Dream On
A tense, life-threatening standoff.
The children felt hope as they watched Shirone, standing alone and holding back dozens of wolves.
"Alright! You must be scared now! Shirone did it!"
"No," Alto thought differently.
The Ulks were monsters, not just beasts. Even if they didn’t rush in imdiately, they wouldn’t give up as long as they could use their numbers to their advantage.
"No matter how strong Shirone is, he’s alone. In terms of raw power, they’re still stronger."
As Alto had anticipated, Chieftain Ulk had no intention of backing down.
The wizard’s magic was destructive, but he wasn’t unbeatable if they were willing to make sacrifices.
"Kururur, die... er..."
"Kuaaaang!"
The Ulks, who had surrounded Shirone from all sides, suddenly charged at him.
The children felt dizzy at the sight of so many closing in, but Shirone remained calm.
’I can do this.’
Shirone used teleportation to fly up, assess the enemy’s positions, and unleashed his photon cannon.
The ground cracked and rocks split apart as the lightning struck, causing destruction everywhere.
Even if the Ulks weren’t directly hit by the photon cannon, the shockwave was enough to send them flying.
"Kuaaaah!"
But the Ulks weren’t deterred.
When they worked together, they were a fierce race capable of outsmarting even ogres, the kings of the forest.
Without caring for their own injuries, the Ulks jumped at Shirone and swung their claws.
Shirone fell to the ground in a hurry, then looked up to see seven of the beasts surrounding him.
"Huh!"
With the Spirit Zone shifting into offensive mode, long spirit-like spears pierced the Ulks. At the sa ti, Shirone fired a multi-shot photon cannon.
The Ulks were hit by the flash before they could dodge and were sent flying with broken bones.
The children watched, stunned.
"Wow, this is amazing... Shirone."
Even Alto stopped thinking that the Ulks were stronger.
One human, holding his ground against dozens of monsters.
Alto had once thought the tales of brave heroes were just exaggerated stories, but seeing Shirone’s fight made him reconsider.
"Haa. Haa."
Shirone’s breathing beca more labored. Each ti he fired the photon cannon, his head spun.
It was tiring even with the ntal strength required to sustain the photon output for more than 10 minutes, since fusion magic combined light and mass.
A wizard can only cast one spell at a ti, just as a person can’t focus on two things at once.
Of course, soone like Iruki, who could handle two Spirit Zones, could do more, but for most high-level wizards, it was a challenge.
That’s why fusion magic, which combines different elents into one spell, was created.
Examples included Shiina’s Ice Tornado (cold and wind) and Sad’s Fire Sun (light and fla).
But fusion magic requires a lot of concentration, which is why Shirone felt exhausted after casting it repeatedly.
’This is bad. I don’t think I can take them all down.’
Shirone tried to hide his worry.
The Ulks could sense the slightest sign of weakness, and would attack even harder if they detected any fatigue.
The Ulk chieftain continued to push his forces forward, even after losing a third of his army.
Shirone saw the fear fading in the chieftain’s eyes and quickly cast the Photon Cannon again.
The wolf that took a direct hit to the abdon from the lightning was thrown back, dragging itself along the ground. It planted its legs down, refusing to die imdiately.
Shirone was shocked to see the wolf still alive despite the devastating blow.
’The power is weakening.’
The Ulk chieftain, now sure of victory, ordered an all-out assault.
"Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!"
Shirone gritted his teeth as the wolves, sensing their chance to win, scread and charged forward.
’If it cos to this...’
There was nothing left but to activate the Immortal Function.
But could he hold out?
It was far more intense than photon output.
Casting fusion magic in the infinite realm would be like trying to keep your balance in a rushing stream.
"Ugh!"
The mont Shirone activated the Immortal Function, a trendous ntal pressure hit him.
The concept of infinity overwheld his mind, and the Spirit Zone expanded uncontrollably.
"Eww!"
As the Spirit Zone exploded in a violent burst of light, the Ulks were thrown back.
Shirone appeared amid the golden shards, floating a sphere of light in his hand.
"Eeeeeeeee!"
Half of his consciousness was fading, but the other half knew exactly what to do.
’Photon Cannon!’
With the surge of ntal power, Shirone cast spell after spell. The flashes of light fired in quick succession, knocking the Ulks far away.
While he took down more than a dozen in an instant, Shirone struggled to keep his consciousness.
’It’s worse than I thought.’
Every spell required a different amount of ntal energy. Powerful magic like the Photon Cannon cost a lot in return for its strength.
It was a dangerous spell because of the toll it took on the caster. Overusing it could lead to disastrous consequences.
"Eeeeeeeee!"
Shirone stopped attacking, feeling like he might disappear if he kept going.
The burst lasted only about 3 seconds, but the dust that filled the air made it impossible to see.
As the wind blew and the dust settled, Alto and the others were left stunned by the sight before them.
The area was scorched, with the terrain completely changed.
"Oh my god..."
The Ulks were buried in the ground as if they’d been crushed. The ones that survived huddled in the distance, mourning their fallen comrades.
Shirone let out a breath of relief.
"Ha."
It was the first ti he truly felt the power of the Photon Cannon.
There was nothing left where the flash had passed.
If the caster could cause such destruction, imagine how terrifying it would be for those caught in the blast.
The anger had disappeared from the Ulk chieftain’s eyes. He was now only trying to calm his trembling face.
"Krrr. We... are... gone. Send... them... away."
Shirone, ntally exhausted after using the Immortal Function, glared at the chieftain.
"Don’t co here again. If you enter these mountains again, it won’t end here."
The chieftain nodded and, with difficulty, spoke in broken human language.
"No... it’s coming. Strong... magic..."
"Leave."
With a wave of his hand, Shirone sent the chieftain and his remaining forces away. Once they had all left, Shirone collapsed to the ground.
"Shirone! Shirone!"
"Shh, be quiet. They might co back."
Alto quickly covered the children’s mouths and looked at Shirone. Her breathing had evened out, so it seed she had just fainted.
For a mont, he was worried, but then he couldn’t help but laugh. Shirone had fallen asleep without a care in the world.
The children of Hwajeon Village had changed a lot over ti, but Shirone seed to have grown up just like when she was young.
’They say wizards don’t age. I didn’t know what dreams you had back then, but it looks like you’ve finally achieved them.’
At first, Alto thought Shirone was just the son of a common hunter. He didn’t look anything like Uncle Vincent, which made him seem almost comical.
But looking at the results, all his feelings for Shirone had been resolved.
’You were a wizard.’
Shirone was running toward her dream.
"Let’s go down."
Alto lifted Shirone up easily.
Compared to his brute strength, Shirone felt as light as a feather, though it felt like he was carrying sothing very heavy.
Alto smiled as he looked back at his friends.
"The hunting ga is over."
Later, at Lumina’s House
"OMG!"
Shirone suddenly sat up, finding herself in a cozy house with a campfire and the sll of food coming from the kitchen.
"Huh? Shirone’s awake! Lumina, Shirone’s awake!"
There was a loud noise as Martin shouted. A mont later, Lumina peeked out from the kitchen.
Shirone rembered now: it was Lumina’s house, where she used to stay with her father when she was young.
A group of children ca down from upstairs, all still dressed for hunting, aning they hadn’t gone ho but stayed with Shirone.
Alto asked, concerned.
"Shirone, are you okay?"
He had checked her over earlier and found nothing wrong, though his lack of magic knowledge ant he couldn’t be sure.
"I’m fine..."
Shirone did a quick self-check. Her mory and mind were clear.
"I think I just passed out from exhaustion."
"Whew, thank goodness. We knew sothing was wrong."
Shirone felt a bit guilty for worrying her friends.
But the children felt completely differently.
"I feel refreshed after a long nap. I think my fatigue is finally gone."
Although she had a good rest at the school dormitory, she had still felt tired. Now, however, she felt great, likely because the ntal strain was gone.
’Thank god.’
Shirone had always believed she would overco this, but when everything was gone, she realized how hard it had been to endure.
’Armin was right. As soon as I learned the Photon Cannon, my senses returned. No more nightmares.’
Her stomach growled.
It had been a long ti since she felt hungry, and the savory sll coming from the kitchen only made her hungrier.
Shirone smiled and asked Lumina, licking her lips.
"So what are you making now?"
"Pork stew. Mom bought so at."
Just then, Lumina’s mother appeared from the kitchen with a ladle in hand.
"Shirone, hello? It’s been a while."
"Hello, ma’am. I’m sorry for causing trouble."
"Haha, it’s good to hear you say that. Our daughter waited for you for so long."
Lumina blushed and quickly looked down, a sad look in her eyes.
Alto understood what she was feeling.
While he acknowledged Shirone, Lumina must have known that Shirone could never be the leader of the village.
Shirone had to beco a wizard.
As the mood settled, Alto clapped his hands.
"Alright, let’s eat! I’m starving!"
"Wow! It’s been so long since I’ve had at! Go! at! Go! at!"
As Lumina’s mother placed the pot on the table, the delicious pork stew filled the room.
Though her heart ached, she wasn’t foolish enough to not know when to let go.
"Of course! Co visit often. If you don’t know that I’m a wizard by then, I’ll beat you up."
"Okay, I’ll definitely co back."
After hugging Lumina, Shirone went down the mountain path carrying a simple load on his shoulder.
He suddenly turned around and called out to the children still standing.
"Everyone, take care! Stay healthy!"
When Shirone was out of sight, Lumina finally lowered her head.
What was sadder than Shirone leaving was the fact that she could no longer like him.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Seeing Lumina burst into tears, Alto felt an unexpected pang of hurt.
He suspected she had feelings for Shirone, but didn’t realize how serious they were.
"Tch! If you feel that bad, at least say sothing. If you don’t, I’ll beat you up and bring you back."
"No, it’s okay. Shirone didn’t leave us."
She raised her head, wiped away her tears with both hands, and smiled brightly.
"He’s going towards his dream."
May warm light shine on Shirone’s path.
On his way back to school, Shirone thought about the conversation in the village.
How far can I go?
He was at school, supported by the Ozent family, and studying advanced subjects thanks to his parents’ sacrifices.
’Because I want to beco a wizard.’
Is it okay to ignore the people I love just because I want to do what I love?
"Ha."
Arriving at school, Shirone still felt uneasy. Instead of heading to the dorms, he went to the study group.
’I hope the kids are having fun at the casino. I hope they don’t lose too much...’
He just hoped the house deed wouldn’t be at risk.
As he passed through the labyrinth of Istas and entered the warehouse where the research group was, he stopped in front of the iron door.
Through the crack, voices could be heard. The discussion was so heated that Iruki seed more excited than usual.
"You idiot! I told you a perpetual motion machine is impossible!"
"Why are you stuck on this? I’m not talking about perpetual motion, I’m talking about a second-class perpetual motion machine!"
"That violates the law of entropy!"
"Then what’s this? What’s this thing I made?"
Neid pointed to a wind-up carriage on the table.
It was really just a wheeled iron box, barely recognizable as a carriage.
Shirone spoke up.
"Oh, over there..."
The others turned, and Neid eagerly grabbed the wind-up carriage.
"Shirone! Look, I made this. First, wind it up like this and place it on the floor..."
The carriage moved in a circle, but the mainspring didn’t unwind at all.
Iruki raised an eyebrow and glared.
"Hey! Shirone! Don’t be fooled. That’s a total scam!"
"What the heck? You’re just waiting for to stop talking. Now you’re here because you’re tired of waiting!"
"Idiot! Anyone could have made sothing like this in an hour or two! This is just an incredibly efficient machine! The mainspring is too tight! You think I don’t know it uses electric friction?"
"What’s wrong? It’s a miniature model. If you make it bigger, it can be a hundred tis more efficient!"
"How big are you going to make it? As big as the sky? You’d be better off feeding a horse to pull it!"
"Just show the potential! Technology will move towards making things lighter over ti!"
Shirone quietly listened to their heated conversation as he watched the carriage move.
It might be aningless scrap tal now, but eventually, soone would na it, and the technology would be developed further.
’That’s what it was.’
How arrogant to think I did this.
If my father hadn’t bought books when I was young, if I hadn’t joined the Ozent family, if I hadn’t taken the teleportation test, if I hadn’t t Iruki and Neid...
The present doesn’t exist without those events.
’Thank you.’
He looked at the world from the lowest position and embraced every mont that had made him who he was.
’It’s okay if I don’t succeed. It’s okay if I beco soone else’s fertilizer.’
The price for choosing magic isn’t success, but the joy of dedicating yourself to what you love.
Shirone smiled and asked, "How’d it go at the casino?"
"Huh? Casino?"
The debate stopped, and Iruki avoided answering, while Neid looked frustrated.
"How did it end up like this? I got robbed in one day. Damn, if only my last bet had worked out..."
"I told you it would be spades. 57 percent chance."
"That’s funny! I listened to you, lost everything, and then just went with my gut!"
"Don’t you know that the more trials you do, the error rate decreases? Back then, spades was the right choice."
"That’s only possible if you have unlimited money! Without infinite capital, it’s bound to fail."
"Exactly. Nothing in the world can be consud infinitely. Sa goes for energy."
"Why are you suddenly talking about that?"
"Ha ha ha."
As Shirone laughed, Iruki raised an eyebrow.
"By the way, why have you been so down since earlier? Did you eat sothing weird?"
Shirone silently shook his head.
His expression as he walked toward his friends looked a little more relieved.
"I’m back, guys."
Training Ground 4.
Early in the morning, Neid and Iruki were already waiting at the training ground for Shirone to arrive.
Neid looked half-asleep and grumbled.
"Ugh, seriously? Dragging out here this early?"
"He said he had sothing to show us, right? But it’s only been a few days since we last saw him. What could’ve changed so fast?"
Just then, Shirone walked into the training ground and waved.
"Hey, you guys are here."
"Thanks for waking up," Neid muttered. "So, what’s the deal? If it’s nothing impressive, you’re buying breakfast."
Shirone nodded with a confident smile.
Normally, he wouldn’t be so sure of himself—but this ti was different.
"Just wait a second. I’ll show you right now."
He walked to the center of the training ground and looked toward the rock wall about 30 ters away.
Yeah, that should be far enough.
It wasn’t a question of whether the skill would work. The real concern was whether it might cause too much damage—like destroying school property.
"What’s taking so long?" Neid yawned again.
Just then, Shirone’s eyes lit up with focus. A bright white light began forming in his right hand, condensing into a glowing sphere.
"What the—photon output?" Neid blinked. "Did you boost the power or sothing?"
"No," Shirone replied.
Iruki’s expression turned serious as he watched closely.
"It’s not dispersing... actually, it looks like the photons are concentrating inward."
Neid’s skeptical look faded as he saw it for himself—the light was definitely pulling together, not spreading out.
"Whoa... you’re right..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shirone compressed the sphere even more—and then hurled it with full force.
The ball of light streaked past Neid and Iruki in a flash.
With a thunderous boom, it slamd into the rock wall and exploded, sending debris flying through the air. It took a long mont before the pieces finally ca raining down.
The two just stood there in stunned silence.
"...."
The friends were speechless.
Their minds were racing, filled with a tangle of thoughts.
"Wh-What...?"
As the dust settled and the impact site beca visible, Iruki and Neid ran over silently, inspecting the mark left on the cliffside.
The area looked as if sothing massive had slamd into it and exploded outward.
"What is this? Was it magic? Or sothing beyond that?"
Even Iruki found it hard to believe.
"It doesn’t make sense. I never thought light could carry such destructive force. I thought combining light properties—especially in the photon series—was incredibly difficult."
Shirone walked up to them.
"It’s a new spell I developed. It’s not a photon output, it’s a Photon Cannon."
"Photon Cannon, huh? I like the sound of that. So how does it work?"
"Well... it’s kind of complicated."
Shirone hesitated, and Neid, now fully awake and full of curiosity, ran over and shook his shoulder.
"Just tell us already! You shattered solid rock with light! That’s insane!"
Since Neid had a good understanding of electricity and light, she realized just how crazy Shirone’s achievent was.
"I’ll explain everything. But... can we go sowhere else first?"
Later, after leaving the school, the trio found a cozy pasta restaurant in the noble district and ordered a hearty al. Over steaming plates of food, Shirone explained how he had developed the Photon Cannon.
Iruki and Neid listened intently, barely noticing whether the pasta was going into their mouths or up their noses.
After a full hour of detailed explanation, Iruki finally put down his fork and muttered in thought.
"So you’re saying this spell creates mass—no, more accurately, it generates mass. If mass is just one form of matter, then I guess that makes sense."
Shirone nodded.
"That’s what I think, too. It’s abstract, but mass must be one of the essential properties of matter. That property forms matter, matter creates gravity, and under that gravity, we experience weight."
Neid leaned back, processing the idea.
"This goes beyond the senses. You’re saying the supernatural mind touches the very origin of matter... and even existence itself. No wonder it felt like a shock to the system—I just couldn’t accept it."
"Yeah. But weirdly enough... ever since that mont, I haven’t had any nightmares."
"Still..."
Neid trailed off in thought.
Assigning mass to light was revolutionary.
And above all, the Photon Cannon was sothing only Shirone could use. No amount of studying could replicate it. Only Shirone, who had experienced it firsthand through the ’portrait’, truly understood its aning.
"This is incredible, Shirone. Honestly, this might be more important than we even realize. If we patent this, we could probably get rich right away."
"That’s actually why I wanted to ask you sothing. Can we go to the library together?"
"Huh? The library?"
"I’m banned from the school library right now because of disciplinary issues. So I was thinking of going to the Noble Library instead, but... I’m not allowed in. I was hoping you two could take ."
"Oh, sure. That’s no problem. But why can’t you go in yourself?"
Commoners weren’t allowed in the Noble Library.
Technically, Shirone could just wait until his suspension ended and use the school library. But sothing inside him had changed.
It’s okay, even if I don’t reach the top.
As long as I can keep doing the magic I love, that’s enough.
He hadn’t lied on purpose. But deep down, maybe he’d been afraid. Amfraid of how people would react. Afraid of being treated unfairly. Most of all, afraid that his friends might turn their backs on him.
"I’m not a noble," he said quietly.
Neid stared, stunned, and even Iruki, though he didn’t show it, went silent.
"I’m a commoner. I was abandoned in a stable as a baby. My adoptive parents raised . My father’s just a regular mountaineer."
Now that he said it, it was strange. For soone as talented as Shirone to start learning magic so late in life... of course it was unusual. But no one expected this.
The part about being abandoned by his birth parents especially didn’t match the calm, confident person they knew.
"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. You can be upset—I understand. But I didn’t want to hide it anymore."
Iruki spoke up, his voice casual.
"Well, I am shocked."
Neid turned sharply toward him. "Hey!"
Although Neid’s family was part of the middle nobility, Iruki’s family—the rcodaine’s, were among the highest-ranking noble houses in the kingdom.
Iruki twirled his fork and shrugged.
"What shocks ... is that you were worried about that. Honestly, I had no idea you were a commoner. And I still don’t care. If it’s not about who you are, then it’s not worth thinking about. You could’ve told anyti. You didn’t need a whole dramatic confession."
Neid smiled, relieved.
"Yeah, Shirone. You don’t have to worry about us. Sure, if it gets out at school, there might be backlash... but who cares? We’ve got each other. Let’s just keep climbing up—together."
Shirone had hoped they’d take it well, but their reaction still hit him deep. His chest tightened with gratitude.
"Thanks... Really."
Then Iruki raised a brow.
"Wait... Senior Amy knows, right?"
"Yeah. Actually... I t her before I ever joined the school. We got involved in sothing a little ssy."
"I knew it!" Iruki said, eyes lighting up. "Everything lines up now. That’s why you were admitted as a special case. Why you started magic late. And yet here you are, pushing to the limit."
He grinned, more excited than ever.
"All right, enough talking. Let’s hit that library. We’ve got a Photon Cannon to dig into before your suspension ends!"
Shirone laughed and stood up. Neid joined them, full of energy.
"Let’s go!"
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