There was darkness all around Mumulbur when he invaded Lauran's body.
Immediately after, he felt the limitless life energy potential this body had to offer. The space was so vast, comparing it to a mountain would be underestimating it.
The trees, the soil, the atmosphere—everything around him was filled with life energy and due to his mastery over magic, he could easily absorb it all.
Thousands of complex spells suddenly began to seem possible with this body that had no limit to what it could achieve in magic.
"It's been... so many years since I've had my own body… Haha… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I'VE FINALLY DONE IT! I WILL RESTORE MY POWER AND INHERIT THE POWER OF DEATH FROM MY MASTER!!!"
His laughter boomed throughout the entire dimension.
Not just his goal, he's achieved his humanity. For thousands of years, he roamed the world as an undead; starting from a common undead soldier who was summoned by a necromancer to be a meat shield, then becoming the most powerful lich that fought alongside humanity's greatest enemies.
"Now I can repay that spirit back for injuring me back then!"
That Crimson Origin spirit also sought his cooperation back in the day to fight the humans. This was during a time when magic was still rare in the human world. Mumulbur was one of the first magic casters before it became a subject in academies.
It was just a world of martial arts back then.
The Crimson Origin spirit sought his help but also betrayed him in the end, causing him to suffer a heavy injury from the Murim Martial Alliance's first leader. The piece of trash was sealed by the leader and the elders in the end with only Mumulbur escaping with his life.
Now he could find the descendent of that patriarch and kill them so that he could release the spirit from the seal and kill it himself.
'Just you wait, cursed spirit, I'll refine your entire soul and make your energy mine!"
With this limitless potential, it was possible to fight even higher-ranking spirits in the Spirit World and maybe even the Spirit King Himself—though it would take him a thousand years… or possibly longer to achieve the level of power to do that…
-Oh? What have we here?
A voice, that could only be described as multiple people speaking at once, spoke to him while he was caught in his excitement, deciding how he would use his powers.
-I've been trying to make that girl enter this dimension that connects my vessels together since her birth but she's never listened to her dreams. Now her body was taken and she's finally here? You got my hopes up for a moment, Lich. I've grown tired of that skeleton.
Formless silhouettes suddenly appeared around Mumulbur, spooking him for a moment.
There were seventeen of them in total.
"…Who… are you?"
-Do you think you have the right to ask that? How about I rip out your soul, hm?
A powerful pressure weighed down on Mumulbur. There was an attempt to pull out his soul, but to no avail.
"Humph, I have no equal if it's soul manipulation."
He stood at the apex of all dark magic, an art that uses the souls of the dead. He's raised over a billion undead summons throughout his life and mastered his power to perfection.
Only a yokai could rival his soul manipulation but he won't tell this figure that.
-Oh? You're quite skilled. Wait a second, this repulsive signature… You're an undead? Hahahaha! To think that girl would lose her life to an undead!
His laughter shook the entire realm, almost pressuring even Mumulbur. Even if just a fragment of some residual consciousness, his projection was still this powerful.
-Undead! Let's make a deal and I shall forge you a body no different from hers!
"I, Mumulbur, allied with others and been betrayed far too many times. Much less someone I don't know, I won't allow myself to be subservient to others everagain." He was about to go back to the real world, but stopped when he heard the name of the mysterious figures.
-We are the 17 residual spirits of the Progenitor. Remnant memories, yes, but our thoughts and experiences are still conveyed to him in the prison world.
"The Progenitor…? The being described in the ancient texts to be the origin of magic?"
"The very same." Instead of all of them speaking at once, one figure materialized into a pale young man in a dark hood that hid his face, "We taught the entire nine realms the gift of magic and what did we get in return? Imprisonment."
"…"
"Zephyros thought our power would become beyond his control as the strongest being in the universe, matching the Timeline Gods who exist beyond existence itself. That's why he organized a plan to kill us." He clenched his fist then released it slowly, "A prophecy was revealed to us a million years ago. A Great Sage would be born with the gift of magic and distribute her knowledge to the population. We thought to ourselves, what purpose all this power serves if it can't be used? If we were to use it, entire worlds would crumble into dust—what a waste, we thought. So, we decided to distribute bits of it to humans when the first modern humans with intelligence were born. Through cooperations with gods, we reincarnated humans with magic potential and began to release scriptures on how to use magic, under unknown names, found in relic tombs."
He paced around Mumulbur with slow strides.
"You were imprisoned by Zephyros for a reason. Don't think I will be persuaded so easily."
He stopped then took a deep breath, "You're right. I was much too greedy and was willing to put anything on line for the pursuit of power and security. However, these past ten thousand years taught me a valuable lesson—never strive for something that wasn't destined for you. Although nothing is impossible in life, you must know your limits… and the consequences of what you're chasing."
He turned to face Mumulbur, "Though I was far from achieving my goal, the mere fact that a being such as I would attempt to reach it was enough to make me the enemy of all gods."
"…What did you do? You had the love of the entire nine realms due to your gift to all living things. Were it not for you, magic would cease to exist."
He smiled for a moment as he went silent, probably recalling the past when he was still alive and free.
"Not everything just blooms into existence. Just like a seed for a tree, magic itself has an origin. Yet even I haven't managed to grasp it. But… if I reached my goal, I could've done so easily. With the Dark Scroll missing, we are at the mercy of the Timeline Gods and their authorities. Doesn't it infuriate you, Mumulbur? To not be certain of your fate… That terrifies me."
"…"
"Time is running out, Mumulbur. I can only maintain this dimension for a while before the guards discover the loophole. If even this power is sealed… I won't be able to communicate with you again."
He stepped forward.
"Give the girl's soul to me and I shall free myself from the prison world within a century and forge you a body."
"…Without her soul, her potential is affected greatly. Without a soul, this body is just a husk."
The soul is the existence of the being itself. He of all people knew this. He took over her body with the intention of refining her soul and making everything his.
"Hahaha, don't worry about that. I will give the power of my remnant memories to you as a gift. It will be the first of many to our partnership, Mumulbur."
"Your intentions are still a bit mysterious but since you're trapped in a prison world, I don't have to worry about being betrayed."
"A cautious man, I like it. Don't worry, I have many allies across the nine realms and none will tell you that I betrayed them."
"Humph." Of course, Mumulbur was still suspicious of his motives. It's highly likely he might be pulled into whatever mess the Progenitor found himself in. "Even if I were to agree, this girl's soul has been oddly silent after my invasion. It's as if she's waiting for a chance to emerge and crush both of us."
"…That's a valid concern. I assume you've dealt with this before as a necromancer?"
"Mm." he then glanced somewhere, "Why not come out, you sneaky little human? You intend to act when I receive the residual energy. Am I right?"
**
'! How did he know!?' Lauran, now in a spectral form was suddenly pulled into the dimension.
She thought that as long as she stayed outside the space, they wouldn't be able to sense her or interact with her. That's how she avoided that strange man.
The voice of the man inside her dreams sounded very similar to this mysterious figure.
"Haha, what a little minx." Mumulbur pointed a hand at her and suddenly a strong force pulled her towards him.
"Ack!" his hand went around her throat.
She could feel pain even in this dimension?
"—Lauran, you had so many chances to accept my power. Now your soul will be refined by someone else." The Progenitor spoke.
Clawing at his hand, she gritted her teeth.
'Why is all this happening to me!?'
She was barely two years into her studies as a mage, now she's in the presence of two calamities that both shook the world in their own right.
She finally understood that magic held a special place in her heart.
She loved it.
She loved studying ancient books and techniques.
She loved working on the project Arnold entrusted her with.
She loved everything about magic.
There was no greater reason for continuing on this path.
She also wanted to see the end.
"Don't blame yourself. Blame destiny." Progenitor laughed after he read her thoughts, "I would've been kinder to you had you accepted my offer."
"Hm, this girl's soul feels somewhat different than during our first fight." Mumulbur commented.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't place my finger on it. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I'll give you her soul after I refine it. You're just a spectral form so you can't do that."
The man nodded, "I trust in your abilities."
"Humph, don't trust others so easily."
A dark purple energy shot out of Mumulbur's hand and forced Lauran onto her knees. A black flame then burned around the energy.
The excruciating pain made Lauran's consciousness fade in and out. She couldn't even scream from how much her breath was forced out of her lungs.
Just when the energy fully engulfed Lauran's soul, a bright white energy embraced her.
"What's going on?" Mumulbur frowned, "My flames can't pierce her soul. This can't be true. No being's will is stronger than my refining flames!"
"Is it impossible? For a girl like her to possess a will that transcends your refinement skill, that's not ordinary."
"Even the injured Valkyries I captured back in the day didn't have a will this powerful. I should've felt this during our first battle but her will was brittle, presenting me the perfect opportunity!"
"…Do you think Freya's would've been easier to break?"
He shook his head, "Freya would have countermeasures in place. Her defenses aren't as natural as this girl's."
Lauran had no clue what she was hearing.
Her will was so powerful, even a soul refining expert couldn't pierce her soul?
"…It may take me a century to break through it."
"Hmm, well, I can wait. But I don't think you can, huh?"
"Ack!?" Lauran's throat was grabbed by Mumulbur.
Staring at her coldly, he held another hand near her heart, "Do you think I won't risk killing you inside your own body and gamble on whether I can capture your soul? Stop resisting! No one can save you!"
Stop resisting? She was scared for her life. If she were outside, she'd be peeing her pants now in front of these two powerful beings.
She just wanted to live and continue studying magic…
"Huh!?" as if synching with her thoughts, a powerful shockwave hit Mumulbur, sending him flying back.
"Curses! I'll have to gamble on that chance then! Progenitor, once I kill her, catch her soul together with me!"
"Alright—"
They got ready to kill her, however, a white energy manifested around Lauran at that moment.
It formed into the silhouette of a man whose arm went around her waist and pulled her close. Strangely, it felt like all her worries faded away when she was in his strong arms.
The calm lasted only a moment as her eyes widened hearing the voice above her.
The scent of strong cologne hit her nose first.
"—Mumulbur, you're such a coward. Were you that afraid of Freya?"
His eyes were crimson and his hair dark blue. He wore black armor and a long black coat made from animal fur. His presence alone made Mumulbur step back.
Lauran could almost picture a gargantuan black dragon that dwarfed any empire or living creature in this world, standing behind this man, its golden eyes radiating the power of gods.
"—You…"
'Is that…?'
"A yokai ability that allows one to traverse into even soul dimensions created by others… You are truly the interesting human, Arnold." The Progenitor appeared relaxed.
Lauran thought she was dreaming for a moment but she accepted that his touch and voice felt real.
Why did he come here? Wasn't he recuperating in his city?
"The girl could be more use to you when she fully unlocks her powers by using me. I'm the origin of all magic and can do far greater things than even the past Archmages. They were merely using a smidgen of my power but to this girl, I can give it all."
"My ambitions don't reach as high as yours so I'll pass on letting you take over her body. Also, it doesn't matter how much you try to sweeten your words, I won't fall for them."
"Hahaha. I don't intend to control her—Frankly, I can't. My soul is trapped in the prison world that Zephyros put me in so only my fragments can freely move. But separated, they are weak. In order to regain their strength, I need a vessel. By using that vessel, I can free myself. But that doesn't mean I can't do things for you without my real body. You want to rediscover teleportation, no? I have the knowledge of millions of mages from other worlds that dabbled in this craft. Some could even traverse across dimensions. With this, I could visit other places unreachable by ordinary magic. Don't you want to… go back to Earth, Highborn?"
Lauran looked up at his face.
It had hardened only slightly.
Highborn? What was that? And what is… Earth?
"I can tell you exactly who Alecs is whether on Earth or in this world and what her feelings for you are. Haven't you always been curious if a failure like you could attract such a beautiful and capable woman? Remember that even if you are Arnold in this world, you're still the college dropout that couldn't hold a job and spent his life gaming—"
"You sure know a lot about my life and things only people like me should know."
The Progenitor chuckled, "Strange, isn't it? How could I, a being of this universe, know so much about you, an earthling?"
His eyes glowed as his smirk widened, "Wouldn't anyone assume I might've had something to do with your transmigration, Liam?"
'Transmigration…? Liam? Then that means… the person inside Arnold… isn't Arnold?'
But seeing as how Arnold didn't trust his words, maybe he wasn't being entirely truthful.
His face remained stoic but Lauran could feel his fingers tightening around her waist. These weren't just mere words meant to confuse the other party.
"Whatever lies you want to spin up, I can use Wistorina to find out the truth."
"Hahahaha! But for that you need the Dark Scroll! I don't know where it is but I can tell you where I last saw it. All you need to do is let me get this girl's soul then I can communicate with you through Mumulbur."
"Enough talk, Progenitor." He unleashed his Aether, which made the dimension tremble slightly.
"Progenitor! Can't you do anything!? My magic is ineffective when close to him due to that eye!" Mumulbur shouted hurriedly.
"I can't use magic without a body or soul of my own so we're at his mercy. Speaking of this, Arnold, why would I lie about my goals? You don't care about that girl, so why bother saving her? You just want her to be one of your tools, no? What would be the difference if I imparted my power to Mumulbur and have him help you compared to her being free?"
Hearing that, Lauran stiffened.
"I trust Lauran, not you."
Her chest suddenly began to beat fast.
Why did those words make her feel happy?
This was the same man that put her through hell for two years.
...
The fact that he asked her specifically to help him create a teleportation gate began to make sense even if there were other, more powerful and smarter magicians.
But hearing him say why he chose her made her feel strange.
It wasn't a bad feeling, though.
Lauran wasn't even rejecting it.
"What use is trust to you, of all people?"
"This conversation is over, Progenitor."
Along with the white energy, an evil red aura also mixed in with it.
A strong wind pushed the two away before a roar shook the dimension.
The same dragon Lauran saw before manifested behind him, its golden eyes emitting a powerful pressure.
"It's merely a mirage of Plesiduxis' soul and yet it's still this… fascinating…"
"What are you saying at a time like this!? Give me your power so that I can deal with them!" Mumulbur panicked, "I can't let this opportunity slip away!!!"
But seeing the beauty of a dragon soul, Progenitor's focus was on that alone.
"Not just your lineage as a dragon but even your signature reminds me of Kaldrym. If you continue to grow and reach the apex of Aether control, you will become an existence even I will have to worry about, just like that man."
The name was something Lauran has never heard of before. The Progenitor of Arcane fears this person and even thinks Arnold could become an obstacle as great as him one day so he must've been pretty powerful.
She's long since known he's somehow related to dragons but to be compared to a figure that even the all-powerful Progenitor feared, he was definitely not ordinary in the slightest.
"Could you be his reincarnation? But your hair isn't silver and you don't have the spirit rune of a Dragon God on your body. It's been thousands of years since I last heard of his demise so I just can't figure out where he is."
Arnold silently pointed a finger at the Progenitor. The next moment a wild fluctuation of energy disturbed the dimension as a gargantuan black dragon gathered the evil red aura and white energy in front of its mouth.
"Never heard of him." the blast of energy shot at the two with breakneck speeds, "Am I supposed to care?"
The Progenitor's energy avatars were ripped apart by Plesiduxis' Dragon Breath, scattering into a mixture of colors across the dark world.
**
As they travelled through the space back to the real world, Lauran stared up at him.
Her heart was about to burst through her chest.
He spoke up suddenly, "Good job."
"E-Eh?"
"You overcame your trial on your own." he looked down at her, "This is something even Freya couldn't do."
"…What do you mean?"
"If Mumulbur went after Freya, he could've easily refined her soul and the Progenitor would've had a complete vessel—I'll leave it at that."
Her eyes widened.
But she didn't ask him to elaborate.
She simply embraced that fuzzy feeling in her chest with a smile. Somehow, she accomplished something extraordinary on her own…
And Arnold… seemed proud.