"You are Rudra…"
Her voice lowered slightly, not in volume, but in tone.
"But how is that even possible…"
A faint crease formed in her expression—not confusion, but something closer to curiosity.
"No… did you somehow step outside of Veldanava's creation… and then enter it again…"
Her eyes lingered on him.
"How odd…"
Felix exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
"I don't seem to have much time, it seems…" she continued, her attention shifting inward for just a moment, as though she was aware of something beyond the present interaction. "Using this form was the last measure… yet it appears there was no need for it."
Her presence flickered—not visibly, but in feeling.
Like something vast being compressed into a smaller moment.
"Ahh… can you tell me what's happening?" Felix asked, keeping his tone steady, deliberately neutral.
He knew better than to react too strongly.
"Hmm…"
Ramiris regarded him for a moment.
"Well, certainly."
Her voice flowed more slowly now, measured, deliberate—each word carrying weight, as though she was not merely speaking, but arranging the truth itself into something that could be understood.
"I do not know if it is the exact truth," she began, "but it is my speculation that you—or rather your soul—traveled to outside of this world when you were Rudra."
The corridor remained silent, the air unmoving as she spoke.
"You gained many things there… including the unique powers you possess."
Her gaze did not waver.
"And somehow, you have come back here after reincarnation."
A brief pause followed.
Not empty.
Considered.
"Thus, you are a native… yet an outsider too."
The words settled into the space between them.
"But do not worry," she continued, her tone softening just slightly—not in warmth, but in intent. "After all, you were Veldanava's student. I certainly will not be harsh on you."
There was no reassurance in her words.
Only fact.
A faint, distant smile formed.
"Instead, I would suggest you forget this interaction altogether. It is not something you need to dwell on."
Felix held her gaze for a moment longer.
Then nodded.
"Well… if you say so."
And just like that—
The weight of the moment shifted.
Not gone.
But set aside.
"So, Felix… why had you come here originally?" Ramiris asked, her gaze still fixed on him, though the intensity behind it had lessened just enough to allow conversation. "Perhaps I could help you."
Felix took a small breath before answering, his tone steady.
"Well, I came here for two reasons. I'm looking for Raphtalia—she should have come here about four days ago. And I'm also here to receive the blessing of spirits so I can become a Hero."
Ramiris listened without interruption.
Then, slowly, a faint smile formed on her lips.
"You do not need a Hero's Egg, Felix," she said.
Her voice carried that same calm certainty as before.
"The Chosen One skill already contains your original Hero's Egg."
There was no hesitation in her words—only fact.
"As for Raphtalia…" she continued, her expression shifting ever so slightly, "she has been… persistent."
A brief pause.
"She has been pestering me to grant her the blessing so she may become a Hero. Yet I could not."
Her gaze lowered just a fraction, as if considering the matter again.
"She is a Beastman. Her very existence does not allow a Hero's Egg to form naturally."
Felix frowned slightly.
"Really? Can't you help her out a bit?" he asked, a hint of genuine concern slipping into his voice.
Ramiris looked at him again.
This time, there was something more measured in her gaze.
"Certainly," she said.
Then, after a brief pause, she continued—more deliberately.
"For that, you would have to give up your own Hero's Egg."
The words settled heavily, though her tone remained unchanged.
"Chosen One may allow you to obtain another through the blessing of spirits… but that is merely a possibility."
A slight tilt of her head.
"You may even lose your qualification to be a Hero entirely."
Her golden eyes held his.
"Would you still do it?"
There was no pressure in the question.
No push.
Just quiet observation.
Felix didn't take long to answer.
"Sure," he said simply.
There was no grand declaration, no hesitation.
"I have full confidence in becoming a Hero even without a Hero's Egg…"
His tone carried a quiet certainty—not arrogance, not defiance.
Just belief.
He could feel it himself.
Even if this path closed, there would be others.
There always were.
Ramiris watched him for a moment longer.
Then, that faint smile returned.
"You certainly are a Hero," she said softly. "A qualified one at that."
The space shifted.
It did not distort violently, nor did it tear.
It simply… folded.
Like a page being turned.
And the next moment—
They stood somewhere else.
The corridor was gone.
In its place was a vast, quiet space, filled with a gentle, almost serene presence. The air itself felt different—lighter, yet deeper, as though it carried something unseen within it.
At the center of that space—
Raphtalia.
She knelt with quiet focus, her katana placed carefully before her, its blade resting flat against the ground. Her hands were folded neatly, her head bowed toward the unseen presence of the Dwelling of Spirits.
She did not move.
She did not speak.
Only waited.
"Raphtalia."
Ramiris' voice broke the stillness.
Raphtalia's head lifted immediately.
"Yes—"
She turned.
"…you are… Lady Ramiris?"
The words came out with a hint of surprise, her gaze lingering on Ramiris for a moment longer than expected. There was a visible pause, as if she was trying to reconcile the presence before her with the one she had encountered earlier.
Her eyes shifted.
Landing on Felix.
Recognition followed quickly after.
Ramiris stepped forward slightly.
"Yes," she said. "I will remain like this for only a short time…"
There was no elaboration.
No explanation.
"However, I have brought you some good news."
Her hand moved slightly, indicating Felix.
"This here is Felix—the reincarnation of the first and most powerful Hero to have existed."
A brief pause.
"And he is willing to give you his Hero's Egg."
Silence followed.
Raphtalia froze.
Not visibly, not dramatically—but something in her posture stilled completely.
Then, slowly, she lowered her head.
"Thank you, Sir Felix…"
Her voice was steady.
Controlled.
Yet there was a faint tremor beneath it.
"I do not know why you would place your trust in me… nor do I know of your previous life."
Her hands tightened slightly against the ground.
"But I do know what you have done."
A small breath.
"You are the one who sealed Charybdis. The one who saved my city."
Her head lowered further.
"Even if I left it many years ago… it is still my home."
There was a pause.
Not hesitation—just the weight of memory.
"And when I heard about you…"
Her voice softened slightly.
"I found myself wanting to follow that path."
A faint shift in posture.
"To become your student."
She straightened just a little.
"That is why I sought to become a Chosen Hero candidate."
Felix opened his mouth slightly—
But before he could speak—
Ramiris raised a hand.
"While I am enjoying the conviction in both of you," she said calmly, though there was a subtle urgency beneath it, "I do not have much time."
Her gaze shifted between them.
"So I would prefer to finish this sooner rather than later."
Her attention settled on Raphtalia.
"However, I must warn you."
Her tone lowered—not softer, but more deliberate.
"Inheriting a Hero's Egg is far more painful… and far more difficult than forming one within yourself."
A brief pause.
"Do you truly wish to proceed?"
Raphtalia did not hesitate.
"Yes."
There was no second thought.
No reconsideration.
Just a simple, unwavering answer.
And in that moment—
Felix felt it.
Something shifted within him.
A faint pull.
Not painful.
But unmistakable.
From within his chest, a soft light began to gather—faint at first, then growing clearer, more defined.
A small sphere.
Pure.
Steady.
It separated from him slowly, drifting outward like something that had always belonged elsewhere.
There was no resistance.
No struggle.
Only a quiet sense of something leaving.
Felix remained still.
Even as the light moved away from him.
Even as the space it left behind felt… different.
Lighter.
Empty, in a way that was not unpleasant, but noticeable.
The sphere drifted toward Raphtalia.
And the moment it touched her—
Her body went limp.
She collapsed forward.
"What happened to her?" Felix asked immediately, his tone still calm, though his eyes remained fixed on her.
Ramiris stepped forward without hesitation.
"Do not worry," she said.
Her voice had returned to its earlier calm.
"She will be fine."
She gently lifted Raphtalia, supporting her as if handling something fragile.
"The Hero's Egg you have given her is far more powerful than any other."
There was no pride in her words.
Only observation.
"I have slowed the process. It will take her at least three to four months to complete her evolution."
A faint motion of her hand.
"But it will be safer this way."
A structure formed around Raphtalia—subtle, almost like a cocoon shaped from invisible force, yet faintly shimmering with contained energy.
Ramiris placed her within it carefully.
Ensuring she remained undisturbed.
And just like that—
The moment passed.
But its weight remained.
"Now come with me," she called out to Felix, already turning as if she expected him to follow without question.
"Where?"
Ramiris glanced back at him, one brow lifting slightly.
"What, you don't want your own Hero's Egg?" she said, almost amused. "Leaving behind what was essentially an Egg from your past life was certainly better for your future… but you will need a new one now."
She didn't wait for a proper response, simply reaching out and pulling him along as the space around them began to shift again, guiding them deeper toward the Dwelling of Spirits.
Felix allowed himself to be led, though a thought crossed his mind.
"Hmm… so it was a test after all," he said. "You knew I wouldn't face any drawbacks in giving away the Hero's Egg."
"Of course I did," Ramiris replied lightly, a small, satisfied smile forming. "And you passed the test."
She stopped suddenly.
"Wait… I should do this before I forget."
Before Felix could ask what she meant, the familiar voice echoed once more.
"Thanks, I guess… I didn't know you could do that."
Ramiris straightened just a little, a faint hint of pride slipping into her expression.
"Oh, you'd be surprised how much I can do inside the Labyrinth," she said. "If this wasn't just a temporary measure, pushing up all the energy like this… I could even lock Ultimate Skills."
She paused, then waved it off as if it wasn't worth lingering on.
"Anyways," she continued, her tone shifting slightly, "once I'm done, I'll revert back to my usual version."
A small shrug followed.
"I'm a bit clumsy in that form, so I'll have to ask you to help me out if needed. See you in a bit…"
And then—
It happened.
The change was not abrupt, yet it was overwhelming.
From Ramiris, an immense amount of spirit energy began to pour out—not in a violent surge, but in a continuous, flowing release. It filled the surrounding space almost instantly, saturating the air with a density that pressed against Felix's senses.
For a brief moment, it felt suffocating.
Like standing in the center of a storm made not of wind or lightning, but of pure existence.
Felix tensed slightly, instinctively bracing himself.
But—
There was no harm.
No pressure that crushed him.
Instead, the energy wrapped around him, seeped into him, resonated with something deep within his being.
Warm.
Expansive.
Alive.
And then he felt it.
A presence.
Forming.
Not something foreign—but something being rebuilt.
Something that belonged.
Deep within him, a new light took shape—brighter, fuller, far more stable than before. It did not feel borrowed or inherited.
It felt… his.
The voice faded.
And just as quickly as it had begun—
The energy receded.
Felix barely had time to process it before—
Something small dropped from above.
He moved on instinct, catching it.
Ramiris.
Or rather—
The version of her he was more familiar with.
Tiny.
Light.
And completely unconscious.
She let out a quiet snore, completely unbothered by what had just occurred.
Felix stared at her for a second.
Then sighed softly.
"…Right."
He carefully lowered her to the ground, making sure she was comfortable before stepping back and taking in the space around him.
The Dwelling of Spirits was quieter now.
Calmer.
The overwhelming presence from before had faded, leaving behind only a faint, steady flow of energy that felt almost… natural.
Time passed slowly.
With nothing immediate to do, Felix began to move around, exploring what little there was to see.
At some point, a thought crossed his mind.
Beretta.
If the timeline had shifted this much, there was no guarantee things had unfolded the same way.
After searching for a while, he eventually found it—
A doll.
Empty.
No presence.
No will.
Just a vessel.
"…Yeah," he muttered quietly. "Figures."
With Ramiris still asleep and nothing else demanding his attention, the silence began to stretch longer than he preferred.
So he did what he usually did.
He experimented.
"Could Tier Magic heal Ramiris?" he wondered aloud.
His mind shifted toward what he knew.
Super Tier Magic.
Specifically—
Gaia's Aid.
A spell often misunderstood.
Its purpose wasn't simple healing, nor was it just about removing corruption or debuffs.
It was something far more extreme.
A forced state of survival.
As long as the user remained grounded, their body would regenerate at an absurd rate—far beyond natural limits.
In practical terms, it was designed for those who could endure damage but needed to outlast it.
"Tanks," Felix muttered.
High durability.
High endurance.
Not exactly his style—but useful.
Still, ignoring the original mechanics, the core principle remained.
Restoration.
Stability.
Reinforcement.
It might work.
With that thought, Felix began charging the Nameless Book of Spells.
Time passed.
Hours blurred.
Then days.
Ramiris didn't stir once.
But eventually—
The spell was ready.
Felix exhaled slowly, then activated it.
[Gaia's Aid]
Magic circles unfolded around him in layers—intricate, precise, overlapping in ways that felt almost excessive. The air filled with magicules, thick enough to be seen as a faint shimmer.
The energy spread outward, settling gently over Ramiris.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
"Mm… let me sleep five more minutes…"
The voice was weak, barely above a murmur.
Felix blinked.
Then the energy intensified slightly, continuing its flow.
Ramiris stirred.
Her small body shifted before she lifted off the ground, hovering slightly as she stretched lazily.
"Ooo… what's this?" she said, her voice immediately more awake. "I like this."
She spun once in the air, clearly enjoying the sensation.
"Can you do this every day?" she asked, grinning. "It's all tingly… hehe."
"Not really," Felix replied. "This was just to wake you up."
She stopped mid-air and floated closer, narrowing her eyes as she looked at him more closely.
Then—
"You got a lot taller from last time," she said seriously.
Felix stared at her for a moment.
Then facepalmed.
"It's you who got shorter," he said. "You're back in your… usual form."
Ramiris blinked.
Then nodded slowly.
"Ohhh… yeah, that makes more sense."
A pause.
Then her eyes lit up again.
"So—was that magic you learned from outside this world?"
Felix frowned slightly.
"Wait… do you remember everything?"
"Of course," she replied instantly. "I don't forget anything."
She crossed her arms, nodding with confidence.
"I even remember that you're the reincarnation of… of…"
She paused.
Brows furrowed.
"Lu… lu… wait…"
A longer pause.
"Are you the reincarnation of Luminous?"
Another pause.
"…No, wait. She's still alive."
Felix just looked at her.
Ramiris froze for half a second.
Then immediately pointed at him.
"Wait—you're distracting me!"
She zipped closer, hovering right in front of his face, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Come on, show me more magic," she said, practically vibrating in place. "I want to see stuff from outside the world!"
And just like that—
The ancient, all-knowing being from before was gone.
Replaced entirely by the chaotic fairy he had expected.
A/n: I may have changed up the Hero system a bit here and there... Different from original but it fits the story better.
Anyways, do comment how was it.