And with one decisive motion, Toby swung the glowing blade down toward the dragon’s exposed neck.

  “STOP! I SAID STOP!”

  The roar exploded across the Sea of Consciousness.

  The entire space twisted violently. It felt like an earthquake and a raging storm colliding at once. The ground cracked beneath his feet. Wind tore at his body, nearly throwing him away.

  The temperature spiked violently, suffocating heat pressing against his skin, as though the entire Sea of Consciousness had turned into a furnace.

  Toby forced himself to halt the blade mid-swing. He struggled to remain standing under the crushing pressure.

  “I will give you a chance,” the dragon’s voice echoed again.

  “No. I need your full support,” Toby replied. “I will not hold back. Either you submit, or you die.”

  He tightened his grip on the sword and lunged forward again.

  “OKAY! OKAY!” the dragon shouted. “You insufferable human! You reckless, arrogant, stubborn little creature! Do you think binding me will be easy? Do you think you can carry my flames without being reduced to ash?”

  “I am the one who decides who dies here,” Toby said. “I am giving you the chance to live inside my Sea of Consciousness. When I grow stronger, you will grow stronger with me. We will rise together.”

  “…Fine,” the dragon growled at last. “But if you falter even once, if you disgrace my power, if you dare to chain me without the strength to bear me, I will burn your soul from within.”

  “And if you betray me,” Toby replied calmly, “I will erase you.”

  For a moment, neither moved.

  Then light erupted beneath the dragon’s body.

  A radiant glow spread outward, engulfing the massive creature completely. The light lifted it slowly from the ground, pulling it upright as if guided by unseen hands.

  So… it was over?

  Toby suppressed the small smile threatening to form on his lips. It was too early to celebrate.

  System windows began appearing before him.

  [Rare-grade Mana Beast - Emberdrake Juvenile has acknowledged provisional submission.]

  [Compatibility Analysis in Progress…]

  [Elemental Affinity Match: Fire Attribute – High Resonance Detected.]

  [Mana Circulation Compatibility: Exceptional.]

  [Innate Card Synergy: Second Pulse – Enhances draconic mana output stability.]

  [Soul Compatibility Assessment: Mutual Will Alignment Confirmed.]

  The light intensified.

  [Overall Compatibility Rating: Extremely High.]

  [Prime Card Quality Projection: Rare-Grade – Upper Tier.]

  Another window appeared, brighter than the rest.

  [Soul-Binding Process for 1st Prime Card Ready to Initiate.]

  [Warning: This decision is irreversible under normal conditions.]

  [Proceed?]

  Toby nodded slowly.

  The system responded immediately.

  [System Confirmation: Command Accepted.]

  [Initiating Soul-Binding Process…]

  [Binding Rare-Grade Mana Beast – Emberdrake Juvenile.]

  [Integration Stabilized.]

  [1st Prime Card Acquired.]

  At the same time, the once transparent card frame within his Sea of Consciousness began to glow.

  Purple. A deep, radiant purple.

  Toby had truly acquired a purple card as his first Sub Card.

  A Rare-grade.

  A new notification appeared before him.

  [Prime Card Category Identified: Weapon-Type.]

  Weapon Card?

  It was not a rarer type like Summon or Transformation. Still, a Weapon Card meant Toby finally had a natural offensive option to pair with his personal Cards.

  Since his Innate Card focused on mana regeneration, almost any element or type could theoretically synchronize with him.

  [Rare-Grade Weapon Card Acquired.]

  [Card Name: Crimson Drakebound Sword.]

  [A draconic flamebound blade formed through acknowledged submission.]

  As the description faded, the card frame within his Sea of Consciousness displayed its image clearly.

  It was a massive sword, forged in deep crimson metal. Dark patterns resembling dragon scales lined the flat of the blade. A faint ember-like glow flickered as if a living flame had been sealed inside.

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  Toby took a step back when the massive figure that had been lying motionless suddenly reappeared, now standing upright before him.

  Its full body was restored, though slightly transparent, as if formed from flame-shaped mist.

  “You truly are an arrogant, reckless, insufferable human,” the dragon said.

  But…

  Wait.

  Why was its voice no longer echoing across the entire Sea of Consciousness?

  It was no longer thunderous or overwhelming. It sounded like a teenage boy’s voice.

  “Hey, buddy. Nice to see you standing,” Toby said casually.

  “You had better not break your word,” the dragon replied coldly.

  “May I know your name? Is there something I can call you?”

  The dragon hesitated for a brief moment.

  “…Kael.”

  “Kael?” Toby repeated.

  “…It will suffice.”

  “Nice name,” Toby said with a small smile. “I’m Toby.”

  Kael scoffed but did not respond.

  Toby turned his attention back to where his first Prime Card hovered. He walked closer, observing the purple card that continued to receive a steady flow of mana from the Mana Core above.

  “What kind of nonsense is going on with your Mana Core? Why is there another, even more pathetic one beside it?” Kael said.

  “The second Mana Core is temporary. If I exhaust too much mana, it can collapse, even though now it remains without me activating my Innate Card. Normally, having two Mana Cores would let me progress much faster. I also have more card slots than other people.”

  “What is special about a temporary slot?” Kael replied flatly. “You only have one Prime Card anyway.”

  Toby turned to look at him.

  “Humans in this era have developed technology that allows them to create Synthesis Cards.”

  “Not interested.”

  Toby ignored him and continued.

  “By studying the mana circuits within real Mana Cards, they learned how to replicate them. They forged synthetic metal plates engraved with artificial mana circuits, then infused them with monster cores harvested from defeated beasts. That is how Synthesis Cards are made. They can be used without forming a direct soul-binding contract with a Cardmaster.”

  “Everything synthetic has limits,” Kael responded coldly.

  “Yes,” Toby agreed. “Synthesis Cards consume more mana than soul-bound cards. They are expensive to produce. And unlike soul-bound cards, they are not truly limitless.”

  He paused.

  “But Synthesis Cards can be swapped depending on the situation. Offensive. Defensive. Support. Even summoning types.”

  Kael did not respond.

  “Those who give up on traditional cultivation focus instead on maximizing their integration with Synthesis Cards,” Toby continued. “A Rank-2 Guardian can sometimes wield Synthesis Cards far beyond what their natural level should allow. That is one of the reasons humans of this era have grown stronger than those who relied only on the old methods.”

  “And you think allowing your mana core to remain weak, depending on artificial cards, will make you superior?” Kael’s voice turned sharp again. “Power borrowed without foundation will eventually collapse.”

  “And the most interesting part,” Toby went on, ignoring the criticism, “with the extra slots I have, I can use my Prime Card and a Synthesis Card at the same time.”

  “Toby!” Kael snapped sharply. “You understand that forcing your mana core to sustain unstable circulation through a temporary slot will damage you. It will slow your cultivation speed. It may even fracture your internal mana pathways. You are playing with something that could cripple you permanently.”

  Toby nodded slowly.

  “I understand. But my second Mana Core is temporary, and the card slot attached to it is temporary as well. I can use a Synthesis Card on the temporary core, and my Prime Card on the original Mana Core.”

  “Cultivating two Mana Cores is far worse than nurturing just one. You will only slow your own progress. Your foundation will become unstable, and when you attempt to break through in the future, the backlash will be twice as severe.”

  Toby let out a small laugh as he looked at the dragon. “You’re too pessimistic, buddy. Just watch how I make this work. And relax, I’ll use the sword you lent me properly. I happen to fight with a sword anyway.”

  He tilted his head slightly. “Still, you’re really stingy, huh? Just giving me a sword. You could have given me a card that summons you to fight beside me. Or something that lets me transform into a half-dragon. That would’ve been way cooler.”

  “Your vessel is not capable of bearing such power yet,” the dragon replied before turning its head away.

  Toby shrugged. “No complaints. I’ll make this work with the Synthesis Cards I have.”

  [Card Ascension Trial Concluded.]

  [All evaluations finalized.]

  Toby smiled faintly and turned to face the fire dragon.

  “See you around, Kael. It was… interesting meeting you.”

  Kael snorted.

  “Do not die before you become worthy.”

  The moment Toby finished speaking, his vision darkened again. The familiar sensation of falling into endless space returned, as if something had pulled him downward from beneath his feet.

  **

  Toby suddenly found himself back in the room from before he entered the rift.

  He staggered, nearly losing his balance, his body still adjusting to the abrupt return. For a brief second, he thought he might collapse again.

  But he was fully dressed. Exactly as he had been before entering the trial.

  He froze.

  Because standing directly in front of him was not the man who had summoned the portal earlier.

  It was the short-haired blonde woman.

  The same woman who had given him a zero survival assessment.

  “So, you really completed your trial,” she said.

  “Ah… yes, ma’am,” Toby replied.

  “This is the last time you call me ma’am,” she said without changing her expression.

  “Yes. Sorry.”

  “Evelyn Hart,” she continued. “I am an instructor at Eclipsion Academy. A Rank-7 Paragon.”

  Rank-7 Paragon? No way.

  She looked barely in her early twenties, around the same age Toby had been before he died and reincarnated into this world.

  Yet she was already a Rank-7 Paragon.

  “Anyway,” Evelyn continued, “congratulations, Toby. You are now officially a Rank-1 Apprentice.”

  This woman was not only young and powerful. She was also…

  Even in his current twelve-year-old body, Toby could not help but notice how flawless she appeared. Her skin was clear, and her presence carried a natural grace that made it difficult to look away.

  But that was not unusual.

  The higher a Cardmaster’s Rank, the more mana refined their body. Greater vitality. Slower aging. Health that far surpassed ordinary humans.

  It was common for high-Rank Cardmaster to appear much younger than their true age.

  Evelyn met Toby’s gaze and continued, “Do you intend to join the Academy after this? What do you think about Eclipsion?”

  “Instructor Evelyn, yes,” Toby replied calmly. “For someone like me, even being allowed to take the placement test would already be an honor. Eclipsion Academy is not a place people enter casually. If I am given the opportunity to stand there, I will treat it as the most important step of my life.”

  A faint smile touched her lips. “You are quite skilled at flattering for a twelve-year-old. You know exactly how to speak in front of the right person.”

  Toby returned a small smile and bowed once.

  “Only the fortunate are able to enter Eclipsion,” he continued calmly. “Those with names that carry weight. Children of royal families. Influential clans. Talented heirs raised with endless resources. Someone like me, without background or protection, could only hope to receive a chance like that.”

  He lifted his head slightly.

  “If such a chance is offered to me, I would not be foolish enough to turn it away.”

  “Good,” Evelyn said. “You have received a special recommendation from me. Congratulations, Toby. We will meet again at the Eclipsion placement test in two weeks.”

  Toby froze.

  No way.

  Just like that?