Lorne slowly opened his eyes, and the familiar wooden ceiling came into view.
"This is…"
He sat up, looked around, and confirmed that this was the Fairy Tail Guild's lounge.
"You're awake?"
Makarov's voice came from the doorway. The old Guild Master walked in holding a cup of hot tea, his face full of concern.
"That spatial fluctuation was too intense… I thought you'd gotten involved in some trouble again."
Lorne stretched his body, feeling the power flowing within him.
The sensation of ice and magic completely merging was still clear, as if two previously parallel rivers had fully converged, forming a brand new torrent.
The magic power within him was several times stronger than before he left, and it circulated incredibly smoothly.
"Guild Master, I'm fine."
He stood up and took a deep breath.
The magic power within him was no longer merely dust-attribute; instead, it contained the essence of water and ice.
The feeling was wonderful, like mastering the purest elemental power in the world.
Now, he was a true Mage.
"That's good." Makarov nodded slightly, his gaze still inquisitive.
"But the nature of your magic power… it's completely different from before. What happened?"
Lorne was silent for a moment, recalling his experiences on Natagumo Mountain.
The demons, Tomioka Giyu, Kochou Shinobu, and the qualitative change in his power at the last moment.
"It was… a fortuitous encounter, I guess. I learned a special Elemental Breathing Technique."
He explained simply, "Now it has merged with my magic power."
"Elemental Breathing Technique?" Makarov's eyes flashed with curiosity. "That doesn't sound like a common magic system."
Lorne extended his right hand, and with a thought.
A surge of cold air emanated from his palm, and countless tiny ice crystals rapidly condensed in the air, blooming into layers of ice flowers, shimmering with iridescent light under the sun.
"Sculpture Magic?" Makarov's eyes widened. "Is this your merged power?"
"It's a form of ice sculpture Magic, I suppose."
Lorne nodded in confirmation. With a flick of his finger, the ice flower transformed, becoming a delicate ice bird poised for flight, circling lightly around the room.
"Compared to my previous Dust Magic, this is much more practical."
Makarov gazed at the exquisite ice bird, marveling:
"Both the purity and intensity of your magic power have increased significantly. It seems that experience was a good thing for you."
"Indeed."
Lorne dispelled the ice bird, a relaxed smile curving his lips.
"Finally, I don't have to worry about magic anymore."
A loud crash suddenly came from the Guild Hall, followed by Wakaba's scream and a burst of laughter — the Guild was as lively as ever.
Lorne listened to the familiar sounds, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
"It seems the Guild is still the same."
"Of course, these guys are not the quiet type." Makarov laughed heartily.
"Come on, everyone was worried about you."
When the two arrived in the hall, the entire Guild suddenly fell silent.
Everyone's gaze focused on Lorne, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity.
"Lorne!" Mirajane was the first to greet him. "When the Guild Master carried you back just now, you really scared everyone."
"I made everyone worry." Lorne smiled apologetically. "But I'm really fine now… In fact, I'm in better shape than before."
"Really?" Cana, holding a wine glass, leaned over, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes. "I do feel… something is different."
Gray frowned and leaned closer, his bare upper body still radiating unthawed cold air.
"Your magic power… why does it feel somewhat familiar?"
"Want to know?" Lorne smiled and extended his palm again.
Cold air surged out. This time, he directly constructed an exquisite ice sculpture castle in the air, with details so fine that even the patterns on the windows were clearly visible.
"This is Sculpture Magic?" Gray looked at the ice castle in the air in shock. "And it's ice-attribute, just like mine!"
"Something like that, but there are some special aspects to it," Lorne replied.
"Lorne has gotten stronger," Macao said with a smile and a nod. "Now we don't have to constantly worry about you getting caught up in dangerous incidents!"
"Speaking of which," Levy suddenly emerged from the crowd, pushing up her glasses, her academic spirit burning brightly.
"Did you have any special experiences before? Is this magic special in any way?"
Meanwhile, Salsus and Droy had already squeezed over, their faces pale, staring at Lorne from either side.
Their eyes were filled with a warning of "stay away from Levy."
As if they were terribly afraid Levy would be led astray by Lorne.
Feeling the resentful gazes of the two, Lorne also felt a bit overwhelmed.
These two guys had both confessed, and both were rejected instantly, yet they still harbored unrequited love for Levy.
It was hard to imagine how devastated these two would be if Levy were still taken away by Gajeel later.
At this moment, the curiosity of the other Guild members was also piqued, and they gathered around, chattering:
"So how exactly did you get this magic?"
"Does it have any special abilities?"
"Will there be any side effects?"
"You should get it thoroughly checked!"
Facing everyone's concern, a warmth welled up in Lorne's heart.
This was Fairy Tail, these were his companions.
"Don't worry, I'm super strong now."
He flashed a confident smile, and the ice flower in his hand bloomed again.
"The me now… can at least beat two Natsus!"
"But speaking of which,"
Gray crossed his arms over his chest, observing the ice-attribute magic power flowing around Lorne.
"Your ice sculpture is indeed somewhat different…"
Lorne nodded: "And my magic control is much more precise. For example…"
He raised his hand again. This time, the ice crystals rapidly reorganized in the air, no longer forming a single shape.
Instead, they simultaneously formed multiple small ice crystal birds and an ice shield encircling him, even capable of constructing multiple spells at once.
"More than just good!"
Levy had, at some point, pulled out a notebook and was frantically writing. "Multiple simultaneous sculpting! This requires extremely precise control over magic power! Lorne, quickly tell me more about the principle—"
Salsus and Droy quickly moved a few steps closer.
"Alright, alright," Mirajane said with a smile, playing peacemaker. "Lorne just recovered, let him rest for a bit first."
Just then, the Guild Hall doors were pushed open, and an orange-haired man wearing blue glasses walked in—it was Loki.
"Oh my? So lively?" He looked around, his gaze falling on Lorne. "Looks like I missed some good show?"
"Lorne learned new magic!" Wakaba shouted excitedly. "ice sculpture!"
Loki raised an eyebrow and walked over, interested: "ice sculpture? Isn't that the same as Gray's? Show me a demonstration?"
Lorne smiled slightly. This time, the ice crystals he created formed an exquisite lion shape in the air, even pacing a few times, clearly hinting at Loki's Celestial Spirit identity.
Loki was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Good kid! Creative!"
Amidst the laughter, Guild Master Makarov clapped his hands:
"Alright, alright! Since Lorne has gained new power, let's have a banquet tonight!"
"Oh oh oh oh!!!"
The entire Guild immediately erupted in excitement.
Levy still seemed to want to ask more questions, but Mirajane had gently pulled her away to prepare for the banquet decorations.
Salsus and Droy immediately followed, still looking like protective escorts.
Gray walked up to Lorne, lowering his voice:
"Later, you'll have to spar with me properly, let me see what level your ice sculpture has reached."
Lorne smiled: "Gladly."
Looking at the bustling Guild and feeling the warmth of his companions around him, a sense of security welled up in Lorne's heart.
No matter what he went through, this would always be his home.
And at this moment, miles away, Natsu suddenly shivered.
"Strange… suddenly feeling a bit cold?"
He rubbed his arms.
"Happy, do you feel the temperature dropping?"
"Aye? No, I don't."
The blue cat tilted his head
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