"Hey, Zero."

The night was late. Prota was fast asleep, exhausted from the day's events, but John was now in his environment. Perhaps his habits from his days in reality carried over, or maybe it was just a dislike of sunlight, but his brain always worked best at night.

"Why did she react like that?"

"Like what?" John's soul didn't come out, but his voice was audible.

"I mean, it's just… I was expecting something different, you know? Like in stories, when characters get pushed to their limits, they go through some kind of growth. They get stronger."

"Your point?"

"She… I thought something else would happen, you know?" John said quietly. "She's a [Character]. Wasn't she supposed to grow?"

Zero sighed. He was beginning to regret all the lessons he'd given John. The knowledge that this world was a [Story] was incredibly useful, but John was overdoing it. He was internalizing it too much, taking it to heart a little too far.

"John. You know, it's only been a bit more than a year since you first met Prota. Something like this isn't a realization of weakness; it was a relapse."

"A relapse?" John frowned.

"Prota was helpless for most of her life. She's still a child, John, no matter how mature she might have been forced to be. It's easy for her to get discouraged, to give up. What did you expect? "

"But that's the behaviour of a real person," John argued. "That's what would happen in real life. People give up all the time. But she's a [Character]. She's not supposed to give up. She's supposed to keep going, to advance the [Plot]."

"Maybe… have you considered that not everything fits into a perfect, nice cookie-cutter shape? Try seeing her as more than just a [Character], John."

John fell back on his bed and closed his eyes. He could've argued this more, but what was the point? He would never admit it, but Zero never argued something when he was wrong. He closed his eyes and sank into an uneasy sleep.

~~~

The scene felt like the setup for some kind of joke. The [Protagonist], a Mystic, a manaless man and a small girl stood in the centre of a clearing in the forest. Unfortunately, it ended there, because there was no punchline to be had.

John crossed his arms, leaning against a tree.

"Alright, so you're gonna do what, now? What's the training regiment supposed to be?"

"Well, I can't just snap my fingers and make her a top tier mage," Kit shrugged. "But don't you worry. I'll be teaching her the same way I taught our little warrior over here, alright?"

Prota froze up as Kit walked towards her. No matter how much her brain told her that this woman wasn't going to hurt her, the irrational fears left in her body remained.

"I'm just need to ask a few questions, alright?"

Prota couldn't respond.

"...is she mute or something?" Kit frowned, turning to John.

"She's, uh… a little shy. I can answer for her, ok?"

Kit raised an eyebrow at that but left it at that.

"Ok then, question one! Soul Steal. She knows how to use it, right?"

Prota's eyes shot wide open as she instinctively jumped back, hiding behind John, who'd barely stiffened up before returned to a relaxed posture.

"Soul Steal? Never heard of it," he shrugged without missing a beat.

"Then I can't teach her," Kit sighed. "Oh, well. Such a shame."

The sarcasm was obvious. John was a good liar, but Prota wasn't, and her reaction had already given everything away. He considered playing along for about two seconds, then decided that there was a far easier route to take.

His gun came out naturally. Shoot first, ask questions a [Reset] later.

"Alright, you baited me. Good job," John said, eyes narrowing. "Gold medal for you. Now what? What do you want?"

"So she does know Soul Steal," Kit said, raising an eye. "Please, I noticed it the moment she used the ability during her fight with that elf. Although, it's rather interesting. I can't sense any demonic energy from her, and I can't sense any energy at all from you. What's going on here?"

John frowned in confusion. "Maybe because she's not a demon? Hold on, demonic energy? Why would she have demonic-"

Kit frowned. "She's actually human? No, you wouldn't be lying, right? D- Fate?"

John hesitated. Was this some kind of bait? In all honesty, he knew absolutely nothing about Soul Steal. All they had was what Jinae knew, and it wasn't enough.

Was it a type of magic? A skill? An attribute? And why were demons being brought into this? Prota had been called a demon before, but those had been very different circumstances. Kit was genuinely classifying her as a demon based on her ability. Unless there was a deeper, underlying—no, no way. The [Author] wasn't smart enough to think that far.

"...yeah, she's human. What else would she be?"

Kit just nodded. "Ooh, how interesting."

The Mystic stared at Prota as if she'd discovered a rare specimen, and the little girl shrank back under Kit's intense glare. John sighed.

"Hey. What is Soul Steal, exactly?"

"...huh? You don't know?" Kit threw her head back and laughed. "That's hilarious! You're standing next to a girl who could level the entire continent, and you don't even know it!"

"Level… the continent?" John frowned.

"Do you even know what your sister's ability does?"

John licked his lips, stalling for time. He didn't really know the answer to that question.

"Um. It, ah… from what I know, it can absorb the mana of other people. Even souls, from what I've heard, although I'm not too sure how that one works. From there, she can copy the magic related to the mana she stole, although it's only at a primitive level."

"Primitive? You mean she can't copy someone's full abilities? But- that's not…" Kit frowned. She squinted her eyes, trying to make sure she was seeing right. "Just what are you?"

She stared at Prota like the girl was some kind of creature, which only caused her to shrink down even further. John could feel her trembling. This was probably bringing up bad memories. He grabbed Kit's collar and forced her to look at him.

"Hey, you're talking with me, not her. What did you mean about levelling the country?"

Kit pushed John off her, but to his surprise, she didn't seem offended. Rather, she seemed almost amused by his actions.

"You know about dragons, right?" she said.

"...sort of."

It was probably better not to look like a total fool at this point.

"The reason dragons are so powerful is because of certain abilities unique to their nature: Draconic Speech, which has the ability to command living beings, and Soul Steal. The ability to take the mana of others and make it entirely their own," Kit explained.

"...entirely?"

"That's right. They master someone else's magic as soon as they take it. Honestly, I always thought that was a stupid idea. Why would they need magic? They can just take someone else's soul."

John frowned. He'd assumed Mystics were the stand-ins for gods, but he was now being told that there was a force equal to them. Great. Absolutely wonderful.

"So, what? Are dragons just lizard Mystics or something?"

"No, no. They're just…. well, just think of them as a natural balance to our existence," Kit shrugged. "Mystics and dragons have a bit of a strained relationship, you see, since Mystics are supposed to be gods of sorts. They don't like it when there are beings stronger than them."

John nodded, absorbing the new information. If that was right, then was Prota a dragon or something?

"Can baby dragons use Soul Steal perfectly, immediately?"

"Well, duh. Otherwise, other races would kill dragons before they have a chance to grow," Kit said. "There aren't that many of them, you know? And they're not eager to make more competition for themselves."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

John nodded, but then something seemed off. "Wait a minute. You said they just absorb souls. If you and dragons are clashing with each other, then why aren't you Mystics all dead?"

"Huh?" Kit frowned. "Oh, you didn't know?"

Ah. Here is was. Right, it would be too boring if there was an ability akin to instant death. There had to be a catch.

"Soul Steal can be blocked."

"Yeah. Ok."

"Well, obviously. Nature wouldn't allow such a thing to exist. It just requires the right mental fortitude. If you're strong enough, you can block any draconic ability. But good luck trying to have a mental stronger than a dragon."

John looked at Prota, who was still hiding behind his legs.

"So why did you think Prota was a demon instead of a dragon?"

Kit sighed. "You don't know anything. Seriously, how have you survived this long?"

"Just get on with it."

The fox was looking at John in a new light, and not in a good way, but she continued the lesson.

"There's a rumour that demons managed to replicate the ability. Your sister obviously isn't a dragon, so what other options are there? But if she's not a demon, then… well, I don't know what she is."

Kit leapt forwards and grabbed John's hands with sparkling eyes.

"Well, that's just going to make it more interesting to work with her."

"Wha- huh?"

"Think! I can work with the magic of dragons! Something no Mystic has ever been able to do! Think of the possibilities, the strategies, the…"

John realized something just then. "You're a massive nerd, aren't you? Not some mature god, not some higher being… you're just a nerd."

"No," Kit winked. "Just a little fox."

"Just a little fox. Right," Fate mumbled.

"...so you have no issues with Prota?"

"Of course not! Besides, just look at how cute she is. Ooh, her cheeks are so chubby…"

Prota felt a shiver run down her spine. Somehow, this side of Kit felt infinitely more dangerous than anything she'd faced before.

"Uh… yeah, maybe not," John said awkwardly, looking at Prota.

"Well, in order to start, I'm gonna need to know more about her. What kinds of magic can she use? How long has she been using it? Stuff like that."

John nodded, explaining as much as he knew. He left out details about [Resets] and anything related to his own abilities, but he was part [Writer] for a reason. In a couple of minutes, he'd woven a convincing story using part truth, part lie.

"So she can only use the base element… and you say that the more proficient she becomes with magic, the more she'll be able to copy others' spells?"

John nodded. "Yeah. At least, that's what I think. No way to confirm any of this, right? Just theories I've made while watching her."

"Hm… interesting, very interesting!"

Kit snapped her fingers, and a fireball appeared in her hand. She turned to Prota with a malicious smile on her face.

"You'd better steel yourself, 'cause what's coming next won't be easy."

~~~

For two weeks, Prota did nothing but train in magic. It was to the point where Fate was concerned about her health, but John assured him that everything was fine.

"She's been through worse," he explained.

"Worse? Really?"

"Yeah, kinda. She can handle this, no problem."

Kit was an excellent teacher, to be sure, but Prota was growing at a rate much faster than anyone else would've. It wasn't because she was a genius or anything. She did have quite the natural talent for understanding mana, but she wasn't able to just create spells on her first attempt.

So while she didn't have a genius intellect, she did have Soul Steal and mana recovery. This combination was what allowed her to learn at such a quick pace, even with Kit's Mystic level lessons.

"See, mana is the energy that allows us to redefine the world. However, how much energy you put into doing that can be changed. Just like anything, a process can be made more efficient." Kit lit two fires in her hands, and both looked exactly the same. "The fire on the right was made with three times the mana of the one made on the left. And yet they have the same output."

In short, the lessons were all about learning how to use mana in the most efficient method possible. John had a feeling that this wasn't common knowledge, but he wasn't going to refuse a lesson on superior tactics.

Even with the explanation, though, it wasn't easy to understand. It was a skill that required practice and concentration, and that meant casting the same spells over and over again. Just like refining metal, mana, too, needed to be refined into an ideal form.

This was where Prota shone. With [Soul Steal], Prota could continue to replenish her mana, while [Mana Recovery] allowed her to cast spells without growing tired. On top of this, her mental strength was absurdly strong as a side effect of all the [Resets] she'd been through.

As a result, she was a machine that took in mana and expelled magic.

"Wow… to think I'd see another monster," Kit sighed as she rested her cheek in her hands.

Only two weeks later, Prota could cast ten fireballs at once.

The concentration of mana that it took to cast one fireball was now being used for two or three. The efficiency was incredible. Not only that, she'd learned how to hone her spells to be more lethal. The fire was a little hotter, the icicles a little sharper. Kit hadn't even meant to teach Prota something like that.

It was just a result of Prota's hard work.

"Good job, kiddo," Kit said after watching the display of power. "You've mastered the basics."

"B-basics?" Prota panted, exhausted from casting the spell.

"Well, duh. You're just casting first-circle spells right now. You thought you were done?"

Prota's heart started beating faster. There was more than this? She looked at her hands with shining eyes. Just this felt like a massive leap forward, a boost of strength she never could've imagined, but… this was just the start?

A world she hadn't even imagined was beginning to open up.

"I see you're ready for more," Kit grinned. "Then come on! Let's keep going."

~~~

"Lesson two! Magic stems from someone's imagination. There are tons of spells you can learn, but in order to truly master magic, you have to come up with magic of your own."

Kit opened her hand to reveal a rose made of fire, then blew on it. As she did so, the petals shot out in every direction, beautiful petals of flames, then exploded as they hit the ground.

"Remember. Magic is just us harnessing the power to reshape the world. So while there are lots of good spells you can learn… why copy when you can create? Others might teach you spells, but that's boring. Magic… is creation at its finest."

Prota's eyes opened wide. That flower. It was just like the one she'd made in the cave when she'd fought against the fake John.

She remembered the message she'd seen back then. Creation.

Ten minutes, then thirty minutes, then an hour passed. No progress was being made. John was falling asleep while Kit was tutoring Fate to the side. Prota was paying attention to none of that.

Her eyes squeezed as she concentrated, picturing a flower in her hand. A flower with hundreds of petals, all intertwined, condensed and packed. Take an icicle, shape it, mould it until the petals all fold onto each other, one by one…

"...hey. Are you sure she's not a demon?" Kit said awkwardly as she poked John awake.

John rubbed his eyes, but the sight that greeted them made him think he was still dreaming.

Frost was gathering around Prota, making her white hair even whiter, and the snow was swirling into the center of her hands, slowly but surely forming something that was beginning to resemble a flower.

"I… that's incredibly advanced magic. Have you been lying this whole time?"

"N-no. I swear, I'm just as surprised as you are…"

"Is Prota really not the [Protagonist]? What's up with this level of talent? Can this even be called talent?"

Halfway to formation, Prota gasped as the flower shattered and broke, sending shards of ice flying everywhere. They embedded themselves into trunks, slicing branches off of trees and cutting anything nearby.

"Who trained you?" Kit exclaimed, leaping forwards with shining eyes. She tried to grab Prota's shoulders, but the little girl stepped back and avoided the Mystic's grasp. "Please, you have to introduce me!"

Prota's head tilted to the side in confusion.

"The shape of that flower? Who taught you how to do that?"

"No one," John said, answering for her. "She just… did that for the first time."

"Um… not the first time," Prota muttered.

She was looking at the message in her window.

[Attempt at activating passive: Creation, has begun]

The ability she'd used in the cave. She remembered the message she'd received as she left.

[Since the skill has been forcibly awakened, it will be cancelled after usage. In order to awaken it again, please train harder.]

She'd do it, no matter what.

"You did it? Where?"

"In the cave," Prota said, making an oval with her arms.

"The… of course," Kit laughed, shaking her head.

The Cave of Trials. Where one surpassed something that was holding them back. Of course it would be there of all places that a genius would bloom.

"You absolutely have to send Prota to this school. It's called Scholaris." Kit leapt over to John and grabbed his shoulders. "Promise me. Say you promise."

"Hey, hey, I was planning on doing that already! Let go of me, you damn fox!"

"Aw, that's no to talk to a pretty young lady," Kit pouted.

"Pretty young lady? You're an old hag," John muttered, dusting himself off.

She seemed a little hurt, but she got over it quickly as her excitement returned.

"Prota." Kit turned to her with an almost greedy smile. "Practice just that, alright? Nothing else."

Prota nodded energetically. Well, energetic to her. It was two nods of the head, but for someone who barely ever reacted, it was a lot.

"Is she… excited?" Kit asked.

"Yeah. I mean, nodding two times instead of one has gotta mean something, right?"

~~~

Hours of training flew by, and seven days passed in the blink of an eye with Prota training in a hellish regiment. It reminded her of the training the adventurers had put her through. Practicing the refining of her mana, creating new spells, learning incantations… it was endless, but she was keeping up with it. Obviously, she was tired, but if nothing, she was persistent.

She was getting stronger. She could feel it. It was just that every time she looked forward, every time she looked at those in front of her, they just felt so far away. Kit, a Mystic. Fate, a child, yet someone who seemed overwhelmingly strong. John… well, John was John.

She was still lacking.

"Kh!" she gasped as the flower in her hand blew up again.

She fell to her knees, exhausted. She'd done this once already, so why was it so hard?

"Take a break," Kit said kindly. "You're doing much more than I've ever seen anyone do. It's alright to rest now and then."

Prota gulped and shook her head, shakily getting back to her feet. One more time. She'd try it one more—

"No. No more," Kit said sternly. "Not until you get a good rest."

Prota wanted to argue, but she was barely standing.

"Go. Shoo," Kit said. "Go sit down."

With no energy left, she was guided to a tree, where she slumped down. The wind blew through her hair as she activated mana recovery.

"Stronger…" she muttered as she looked at her hands.

She was now capable of various fire and ice spells, each more powerful than ever before, and she was using wind and shadow magic to a weak extent as well.

Was she strong enough, though? She thought back to the demon king. Would she ever reach a level of strength like that? She looked up at the clear blue sky. Things were peaceful now, but how long would things last like that? If this were a story, then wasn't something coming? She didn't quite get it, but slowly she was beginning to understand how John made decisions.

It wouldn't be long before they had to go up against someone strong. Before then, she needed to grow. To ensure she wouldn't be left behind, she had to keep up—

"It doesn't feel like enough, right?"

Prota looked over as Fate's voice came from her right. The boy was leaning against the same tree as her, careful not to get too close.

"I understand that feeling. It feels like you're not strong enough yet, right?"

"..." Prota just stared at him.

"I lost a lot of my comrades once," Fate said.

The mask was distorting his voice, but the words were bitter.

"I thought I was strong. But there are always bigger fish out there. And… well, I couldn't protect everyone. Actually, I couldn't protect anyone. Not even myself, in the end."

A shallow laugh emerged from the mask.

"Now that I'm here, I pushed myself to get stronger again. I swore I would protect those around me. I swore that this life would be better. But… I was wrong again."

"...?"

"Haha. Just ignore me," Fate said. "You probably don't understand most of what I said, but… Prota. You want to protect those around you, right? But you're never going to be perfect. You're never going to live a flawless life. And the more you try to live that flawless life, the more you're going to destroy yourself. So sometimes… It's better to focus on yourself."

Prota thought about that. Focus on herself? What…. What did that mean?

"Well, you're young. So don't worry about it too much."

It was strange to hear the words "you're young" from a boy who looked to be about ten, but then again, ever since she'd met John, nothing had made sense.

"We've still got a long way to go. There's a lot of things to do. Come on. You're strong, right?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.