Magic Omnipotence Cards

Above the wreckage of the testing ground, the fearsome dragon-like creature inspected his body, grumbling indignantly. His tough scales, gleaming like metal, had perfectly stopped the arrows. But while his hard armor could keep them from piercing him, it couldn't dissipate their momentum. The impacts had passed through his scales, leaving Ryan somewhat uncomfortable and short of breath. Fortunately, the robust physique granted by the Dragon Blood Potion and his half-dragon transformation soon helped him recover.

As soon as the rain of arrows ended, Jelona and the other two hurried to Ryan's side to check on him.

"Ryan, how are you? Are you hurt?" The Half-elf Ranger's concern was plain to see, her urgent voice full of worry and care.

Ryan slowly calmed down from his racing heart and agitation. Perhaps because the dragon blood in his veins was deeply rooted and ferocious, his emotions had been more volatile than usual while transformed. The Mage reined in his anger and lingering fear, then sighed softly and answered his companions' concerned questions. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Everything's okay."

Ryan was profoundly relieved. The laboratory's owner had only been testing him, after all, and hadn't used anything as deranged as armor-piercing or enchanted arrows. The arrows had been of ordinary strength, too. If they'd been replaced with the single-shot crossbow in Ryan's Traveler Space, he figured he'd be full of holes by now.

Next time I run into something like this, I'm getting out of here with Spark right away. That was way too damn close! Ryan gently touched the shallow scratches on his red scales and silently made up his mind. This unexpected ordeal had scared the hell out of him.

"Um, I need to end the dragon transformation. Could you turn around and give me some privacy?" The blond Mage felt a great deal of pressure as the three stared at him with concern. His voice wavered, tinged with embarrassment.

"Hm?" The Dwarf and the Barbarian looked utterly bewildered. But Jelona seemed to realize something as she looked at Ryan, whose entire body was covered in red scales, making him look savage and fearsome. Her face flushed, and she led her companions over to a corner.

Ryan took a few planks out of his Traveler Space and set them up as a makeshift screen. Only then did he end the dragon transformation. The fiery red scales retracted into his body, and the armor over his cheeks disappeared. Ryan returned to his normal size, and the terrifying monster was hidden inside the boy, waiting to be summoned again someday.

In the bright light, a lean figure with snow-white skin and sharply defined, powerful lines could be glimpsed beneath the tattered Mage robe. A Spark-shaped mark was faintly visible over his heart, flickering and burning as if alive.

The Mage's lustrous, golden hair fell over his pale arms, as smooth as precious silk. It brought to mind the rosy afterglow of the sky and every other beautiful thing too exquisite for words.

The handsome boy's face was full of helplessness. By sheer coincidence, he'd awakened the dragon blood within him and gotten a flashy transformation ability for free. But apparently, it required him to burst out of his clothes. The menacing spikes and scales that sprouted all over him during the transformation always wrecked his clothing.

Ryan rummaged through his Traveler Space and found a change of clothes. Regretfully, he took off the Mage robe, which had been damaged beyond recognition.

Ryan's Mage robe was the standard issue for Mages in Silverymoon, with a permanent enchantment that accelerated spellcasting. It was worth a fortune. The thrifty young Mage had only three or four free Mage robes to his name, so every one he ruined was one less.

All Ryan wanted now was an indestructible outfit, like the green giant's boxer shorts or Superman's outside-the-pants underwear from his previous life. He was seriously envious of those magical fabrics that never tore, of course.

Once he'd tidied himself up and gotten dressed, Ryan put the planks and ruined Mage robe away in his Traveler Space. A chronic hoarder with an endless storage space was bound to wind up with a warehouse full of all kinds of treasures. Ryan figured that if he kept traveling across the multiverse and looting as he went, becoming richer than a nation was no dream at all.

"Okay, everyone, come over and let's see what we got this time." Ryan called to the three who were obediently facing the corner as if doing penance.

At his call, Jelona and the others turned around. As expected, the Half-elf saw Ryan in his new outfit: a light blue tunic edged with fine gold trim and simple hunting trousers. The handsome young Mage looked refined and dashing.

"Hahahaha, so you just needed to change clothes, Ryan? I thought it was something serious! We're all men here, what are you worried about? Wait, Jelona, I didn't mean you were a tomboy! Don't hit me!" The Dwarf, as expected, got a pair of glares from Ryan and a full-force punch from his teammate for his tactless remarks.

Ryan didn't say much about it. He liked the warm, friendly atmosphere in the party, and he knew the Dwarf hadn't meant any harm; he was just teasing, as usual. Before long, everyone had gathered around the platform the Tower Spirit had raised from beneath the floor.

After Ryan completed the trial, the Tower Spirit hadn't spoken again. It had, however, opened the passage to the next trial. No one had expected the route to the next level to be hidden behind the steel wall. When the seamless wall changed shape and split down the middle, even Ryan had been stunned.

At the same time, the Tower Spirit had kept its promise and given Ryan his reward: an ironwood box atop the one-square-meter metal platform that had risen from the floor. Ryan didn't open it right away. After all, bad luck stayed bad luck, no matter how much he spent. Whenever it came time to open a chest, Ryan would usually wash up and get ready, full of hope and solemnity, before testing his luck. This time, too, he'd decided to change clothes before opening it.

Everyone gathered around the dark green wooden box, inspecting it curiously. Ryan examined it first. There were no magical traps or supernatural fluctuations. It looked perfectly ordinary, but after the lessons he'd learned, Ryan no longer had any faith in the owner of this ruin having a conscience.

Ryan summoned an Unseen Servant with a spell. The group stayed a full thirty feet from the box, watching from a safe distance as Ryan ordered the Unseen Servant to open it. The box wasn't locked, and the Unseen Servant opened it without difficulty.

The open box lay quietly on the platform. Everything seemed normal. The group, who had been braced for danger, exchanged glances, gave slightly awkward smiles, and gathered around again.

In the center of the box lay three exquisite cards made from an unknown material. Tiny diamonds were set into their mithral borders, and a complex, vortex-like magical sigil occupied the center of each card. It seemed to possess a power that drew in everyone's gaze and held it fast.

"Damn, Magic Omnipotence Cards?!" Ryan blurted out in surprise at the sight of what was inside the box, unsure whether to feel delighted or annoyed.