It had been about nine months since Sol and the other three had been isekai'd to another world. Since then, Sol had been training diligently, having rapidly recovered from the Second Prince's beating. Though small cuts still marred his face, they were nothing to worry about.
"Why don't you take a break?" Josh asked, panting, while Sol sat on the grass, still deep in meditation. After all, he was only an E-rank—he needed more time and resources to advance, to be a Second-Circle Mage.
I must persevere! If I don't want to be left behind, I have to at least become someone who doesn't get in their way.
Beads of sweat formed on Sol's forehead as he concentrated, his hands trembling as he raised them into the air. He willed the blue mana circulating in his stomach—his Primordial Core—to flow upward through his arms and into his palms.
After a few steadying breaths, his eyes snapped open. A swirling mass of air erupted from his hands, growing stronger and more chaotic by the second.
"Ha! I did it! I finally did it!" Sol shouted in excitement, jumping with joy as he showed it off to Lilith, who was resting in the shade of a nearby tree.
Not bad, Lilith thought.
But before Josh could congratulate him, the wind in Sol's palm expanded violently, spiraling out of control.
Fuck!
"Throw it toward the sky! With full force!" Lilith barked.
Sol obeyed. He turned around and hurled the ball of turbulent air upward, his joints popping from the exertion. The projectile shot into the distance, spinning wildly before finally dissipating.
A few seconds later—
*BOOM!*
A devastating gust of wind slammed down from above, flattening grass and bending trees. Sol, Josh, and Lilith raised their arms to shield themselves as their clothes whipped violently around them. Sol and Josh staggered, struggling to keep their footing against the gale.
Above, the clouds split apart in a perfect circle, as if a meteor had torn through them. The sunlight pierced the gap like a spotlight over the grassy plains.
This is bad! He amplified the spell.
After a while the strong gust of air from sol's magic calmed down.
"Argh!" Sol collapsed, clutching his head.
"Sol!" Josh rushed to his side. Just as she had feared—Sol had unknowingly amplified the spell. At his rank, such a feat should have drained his mana completely, leaving him with severe mental fatigue—or worse.
But then—
"It's alright… just a small headache," Sol muttered, catching Lilith off guard.
Huh?
She stared at him in disbelief.
A small headache? You're supposed to be dead!
Her mind raced. Normally, any mage could amplify a spell, but for a low-rank like Sol, the backlash should have crippled—or even killed—him. Yet here he was, barely fazed.
"Y-you alright?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, I think it'll go away later. Let me rest for a bit—"
Before he could finish, Lilith stepped in front of him, her gaze icy.
"I need to speak with you. Joshua, continue your training," she ordered, her voice sharp.
Sol and Lilith walked away, leaving Josh behind.
"What are you?" Lilith demanded.
"W-what? A human, of course," Sol replied, brows furrowed in confusion.
Lilith sighed. "Haah… I've never seen a human with such a pathetic rank and absurd luck. Normally, those two go hand in hand—low rank, bad luck. You understand?"
"Pardon? Uh… yeah, I guess?"
Lilith explained that no human—no being—should have survived what he just did. By all accounts, he should be dead.
Isn't that just my Luck stat compensating for my terrible stats and rank? Sol mused. Well, people here don't know about status screens. Still, I need an excuse.
"M-maybe I'm just really lucky? Who knows? I don't even understand it myself," Sol said.
"Haah… I suppose," Lilith muttered, disappointment lacing her tone.
"But, Master, can I ask you something?" Sol ventured. "Is it possible for me to advance to a higher rank?"
"No," Lilith replied flatly. "From what I know, ranks are fixed at birth. But who knows? With that unbelievable luck of yours, maybe you'll find a way someday."
"Hmm…"
Even with maxed-out Luck, Sol knew he couldn't rely on it forever. He'd need a backup plan.
With that, the three ended their training.
At the Castle
In the Second Prince Logan's chambers, the First Prince leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he regarded his brother with amusement.
"I heard you were nearly beaten to death by those fools Father recruited. And it seems he even sided with them. Haha. How pitiful."
"Are you here just to mock me?" Logan retorted, staring out the window nonchalantly. The bruises from Felix and Simon's beating still lingered—a black eye, fading but visible. Still, he was in decent condition.
"No, no. I'm here to offer advice. I am your caring brother, after all," the First Prince said smoothly.
Logan scoffed. "Hah! I don't need your 'advice,' Albert."
"Oh? Found some dark magic, have you? Keke. Whatever power you've stumbled upon, it won't be enough," Albert taunted.
"We'll see," Logan replied, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
Albert sighed, pushing off the wall and heading for the door.
"I'll say this much because you're my sibling… Step down from the succession if you want to live longer." He glanced back, his blood-red eyes piercing.
"What? You think I'm still afraid of you?" Logan shot back. "Times have changed, brother."
"You'll regret this. Keke."
*SLAM!*
The door shut behind Albert.
Logan grinned.
Oh, brother… you have no idea.