A damp, rotten stench flooded out as the stone door swung open. I clamped a hand over my nose and stepped back.

No one had set foot here in ages.

Once the stale air cleared, I followed the glow of the Radiance Spell inside.

Dust coated every surface of the windowless room. Solid walls sealed it tight—no ventilation at all.

No wonder the air reeked. That stone door locked out the outside world completely.

I circled the room under the spell’s light. It was larger than it seemed, yet utterly empty.

Well… not entirely.

*That thing… I actually found it.*

In the corner sat a shabby wooden chest. Small, decently crafted, but layered with cobwebs and time’s decay. Just looking at it screamed ancient history.

This broken little chest… it was the final target of the four-star quest—Lady Mafalina’s grandfather’s legacy.

But something felt off. Probing with magic, I sensed faint magical fluctuations inside the chest.

Could it hold another Arcane Conduit?

Wait… I’d just found a Mind Amplification Ring outside the stone door. Now this magical pulse? Was Lady Mafalina’s grandfather a reclusive Mage?

No wonder he built his estate on Bluewater City’s outskirts. Studying magic within city limits meant endless restrictions. Out here, in the rarely visited wilds, no one would bother him.

His identity stayed hidden far easier here than in the city.

What tier of Mage was that unseen elder?

Yet why had his estate fallen into such ruin? Overgrown weeds, crumbling walls, and the outer grounds overrun by pack-dwelling monsters.

Even his granddaughter needed to hire mercenaries at great cost just to retrieve his belongings.

Why did Lady Mafalina want this chest? Or… was she a Mage herself? Had she always aimed to reclaim her grandfather’s Arcane Conduit?

No wonder the reward was three hundred gold coins plus a Blessed Weapon—lavish beyond reason. Compared to a powerful Arcane Conduit, even such riches were trivial.

A Blessed Weapon was precious, yes, but nothing next to the power an Arcane Conduit granted a Mage. That’s why she could so casually include it in the reward. Her true goal had always been this chest in the estate’s basement.

I lifted the chest, brushing off filthy cobwebs and dust. Time’s decay, however, couldn’t be wiped away.

I wasn’t curious about the Arcane Conduit inside. Finding the Mind Amplification Ring outside the door had already thrilled me beyond expectation. Whatever lay within belonged to my employer.

Besides, the chest bore an Alchemical Array etched with magic. Though its power had faded over time, only specific techniques—or overwhelming force—could break it open. To a normal person, it was just a sturdy, locked box.

I searched the room again, chest in hand. No other exits. No hidden doors or concealed Magic Runes revealed by magical probing.

Only one way out: force through the stairs.

I approached the ice wall. The two Crimson Lions outside had nearly shattered it. The center had thinned visibly.

Their bloodthirsty eyes locked onto me through the ice, sharp as a hawk sighting prey.

A chill ran down my spine. I steadied myself, storing Magic Runes before breaking out.

Runes couldn’t stack in the Magic Cube. Each spell occupied one slot. Trying to cram duplicates would scatter the runes—or worse, damage the Cube.

This time, I’d pack as many runes as the Cube allowed. Its capacity depended on the wielder’s strength.

How many could mine hold?

I swiftly gathered ambient magic. The three runes for Blazing Lance slid into the Cube.

I’d hoped to store more, but the ice wall groaned under the beasts’ assault. I sighed. It had held long enough.

Through the thinning ice, one Crimson Lion backed down three steps. It crouched, hind legs coiled, then lunged like a hunting hawk.

The ice shattered.

Its lithe body burst through, ice shards crashing like broken glass.

But the moment it broke through, a crimson spear wreathed in flame pierced its chest and kept flying.

*Always be prepared.*

Two beasts remained.

The second Crimson Lion pounced as the ice wall collapsed. I’d dealt with the first, but this one caught me unprepared—my Cube was empty.

Thankfully, I had the Mind Amplification Ring. Slipping it off my finger and into the Cube, my thoughts sharpened instantly.

Rooted in place, I wove elements and incantation together. Amplified focus let me cast Rune Barrier in under a second.

A curved golden shield flared before me, blocking the beast’s charge.

Time for the second-tier spell: Tempest Hammer.

The ring’s boost made mana flow like water. I assembled the four runes in moments.

Palm outstretched toward the charging lion, I released the spell. An invisible force slammed into it. A heavy *thud* echoed as the beast flew backward, as if struck by a thousand-pound hammer. It crashed into the wall, leaving a deep dent. Blood seeped through its fur before its lifeless body slid down.

*Is it over?*

*So this is a second-tier spell’s power… truly formidable.*

Excitement surged through me—briefly. Then a sharp pain exploded in my skull.

Strange visions flashed behind my eyes: a starry night plain, a lonely crescent moon. They shifted, relentless.

My eyelids grew heavy. Only the flickering images remained.

Overwhelming drowsiness swallowed my mind. Darkness crashed over me, and I pitched forward to the ground.

*Damn it! Not enough mana again? But I have the amplifier!*

Consciousness blurred, sank, and drowned in blackness.

Time lost meaning.

Everything froze in an instant.

Then—I snapped awake.

Grass met my eyes. Dewy grass.

*Why am I lying face-down in a field?*

The air smelled crisp, damp, and carried a biting chill. Stars dotted the sky. A crescent moon hung high in the night.

I pushed myself up, bewildered. The ruined estate, the dark basement, the monster corpses—all gone. Like a dream.

Something felt wrong. My legs felt cold.

*Wait…*

The night wind cleared my head.

My clothes… had changed.

I looked down. My face twisted in frustration. My body felt alien again. The black clothes were gone, replaced by a girl’s dress. *No way.* I’d just swapped back with Eunice! I hadn’t even enjoyed being myself again before—

*This is absurd!*

Frustration, disappointment, anger… and a flicker of relief.

*Maybe… this isn’t so bad? If we’d stayed swapped, how long could our bond last?*

Why was there happiness tangled in my gloom?

*What do I truly feel?*

Confusion tightened my chest. I stared at the distant stars, lost.

*I’m actually relieved I can stay with Eunice…*

I couldn’t face this tangled truth—a feeling I refused to admit, yet undeniably real.

*Do I… like that icy girl?*

My heart wavered. *Liking Eunice?*

*Impossible…*

But this denial lacked its old certainty. Doubt crept in.

This sudden swap had shifted something inside me.

I smoothed my wrinkled dress and walked forward in silence.

Then stopped.

Tears pricked my eyes as I scanned the empty dark. *Which way is anything?! Where even am I?!*