The scene before my eyes felt like a first-person game, or a dream I couldn’t quite grasp.

I wasn’t staring at cold ground—I saw a ruined mansion. The owner of this vision was cornered against a wall by several crimson-furred, monstrous beasts.

These creatures resembled lions but were far larger, with spiraling horns on their heads and blood-red fur. They fanned out around their prey, hesitating to close in, their brown eyes fixed warily on "me."

Nearby, several identical beasts lay dead on the ground, their dark blood soaking into the weedy earth. Most striking was a massive scarlet lion lying on its side a short distance away, barely clinging to life.

This beast dwarfed its kin, its size like a fallen ox. A gaping wound tore across its entire belly, and thirsty grass roots drank deeply of its thick blood.

Had the pack leader already lost its fight?

This seemed to be the mansion’s grand hall. The ceiling soared high, dominated by vast, ashen spiderwebs.

Horrific claw marks scarred all four walls; some spots were even smashed inward from violent impacts.

A fierce battle must have raged here earlier.

That fight had clearly instilled fear in these beasts—even their leader was nearly dead. No wonder they surrounded their prey but dared not pounce.

Raw caution flickered in their animal eyes.

But what was happening? Why was I seeing this?

Bewildered, I knelt shakily as the vision’s owner stretched out a right hand.

A slender arm clad in a thin black sleeve emerged, fingers soft and long.

My breath hitched—

The clothing style was unmistakable.

Eunice’s clothes!

…Was the owner of this vision *me*?

No… truly speaking, that person was now Eunice!

The puzzle clicked into place. Every hazy clue connected: the ruined mansion, the pack of beasts—it matched the four-star commission Eunice had accepted.

And the fighter? I was certain it was Eunice herself, who’d left Bluewater City to complete this mission.

Had we swapped visions?

Like me, Eunice must have lost her original sight. That’s why she’d scrambled back, forcing calm onto her panicked mind until she reached this corner of the hall.

If her earlier display of power hadn’t terrified these beasts, she’d be under relentless attack by now.

Thankfully, Eunice had sharp instincts.

Cornered here, she only needed to guard her front—no fear of ambush from behind.

Sensing the predators circling just meters away, Eunice extended her right hand again.

A ball of pitch-black light, seeming to devour all around it, coalesced in her palm.

The five crimson beasts bared their fangs. The moment that dark glow appeared, they lunged as one—the light radiated danger.

Their bodies sprang like released coils.

Eunice’s dark orb was about to fire—

—but it suddenly dissipated into nothingness.

What?!

My heart lurched. In the vision, snapping jaws and icy claws rushed closer.

Death’s chill washed over me.

I couldn’t breathe.

Dead?

Dead?

Dead?

Am *I* dying?

Is *Eunice*… dying?!

I froze, staring blankly at the approaching reaper.

Blood-red fur. Claws gleaming coldly. Sharp horns. Fangs bared long and lethal.

A nightmare.

Our bodies… haven’t swapped back yet…

How could she die here, like *this*…

She… is dying?

No… don’t die…

The girl didn’t give up. She threw herself sideways onto the grass, scrambled up, and sprinted toward the exit she remembered.

Her run wasn’t straight—she occasionally stumbled. She was blind.

In my peripheral vision, I saw the beasts crash into the wall after missing her. Unharmed, they quickly recovered and gave chase.

But Eunice was heading straight for a rotten wooden shield lying on the ground, covered in beast bite marks—left behind by some fallen mercenary.

She couldn’t see it. She only charged toward where she remembered the exit being.

No! Don’t run that way—dodge!

*Crash!*

The view jolted violently. Eunice reflexively squeezed her eyes shut as she hit the ground hard.

Darkness swallowed everything.

She didn’t wake up. Eunice didn’t wake…

Only blackness filled my sight.

Dizziness overwhelmed me. A sharp sense of falling—then my senses snapped back to my own body.

Frantic, I opened my eyes.

*Opened my eyes…*

My head throbbed. Had I lost connection with Eunice’s vision?

What happened to her? I had to save her!

Burning with urgency, I scanned my surroundings, desperate to flee this estate.

Wait…

The world before me wasn’t a hill dotted with shrubs—it was the weed-choked ruin of a grand mansion.

Realization struck like lightning. My pupils contracted sharply. I whipped my head around. Time itself seemed to freeze.

Five crimson-furred beasts—lion-like predators—were closing in on me like hunting leopards.

My body… had swapped back?!

But danger—run! *Run!*

My legs felt leaden, glued to the ground. Nothing like Eunice’s swift agility. My mind was chaos, yet utterly blank.

No time to think. No time to calculate.

Only primal fear surged—and the courage born from it.

I unleashed the rune combinations stored in my Magic Cube, completing the final incantation in an instant.

*Magic: Blazing Lance!*

Scorching flames materialized midair. Crimson and orange light writhed and twisted as the fiery spear shot forth under my will, trailing a brilliant wake.

The heat was so intense it seemed to ignite the air itself.

Two beasts were impaled—one after the other. Before their blood could spray, flames seared the wounds shut, sealing the gore inside cooked flesh.

Their twisted faces, frozen in agony, hit the ground with their lifeless bodies.

The stench of roasted meat churned my stomach. I slowed my breathing, fighting nausea.

But the fight wasn’t over.

Retreating toward the hall’s exit, I activated another spell stored in the Magic Cube: *Frost Arrow*.

The runes had been pre-assembled. I targeted the fastest, closest beast—the greatest threat. Though tense, my mana control remained steady. The Frost Arrow flew true, striking its mark in less than a heartbeat.

A shrill shriek cut the air. The crimson beast collapsed, the arrow piercing its neck. Frost hardened its fluffy fur; blood mixed with ice shards, freezing into pale red crystals among its hair.

One less enemy. But I couldn’t relax.

The nearest beast was only five meters away—thanks to Eunice. Her earlier dodge had made them crash into the corner wall, buying me precious seconds!

Without that distance, I’d already be torn apart.

The Magic Cube’s stored runes were exhausted. No more instant spells. My attempt to store *Tempest Hammer* had failed. All my trump cards were gone.

Was I truly relying on this absurd, inexplicable talent for magic? I hated admitting it, but talent *was* mysterious.

Who’d have thought utterly ordinary me was a magic prodigy?

Even I was shocked.

For the first time, I felt a flicker of pride—and relief—at this sudden gift.

*Chanting incantation paired with elemental alignment—Frost Arrow!*

I avoided the three-rune *Blazing Lance* and other unpracticed first-tier spells. Instead, I chose the *Frost Arrow* I’d drilled endlessly. No more silent casting here in this remote ruin—I chanted aloud, weaving elements with my voice.

Two guttural syllables tore from my throat, each representing a rune for the Frost Arrow. The elemental alignment snapped into place as I spoke.

Two seconds later, a fresh Frost Arrow shot from my hand. After this, I could handle the last enemy calmly.

The arrow streaked toward the lead scarlet lion, trailing faint ice mist. Without pause, I began preparing the next spell.

Then my heart stopped.

The targeted lion twisted its body as if expecting the shot. The Frost Arrow grazed its fur, embedding itself harmlessly in the hall wall behind it.

Had its fallen comrades made it cautious?

I swallowed my shock, canceling the Frost Arrow spell. Two unfamiliar syllables erupted from my lips.

*Elemental alignment—faster!*

*Thud.* A curved, four-sided shield flared to life before me, golden runes shimmering across its surface—*Rune Barrier*.

Success!

The scarlet lion slammed into the barrier with a dull *thump*. I stumbled backward—

—and my foot crunched down on a section of rotten wooden floorboard.

*Crack!*

My body pitched backward uncontrollably. Frantic, I flailed for support—

—only to realize I’d already retreated to the hall’s edge. Behind me lay a downward staircase.

I tumbled down the steps, helpless, rolling into the darkness below.