The Tob Forest, located at the easternmost edge of the Re-Estize Kingdom, wrapped around the southern tip of the Angelisia Mountains like a colossal green crescent, separating the Kingdom from the Empire.
This ancient primeval forest was rich in herbs, timber, and game—but it was equally rich in monsters. Even today, humans dare to operate only along its outer fringes.
By coincidence—or fate—Carne Village lay close to the forest's southern junction.
High above the treetops, a golden giant dragon cut through the sky.
Riding on its back, Catherine Cort Albert narrowed her eyes and spotted a clearing deep within the outer forest. A familiar figure stood alone there.
Her face instantly lit up.
"Older brother!"
Without waiting for the dragon to land, Catherine leapt.
She dropped like a falling star.
"—What are you doing!?"
Lock's pupils shrank. He immediately cast a spell and shot upward, catching her midair.
Boom!
Even so, the impact slammed him into the ground, forming a shallow crater nearly two meters wide as dust exploded outward.
"Older brother, did you miss me?" Catherine lay on top of him, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a contented kitten.
"Cough… of course I did," Lock said after forcing the air back into his lungs, smiling helplessly. "My sister is adorable. I think about you every day."
"Really!?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
She thought hard for a moment, then beamed. "You're right! I believe you!"
"Alright, that's enough. Get up," Lock said, patting her head. "You're grown now. Acting like this will get you laughed at."
Reluctantly, Catherine stood up.
Lock rose as well, brushing dust from his clothes. The impact hadn't harmed him at all—his divine-tier equipment absorbed most of it. Even Catherine herself, now aanLV93 Magic Caster, wouldn't have been seriously injured by the fall.
A thunderous thud followed.
The golden dragon descended impatiently, landing nearby and lowering its massive head to rub against Lock's cheek.
"Long time no see, Annea," Lock said warmly, wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck. "Thanks for taking care of my sister."
"It is my duty, Master!"
The dragon's tail swayed happily, gouging trenches into the earth.
Annea was not a dragon of this world. She had been brought from Yggdrasil, originally LV90, now raised by Lock to LV92. Unlike humans, dragons possessed infinite lifespans—as long as they were not slain, they would never die of age.
That fact alone made Lock envious.
Even at LV100, as a human, his life would still have an end. Otherwise, the human players who once became the Six Gods of the Theocracy would not have perished from old age.
Catherine watched the affectionate exchange with puffed cheeks.
Lock laughed, then turned serious.
"Catherine. How did the task I gave you go?"
"Mission complete!"
She pulled an old, timeworn magic book from her storage space and handed it over.
Lock flipped through the pages, skimming the structure and magical logic. Though some parts were incomplete, the core theory was intact.
He nodded, satisfied.
"And how did that old man react when he saw you?"
"He looked gross, but he's amazing," Catherine said frankly. "To think he created magic like this. Oh—and he asked to meet you. I didn't know if you'd agree, so I gave him a communication item. You're not mad, right?"
"It's fine," Lock replied calmly. "He's useful. If necessary, I can always take it back."
His gaze lingered on the book in his hand.
This was no ordinary grimoire.
It recorded a forbidden spell of the immortal system—
The Curse of Immortality.
There were many ways to gain eternal life. The simplest was to abandon humanity and become undead.
But this spell was different.
It extended a human's lifespan directly—without changing race.
There was already a living example.
The Fluder Paradyne of the Baharuth Empire.
Over two hundred years old, Fluder had used this self-created forbidden spell to defy death. With centuries of accumulated study, he became one of the few human Magic Casters to surpass LV40, famed across all three human nations.
He also possessed a rare innate ability—one that allowed him to perceive a Magic Caster's maximum potential and the highest tier of magic they could wield.
In the original timeline, this very ability made him kneel before Ainz the moment he sensed tenth-tier magic, betraying his Empire without hesitation.
Lock neither admired nor despised that choice.
He understood it.
Obsession with magic, pure and absolute.
That was precisely why Lock would never allow such a man to fall into Nazarick's hands.
And now, fate had delivered something even better.
Not only was Fluder useful—
He possessed the immortality technique Lock desired.
An opportunity to secure eternal time for himself…
…and to quietly plant a blade deep within the Baharuth Empire.
The strongest tools, after all, were not armies—
—but people who could not afford to die.
---
A/N: A New Fanfic Is Out "Bleach: Reborn As Ishida Uryuu"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San