Dragon and the crude but deeply unsettling sketches that accompanied them, surfaced once again in both their minds.

“It seems,” Iruya said, her voice dry, “that Serandil’s Gospel really is turning you... in that direction.”

Not an Elven Gospel. An Ancient Dragon Gospel.

A dangerous, forbidden path modeled after the dragon that devoured all Magic.

Ryan said nothing. He merely refastened the buttons at his collar one by one, hiding that scale—the mark of inhuman transformation—beneath the cloth once more.

His expression remained calm, but in the depths of his gray-blue eyes churned emotions Iruya could not read.

After a brief silence, Ryan’s gaze swept over the wrecked bathroom.

The lines of the complex Magic Circle on the floor had been scorched black and broken in many places by the energy overload. The blood Iruya had coughed up stained the marble a dark red. In the center of the formation, the sticky black impurities purged from Ryan’s body had already begun to congeal, giving off a foul smell.

Iruya was still sitting against the edge of the bath, her face pale and her breathing unsteady. It was obvious that the ritual had taken a terrible toll on her.

Ryan lifted both hands and brought them together in front of his chest, rapidly forming a complex but not overly long magical seal. At the same time, he chanted a string of short, clear syllables in a low voice.

The dense water element in the air responded at once and began to gather.

Above the bathroom, a massive sphere of water nearly two meters across took shape out of nowhere, crystal clear and slowly rotating. Ryan lowered one finger.

Crash—

A warm but forceful torrent of water poured down like a waterfall, washing across the bloodstains, charred marks, and foul residue on the floor with perfect precision.

Wherever the water passed, the stains were swiftly swept away, and the marble regained its clean sheen.

Ryan moved his fingers again, and the water gathered together, carrying all the filth with it as it rushed toward the bathroom drain in the corner and disappeared.

The entire process flowed as naturally as running water, his control of Mana exquisite and steady, without the slightest sign of sluggishness.

Even after casting such a mid-tier composite spell for cleansing and water control, Ryan’s breathing had not quickened in the least.

Iruya watched in silence.

Ryan’s control over Mana had clearly recovered, perhaps even surpassed what it had once been. But the nature of that Mana...

Once he had finished, Ryan walked to the edge of the bath and pressed a hidden rune.

Warm spring water, carrying a faint fragrance, began to pour from the mouths of the carved beast heads around the bath wall. It quickly filled half the pool, sending up white steam.

“You’ve worked hard.” Ryan turned and looked at Iruya, who was still sitting on the floor. His voice was calm, but Iruya could hear a trace of sincerity in it. “Rest here for a while and deal with your injuries. I’ll use the guest bath downstairs.”

He paused, then added, “If you need clothes, I’ll have the servants prepare some and leave them at the door.”

Iruya looked up at him.

The silver-haired young man stood in the steam-filled bathroom, his clothes neat and orderly, his silver hair still damp. His expression had already returned to its usual calm, and only the faint gold ring at the edge of his pupils, along with the subtle outline beneath the cloth over his chest, proved that what had just happened had not been an illusion.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something—wanting to ask what exactly that scale was, whether the deeply unsettling aura in his body had truly receded, what he intended to do next—but in the end, all those words became nothing more than a slight nod.

“Mm.”

Ryan looked at her once, said nothing more, and turned toward the bathroom door. He removed the soundproofing and protective ward he had set earlier at the entrance, opened the door, and stepped out.

Outside, a servant seemed to ask him something softly. Ryan’s brief instructions drifted in:

“Prepare two light meals, and also a set of... yes, women’s daywear, and leave them at the master bath door. Also prepare hot water. I’m going to use the guest bath downstairs.”

“Yes, Master,” the servant replied respectfully, then hurried away.

Ryan’s footsteps gradually receded as well, heading downstairs.

That left Iruya alone in the bathroom, with only the warm mist spreading slowly through the air, along with the faint lingering smell of burnt energy and blood.

Leaning against the cold edge of the bath, she slowly let out a long breath. At last, the tension in her body fully released, and in its wake came wave after wave of violent exhaustion and weakness.