The night air was cool when Eternia Sinclair returned to the outer estate.
The quiet pathways of the estate were mostly empty now, with only a few lanterns glowing faintly along the stone walkways. Most servants had already retired for the night, leaving the grounds peaceful and silent.
But Eternia's mind was anything but calm.
Her thoughts replayed the meeting at the Palace of Eternal Solace again and again.
Godfrey Ender Sinclair.
The War Mage of the Sinclair family.
One of the most terrifying individuals within the entire domain.
And now…
Apparently her mentor.
"…Disciple, huh."
Eternia muttered quietly as she walked down the corridor toward her room.
The word still felt strange.
In her past life, Shatter had learned everything alone.
There had been no teacher.
No master.
No noble family guiding his growth.
Just stolen books.
Forbidden ruins.
And desperate battles against death.
Yet now, in this new life, someone that powerful had decided to train her personally.
She didn't know whether to call it luck…
Or trouble.
Still, one thing was certain.
"If he's serious about training me…"
Her silver eyes sharpened.
"…then I need to get stronger before the second trial."
Eternia reached her room and quietly locked the door behind her.
Click.
Silence filled the room.
She walked directly to the small desk near the window.
Several glass vials rested there.
Mana elixirs.
The ones she had received earlier from the mysterious delivery.
And the high-grade one Godfrey had thrown to her just moments ago.
Eternia picked up one of the vials.
The liquid inside glowed faintly with condensed magical energy.
Mana elixirs were extremely valuable resources for mages.
They accelerated mana growth dramatically.
But they also carried risks.
Drinking too many at once could destabilize a mage's internal circulation.
However—
Eternia wasn't planning to drink just one.
She opened the first vial.
The liquid tasted bitter as it slid down her throat.
Warm energy immediately spread through her chest.
Her magic circuits reacted instantly, drawing the mana into circulation.
Eternia didn't hesitate.
She opened the second vial.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
By the time she finished the last one, her entire body was glowing faintly with unstable magical energy.
Her circuits pulsed like burning wires.
Anyone else attempting this would have collapsed immediately.
But Eternia sat down cross-legged on the floor.
Her hands formed a stable meditation posture.
"…Circulate."
Mana began moving through her body.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
She guided the energy carefully through every magic circuit in her body.
Up through her spine.
Across her shoulders.
Down through her arms.
Then back toward the center.
Her heart.
The core of her mana system.
The location where every mage formed their first mana circle.
The First Circle.
Eternia inhaled slowly.
"…Now."
She compressed the circulating mana toward her chest.
The energy resisted immediately.
Mana rings did not form easily.
They required precise balance between control, capacity, and stability.
Too much force—
The circuits would rupture.
Too little—
The mana would simply disperse.
Eternia focused harder.
Her mind replayed the countless nights in her previous life when Shatter had attempted this exact process.
Back then, it had been torture.
His magic circuits were weak.
Unstable.
He had failed repeatedly.
Years of effort.
Years of frustration.
Years of slow, painful progress.
But this body was different.
The circuits here were perfect.
Natural.
Flexible.
The mana responded beautifully to her control.
Still—
The pressure built rapidly.
The condensed energy inside her chest felt like a small sun.
Sweat formed on her forehead.
Her breathing grew heavy.
"…Almost…"
The mana trembled violently.
Then—
It began to spiral.
A small ring of compressed mana formed near her heart.
Thin at first.
Fragile.
But stable.
Eternia's eyes snapped open.
"…Yes!"
The ring solidified.
The First Circle.
Mana now flowed through her circuits in a perfect loop, anchored by the newly formed ring at her core.
Power surged through her body.
Her mana reserves expanded instantly.
Her spellcasting efficiency increased dramatically.
Eternia laughed quietly.
"…Finally."
She leaned back slightly, catching her breath.
Her thoughts drifted to her previous life.
Shatter.
The weak noble who had been cast aside.
It had taken him nearly eight years to reach this same milestone.
Eight years of struggle.
Eight years of humiliation.
Yet Eternia had just achieved it in a single night.
"…What a difference."
Her silver eyes gleamed with pride.
This body truly was superior.
But she wasn't finished yet.
Her gaze shifted toward the desk.
The strange grimoire still rested there.
Eternia stood slowly and picked it up.
"…Now let's see what you can do."
She flipped through the pages until she reached the spell she had studied earlier.
The unfamiliar one.
The spell labeled—
Adapt.
Eternia frowned slightly.
"I've never heard of a spell like this."
Most first-tier spells were straightforward.
Attack spells.
Defense spells.
Elemental manipulation.
But Adapt seemed… different.
The runic structure was complex.
Unusual.
Almost experimental.
Eternia stood in the center of the room and raised one hand.
Her newly formed First Circle pulsed with energy.
"…Let's try it."
Mana flowed outward.
She followed the runic pattern exactly as the grimoire described.
The spell formation began building in the air.
For a moment, it seemed like it would work.
Then—
The structure collapsed.
The mana dispersed instantly.
Eternia blinked.
"…What?"
She tried again.
The same result.
The spell refused to activate.
Eternia studied the runes carefully.
Everything seemed correct.
Her mana control was stable.
Her First Circle provided enough power.
Yet the spell simply wouldn't activate.
After several more attempts, she sighed and closed the book.
"…Maybe I'm missing something."
Her body was still recovering from the intense training earlier.
Her mind was growing tired.
Eternia placed the book back on the desk.
"…I'll figure it out later."
For now…
Sleep was more important.
She collapsed onto her bed moments later.
And quickly drifted into deep sleep.
~~~~
Morning arrived quickly.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the quiet room.
Eternia opened her eyes slowly.
Her body felt surprisingly refreshed.
The First Circle continued circulating mana smoothly inside her chest.
She smiled slightly.
"…Still there."
Good.
It hadn't destabilized overnight.
She stood up and stretched her arms.
Then walked toward the wardrobe near the wall.
Inside hung the combat clothes she had received the day before.
Eternia pulled them out and examined them again.
The fabric felt incredibly comfortable.
Lightweight.
Flexible.
Perfect for battle.
She quickly changed into the outfit.
But as she looked in the mirror—
Her eyebrow twitched.
"…Why does it look like this?"
The clothes were practical.
But the design clearly emphasized feminine aesthetics.
Elegant lines.
Fitted sleeves.
Subtle silver embroidery.
Very… girly.
Eternia stared at her reflection for several seconds.
Then sighed.
"…Right."
She was a girl now.
Even after five years, moments like this still caught her off guard occasionally.
Especially during baths.
Every time she stepped into the water, her brain briefly froze before remembering the obvious truth.
Shatter was gone.
Now she was Eternia.
A beautiful girl.
Eternia shook her head.
"…Focus."
Today was the second trial.
She grabbed her staff and left the room.
The trial grounds were already crowded when Eternia arrived in the afternoon.
Hundreds of candidates filled the arena courtyard.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…That many?"
Apparently the retrieval teams had recovered most of the remaining participants from the labyrinth.
And they had already completed their supplementary trial earlier that morning.
Eternia frowned slightly.
They went easy on them.
Still…
It didn't matter.
Her attention shifted toward the center platform where Captain Varos stood.
The announcer raised his hand.
The crowd slowly quieted.
"Candidates!"
His voice echoed across the arena.
"The second round of the Sinclair Family Trial will now begin!"
Excited murmurs spread through the crowd.
Varos continued.
"This round will determine who among you possesses the talent worthy of advancing further."
Eternia crossed her arms calmly.
Her First Circle pulsed gently with mana.
Whatever the trial involved—
She was ready.
Varos raised a scroll and began reading the rules.
As the explanation continued—
Eternia's eyes slowly widened.
Her mouth opened slightly.
Then—
She gasped loudly.
"…Huuuuuh?!"