Chapter 40
Two days later
Two days had passed, and Grey couldn't contain his excitement. He was finally heading back. The morning sun poured gently into Randin's cave house as Grey woke up early, neatly packing his belongings. Among them was the small chest he had found, now safely tucked inside his backpack.
"Finally, I'll be leaving here for the human world," Grey said with a grin of anticipation as he zipped the bag closed.
He looked around. The cave was quiet—Randin was nowhere to be seen.
"Where even is Randin?" he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy stomping echoed from the entrance. The dwarf soon emerged, holding a dull-looking chest in one hand and a sleek new sword hanging by his waist.
"I'm here!" Randin announced, stepping inside.
"Where have you been?" Grey asked, arching a brow.
"Getting your parting gift ready," Randin replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"That thing in your hand?" Grey asked, eyeing the worn-out chest suspiciously.
"Yep. Your gift is inside this beauty," Randin said, patting the lid with pride.
"What's in it? Let me see!" Grey said eagerly, reaching forward to snatch it—but Randin pulled it back swiftly.
"Not so fast. First, I want you to promise me you won't open this chest until you're back in the human world."
"Oh, come on! Just a peek?" Grey pleaded, his fingers twitching.
"Nope. Promise me," Randin said firmly.
"Fine! I promise. Now can I have it?" Grey asked impatiently.
"Alright, alright." Randin handed it over.
Grey snatched it from his hands like a starved fox finding a meal and stuffed it deep into his bag.
"So, how will you leave?" Randin asked.
"The same way I came," Grey said with a smirk.
"And how exactly did you come?"
"Like this!" Grey said, activating his wind magic. His body began to levitate as currents of wind gathered around him.
"Bye, Randin! See you next time!" he shouted, zipping out of the cave in a flash of wind.
Randin rushed outside, only to find Grey had completely vanished.
"How fast did he just leave? How did he even leave?" Randin asked himself in bewilderment. "Guess I won't be getting those answers anytime soon. Bye, Grey. Till we meet again!"
---
Not long after leaving, Grey flew into another cave—this one far smaller than Randin's, with an opening at the top, letting sunlight streak through.
Walking around, he soon felt a familiar pull—the signature of his mana. Nodding to himself, he sat down on the ground, cross-legged.
"I had created this circle in case I needed to leave urgently. Looks like it's going to save me a lot of time," he said.
His hand began to glow—a radiant white light enveloped it. It was mana in its purest form, raw and untainted. He thrust his glowing hand forward, and the light surged into the runic circle carved into the cave floor. Instantly, the ground lit up, pulsating with a brilliant white light.
Then, with a sudden surge, a swirling portal opened before him—shimmering and humming with mystical energy.
Taking a deep breath, Grey dusted himself off, hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder, and looked back one last time.
"Goodbye, Bronze Land. Goodbye, Randin. Till next time," he whispered, stepping into the portal.
The portal sealed shut behind him.
Warping through dimensions, his senses heightened, alert to every flicker and pulse around him. Moments later, he was gently expelled from the other side and landed softly in a familiar cave.
Runes decorated the walls, a stone chair sat in a corner, and several cans of his favorite drink were scattered around.
"Well, that was one crazy way to spend my two-week break," Grey muttered with a sigh. He slumped into his stone chair and cracked open a can.
"Ahhh! That hits the spot. I've missed this taste," he said, savoring the flavor.
Standing up, he walked over to the wall and pressed his palm against it, infusing his mana. The wall slowly slid open, revealing a narrow path leading to a smaller cave.
"That reminds me... the goblin cave had an illusion spell like mine. A fake exterior concealing the real entrance," Grey said thoughtfully.
'Is it a coincidence… or is a mage working with the other side? Or am I overthinking it?' he wondered. 'Does the Emperor even know about the otherworlders?'
"I guess I won't know for now. No point stressing myself," he shrugged, stepping out of the cave into the open forest.
The moment he emerged, he paused.
"It's like... I can feel the mana in the air so clearly now," he said aloud. "Bronze Land had only traces of mana, but here… it's overflowing."
He channeled mana from his core, circulating it through his body, then to his left eye. It glowed yellow—and his vision shifted. The world now shimmered with a veil of energy.
"Yeah, I was right. The mana is richer… and is it just me, or is it actually being drawn toward me?"
'But I've never heard of a mage whose mana attracted ambient mana. Maybe it's something that happens when one advances to a higher star level,' he thought, unconcerned.
He jogged toward home, occasionally boosting his speed with wind magic. In two minutes, he reached his door—only to find it slightly open.
"She's back already?" he thought, eyes wide. "No… don't tell me she's been home longer than me?! What excuse do I even give her?"
"Will you quit being a baby and just go inside already?" Noir's voice echoed in his mind.
'Can you stop bossing me around, you useless familiar? You never help in battles, but you sure love to nag,' Grey grumbled internally.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped into the living room. His mother, Clara, was unpacking, her face lit up with excitement.
Hearing the door creak, she turned. "Oh, Grey! You're back early from your training. It feels like you knew I'd return today, so you wrapped things up and came ho—"
She froze, blinking.
Her eyes scanned him closely. His skin looked unnaturally smooth, glowing almost. But what caught her attention most was his hair—no longer the soft brown she loved, but now a fiery shade of red.
"Grey? What… happened to you?" Clara asked, stepping closer.
Grey instinctively ran his hand through his hair and froze. 'Right… my hair.'
'Damn. What do I even say now?'
"Tell her the truth. I don't know what you've gone through or why you're stammering like a child, but she'll appreciate honesty more than lies," Noir advised.
'Huh… never knew you had common sense,' Grey thought.
"My mistake for trying," Noir scoffed and went silent.
Grey exhaled deeply and walked toward his mother, guiding her gently to a chair.
"Mum, I'll be honest with you," he began, sitting down beside her. "I've awakened my affinities. I'm a mage now… and not just any mage. I'm a 2-star mage. I can control three elements—for now."
"What?! But how…?" Clara asked, bewildered.
To prove it, Grey stood and raised his hand.
"Fire magic!" he called, and flames erupted in his palm.
"Wind magic!" A breeze swept around her, lifting her slightly off the chair. She gasped.
"Earth magic!" A shard from the wall cracked off and floated to him.
Clara's eyes widened in disbelief. But then—her reaction stunned Grey.
"I knew it! I knew you'd awaken by now… I just didn't expect it so soon!" she said with overwhelming joy, rushing to hug him tightly.
"Wait! What?!" Grey exclaimed, dumbfounded.