Ren didn't wake up immediately.
For a long time, he drifted in and out of consciousness, awareness flickering like a dying flame. Pain pulsed through his body in dull waves, no longer sharp, but deep and exhausting.
It felt like every muscle had been torn apart and stitched back together poorly.
When his eyes finally opened, the first thing he noticed was the heat.
Not the violent furnace-like heat from before, but a steady warmth that seeped into his bones.
The second thing he noticed—
He was not alone.
Ignivar sat several meters away, massive body coiled protectively around the crystal platform. His wings were partially unfurled, blocking the cavern's harsher mana currents from reaching Ren directly.
"So you can be considerate," Ren muttered weakly.
Ignivar's eyes opened.
"You were unconscious for seven hours," the dragon said. "Your heartbeat stopped twice."
Ren blinked.
"…That sounds unhealthy."
Ignivar did not reply.
Ren slowly pushed himself up.
Pain flared instantly, but it was different this time. Instead of tearing agony, it felt like soreness after extreme exertion.
Manageable.
He flexed his fingers.
No cracks in the stone this time.
Interesting.
A translucent interface appeared immediately.
[SOVEREIGN STATUS UPDATE]
Body Adaptation: 7%Mana Flow Stability: Low (Improving)Internal Damage: RepairedCombat Strain Resistance: Increased
Ren stared at the screen.
"So I didn't permanently cripple myself."
Correct. The Sovereign Body restructures itself after near-fatal strain. However, repeated overload without rest may result in permanent damage.
Ren sighed.
"There's always a disclaimer."
He sat cross-legged on the crystal floor, moving carefully.
"System," he asked, "what exactly am I doing wrong with mana?"
The system responded instantly.
Host lacks foundational mana circulation techniques. Current absorption is instinctive and inefficient.
Ren frowned.
"In my world, inefficiency loses money. Here, it loses limbs."
Accurate.
He leaned back slightly, resting his hands on his knees.
"So teach me."
A pause.
Then—
Initiating Basic Sovereign Mana Circulation Protocol.
Suddenly, Ren felt it.
The mana around him didn't just exist anymore.
He sensed it.
Countless invisible streams flowed through the air, through the stone, through his own body. Previously, his body had been greedily swallowing everything at once.
Now, the system forced restraint.
Mana entered slowly.
Guided.
Organized.
It flowed along specific internal pathways, looping through his heart, spine, and limbs before dispersing.
The burning sensation dulled.
Replaced by something steadier.
Control.
Ren exhaled slowly.
"…This feels much better."
Warning: Circulation must be maintained consciously until mastery is achieved.
"So if I lose focus, I explode again."
In simplified terms, yes.
Ren chuckled.
"Great."
Hours passed.
Ren remained seated, eyes closed, focusing entirely on the flow of mana.
It was harder than he expected.
The moment his concentration slipped, mana surged violently, pressing against his chest like a tidal wave.
Sweat soaked his clothes.
His jaw clenched.
This wasn't meditation.
It was wrestling with a storm inside his body.
But Ren had endured worse.
Long nights negotiating hostile takeovers.
Endless pressure where a single mistake could destroy thousands of livelihoods.
Compared to that—
This was just another system to master.
Gradually, the surges lessened.
Mana obeyed more readily.
After what felt like an eternity, the system chimed softly.
Mana Flow Stability improved.
Ren opened his eyes.
The cavern looked… clearer.
Not brighter.
Sharper.
He could see fine details in the dragon bones, the subtle glow variations in mana crystals, even faint currents in the air.
"So this is what control does."
Ignivar observed him silently.
"You adapt quickly," the dragon finally said. "Many dragon lords take decades to reach such balance."
Ren smiled faintly.
"I don't plan to take decades."
Once he could stand without mana surging dangerously, Ren began moving deeper into the abyss.
Carefully.
This time, he didn't rush.
He noticed patterns now.
Areas where mana pooled dangerously.
Places where ancient pressure lingered, heavy enough to crush weaker beings.
"This isn't just a cave," Ren murmured. "It's layered."
Ignivar nodded. "The deeper zones were once training grounds for dragon kings."
Training grounds.
Ren's eyes gleamed.
As they passed through a narrow passage, something glinted from beneath a pile of broken scales and stone.
Ren stopped.
"…Hold on."
He knelt and brushed debris aside.
A weapon emerged.
A spear.
Its shaft was dark silver, etched with worn runes. The spearhead shimmered faintly, as if space itself bent slightly around its edge.
The moment Ren touched it—
A surge of information flooded his mind.
Ancient Relic Detected
Name: Voidpiercer (Damaged)Rank: Legendary (Sealed)Effect: Ignores physical and mana-based defensesStatus: Requires Sovereign Authority Level 2 to unseal
Ren sucked in a breath.
"Legendary… already?"
Ignivar lowered his head slightly.
"That spear once belonged to a dragon executioner. It slew both kings and gods."
Ren carefully set it aside.
"Then it can wait."
He wasn't reckless enough to use sealed power blindly.
Not after Chapter Five.
They continued.
A low rumble echoed faintly in the distance.
Not beasts.
Something else.
Ignivar stiffened slightly.
"There are other dragon lords stirring," he said. "Your presence spreads."
Ren nodded.
"I figured."
Power never stayed quiet.
Especially not power meant to rule.
Ren returned to the central crystal platform.
He sat down again.
This time, his gaze fixed on the system interface.
"Gacha."
The button pulsed faintly.
Unlike before, he didn't press it immediately.
He studied the mana readings.
The environment bonus.
The cooldown indicators.
Probability modifiers.
"…So this works like resource investment," he muttered.
High mana zone.
High risk.
High reward.
But also—
Higher consequences.
Ren smiled slowly.
"I should plan my pulls."
Ignivar watched him with something like curiosity.
For the first time since arriving in Aetherra, Ren felt it clearly.
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was preparing.