Day Two.
Mylora woke up groggily.
Then she saw a valley.
Such a deep valley.
Two soft, fragrant mounds pressed against her cheek; a pair of perfectly plump legs coiled around her waist—everywhere, a bouncy, yielding warmth.
Rolling her eyes sideways, she spotted Torina’s sleeping face. *She must’ve dozed off while watching over me last night… and used me as a pillow?*
“Mmm… Hnn… Haaah… Huh? Mylora? You’re awake…?”
“Just woke up.”
“Oh…”
Torina yawned, sat up, and shook her head like a big dog to clear the sleep—then her mood instantly sank. *Yesterday’s failure…*
*Right. Comfort Mylora first. She’s probably way more upset.*
“Um… Mylora, it’s okay. Don’t blame yourself. Let’s figure out a backup plan together.”
“Huh? Blame myself…?”
“Failure happens. Even if you came back empty-handed, you’re still my adorable Mylora!”
“Er… Sorry. I really didn’t find the Stellar Rune.”
“Right? It’s fine, you just—”
“But I found… a rune you never mentioned. I think the resonance worked.”
“Huh?”
Torina froze.
Mylora extended her palm, closed her eyes, murmured softly—and a complex violet-black rune hovered above her hand.
Clothes stacked beside the bed drifted upward. Torina felt parts of her body lighten, others grow heavy… *Huh? Gravity? The field’s warped?*
“Could it be… the Gravity Rune?”
“Mm. That’s what it’s called, I think.”
“The Gravity Rune, huh…”
Torina scratched her head, perplexed.
It *did* exist.
Power-wise, it ranked just below the legendary Stellar Rune. The original story barely mentioned it—*once*.
House Dewell’s history held almost no records of anyone mastering it. Even rarer than Stellar Rune wielders.
All this? Knowledge Torina gained *this* life. The original story glossed over it—so she had zero clue how it’d play out.
“S-so… is this rune… weak?”
“…No. It’s strong. I can promise you that.”
“Really!?”
Mylora’s eyes sparkled with joy.
“But I know nothing about it. Probably no one in the whole family does. You’ll have to explore its effects yourself.”
“No problem! This is perfect! Actually… even better!”
Mylora’s excitement surged. *Developing a powerful, mysterious ability*—it hit her right in the feels. She was already mentally diving into the classic shonen training arc.
“Ahem. Reminder: you broke the labyrinth rules by overstaying. No third exploration today.”
“Eh…”
“But we’ve got time to master this power. Let’s train hard together!”
“Okay!!!”
Mylora wagged an imaginary tail like an eager puppy—*so* cute. *Here, have a bone~*
“…Why’s your foot in my mouth?”
“Ah! Sorry!”
——————
——————
In the basement of the small building (a massive underground training ground prepared by the old butler—a place undetectable by any scanner), Torina and Mylora stood ready in training gear. They had to maximize progress before next week’s Battle Festival.
“Rune magic basics: one clear weakness, one clear strength. Weakness? Narrow skill scope. I wield Lightning, Water, and Ice Runes—so I can’t use Fire or Earth.”
“Mm-hmm! And the strength?”
“Rune magic triggers phenomena through the world’s whispers. Casting drains minimal energy. A Lightning Rune strike uses less than half the mana of standard lightning magic—*huge* advantage mid-fight.”
“Whoa!”
“Plus, learning runes is intuitive. It’s about resonating with the world’s whispers—not memorizing textbooks.”
“No wonder your family’s ceremony draws crowds.”
“Exactly. Which is why… let’s skip theory. Sparring time.”
“Yay!”
“Watch closely.”
Torina summoned the Ice Rune, flicked her rapier—frost instantly sheathed the blade.
“Hah!”
She slashed the wooden dummy: a clean cut across its chest, ice shards scattering for secondary damage.
“Runes naturally enchant weapons. This is beginner-level. Your turn.”
“Mmm…”
“Newbies chant or trace the rune. Find your own words. Connect with the rune’s essence inside you. It’ll come.”
“…………”
Mylora’s eyes narrowed slightly. She stroked her short sword’s edge, lips parting after a silent pause—
“…ᛯô”
A violet-black glow, like rippling water and crackling lightning, shimmered along the blade.
“It worked!?”
“Mm-hmm. Natural talent. Took me *several* tries back then.”
“Yay!!!”
Mylora beamed at her blade—their first successful rune spell. Though… that violet-black glow? Not exactly *Phoenix Overlord* energy. More… villain-core.
“Mylora. Sparring?” Torina offered.
“Full contact?”
“Yes. Curious how gravity enchantment plays out.”
“Okay… Pardon my rudeness!”
No hesitation. Mylora swung. Torina blocked—
“Oh?”
The instant steel met steel, Torina’s sword *heavily* weighed down.
She nearly dropped it, stance faltering—Mylora struck again. Torina sidestepped lightly; the blade grazed her sleeve—
Riiip!!!!
The fabric turned iron-heavy, yanking the collar open. A magnificent, motherly swell spilled into view—*enough to nourish a whole village*.
*Oops. Accidental exposure~*
Both froze.
Then—
“Eeeek!!! Mylora, you PERVERT!!!”
“But *you* told me to swing!”
