Riser didn't return to the library.
Not immediately.
Information was useful—but too much of it, too early, slowed action.
And right now—
He needed to act.
The training yard was quiet again.
Morning light reflected faintly off the scorched stone, still bearing the marks of yesterday's hellfire bursts. The damage hadn't been repaired yet.
Riser preferred it that way.
It reminded him of where he stood.
"…Alright."
He rolled his shoulders slowly.
His body still carried the aftereffects of the Draught.
Not pain anymore.
Something deeper.
Density.
Weight.
Strength that hadn't fully settled yet.
[System Notification]
New Quest Available
Riser sighed.
"Of course there is."
"Show me."
Quest Type: Basic Crafting
Description:Collect 5 materials required for a basic physical enhancement potion.
Materials Required:
Ironroot Bark Flame Lily Petals Ashcore Dust Minor Demonic Crystal Hardened Beast Bone Fragment
Status: Not completed
Reward:→ Basic Alchemy Skill (Unlock)→ +50 SC
Failure:→ Alchemy locked for 7 days
Note: Materials can be gathered manually or through subordinates.
Riser stared at the list.
"…So now I'm an alchemist."
[System Response:]Host requested efficient growth. Alchemy is efficient.
"…Fair."
He could gather them himself.
Probably.
Eventually.
After wasting time he didn't have.
"…No."
He turned toward the exit.
"This is what servants are for."
Orders
Yubelluna was waiting before he even called her.
That was starting to feel normal.
"…Young master."
"I need materials gathered."
She didn't ask why.
Didn't question.
Just—
"What materials?"
Riser handed her the list.
She scanned it quickly.
"…All of these are obtainable within Phenex territory or nearby trade routes."
"Good."
"I will dispatch personnel immediately."
She turned to leave—
Then paused.
"…Is this related to your recent… interests?"
Riser smirked slightly.
"Everything is."
She nodded once.
Then left.
Efficient.
Reliable.
Riser watched her go.
Then turned back toward the training yard.
"…Now I wait."
No.
That wasn't right.
"…Now I train."
Hellfire
He stepped into the center of the yard.
Raised his hand.
And ignited his flames.
Hellfire burst to life instantly.
Bright.
Violent.
Wild.
Riser narrowed his eyes.
"…Too much."
That was the problem.
His fire was strong.
But strength alone—
Didn't mean control.
He remembered yesterday.
The potion.
The pain.
The moment everything stopped resisting and started accepting.
"…Same principle."
He took a breath.
Not to calm himself.
To focus.
The flames flickered in his palm.
Unstable.
Moving too fast.
Too aggressive.
"…Slow down."
He didn't reduce the power.
That wasn't the goal.
He reduced the movement.
The flames responded—
Poorly.
They surged.
Spiked.
Almost lashed outward.
"…No."
Riser clenched his hand slightly.
Not suppressing the fire.
Guiding it.
"Stay."
The flames trembled.
Resisted.
Then—
Stabilized.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
"…There it is."
A small shift.
Almost invisible.
But real.
Instead of a chaotic burst—
The fire held shape.
Riser's eyes sharpened.
"…Again."
Trial and Error
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Each attempt—
Better.
Then worse.
Then better again.
Sometimes the fire collapsed entirely.
Sometimes it exploded outward uncontrollably.
Once, it nearly scorched the entire training ground again.
"…Too fast."
"…Too much force."
"…Too loose."
He adjusted constantly.
Not increasing power.
Not decreasing it.
Refining it.
The First Shape
It happened without warning.
One moment—
Flame.
The next—
Form.
Riser froze.
The fire in his hand had changed.
Not just stable.
Defined.
It wasn't a sphere anymore.
It was—
Sharp.
A blade.
Rough.
Unstable.
Flickering at the edges—
But unmistakable.
"…No way."
He stared at it.
Hellfire—
Taking shape.
Not exploding.
Not spreading.
Holding.
"…This is new."
[System Notification]
Skill Progress Detected
→ Hellfire Control: Improving
Riser grinned.
"…Of course it is."
He moved his hand slightly.
The blade shifted.
Wavered.
Almost collapsed—
But didn't.
"…Stay."
It held.
For three seconds.
Then—
It broke apart.
The flames scattered back into raw fire.
Riser exhaled slowly.
"…That's enough for now."
But his eyes were still locked on his hand.
Because that—
That was important.
Not more power.
Better power.
Realization
He sat down on the edge of the platform.
Thinking.
Canon Riser relied on overwhelming regeneration and brute hellfire.
Big attacks.
Wide range.
Overconfidence.
And lost.
Because someone like Issei didn't care about wide attacks.
Didn't care about pressure.
He adapted.
He grew.
He pushed through.
So Riser—
Couldn't afford to be inefficient.
"…If I can control this…"
If he could:
shape flames compress power direct attacks precisely
Then—
He wouldn't just be strong.
He'd be dangerous.
Return of the System
[System Observation]
Host has discovered foundational control principle.
Recommendation: Continue shaping exercises.
"…Already planning to."
He stood again.
Raised his hand.
Ignited the flames once more.
This time—
He didn't aim for power.
He aimed for shape.
And slowly—
Very slowly—
The fire began to listen.